Dighanikaya 2.160_2

2.160_2

Kahaṃ pana sammāti kasmā pucchīti. Eke tāva ‘‘ajānanto’’ti vadanti. Iminā kira daharakāle pitarā saddhiṃ āgamma bhagavā diṭṭhapubbo, pacchā pana pāpamittasaṃsaggena pitughātaṃ katvā abhimāre pesetvā dhanapālaṃ muñcāpetvā mahāparādho hutvā bhagavato sammukhībhāvaṃ na upagatapubboti asañjānanto pucchatīti. Taṃ akāraṇaṃ, bhagavā hi ākiṇṇavaralakkhaṇo anubyañjanapaṭimaṇḍito chabbaṇṇāhi rasmīhi sakalaṃ ārāmaṃ obhāsetvā tārāgaṇaparivuto viya puṇṇacando bhikkhugaṇaparivuto maṇḍalamāḷamajjhe nisinno, taṃ ko na jāneyya. Ayaṃ pana attano issariyalīlāya pucchati. Pakati hesā rājakulānaṃ, yaṃ jānantāpi ajānantā viya pucchanti. Jīvako pana taṃ sutvā – ‘ayaṃ rājā pathaviyaṃ ṭhatvā kuhiṃ pathavīti, nabhaṃ ulloketvā kuhiṃ candimasūriyāti, sinerumūle ṭhatvā kuhiṃ sinerūti vadamāno viya dasabalassa purato ṭhatvā kuhiṃ bhagavā’ti pucchati. ‘‘Handassa bhagavantaṃ dassessāmī’’ti cintetvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṃ paṇāmetvā ‘‘eso mahārājā’’tiādimāha. Purakkhatoti parivāretvā nisinnassa purato nisinno.

"Where, friend, [is the Blessed One]?": why did he ask this? First, some say: "Not knowing." For indeed, it is said that in his youth he came with his father and had seen the Blessed One before, but later, through association with bad friends, he murdered his father, sent assassins, released Dhanapāla, and, having become a great offender, had never come into the presence of the Blessed One; thus not recognizing him, he asked. That is without reason, for the Blessed One is covered with the foremost bodily marks, adorned with the secondary characteristics, illuminating the entire monastery with rays of six colors, seated in the midst of the circular pavilion surrounded by the assembly of bhikkhus like the full moon surrounded by constellations of stars—who would not recognize him? Rather, he asked this in his sovereign demeanor. For this is the nature of royal families: even knowing, they ask as if not knowing. But Jīvaka, on hearing that, [thought]: 'Standing on the earth, this king asks, "Where is the earth?"; looking up at the sky, he asks, "Where are the moon and the sun?"; standing at the foot of Mount Sineru, he asks, "Where is Sineru?"—likewise, standing before the One of Ten Powers, he asks, "Where is the Blessed One?"' Thinking, "Come, I will point out the Blessed One to him," he saluted with joined palms toward the Blessed One and said, "That, great king," and so on. "Facing [the assembly]": seated in front of those seated surrounding him.