Dighanikaya 20: 7. Mahāsamayasuttavaṇṇanā

Explanation of the Origin Story

"Thus have I heard" introduces the Mahāsamaya Sutta. Here is the explanation of the unfamiliar words: "Among the Sakyans": according to the account of origin stated in the Ambaṭṭha Sutta, through the joyful utterance, "Capable (sakyā) indeed are the princes, good sirs!", princes acquired the name "Sakyans"; a single country, as their residence, is called "Sakyans" by conventional usage; thus, "among the Sakyans" means in that country of the Sakyans. "In the Great Forest": in a large forest that grew naturally, was not planted, and was contiguous with the Himālaya. "With all arahants": with those who had attained arahantship on the very day this sutta was spoken.

Here is the sequential account: It is said that the Sakyans and the Koliyans, having dammed the river named Rohiṇī between the city of Kapilavatthu and the city of Koliya with a single barrage, cultivated their crops. Then, in the month of Jeṭṭhamūla, when the crops were wilting, the laborers of the residents of both cities gathered together. There, the residents of the city of Koliya said: "If this water is taken to both sides, it will not suffice for you or for us; but our crops will mature with just this one supply of water. Give this water to us!" The residents of the city of Kapilavatthu said: "When you stand with your granaries full, we will not be able to wander at your house doors holding bags and baskets with red gold, blue gems, and black coins! Our crops too will mature with just this one supply of water. Give this water to us!" "We will not give it!" "We too will not give it!" Having escalated the quarrel in this manner, one stood up and struck another, and he struck another; thus, striking one another, insulting the lineage of the royal families, they intensified the quarrel.

The Koliyan laborers said: "Taking the side of the residents of Kapilavatthu, you roar—those who cohabited with their own sisters like dogs, jackals, and the like! What will their elephants, horses, and buckler-shields do to us?" The Sakyan laborers also said: "Now you roar, taking the side of the children of lepers, who, destitute, helpless, lived in jujube trees like animals! What will their elephants, horses, and buckler-shields do to us?" They went and told the ministers appointed to that work; the ministers told the royal families. Then the Sakyans, saying, "We will show the stamina and strength of those who cohabited with their sisters!", set out dressed for battle. The Koliyans too, saying, "We will show the stamina and strength of the jujube tree-dwellers!", set out dressed for battle.

And at the very time of dawn, the Blessed One, having arisen from the attainment of great compassion and surveying the world, saw them marching out thus prepared for battle. Seeing them, he considered: “If I go, will this quarrel be calmed or not?” Reflecting, he concluded: “Having gone there, I will tell three Jātakas for the purpose of calming the quarrel, and then the quarrel will be calmed. Then, having told two Jātakas for the purpose of illustrating harmony, I will teach the Attadaṇḍa Sutta. Having heard the teaching, the residents of both cities will give two hundred and fifty young men each; I will give them the going forth, and then there will be a great gathering.” Therefore, while these [people] were marching out prepared for battle, without informing anyone, he took his bowl and robe himself, went [there], folded his legs crosswise in the air between the two armies, and sat down emitting the six-colored rays of light.

As soon as the residents of Kapilavatthu saw the Blessed One, they thought: “Our supreme kinsman, the Teacher, has arrived. Has he seen our state of quarreling?” And having thought: “Now that the Blessed One has arrived, it is not possible for us to strike another's body with a weapon; let the residents of the city of Koliya kill us or roast us,” they threw down their weapons, paid homage to the Blessed One, and sat down. The residents of the city of Koliya, having thought the very same thing, also threw down their weapons, paid homage to the Blessed One, and sat down.

The Blessed One, though knowing, asked: “Why have you come, great kings?” “Blessed One, we have not come for amusement at a bathing-place, nor for amusement in the hills, nor for amusement in the river, nor to see the mountains; rather, having prepared for battle at this place, we have come.” “On account of what is your quarrel, great kings?” “Water, venerable sir.” “What is water worth, great kings?” “It is of little value, venerable sir.” “What is the earth worth, great kings?” “It is priceless, venerable sir.” “What are nobles worth, great kings?” “Nobles are priceless, venerable sir.” “Why are you destroying priceless nobles on account of water of little value, great kings? There is no gratification in a quarrel, great kings; on account of a quarrel, having formed an unfounded enmity, the grudge bound by a certain tree deity with a black lion has persisted throughout this entire kappa,” and having said this, he told the Phandana Jātaka. Then he said: “One should not be one who is led by trust in others, great kings. Indeed, through trust in others, by the word of a single hare, herds of four-footed beasts rushed into the great ocean across the three-thousand-league-wide Himavanta. Therefore, one should not be one who is led by trust in others,” and he told the Pathavīundriya Jātaka. Then he said: “Sometimes, great kings, even a weak one sees a chink or opening in a very strong one, and sometimes a very strong one in a weak one. For even a little quail bird caused the destruction of a bull elephant,” and he told the Laṭukika Jātaka. Having thus told three Jātakas for the purpose of calming the quarrel, he told two Jātakas for the purpose of illustrating harmony. How? Saying, “Great kings, no one can find an opening against those who are harmonious,” he told the Rukkhadhamma Jātaka. Then saying, “Great kings, no one could find an opening against those who were harmonious. But when they quarreled with one another, then the fowler’s son deprived them of life and took them away. There is no gratification in dispute,” he told the Vaṭṭaka Jātaka. Having told these five Jātakas, at the conclusion he delivered the Attadaṇḍa Sutta.

The kings, full of confidence, thought: “If the Teacher had not come, we would have slaughtered one another with our own hands and made a river of blood flow; we would not have seen our sons and brothers at the door of our homes, nor would there be anyone to carry messages back and forth for us. It is depending on the Teacher that we have received life. If the Teacher had resided in the household life, kingship over the four great continents with their two thousand surrounding islands would have fallen into his hands, and he would have had more than a thousand sons; then he would have walked about surrounded only by nobles. Having abandoned that fortune and gone forth, he has attained awakening; now too let him walk about surrounded only by nobles.” Thus, the residents of both cities gave two hundred and fifty young men each. The Blessed One gave them the going forth and went to the Great Forest. In them, having gone forth out of respect and reverence and not by their own inclination, dissatisfaction arose. Their former wives also sent messages, saying: “May our lords become discontented; household life cannot be sustained,” and so forth. They became all the more discontented.

The Blessed One, reflecting and knowing their state of dissatisfaction, thought: “These monks, while living together with a Buddha such as me, are discontented. Come, let me describe the beauty of Lake Kuṇāla, and having led them there, dispel their dissatisfaction.” So he described the beauty of Lake Kuṇāla. They wished to see it. “Do you wish to see Lake Kuṇāla, monks?” “Yes, Blessed One.” “If so, come, let us go.” “Blessed One, that is a destination for those possessed of supernormal power; how shall we go?” “Be willing to go, and I will take you by my own power.” “Very well, venerable sir.” Then the Blessed One, taking the five hundred monks, flew up into the air, landed at Lake Kuṇāla, and said to those monks: “Monks, in this Lake Kuṇāla, ask the names of the fish whose names you do not know.”

They asked, and the Blessed One explained whatever they asked. Having invited them to ask questions, he explained not only about the fish, but also about the trees in that thicket of the forest, and the two-footed and four-footed creatures and birds at the foot of the mountain. Then the Kuṇāla bird king arrived, seated on a stick held in the beaks of two birds who bit onto it, surrounded by a flock of birds before, behind, and on both sides. Having seen him, the monks thought: “Venerable sir, this must be the king of these birds, and these are his retinue.” “Just so, monks; this too is my lineage, my ancestry.” “For now, venerable sir, we see these birds. But we wish to hear what the Blessed One said: ‘This too is my lineage, my ancestry.’” “Monks, do you wish to hear?” “Yes, Blessed One.” “Then listen,” he said, and adorning it with three hundred verses, by relating the Kuṇāla Jātaka he dispelled their discontent. At the conclusion of the teaching, all of them became established in the fruit of stream-entry, and psychic power came to them by that very path. Thinking, “Let this be enough for these monks for now,” the Blessed One rose into the air and went right to the Great Forest. And those monks too, having gone by the power of the One of Ten Powers on the outward journey, returned by their own power, surrounding the Blessed One, and descended into the Great Forest.

Having sat down on the prepared seat, the Blessed One addressed those monks: “Come, monks, sit down; I will explain to you a meditation subject for the abandoning of the defilements to be slain by the three higher paths.” And he explained the meditation subject. The monks reflected: “The Blessed One, knowing our discontent, led us to Kuṇāla Lake and dispelled our discontent. Having attained the fruit of stream-entry there, he has now given us here a meditation subject for the three paths. It is surely not proper for us to spend our time thinking, ‘We are stream-enterers’; it is proper for us to become like the supreme man.” Having paid homage at the feet of the One of Ten Powers, they rose, shook out their sitting-mats, and sat down individually at rocky overhangs and the roots of trees.

The Blessed One thought: “Even ordinarily, these monks have not abandoned their meditation subjects, and for a monk who has obtained the method there is no cause for weariness. As they go along, having developed insight and attained arahantship, they will come into my presence, thinking: ‘We will announce the virtue attained by each of us.’ When they have arrived, the devatās in ten thousand world systems will assemble in a single world system; there will be a Great Assembly. It is proper for me to sit in a secluded place.” Then, having arranged a Buddha-seat in a secluded place, he sat down.

The senior elder who had left first, having taken up the meditation subject, attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges. Then another, and then another, so that all five hundred blossomed like lotuses in a lotus pond. The monk who had first attained arahantship, thinking “I will announce it to the Blessed One,” unbent his cross-legged posture, shook out his sitting-mat, got up, and turned toward the One of Ten Powers. So too another, and another, so that all five hundred arrived in sequence, as if entering an alms-hall. The one who had arrived first paid homage, arranged his sitting-mat, sat down to one side, and wishing to announce the virtue he had attained, turned and looked down the path of approach, thinking, “Is there anyone else, or is there not?” and saw another, and then another. Thus they all arrived and sat down to one side, and this one, feeling bashful before that one, did not speak; and that one, feeling bashful before this one, did not speak. It is said that there are two aspects to those with taints destroyed: the thought arises, “Oh, may the world with its devas quickly penetrate the virtue I have attained!” Yet, like a man who has found a treasure, he does not wish to announce his attainment to another.

While that circle of noble ones was sitting thus, the disk of the full moon—freed from the obscurations of clouds, mist, smoke, dust, and Rāhu; appearing like a great silver mirror held up in the eastern direction to display the loveliness of the world adorned by the arising of a Buddha; radiant as a silver wheel being turned by grasping the rim—rose up beyond the enclosure of Mount Yugandhara in the east and entered the path of the wind. Thus, at such a moment, instant, and fraction of an hour, the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Great Forest together with a great Saṅgha of monks, with about five hundred monks, all of them arahants.

Herein, the Blessed One was born in the lineage of Mahāsammata, and those five hundred monks were born in the family of Mahāsammata. The Blessed One was born in a kshatriya womb, and they too were born in kshatriya wombs. The Blessed One went forth as a king, and they too went forth as kings. The Blessed One, having renounced the white parasol and abandoned the wheel-turning kingship that was within his reach, went forth; and they too, having renounced the white parasol and abandoned kingships that were within their reach, went forth. Thus the Blessed One—in a pure place, at a pure time of night, himself pure, with a pure retinue, lust-free with a lust-free retinue, hatred-free with a hatred-free retinue, delusion-free with a delusion-free retinue, craving-free with a craving-free retinue, defilement-free with a defilement-free retinue, peaceful with a peaceful retinue, tamed with a tamed retinue, liberated with a liberated retinue—shone exceedingly. This is indeed a subject for praise; as much as one is able, so much should be spoken. Thus, it was said in reference to these monks: “with about five hundred monks, all of them arahants.”

"For the most part" means that the majority gathered; a small number did not gather, namely the non-percipient devas, the devas of the formless sphere, and the devas who were in attainments. Here is the order of the assembly: The devas around the Great Forest were stirred, it is said: "Come, good sirs! The seeing of the Buddha is of great benefit! Listening to the Dhamma is of great benefit! Seeing the Saṅgha of monks is of great benefit! Come, come!" Making a great sound, they came, paid homage to the Blessed One and to the taintless ones who had attained arahantship that very moment, and stood to one side. By this very method, hearing their respective sounds, in the Himālaya three thousand yojanas in extent; in the sixty-three thousand cities three times over; in the ninety-nine hundred-thousand river-mouth ports; in the ninety-six hundred thousand million coastal towns; in the fifty-six gem mines—throughout the whole of Jambudīpa, Pubbavideha, Aparagoyāna, Uttarakuru, and the two thousand small islands, across the entire world system; and then in the second and third world systems—in this way, it should be understood that devas gathered from ten thousand world systems. For "ten world realms" here refers to ten thousand world systems. Therefore it is said: "And devas from ten world realms had for the most part gathered."

Because of the devas having gathered in this way, the interior of the entire world system up to the Brahmā world was packed full, as if with needles inserted without spaces into a needle-case. Here, the height of the Brahmā world should be understood in this way: It is said that a stone equal in size to the seven-storied gabled pavilion of the Lohapāsāda, dropped from the Brahmā world, reaches the earth in four months. In such a vast space, just as flowers or smoke thrown by one standing below would find no interval to go up, or mustard seeds thrown by one standing above would find no interval to descend below, in such a manner were the devas packed without gaps. But just as the place where a wheel-turning monarch sits is uncrowded, and eminent khattiyas who arrive continually find space, while further and further away it becomes extremely crowded, even so the place where the Blessed One was seated was uncrowded, and eminent devas and Great Brahmās who arrived continually found space. Indeed, in the place close to the Blessed One, in the very manner stated in the Mahāparinibbāna, creating subtle physical forms, even ten, twenty, or at the furthest thirty devas stood in an area merely the size of the point of a hair-tip. Sixty devas stood [there].

"Of those belonging to the Pure Abodes" means of the dwellers in the Pure Abodes. "The Pure Abodes" are the abodes of the pure ones—the non-returners and those whose effluents are destroyed—namely, the five Brahma worlds. "It occurred to them": why did it occur to them? Those brahmas, having entered into an attainment, emerged at the determined time and, looking around the Brahma mansion, saw that it was empty like an eating hall after a meal. Then, reflecting, "Where have the brahmas gone?" and discerning the great assembly, [they thought]: "This assembly is vast, and we are left behind. For those who are left behind, space is hard to find. Therefore, as we go, let us not go empty-handed; let each of us compose a verse and go. By means of it, we will make our arrival known in the great assembly and speak praise of the One of Ten Powers." Thus, because they reflected after emerging from the attainment, it occurred to them.

"Appeared in the presence of the Blessed One": in the text, it is spoken as if they descended right into the presence and right in front of the Blessed One, but the meaning should not be understood in this way. Rather, having composed verses while standing in the Brahma world itself, one descended upon the rim of the eastern world-system, one on the rim of the southern world-system, one on the rim of the western world-system, and one on the rim of the northern world-system. Then the brahma who descended on the rim of the eastern world-system entered the blue kasina, released blue rays, and, as if covering the deities of the ten-thousandfold world-system with a gem cloak, made his arrival known. The path of a Buddha cannot be obstructed by anyone; therefore, arriving along the cleared path of the Buddha, he paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, he spoke the verse he had composed.

The brahma who descended on the rim of the southern world-system also entered the yellow kasina, released yellow rays of golden radiance, and, as if robing the deities of the ten-thousandfold world-system in a golden cloth, made his arrival known and stood in the same way. The brahma who descended on the rim of the western world-system also entered the red kasina, released red rays, and, as if wrapping the deities of the ten-thousandfold world-system in an exquisite red woolen blanket, made his arrival known and stood in the same way. The brahma who descended on the rim of the northern world-system also entered the white kasina, released white rays, and, as if clothing the deities of the ten-thousandfold world-system in a garment of jasmine, made his arrival known and stood in the same way.

In the canonical text, however: "They appeared in the presence of the Blessed One. Then those deities paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side." Thus, both their appearance in front as if at a single moment and their paying homage and standing to one side were spoken of. This occurred in this progressive sequence, but was shown together. The recitation of the verses, however, is stated separately in the text.

Herein, "great concourse" means a great crowd. "Woodland" refers to a grove of trees. By both of these, the Blessed One said: "Today there is a great crowd, a great assembly, in this grove of trees." Then, to show those who constitute that assembly, he said, "The hosts of deities have gathered." Herein, "hosts of deities" means groups of deities. "We have come to this Dhamma concourse": seeing the hosts of deities gathered thus, we too have come to this Dhamma gathering. For what reason? "To see the unconquered Saṅgha": the meaning is, we have come to see this unconquered Saṅgha that cannot be conquered by anyone, which just today crushed the three Māras and won the battle. And having spoken this verse and paid homage to the Blessed One, that brahma stood right on the rim of the eastern world-system.

Then the second, having arrived in the same manner as described, spoke [his verse]. Herein, "There the bhikkhus": the bhikkhus in that place of assembly. "Have concentrated": they joined together in concentration. "Made their mind straight": they made their mind straight, removing all crooked, bent, and crooked states. "Like a charioteer holding the reins": just as a charioteer whose goad is laid down stands holding all the harnesses without urging or checking when the Sindh horses run evenly, so all these five hundred bhikkhus, endowed with six-factored equanimity and guarded at the sense doors, protect their faculties—they are wise; we have come here to see them, O Blessed One. He too went and stood in his proper place.

Then the third, having arrived in the same manner as described, spoke [his verse]. Herein, "Having cut the stake": having cut the stake of lust, hatred, and delusion. "The crossbar": the crossbar of lust, hatred, and delusion itself. "Indra's pillar": also the Indra's pillar of lust, hatred, and delusion itself. "Having uprooted, unstirred": these bhikkhus, being unstirred due to the absence of the stirring of craving, having uprooted, having eradicated Indra's pillar. "They wander": they wander unimpeded through the four directions. "Pure": free from defilements. "Immaculate": stainless; this is a synonym for that itself. "By the One with Vision": by the One endowed with the five eyes. "Well-tamed": tamed with respect to the eye, tamed with respect to the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind. "Young nāgas": young elephants. We have come to see these young elephants tamed by such an unsurpassed trainer of beings, O Blessed One. He too went and stood in his proper place.

Then the fourth, having arrived in the same manner as described, spoke [his verse]. Herein, "Those who have gone": those who have gone by taking refuge free from doubt. He too went and stood in his proper place.

Explanation of the Assembly of the Deities

Then the Blessed One, looking out and seeing the assembly of deities extending from the surface of the earth as far as the rim of the world-system and as far as the Akaniṭṭha realm of Brahmā, thought: “Great is this gathering of deities, but the monks do not know that there is such a great gathering of deities. Come, let me declare [them] to them.” Having thought thus, the rest should be expanded in full, beginning with “Then the Blessed One addressed the monks.” Here, “their utmost” (etaparamā) means this is their highest measure. But because there are no Buddhas at present, the third turn—“Those also, monks, who at present…”—is not uttered. Why did he say: “I will declare [them], monks”? In order to produce readiness of mind in the deities. For the deities, it is said, thought: “In such a great assembly, will the Blessed One speak the names and clans only of deities of great influence? What will he say of those of little influence?” Then the Blessed One, adverting to what these deities were thinking, knew the movement of their minds as though inserting his hand through the mouth and squeezing the heart’s flesh, or as though catching a thief together with the stolen goods, and he thought: “I will speak the names and clans of all the deities—both those of little influence and those of great influence—who have come from the ten-thousandfold world-system.”

Those called Buddhas are these supreme beings. Whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought, or traversed by the mind of the world with its devas, there is no visual object whatsoever among visual objects distinguished by way of blue and so on, or any auditory object and so on among auditory objects and so on distinguished by way of drum sounds and so on, that does not enter the avenue of their knowledge. As he said:

“Monks, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought, or traversed by the mind of the world with its devas … with its devas and humans, that I know, that I see, that I have directly known.”

Thus, having unimpeded knowledge everywhere, the Blessed One divided all those deities into two portions according to whether they were capable or incapable. Those described in such terms as 'possessed of an obstruction by kamma' are called incapable. Even if they are living in the same monastery, the Buddhas do not look upon them. Those of the opposite sort, however, are called capable; even if they dwell far away, [the Buddhas] go and accept them. Therefore, among that assembly of deities too, leaving aside those who were incapable, he took charge of those who were capable. Having taken charge of them, he divided them into six classes according to temperament: 'So many here are of lustful temperament, so many of hateful temperament, so many of deluded temperament.' Then, reflecting upon the suitable teaching of the Dhamma for them, he determined the teaching: 'For the deities of lustful temperament I will speak the Sammāparibbājaniya Sutta; for those of hateful temperament, the Kalahavivāda Sutta; for those of deluded temperament, the Mahābyūha Sutta; for those of discursive temperament, the Cūḷabyūha Sutta; for those of faithful temperament, the Tuvaṭṭakapaṭipadā; for those of intellectual temperament, the Purābheda Sutta.' Having determined this, he again considered that assembly: 'Would they understand by their own inclination, or through the inclination of another, or based on an occasion arising from questioning?' Then, understanding, 'They would understand by way of questioning,' he considered: 'Is there anyone capable of grasping the disposition of the deities and asking questions according to their temperaments?' He saw: 'Among these five hundred bhikkhus, not even one is able.' Then, considering the eighty great disciples and the two chief disciples, and seeing, 'They too are not able,' he thought: 'If there were a paccekabuddha, would he be able?' Knowing, 'He too would not be able,' he considered: 'Would someone among Sakka, Suyāma, and the like be able?' For if someone among them were able, he would have that one ask and would himself answer; however, not even one among them was able.

Then this occurred to him: 'Only a Buddha like myself would be able. But is there another Buddha anywhere?' Spreading his infinite knowledge throughout the infinite world spheres and observing, he did not see another Buddha. And this is not surprising, that he would not see an equal to himself now; even on the day of his birth, as told in the commentary on the Brahmajāla, seeing no one equal to himself, he roared the unalterable lion's roar: 'Foremost am I in the world.' Thus, seeing no one equal to himself, he thought: 'If I were to ask and I myself were to answer, even so these deities will not be able to penetrate [the Dhamma]. But if another Buddha asks and I answer, it will be a marvel, and the deities will be able to penetrate [the Dhamma]. Therefore, I will create a conjured Buddha.' Having attained the absorption serving as the basis for direct knowledge and emerged from it, he made the preliminary preparation with consciousness of the sense sphere: 'Let the taking up of the bowl and robe, the glancing and gazing, and the bending and extending [of limbs] be just like mine!' and with consciousness of the fine-material sphere he resolved [it into being], as if bursting forth and emerging like the moon's disk rising over the perimeter of the eastern Yugandhara [mountains].

Seeing that, the assembly of devas said: 'Good sirs, has another moon risen?' Then, leaving aside the moon as it drew closer: 'It is not the moon; the sun has risen.' Again, as it drew closer: 'It is not the sun; it is a divine mansion.' Again, as it drew closer: 'It is not a divine mansion; it is a devaputta.' Again, as it drew closer: 'It is not a devaputta; it is a Mahābrahmā.' Again, as it drew closer, they said: 'It is not a Mahābrahmā; another Buddha has come, good sirs!' Thereupon, the worldling deities thought: 'This assembly of deities is for one Buddha; how vast will it be for two!' The noble deities thought: 'In a single world sphere there are no two Buddhas. Surely another Buddha equal to himself has been conjured by the Blessed One.'

Then, while that assembly of devas was looking on, the conjured Buddha arrived, and without paying homage to the Possessor of the Ten Powers, sat down facing him on a seat conjured exactly equal to his. The Blessed One possessed the thirty-two marks of a great man, and the conjured one also possessed the thirty-two; from the body of the Blessed One six-colored rays issued forth, and from the conjured one as well; the bodily rays of the Blessed One struck against the body of the conjured one, and the bodily rays of the conjured one struck against the body of the Blessed One. Rising from the bodies of both Buddhas, reaching the Akaniṭṭha realm, returning from there, descending to the crest of the deities' heads, they settled upon the rim of the edge of the cakkavāḷa. The entire hollow of the cakkavāḷa shone like a shrine room bound with curved rafters made of gold. The deities of the ten thousand world spheres, gathered together into one world sphere, entered into the interior of the radiance of the two Buddhas and stood there. The conjured Buddha, while sitting down, praising the abandoning of defilements on the terrace of awakening of the Possessor of the Ten Powers—