With Pāyāsi 11.1-47

11.1

“Tena hi, rājañña, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi; yathā te khameyya, tathā naṃ byākareyyāsi.

“Well then, chieftain, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.

11.2

Yaṃ kho pana, rājañña, mānussakaṃ vassasataṃ, devānaṃ tāvatiṃsānaṃ eso eko rattindivo, tāya rattiyā tiṃsarattiyo māso, tena māsena dvādasamāsiyo saṃvaccharo, tena saṃvaccharena dibbaṃ vassasahassaṃ devānaṃ tāvatiṃsānaṃ āyuppamāṇaṃ.

A hundred human years are equivalent to one day and night for the gods of the thirty-three. Thirty such days make a month, and twelve months make a year. The gods of the thirty-three have a lifespan of a thousand such years.

11.3

Ye te mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā pāṇātipātā paṭiviratā adinnādānā paṭiviratā kāmesumicchācārā paṭiviratā musāvādā paṭiviratā surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭiviratā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ lokaṃ upapannā devānaṃ tāvatiṃsānaṃ sahabyataṃ.

Now, as to your friends who are reborn in the company of the gods of the thirty-three after doing good things.

11.4

Sace pana tesaṃ evaṃ bhavissati:

If they think,

11.5

‘yāva mayaṃ dve vā tīṇi vā rattindivā dibbehi pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitā samaṅgībhūtā paricārema, atha mayaṃ pāyāsissa rājaññassa gantvā āroceyyāma:

‘First I’ll amuse myself for two or three days, supplied and provided with the five kinds of heavenly sensual stimulation. Then I’ll go back to Pāyāsi and tell him that

11.6

“itipi atthi paro loko, atthi sattā opapātikā, atthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko”ti.

there is an afterlife.’

11.7

Api nu te āgantvā āroceyyuṃ—

Would they come back to tell you that

11.8

itipi atthi paro loko, atthi sattā opapātikā, atthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko’”ti?

there is an afterlife?”

11.9

“No hidaṃ, bho kassapa.

“No, worthy Kassapa.

11.10

Api hi mayaṃ, bho kassapa, ciraṃ kālaṅkatāpi bhaveyyāma.

For I would be long dead by then.

11.11

Ko panetaṃ bhoto kassapassa āroceti:

But worthy Kassapa, who has told you

11.12

‘atthi devā tāvatiṃsā’ti vā ‘evaṃdīghāyukā devā tāvatiṃsā’ti vā.

that the gods of the thirty-three exist, or that they have such a long lifespan?

11.13

Na mayaṃ bhoto kassapassa saddahāma:

I don’t believe you.”

11.14

‘atthi devā tāvatiṃsā’ti vā ‘evaṃdīghāyukā devā tāvatiṃsā’ti vā”ti.

11.16

“Seyyathāpi, rājañña, jaccandho puriso na passeyya kaṇha—sukkāni rūpāni, na passeyya nīlakāni rūpāni, na passeyya pītakāni rūpāni, na passeyya lohitakāni rūpāni, na passeyya mañjiṭṭhakāni rūpāni, na passeyya samavisamaṃ, na passeyya tārakāni rūpāni, na passeyya candimasūriye.

“Chieftain, suppose there was a person blind from birth. They couldn’t see sights that are dark or bright, or blue, yellow, red, or magenta. They couldn’t see even and uneven ground, or the stars, or the moon and sun.

11.17

So evaṃ vadeyya:

They’d say,

11.18

‘natthi kaṇhasukkāni rūpāni, natthi kaṇhasukkānaṃ rūpānaṃ dassāvī.

‘There’s no such thing as dark and bright sights, and no one who sees them.

11.19

Natthi nīlakāni rūpāni, natthi nīlakānaṃ rūpānaṃ dassāvī.

There’s no such thing as blue,

11.20

Natthi pītakāni rūpāni, natthi pītakānaṃ rūpānaṃ dassāvī.

yellow,

11.21

Natthi lohitakāni rūpāni, natthi lohitakānaṃ rūpānaṃ dassāvī.

red,

11.22

Natthi mañjiṭṭhakāni rūpāni, natthi mañjiṭṭhakānaṃ rūpānaṃ dassāvī.

magenta,

11.23

Natthi samavisamaṃ, natthi samavisamassa dassāvī.

even and uneven ground,

11.24

Natthi tārakāni rūpāni, natthi tārakānaṃ rūpānaṃ dassāvī.

stars,

11.25

Natthi candimasūriyā, natthi candimasūriyānaṃ dassāvī.

moon and sun, and no one who sees these things.

11.26

Ahametaṃ na jānāmi, ahametaṃ na passāmi, tasmā taṃ natthī’ti.

I don’t know it or see it, therefore it doesn’t exist.’

11.27

Sammā nu kho so, rājañña, vadamāno vadeyyā”ti?

Would they be speaking rightly?”

11.28

“No hidaṃ, bho kassapa.

“No, worthy Kassapa.

11.29

Atthi kaṇhasukkāni rūpāni, atthi kaṇhasukkānaṃ rūpānaṃ dassāvī.

There are such things as dark and bright sights, and one who sees them.

11.30

Atthi nīlakāni rūpāni, atthi nīlakānaṃ rūpānaṃ dassāvī …pe…

And those other things are real, too, as is the one who sees them.

11.31

atthi samavisamaṃ, atthi samavisamassa dassāvī.

11.32

Atthi tārakāni rūpāni, atthi tārakānaṃ rūpānaṃ dassāvī.

11.33

Atthi candimasūriyā, atthi candimasūriyānaṃ dassāvī.

So it’s not right to say this:

11.34

‘Ahametaṃ na jānāmi, ahametaṃ na passāmi, tasmā taṃ natthī’ti.

‘I don’t know it or see it, therefore it doesn’t exist.’”

11.35

Na hi so, bho kassapa, sammā vadamāno vadeyyā”ti.

11.36

“Evameva kho tvaṃ, rājañña, jaccandhūpamo maññe paṭibhāsi yaṃ maṃ tvaṃ evaṃ vadesi.

“In the same way, chieftain, when you tell me you don’t believe me you seem like the blind man in the simile.

11.37

Ko panetaṃ bhoto kassapassa āroceti:

11.38

‘atthi devā tāvatiṃsā’ti vā, ‘evaṃdīghāyukā devā tāvatiṃsā’ti vā?

11.39

Na mayaṃ bhoto kassapassa saddahāma:

11.40

‘atthi devā tāvatiṃsā’ti vā ‘evaṃdīghāyukā devā tāvatiṃsā’ti vā”ti.

11.41

“Na kho, rājañña, evaṃ paro loko daṭṭhabbo, yathā tvaṃ maññasi iminā maṃsacakkhunā.

You can’t see the other world the way you think, with the eye of the flesh.

11.42

Ye kho te, rājañña, samaṇabrāhmaṇā araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevanti, te tattha appamattā ātāpino pahitattā viharantā dibbacakkhuṃ visodhenti.

There are ascetics and brahmins who live in the wilderness, frequenting remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest. Meditating diligent, keen, and resolute, they purify the heavenly eye, the power of clairvoyance.

11.43

Te dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena imañceva lokaṃ passanti parañca satte ca opapātike.

With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see this world and the other world, and sentient beings who are spontaneously reborn.

11.44

Evañca kho, rājañña, paro loko daṭṭhabbo;

That’s how to see the other world,

11.45

na tveva yathā tvaṃ maññasi iminā maṃsacakkhunā.

not how you think, with the eye of the flesh.

11.46

Imināpi kho te, rājañña, pariyāyena evaṃ hotu:

By this method, too, it ought to be proven that

11.47

‘itipi atthi paro loko, atthi sattā opapātikā, atthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko’”ti.

there is an afterlife.”