Pathikasutta 2.17

2.17.1

Tatrāvuso, yo so satto paṭhamaṃ upapanno, tassa evaṃ hoti—

Now, the being who was reborn there first thinks,

2.17.2

ahamasmi brahmā mahābrahmā abhibhū anabhibhūto aññadatthudaso vasavattī issaro kattā nimmātā seṭṭho sajitā vasī pitā bhūtabhabyānaṃ, mayā ime sattā nimmitā.

“I am the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. And these beings were created by me.

2.17.3

Taṃ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

2.17.4

Mamañhi pubbe etadahosi—

Because first I thought,

2.17.5

aho vata aññepi sattā itthattaṃ āgaccheyyunti;

‘Oh, if only other beings would come to this place.’

2.17.6

iti mama ca manopaṇidhi. Ime ca sattā itthattaṃ āgatāti.

Such was my heart’s wish, and then these creatures came to this place.”

2.17.7

Yepi te sattā pacchā upapannā, tesampi evaṃ hoti—

And the beings who were reborn there later also think,

2.17.8

ayaṃ kho bhavaṃ brahmā mahābrahmā abhibhū anabhibhūto aññadatthudaso vasavattī issaro kattā nimmātā seṭṭho sajitā vasī pitā bhūtabhabyānaṃ;

“This must be the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born.

2.17.9

iminā mayaṃ bhotā brahmunā nimmitā.

And we were created by him.

2.17.10

Taṃ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

2.17.11

Imañhi mayaṃ addasāma idha paṭhamaṃ upapannaṃ; mayaṃ panāmha pacchā upapannāti.

Because we see that he was reborn here first, and we arrived later.”

2.17.12

Tatrāvuso, yo so satto paṭhamaṃ upapanno, so dīghāyukataro ca hoti vaṇṇavantataro ca mahesakkhataro ca.

And the being who was reborn first is more long-lived, beautiful, and illustrious than those who arrived later.

2.17.13

Ye pana te sattā pacchā upapannā, te appāyukatarā ca honti dubbaṇṇatarā ca appesakkhatarā ca.

2.17.14

Ṭhānaṃ kho panetaṃ, āvuso, vijjati, yaṃ aññataro satto tamhā kāyā cavitvā itthattaṃ āgacchati.

It’s possible that one of those beings passes away from that host and is reborn in this place.

2.17.15

Itthattaṃ āgato samāno agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajati.

Having done so, they go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

2.17.16

Agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajito samāno ātappamanvāya padhānamanvāya anuyogamanvāya appamādamanvāya sammāmanasikāramanvāya tathārūpaṃ cetosamādhiṃ phusati, yathāsamāhite citte taṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarati; tato paraṃ nānussarati.

By dint of keen, resolute, committed, and diligent effort, and right application of mind, they experience an immersion of the heart of such a kind that they recollect that past life, but no further.

2.17.17

So evamāha:

They say:

2.17.18

“yo kho so bhavaṃ brahmā mahābrahmā abhibhū anabhibhūto aññadatthudaso vasavattī issaro kattā nimmātā seṭṭho sajitā vasī pitā bhūtabhabyānaṃ, yena mayaṃ bhotā brahmunā nimmitā. So nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo sassatisamaṃ tatheva ṭhassati.

“He who is the Divinity—the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born—by he we were created. He is permanent, everlasting, eternal, imperishable, remaining the same for all eternity.

2.17.19

Ye pana mayaṃ ahumhā tena bhotā brahmunā nimmitā, te mayaṃ aniccā addhuvā appāyukā cavanadhammā itthattaṃ āgatā”ti.

We who were created by that divinity are impermanent, not lasting, short-lived, liable to pass away, and have come to this place.”

2.17.20

Evaṃvihitakaṃ no tumhe āyasmanto issarakuttaṃ brahmakuttaṃ ācariyakaṃ aggaññaṃ paññapethā’ti.

Is this how you describe in your denomination that the origin of the world came about as created by the God Almighty, by the Divinity?’

2.17.21

Te evamāhaṃsu:

They say,

2.17.22

‘evaṃ kho no, āvuso gotama, sutaṃ, yathevāyasmā gotamo āhā’ti.

‘That is what we have heard, Reverend Gotama, just as you say.’

2.17.23

Aggaññañcāhaṃ, bhaggava, pajānāmi.

Bhaggava, I understand the origin of the world.

2.17.24

Tañca pajānāmi, tato ca uttaritaraṃ pajānāmi, tañca pajānaṃ na parāmasāmi, aparāmasato ca me paccattaññeva nibbuti viditā. Yadabhijānaṃ tathāgato no anayaṃ āpajjati.

I understand this, and what goes beyond it. Yet since I do not misapprehend that understanding, I have realized quenching within myself. Directly knowing this, the Realized One does not come to ruin.