The Lion’s Roar at the Monastery of Lady Udumbarikā 19.1-21

19.1

“Kittāvatā pana, bhante, tapojigucchā aggappattā ca hoti sārappattā ca?

“But at what point, sir, does the fervent mortification in disgust of sin reach the peak and the pith?

19.2

Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā tapojigucchāya aggaññeva pāpetu, sāraññeva pāpetū”ti.

Please help me reach the peak and the pith!”

19.3

“Idha, nigrodha, tapassī cātuyāmasaṃvarasaṃvuto hoti.

“Nigrodha, take a mortifier who is restrained in the fourfold constraint.

19.4

Kathañca, nigrodha, tapassī cātuyāmasaṃvarasaṃvuto hoti …pe…

19.5

yato kho, nigrodha, tapassī cātuyāmasaṃvarasaṃvuto hoti, aduṃ cassa hoti tapassitāya.

19.6

So abhiharati no hīnāyāvattati.

19.7

So vivittaṃ senāsanaṃ bhajati …pe…

19.8

so ime pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe

They give up these five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom.

19.9

mettāsahagatena cetasā …pe…

Then they meditate spreading a heart full of love …

19.10

upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati.

equanimity …

19.11

So anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarati. Seyyathidaṃ—ekampi jātiṃ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṃ sauddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarati.

They recollect many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

19.12

So dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate, yathākammūpage satte pajānāti: ‘ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā vacīduccaritena samannāgatā manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṃ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā. Te kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannā. Ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā vacīsucaritena samannāgatā manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṃ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā. Te kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ lokaṃ upapannā’ti. Iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate, yathākammūpage satte pajānāti.

With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds: ‘These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They denounced the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they chose to act out of that wrong view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never denounced the noble ones; they had right view; and they chose to act out of that right view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.

19.13

Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, nigrodha,

What do you think, Nigrodha?

19.14

yadi evaṃ sante tapojigucchā parisuddhā vā hoti aparisuddhā vā”ti?

If this is so, is the fervent mortification in disgust of sin purified or not?”

19.15

“Addhā kho, bhante, evaṃ sante tapojigucchā parisuddhā hoti no aparisuddhā, aggappattā ca sārappattā cā”ti.

“Clearly, sir, it is purified. It has reached the peak and the pith.”

19.16

“Ettāvatā kho, nigrodha, tapojigucchā aggappattā ca hoti sārappattā ca.

“Nigrodha, at this point the fervent mortification in disgust of sin has reached the peak and the pith.

19.17

Iti kho, nigrodha, yaṃ maṃ tvaṃ avacāsi:

Nigrodha, remember you said this to me:

19.18

‘ko nāma so, bhante, bhagavato dhammo, yena bhagavā sāvake vineti, yena bhagavatā sāvakā vinītā assāsappattā paṭijānanti ajjhāsayaṃ ādibrahmacariyan’ti.

‘Sir, what teaching do you use to guide your disciples, through which they claim solace in the fundamental goal of the spiritual life?’

19.19

Iti kho taṃ, nigrodha, ṭhānaṃ uttaritarañca paṇītatarañca, yenāhaṃ sāvake vinemi, yena mayā sāvakā vinītā assāsappattā paṭijānanti ajjhāsayaṃ ādibrahmacariyan”ti.

Well, there is something better and finer than this. That’s what I use to guide my disciples, through which they claim solace in the fundamental goal of the spiritual life.”

19.20

Evaṃ vutte, te paribbājakā unnādino uccāsaddamahāsaddā ahesuṃ:

When he said this, those wanderers made an uproar,

19.21

“ettha mayaṃ anassāma sācariyakā, na mayaṃ ito bhiyyo uttaritaraṃ pajānāmā”ti.

“In that case, we’re lost, and so is our denomination! We don’t know anything better or finer than that!”