Dhammapada 2.5.p2

2.5.p2

Ekasmiñhi divase thero pipphaliguhāyaṃ viharanto rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṃ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto ālokaṃ vaḍḍhetvā pamatte ca appamatte ca udakapathavīpabbatādīsu cavanake upapajjanake ca satte dibbena cakkhunā olokento nisīdi. Satthā jetavane nisinnakova ‘‘kena nu kho vihārena ajja mama putto kassapo viharatī’’ti dibbena cakkhunā upadhārento ‘‘sattānaṃ cutūpapātaṃ olokento viharatī’’ti ñatvā ‘‘sattānaṃ cutūpapāto nāma buddhañāṇenapi aparicchinno, mātukucchiyaṃ paṭisandhiṃ gahetvā mātāpitaro ajānāpetvā cavanasattānaṃ paricchedo kātuṃ na sakkā, te jānituṃ tava avisayo, kassapa, appamattako tava visayo, sabbaso pana cavante ca upapajjante ca jānituṃ passituṃ buddhānameva visayo’’ti vatvā obhāsaṃ pharitvā sammukhe nisinno viya hutvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

For on a certain day, while the Elder was in residence at Pipphali Cave, he made his round of Rājagaha for alms, and after he had returned from his round for alms and had eaten his breakfast, he sat down and developed Insight, surveying with Supernatural Vision all living beings, both heedless and heedful, in the water, on the earth, on the mountains, and elsewhere, both coming into existence and passing out of existence.

The Teacher, seated at Jetavana, exercised Supernatural Vision and pondered within himself, “With what is my son Kassapa occupied to-day?” Straightway he became aware of the following, “He is contemplating the rising and falling of living beings.” And he said, “Knowledge of the rising and falling of living beings may not be compassed even with the Knowledge of a Buddha. Living beings pass from one existence to another and obtain a new conception in a mother’s womb without the knowledge of mother or father, and knowledge thereof may not be compassed. To know them is beyond your range, Kassapa, for your range is very slight. It comes within

range of the Buddhas alone to know and to see in their totality the rising and falling of living beings." So saying, he sent forth a radiant image of himself, and as it were sitting down face to face with Kassapa, pronounced the following Stanza,