Samyuttanikaya 22.8.5.79_21

22.8.5.79_21

Thero kira pupphacchaḍḍakakulato nikkhamma pabbajito, khuraggeyeva arahattaṃ patvā cintesi – ‘‘ahaṃ ajjeva pabbajito ajjeva me pabbajitakiccaṃ matthakaṃ pattaṃ, catupaccayasantosabhāvanārāmamaṇḍitaṃ mahāariyavaṃsapaṭipadaṃ pūressāmī’’ti. So paṃsukūlatthāya sāvatthiṃ pavisitvā coḷakaṃ pariyesanto vicari. Atheko mahābrahmā samāpattito vuṭṭhāya manussapathaṃ olokento theraṃ disvā – ‘‘ajjeva pabbajitvā ajjeva khuragge arahattaṃ patvā mahāariyavaṃsapaṭipadaṃ pūretuṃ coḷakaṃ pariyesatī’’ti añjaliṃ paggayha namassamāno aṭṭhāsi. Tamañño mahābrahmā disvā ‘‘kaṃ namassasī’’ti? Pucchi. Nītattheraṃ namassāmīti. Kiṃ kāraṇāti? Ajjeva pabbajitvā ajjeva khuragge arahattaṃ patvā mahāariyavaṃsapaṭipadaṃ pūretuṃ coḷakaṃ pariyesatīti. Sopi naṃ namassamāno aṭṭhāsi. Athañño, athaññoti sattasatā mahābrahmāno namassamānā aṭṭhaṃsu. Tena vuttaṃ –

The elder, it is said, went forth after leaving a family of flower-scavengers. Having attained arahantship at the very razor's edge, he thought: "I went forth this very day, and this very day my work of going forth has reached its peak. I will fulfill the practice of the great noble lineage, adorned with delight in developing contentment with the four requisites." For the sake of rags from a dust heap, he entered Sāvatthī and wandered about searching for cloth. Then a Great Brahmā, emerging from an attainment and looking at the realm of human beings, saw the elder and, having raised his hands in reverent salutation, stood paying homage, thinking: "Having gone forth this very day, having attained arahantship at the razor's edge this very day, he searches for cloth to fulfill the practice of the great noble lineage." Another Great Brahmā saw him and asked: "Whom are you paying homage to?" "I am paying homage to Nīta Thera." "For what reason?" "Having gone forth this very day, having attained arahantship at the razor's edge this very day, he searches for cloth to fulfill the practice of the great noble lineage." He too stood paying homage to him. Then another, and another—seven hundred Great Brahmās stood paying homage. Therefore it is said: