At Venāga Sutta

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Sourced from dhammatalks.org
For free distribution only.

[1][wood][bodh] On one occasion the Blessed One, on a wandering tour among the Kosalans with a large Saṅgha of monks, arrived at Venāgapura, a brahman town of the Kosalans. The brahman householders of Venāgapura heard it said, "Gotama the contemplative—the son of the Sakyans, having gone forth from the Sakyan clan—has arrived at Kesaputta. And of that Master Gotama this fine reputation has spread: ‘He is indeed a Blessed One, worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in clear-knowing and conduct, Well-Gone, an expert with regard to the cosmos, unexcelled trainer of people fit to be tamed, teacher of devas and human beings, awakened, blessed. He makes known—having realized it through direct knowledge—this world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, this generation with its contemplatives and brahmans, its rulers and commonfolk; he explains the Dhamma admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end; he expounds the holy life both in its particulars and in its essence, entirely perfect, surpassingly pure. It is good to see such a worthy one.'"

So the brahman householders of Venāgapura went to the Blessed One. On arrival, some of them bowed down to the Blessed One and sat to one side. Some of them exchanged courteous greetings with him and, after an exchange of friendly greetings and courtesies, sat to one side. Some of them sat to one side having saluted him with their hands palm-to-palm over their hearts. Some of them sat to one side having announced their name and clan. Some of them sat to one side in silence.

As they were sitting there, the brahman Vaccagotta of Venāgapura said to the Blessed One, "How amazing, Master Gotama! How astounding! How clear Master Gotama's faculties are; how pure his complexion, and bright!

"Just as a yellow jujube fruit in the autumn is pure and bright, in the same way, clear are Master Gotama's faculties, pure his complexion, and bright!

"Just as a palmyra fruit, freshly removed from its stalk, is pure and bright, in the same way, clear are Master Gotama's faculties, pure his complexion, and bright!

"Just as an ornament of gold from the Jambū River—well-crafted by a skilled goldsmith, very skillfully wrought and placed on a red brocade—shines, glows, and radiates, in the same way, clear are Master Gotama's faculties, pure his complexion, and bright!

"Whatever high or luxurious beds there are—a dais, a throne, a long-haired coverlet, a decorated coverlet, a white spread made of animal hair, a wool coverlet with floral designs, a blanket of cotton batting, a wool coverlet decorated with animals, a wool covering with fleece on both sides, a wool covering with fleece on one side, a silken sheet decorated with jewels, fringed with silver or gold, a dancer's carpet, an elephant-back rug, a horse-back rug, a chariot rug, a spread of black antelope skins, a sheet of kadali-deer hide, a bed with a canopy above, a bed with red cushions at either end: Surely Master Gotama obtains them at will, without trouble, without difficulty!"

"But, brahman, those high or luxurious beds—a dais, a throne… a bed with red cushions at either end—are rarely obtained by one gone forth, and even if obtained, are not allowable.

"However, there are these three high and luxurious beds that I now obtain at will, without trouble, without difficulty. Which three? The divine high and luxurious bed, the Brahmā high and luxurious bed, the noble high and luxurious bed. These are the three high and luxurious beds that I now obtain at will, without trouble, without difficulty."

"But which, Master Gotama, is the divine high and luxurious bed that Master Gotama now obtains at will, without trouble, without difficulty?"

"There is the case, brahman, where I dwell in dependence on a village or town. Early in the morning, having adjusted my under robe and carrying my bowl and robes, I enter that village or town for alms. After my meal, returning from my alms round, I go right into the forest. Gathering the grass and leaves there into a pile, I sit down cross-legged with my body erect, establishing mindfulness to the fore.

"Quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities, I enter and remain in the first jhāna: rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation. With the stilling of directed thoughts and evaluations, I enter and remain in the second jhāna: rapture and pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought and evaluation—internal assurance. With the fading of rapture, I remain in equanimity, mindful and alert, and sense pleasure with the body. I enter and remain in the third jhāna, of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure and pain—as with the earlier disappearance of elation and distress—I enter and remain in the fourth jhāna: purity of equanimity and mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain."

"If, brahman, having become like this, I am walking back and forth, my walking back and forth on that occasion is divine. If, having become like this, I am standing, my standing on that occasion is divine. If, having become like this, I am sitting, my sitting on that occasion is divine. If, having become like this, I am lying down, this, on that occasion, is my divine high and luxurious bed."

"How amazing, Master Gotama! How astounding! Who else aside from Master Gotama could obtain at will, without trouble, without difficulty, such a divine high and luxurious bed?

"But which, Master Gotama, is the Brahmā high and luxurious bed that Master Gotama now obtains at will, without trouble, without difficulty?"

"I dwell pervading the first direction [the east] with an awareness imbued with goodwill, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, and all around, everywhere, in its entirety, I dwell pervading the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with goodwill—abundant, enlarged, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill will. I dwell pervading the first direction with an awareness imbued with compassion… empathetic joy… equanimity, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, and all around, everywhere, in its entirety, I dwell pervading the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with equanimity—abundant, enlarged, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill will.

"If, brahman, having become like this, I am walking back and forth, my walking back and forth on that occasion is Brahmā-like. If, having become like this, I am standing, my standing on that occasion is Brahmā-like. If, having become like this, I am sitting, my sitting on that occasion is Brahmā-like. If, having become like this, I am lying down, this, on that occasion, is my Brahmā high and luxurious bed."

"How amazing, Master Gotama! How astounding! Who else aside from Master Gotama could obtain at will, without trouble, without difficulty, such a Brahmā high and luxurious bed?

"But which, Master Gotama, is the noble high and luxurious bed that Master Gotama now obtains at will, without trouble, without difficulty?"

"I discern: ‘Passion has been abandoned in me, its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising. Aversion has been abandoned in me, its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising. Delusion has been abandoned in me, its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising.

"If, brahman, having become like this, I am walking back and forth, my walking back and forth on that occasion is noble. If, having become like this, I am standing, my standing on that occasion is noble. If, having become like this, I am sitting, my sitting on that occasion is noble. If, having become like this, I am lying down, this, on that occasion, is my noble high and luxurious bed."

"How amazing, Master Gotama! How astounding! Who else aside from Master Gotama could obtain at will, without trouble, without difficulty, such a noble high and luxurious bed?

"Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way has Master Gotama—through many lines of reasoning—made the Dhamma clear. We go to Master Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of monks. May Master Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone to him for refuge, from this day forward, for life."

Of Related Interest:

SN 1:10;
SN 10:8;
AN 3:34;[DTO #35]
AN 7:60;
Ud 2:10;
Thag 6:2

Aṇguttara-Nikāya III. Tika Nipāta VII. Mahā Vagga

Sutta 63 [DTO #64]

Venāgapura Suttaṃ

At Venāga Sutta

Aṇguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
VII. Mahā Vagga