Astounding

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Sourced from the edition at dhammatalks.org

For free distribution only.

[1][pts] "Monks, with the appearance of the Tathāgata — the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened One — four amazing and astounding things appear.

Which four?

"People find pleasure in longing, delight in longing, rejoice in longing.

But when the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma of non-longing, they want to listen; they lend ear and set their minds on understanding it.

This is the first amazing and astounding thing that appears with the appearance of the Tathāgata — the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened One.

"People find pleasure in conceit, delight in conceit, rejoice in conceit.

But when the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma for the subduing of conceit, they want to listen; they lend ear and set their minds on understanding it.

This is the second amazing and astounding thing that appears with the appearance of the Tathāgata — the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened One.

"People find pleasure in commotion, delight in commotion, rejoice in commotion.

But when the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma for stilling, they want to listen; they lend ear and set their minds on understanding it.

This is the third amazing and astounding thing that appears with the appearance of the Tathāgata — the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened One.

"People are immersed in ignorance, blinded,^[1] entirely enveloped.

But when the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma for the subduing of ignorance, they want to listen; they lend ear and set their minds on understanding it.

This is the fourth amazing and astounding thing that appears with the appearance of the Tathāgata — the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened One.

"Monks, with the appearance of the Tathāgata — the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened One — these four amazing and astounding things appear."

^[1] Reading andhabhūtā with the Thai and PTS editions. The Burmese and Sri Lankan editions read aṇḍabhūtā, "become like an egg."

Of Related Interest:

MN 123;
SN 6:1