Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka-Nipāta
XX. Brāhmaṇa Vaggo

Sutta 196

Mahāsupina Suttaṃ

Dreams

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
For free distribution only.

 

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[1][pts] "When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
five great dreams appeared to him.

Which five?

"When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
this great earth was his great bed.
The Himalayas,
king of mountains,
was his pillow.

His left hand rested in the eastern sea,
his right hand in the western sea,
and both feet in the southern sea.

When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
this was the first great dream
that appeared to him.

■

"And further, when the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
a woody vine growing out of his navel
stood reaching to the sky.

When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
this was the second great dream
that appeared to him.

■

"And further, when the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
white worms with black heads
crawling up from his feet
covered him as far as his knees.

When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
this was the third great dream
that appeared to him.

■

"And further, when the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
four different-colored birds
coming from the four directions
fell at his feet and turned entirely white.

When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
this was the fourth great dream
that appeared to him.

■

"And further, when the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
he walked back and forth
on top of a giant mountain of excrement
but was not soiled by the excrement.

When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
this was the fifth great dream
that appeared to him.

 

§

 

"Now, when the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
and this great earth was his great bed,
the Himalayas, king of mountains, was his pillow,
his left hand rested in the eastern sea,
his right hand in the western sea,
and both feet in the southern sea:
this first great dream appeared
to let him know
that he would awaken
to the unexcelled right self-awakening.

■

"When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
and a woody vine growing out of his navel
stood reaching to the sky:
this second great dream appeared
to let him know
that when he had awakened
to the noble eightfold path,
he would proclaim it well
as far as there are human
and celestial beings.

■

"When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
and white worms with black heads
crawling up from his feet
covered him as far as his knees:
this third great dream appeared
to let him know
that many white-clothed householders
would go for life-long refuge
to the Tathāgata.

■

"When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
and four different-colored birds
coming from the four directions
fell at his feet
and turned entirely white:
this fourth great dream appeared
to let him know
that people from the four castes
— priests, noble-warriors, merchants, and laborers —
having gone forth from the home life
into homelessness in the Dhamma and Vinaya
taught by the Tathāgata,
would realize unexcelled release.

■

"When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
and he walked back and forth
on top of a giant mountain of excrement
but was not soiled by the excrement:
this fifth great dream appeared
to let him know
that the Tathāgata would receive gifts
of robes, alms food, lodgings,
and medicinal requisites to cure the sick,
but he would use them unattached to them,
uninfatuated, guiltless,
seeing the drawbacks (of attachment to them),
and discerning the escape from them.

"When the Tathāgata
— worthy and rightly self-awakened —
was still just an unawakened bodhisatta,
these five great dreams appeared to him."