Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka-Nipāta
XX. Brāhmaṇa Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
Chapter XX: The Brāman
Sutta 195
Piṇgiyānī Suttaṃ
Brāhman Piṇgiyānin
Translated by E. M. Hare
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[1] Thus have I heard:
The Exalted One was once dwelling near Vesālī,
at the Gabled Hall,
in Mahāvana,
some five hundred Licchavis had gathered round to honour him.
And[1] some were dark, dark-skinned, in dark clothes clad, darkly adorned;
and some were fair, fair-skinned, in fair clothes clad, fairly adorned;
and some were ruddy, red-skinned, in russet clad, in red adorned;
and some were white, pale-skinned, in white clothes clad, in white adorned;
but of a truth the Exalted One, in grace and glory, outshone them all.
Now brāhman Pingiyānin rose from his seat, girt his upper robe about his shoulder, bent forth his outstretched hands to the Exalted One and said:
It[2] has been revealed to me, 0 Blessed One;
it has been revealed to me, 0 Well-gone!'
'Speak thou that thing, Pingiyānin said the Exalted One.
Then brāhman Pingiyānin extolled the Exalted One before his face in this same verse:[3]
Sweet tho' at dawn red lotus-lilies blow,
'Tis sweeter in full bloom their blossoms grow:
[175] Lo! see Angīrasa,[4] illuminant,
Like as the midday sun, all radiant.'[5]
Then those Licchavis presented brāhman Pingiyānin with five hundred upper robes
and brāhman Pingiyānin presented them to the Exalted One.
Then said the Exalted One to those Licchavis:
'Five,[6] 0 licchavis, are the treasures rarely revealed in the world.
What five?
The Tathāgata, arahant, fully enlightened,[7] is rarely revealed in the world;
rare in the world is one able to teach the Tathāgata-declared Dhamma-discipline;
rare is one able to recognize the teaching,
declared by the Tathāgata;
rare is one who steps his way in Dhamma by Dhamma,
recognizing the teaching of the Tathāgata-declared Dhamma-discipline;
rare in the world is a person grateful and thankful.
Verily, 0 Licchavis, these are the five treasures
rarely revealed in the world.'
[1] This is a stock passage; see D. ii, 96; Cf. A. iv, 263, of fairies.
[3] This verse recurs at S. i, 81 (K.S. i, 107); J. i, 116; Vism. 388. Vism trsl. misses the point of comparison, but see the story there.
[4] That is, the B.; our Comy. "Bhagavato aṇga-m-aṇgehi rasmiyo niccharanti, tasmā angīraso" ti vuccati see Brethr. 251; Dial. iii, 189. Thomas' Life observes: 'descendant of Angiras' (p. 22). Rockhill gives the Tibetan version thus: 'and as they (the B.'s miraculously born ancestors) were "born from his loins" (the rishi Gautama's) they were called Angīrasas.' I have taken Bu.'s explanation. Cf. above, § 192.
[5] Cf. Thag. 426.
[6] Cf.. above, § 143.
[7] Sammā-sambuddha.
