112. The World

This was said by the Lord, said by the Arahant, so I heard:

"Bhikkhus, the world has been fully understood by the Tathagata; the Tathagata is released from the world. The origin of the world has been fully understood by the Tathagata; the origin of the world has been abandoned by the Tathagata. The cessation of the world has been fully understood by the Tathagata; the cessation of the world has been realized by the Tathagata. The course leading to the cessation of the world has been fully understood by the Tathagata; the course leading to the cessation of the world has been developed by the Tathagata.

"Bhikkhus, in the world with its devas, maras, and brahmas, with its recluses and brahmans, among humankind with its princes and people, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, and reflected upon by the mind -- that is fully understood by the Tathagata: therefore he is called the Tathagata.

"Bhikkhus, from the night when the Tathagata awakened to unsurpassed full enlightenment until the night when he passes away into the Nibbana-element with no residue left, whatever he speaks, utters, and explains -- all that is just so and not otherwise: therefore he is called the Tathagata.

"As the Tathagata says, so he does; as the Tathagata does, so he says: therefore he is called the Tathagata.

"In the world with its devas, maras, and brahmas, with its recluses and brahmans, among humankind with its princes and people, the Tathagata is the conqueror, unvanquished, all-seer, wielding power: therefore he is called the Tathagata."

By knowledge of the whole world,
The whole world as it truly is,
He is released from all the world,
In all the world he is unattached.

The all-conquering heroic sage,
Freed from every bond is he;
He has reached that perfect peace,
Nibbana which is free from fear.

Rid of taints, he is enlightened,
Trouble-free, with doubts destroyed,
Reached the final end of deeds,
Released by clinging's full destruction.

The Enlightened One, the Lord,
A lion is he, unsurpassed;
For in the world together with its devas
He set the Brahma-wheel in motion.

Thus those devas and human beings,
Gone for refuge to the Buddha,
On meeting him pay homage to him,
The great one free from diffidence.

Tamed, of the tamed he is the best;
Calmed, of the calmed he is the seer;
Freed, of the freed he is the foremost;
Crossed, of the crossed he is the chief.

Thus do they pay him due homage,
The great one free from diffidence:
"In the world together with its devas
There is no person equalling you."

This too is the meaning of what was said by the Lord, so I heard.

his Was Said by the Buddha

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
For free distribution only.

A printed copy of this book is available from Dhamma Dana Publications, c/o Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, 149 Lockwood Road, Barre, MA 01005, USA. An anthology of selected suttas from the Khuddaka Nikaya (including the complete Itivuttaka), translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, is also available in Microsoft Word 6 (Macintosh/Windows) format. See the Theravada Text Archives page for more information. Due to the limitations of HTML in rendering free-verse, this HTML edition lacks the clarity and crispness of the original print version.

Contents

Translator's Introduction Glossary The Group of Ones (suttas 1-27) The Group of Twos (28-49) The Group of Threes (50-99) The Group of Fours (100-112)