{"collection":"Digha Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_dn20/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_dn20","id":"suttacentral_dn20","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/dn20/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Digha Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, in the Great Wood near Kapilavatthu, together with a large Sa\u1e45gha of five hundred mendicants, all of whom were perfected ones. And most of the deities from ten solar systems had gathered to see the Buddha and the Sa\u1e45gha of mendicants. Then four deities of the pure abodes, aware of what was happening, thought: \u201cWhy don\u2019t we go to the Buddha and each recite a verse in his presence?\u201d Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, they vanished from the Pure Abodes and reappeared in front of the Buddha. They bowed to the Buddha and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity spoke this verse in the Buddha\u2019s presence: \u201cThere\u2019s a great congregation in the woods, where heavenly hosts have assembled. We\u2019ve come to this righteous congregation to see the invincible Sa\u1e45gha!\u201d Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha\u2019s presence: \u201cThe mendicants there are immersed in sam\u0101dhi, they\u2019ve straightened their own minds. Like a charioteer holding the reins, the astute ones protect their senses.\u201d Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha\u2019s presence: \u201cThey snapped the post and snapped the cross-bar, unstirred, they tore out Indra\u2019s pillar. They live pure and immaculate, the young giants tamed by the Clear-eyed One.\u201d Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha\u2019s presence: \u201cAnyone who has gone to the Buddha for refuge won\u2019t go to a plane of loss. After giving up this human body, they swell the heavenly host.\u201d 1. The Gathering of Deities Then the Buddha said to the mendicants: \u201cMendicants, most of the deities from ten solar systems have gathered to see the Realized One and the mendicant Sa\u1e45gha. Those who were perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas in the past also had gatherings of deities that were at best like the gathering for me now. Those who will be perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas in the future will also have gatherings of deities that will be at best like the gathering for me now. I shall declare the names of the heavenly hosts; I shall extol the names of the heavenly hosts; I shall teach the names of the heavenly hosts. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cI invoke a paean of praise! Where the earth-gods dwell, there, in mountain caves, resolute and composed, dwell many like lonely lions, who have mastered their fears. Their minds are bright and pure, clear and unclouded.\u201d Over five hundred were known in the wood at Kapilavatthu. Consequently, the Teacher addressed the disciples who love the teaching: \u201cThe heavenly hosts have come forth; mendicants, you should be aware of them.\u201d Those monks grew keen, hearing the Buddha\u2019s instruction. Knowledge manifested in them, seeing those non-human beings. Some saw a hundred, a thousand, even seventy thousand, while some saw a hundred thousand non-human beings. But some saw an endless number spread out in every direction. And all that was known and distinguished by the Clear-eyed One. Consequently, the Teacher addressed the disciples who love the teaching: \u201cThe heavenly hosts have come forth; mendicants, you should be aware of them. I shall extol them for you, with lyrics in proper order. There are seven thousand spirits, earth-gods of Kapilavatthu. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. From the Himalayas there are six thousand spirits of different colors. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. From Mount S\u0101t\u0101 there are three thousand spirits of different colors. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. And thus there are sixteen thousand spirits of different colors. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. From Vess\u0101mitta\u2019s mountain there are five hundred spirits of different colors. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. And there\u2019s Kumbh\u012bra of R\u0101jagaha, whose home is on Mount Vepulla. Attended by more than a hundred thousand spirits, Kumbh\u012bra of R\u0101jagaha also came to the meeting in the wood. King Dhatara\u1e6d\u1e6dha rules the eastern quarter. Lord of the centaurs, he\u2019s a great king, glorious. And he has many mighty sons all of them named Indra. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. King Vir\u016b\u1e37haka rules the southern quarter. Lord of the gnomes, he\u2019s a great king, glorious. And he has many mighty sons all of them named Indra. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. King Vir\u016bpakkha rules the western quarter. Lord of the dragons, he\u2019s a great king, glorious. And he has many mighty sons all of them named Indra. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. King Kuvera rules the northern quarter. Lord of spirits, he\u2019s a great king, glorious. And he has many mighty sons all of them named Indra. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. Dhatara\u1e6d\u1e6dha in the east, Vir\u016b\u1e37haka to the south, Vir\u016bpakkha to the west, and Kuvera in the north. These four great kings, all around in the four quarters, stood there dazzling in the wood at Kapilavatthu. Their deceitful heathens came, so treacherous and crafty\u2014 the deceivers Ku\u1e6de\u1e47\u1e0du, Vi\u1e6de\u1e47\u1e0du, with Vi\u1e6ducca and Vi\u1e6du\u1e6da. And Candana and K\u0101mase\u1e6d\u1e6dha, Kinnugha\u1e47\u1e0du and Nigha\u1e47\u1e0du, Pan\u0101da and Opama\u00f1\u00f1a, and M\u0101tali, the god\u2019s equerry. Cittasena the centaur came too, and the kings Nala and Janesabha. Pa\u00f1casikha came too, with Timbaru and Suriyavaccas\u0101. These and other kings there were, the centaurs with their kings. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. Then came the dragons of N\u0101bhasa lake, and those from Ves\u0101l\u012b with those from Takkasil\u0101. The Kambalas and Assataras came and those from Pay\u0101ga with their kin. Those from Yamun\u0101, and the Dhatara\u1e6d\u1e6dha dragons came, so glorious. And Er\u0101va\u1e47a the great dragon also came to the meeting in the wood. Those who seize the dragon kings by force\u2014 Heavenly, twice-born birds with piercing vision\u2014 swoop down to the wood from the sky; their name is \u2018Rainbow Phoenix\u2019. But the dragon kings remained fearless, for the Buddha kept them safe from the phoenixes. Wooing each other with gentle words, the dragons and phoenixes <j>took the Buddha as refuge. Defeated by Vajirahattha, the titans live in the ocean. They\u2019re brothers of V\u0101sava, powerful and glorious. There\u2019s the terrifying K\u0101laka\u00f1jas, the D\u0101nava and Ghasa titans, Vepacitti and Sucitti, Pah\u0101r\u0101da with Namuci, and Bali\u2019s hundred sons, all named after Virocana. Bali\u2019s army armed themselves and went to the auspicious R\u0101hu, saying: \u2018Now is the time, sir, for the meeting of mendicants in the wood.\u2019 The gods of water and earth, and fire and wind came there. The gods of Varu\u1e47a and Varu\u1e47a\u2019s offsping, and Soma together with Yasa. A host of the gods of love and compassion came, so glorious. These ten hosts of gods shone in all different colors. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. The Vishnu and Sahal\u012b gods, and the unequaled pair of twins. The gods living on the moon came, with the Moon before them. The gods living on the sun came, with the Sun before them. And with the stars before them came the languid gods of clouds. And V\u0101sava came, the greatest of the Vasus, who is Sakka the Able, Purindada the Firstgiver: These ten hosts of gods shone in all different colors. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. Then came the Sahabh\u016b gods, blazing like a crested flame; and the Ari\u1e6d\u1e6dhakas and Rojas too, and the gods hued blue as flax. The Varu\u1e47as and Sahadhammas, the Accutas and Anejakas, the S\u016bleyyas and Ruciras all came, as did the V\u0101savanesi gods. These ten hosts of gods shone in all different colors. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. The Sam\u0101nas, Mah\u0101sam\u0101nas, M\u0101nusas, and M\u0101nusuttamas all came, and the gods depraved by play, and those who are malevolent. Then came the gods of Mercury, and those who live on Mars. The P\u0101ragas and Mah\u0101p\u0101ragas came, such glorious gods. These ten hosts of gods shone in all different colors. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. The gods of Venus, the newborn Sun, <j>and the Dawn came along with those from Saturn. And the gods of the white globe came leading the brilliant gods. The Sad\u0101mattas and H\u0101ragajas, and assorted glorious ones; Pajjuna came thundering, he who rains on all quarters. These ten hosts of gods shone in all different colors. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. The Khemiyas from the realms of Tusita and Yama, and the glorious Ka\u1e6d\u1e6dhakas came; the Lamb\u012btakas, L\u0101mase\u1e6d\u1e6dhas, those called the Shining, and those Yonder. The gods who love to create came too, and those who control what is created by others. These ten hosts of gods shone in all different colors. They\u2019re powerful and brilliant, so beautiful and glorious. Rejoicing, they\u2019ve come forth to the meeting of mendicants in the wood. These sixty hosts of gods shone in all different colors. They came organized by name, these and others likewise, thinking: \u2018They who have shed rebirth, the kindly ones, the undefiled ones who have crossed the flood\u2014 let us see them, <j>with the dragon who brought them across, who like the Moon has overcome darkness.\u2019 Subrahm\u0101 and Paramatta came, with sons of those powerful ones. Sana\u1e45kum\u0101ra and Tissa also came to the meeting in the wood. Of a thousand realms of divinity, the Great Divinity stands forth. He has arisen, brilliant, his formidable body so glorious. Ten Gods Almighty came there, each one of them wielding power, and in the middle of them came H\u0101rita with his following.\u201d When they had all come forth\u2014 the gods with their Lord, and the divinities\u2014 M\u0101ra\u2019s army came forth too: see the stupidity of the Dark Lord! \u201cCome, seize them and bind them,\u201d he said, \u201clet them be bound by desire! Surround them on all sides, don\u2019t let any escape!\u201d And so there the great general, the Dark Lord sent forth his army. He struck the ground with his fist to make a horrifying sound like a monsoon cloud, thundering and flashing. But then turned back, furious, out of control. And all that was known and distinguished by the Clear-eyed One. Consequently, the Teacher addressed the disciples who love the teaching: \u201cM\u0101ra\u2019s army has arrived; mendicants, you should be aware of them.\u201d Those monks grew keen, hearing the Buddha\u2019s instruction. The army fled from those free of passion, and not a single hair was stirred! \u201cAll triumphant in battle, so fearless and glorious. They rejoice with all the spirits, the disciples renowned among men.\u201d","title":"The Great Congregation","tradition":"Digha Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1922}