{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn49/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn49","id":"suttacentral_mn49","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn49/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near S\u0101vatth\u012b in Jeta\u2019s Grove, An\u0101thapi\u1e47\u1e0dika\u2019s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, \u201cMendicants!\u201d \u201cVenerable sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cThis one time, mendicants, I was staying near Ukka\u1e6d\u1e6dh\u0101 in the Subhaga Forest at the root of a magnificent sal tree. Now at that time Baka the Divinity had the following harmful misconception: \u2018This is permanent, this is everlasting, this is eternal, this is whole, this is not liable to pass away. For this is where there\u2019s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn. And there\u2019s no other escape beyond this.\u2019 Then I knew what Baka the Divinity was thinking. As easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, I vanished from the Subhaga Forest and reappeared in that realm of divinity. Baka saw me coming off in the distance and said, \u2018Come, good fellow! Welcome, good fellow! It\u2019s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here. For this is permanent, this is everlasting, this is eternal, this is whole, this is not liable to pass away. For this is where there\u2019s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn. And there\u2019s no other escape beyond this.\u2019 When he had spoken, I said to him, \u2018Oh lord, Baka the Divinity is lost in ignorance! Oh lord, Baka the Divinity is lost in ignorance! Because what is actually impermanent, not lasting, transient, incomplete, and liable to pass away, he says is permanent, everlasting, eternal, whole, and not liable to pass away. And where there is being born, growing old, dying, passing away, and being reborn, he says that there\u2019s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn. And although there is another escape beyond this, he says that there\u2019s no other escape beyond this.\u2019 Then M\u0101ra the Wicked took possession of a member of the retinue of Divinity and said this to me, \u2018Mendicant, mendicant! Don\u2019t attack this one! Don\u2019t attack this one! For this is the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. There have been ascetics and brahmins before you, mendicant, who criticized and loathed earth, water, fire, air, creatures, gods, the Progenitor, and the Divinity. When their bodies broke up and their breath was cut off they were established in a lower realm. There have been ascetics and brahmins before you, mendicant, who praised and approved earth, water, fire, air, creatures, gods, the Progenitor, and the Divinity. When their bodies broke up and their breath was cut off they were established in a higher realm. So, mendicant, I tell you this: please, good fellow, do exactly what the Divinity says. Don\u2019t go beyond the word of the Divinity. If you do, then you\u2019ll end up like a person who, when approached by Lady Luck, would fend her off with a staff; or who, as they are falling over a cliff, would push away the ground with their hands and feet. Please, good fellow, do exactly what the Divinity says. Don\u2019t go beyond the word of the Divinity. Do you not see the assembly of the Divinity gathered here?\u2019 And so M\u0101ra the Wicked presented the assembly of the Divinity to me. When he had spoken, I said to M\u0101ra, \u2018I know you, Wicked One. Do not think, \u201cHe does not know me.\u201d You are M\u0101ra the Wicked. And the Divinity, the Divinity\u2019s assembly, and the retinue of Divinity have all fallen into your hands; they\u2019re under your sway. And you think, \u201cMaybe this one, too, has fallen into my hands; maybe he\u2019s under my sway!\u201d But I haven\u2019t fallen into your hands; I\u2019m not under your sway.\u2019 When I had spoken, Baka the Divinity said to me, \u2018But, good fellow, what I say is permanent, everlasting, eternal, whole, and not liable to pass away is in fact permanent, everlasting, eternal, whole, and not liable to pass away. And where I say there\u2019s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn there is in fact no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn. And when I say there\u2019s no other escape beyond this there is in fact no other escape beyond this. There have been ascetics and brahmins in the world before you, mendicant, whose deeds of fervent mortification lasted as long as your entire life. When there was another escape beyond this they knew it, and when there was no other escape beyond this, they knew it. So, mendicant, I tell you this: you will never find another escape beyond this, and you will eventually get weary and frustrated. If you attach to earth, you will lie close to me, in my domain, subject to my will, and expendable. If you attach to water \u2026 fire \u2026 air \u2026 creatures \u2026 gods \u2026 the Progenitor \u2026 the Divinity, you will lie close to me, in my domain, subject to my will, and expendable.\u2019 \u2018Divinity, I too know that if I attach to earth, I will lie close to you, in your domain, subject to your will, and expendable. If I attach to water \u2026 fire \u2026 air \u2026 creatures \u2026 gods \u2026 the Progenitor \u2026 the Divinity, I will lie close to you, in your domain, subject to your will, and expendable. And in addition, Divinity, I understand your range and your light: \u201cThat\u2019s how powerful is Baka the Divinity, how illustrious and mighty.\u201d\u2019 \u2018But in what way do you understand my range and my light?\u2019 \u2018A galaxy extends a thousand times as far as the moon and sun revolve and the dazzling ones light up the quarters. And there you wield your power. You know the high and low, the passionate and dispassionate, and the coming and going of sentient beings from this realm to another. That\u2019s how I understand your range and your light. But there are three other realms that you don\u2019t know or see, but which I know and see. There is the realm named after the gods of sublime luminosity. You passed away from there and were reborn here. You\u2019ve dwelt here so long that you\u2019ve forgotten about that, so you don\u2019t know it or see it. But I know it and see it. So Divinity, I am not your equal in knowledge, let alone your inferior. Rather, I know more than you. There is the realm named after the gods of universal beauty \u2026 There is the realm named after the gods of abundant fruit, which you don\u2019t know or see. But I know it and see it. So Divinity, I am not your equal in knowledge, let alone your inferior. Rather, I know more than you. Since directly knowing earth as earth, and since directly knowing that which does not fall within the scope of experience characterized by earth, I have not become earth, I have not become in earth, I have not become as earth, I have not become one who thinks \u2018earth is mine\u2019, I have not affirmed earth. So Divinity, I am not your equal in knowledge, let alone your inferior. Rather, I know more than you. Since directly knowing water \u2026 fire \u2026 air \u2026 creatures \u2026 gods \u2026 the Progenitor \u2026 the Divinity \u2026 the gods of sublime luminosity \u2026 the gods of universal beauty \u2026 the gods of abundant fruit \u2026 the Vanquisher \u2026 Since directly knowing all as all, and since directly knowing that which does not fall within the scope of experience characterized by all, I have not become all, I have not become in all, I have not become as all, I have not become one who thinks \u2018all is mine\u2019, I have not affirmed all. So Divinity, I am not your equal in knowledge, let alone your inferior. Rather, I know more than you.\u2019 \u2018Well, good fellow, if you have directly known that which does not fall within the scope of experience characterized by all, may that not be vacuous and hollow for you! Consciousness where no form appears, infinite, radiant all-round. That is what does not fall within the scope of experience characterized by earth, water, fire, air, creatures, gods, the Progenitor, the Divinity, the gods of sublime luminosity, the gods of universal beauty, the gods of abundant fruit, the Vanquisher, and the all. Come then, good fellow, see me vanish from you!\u2019 \u2018Come on then, Divinity, vanish from me\u2014if you can.\u2019 Then Baka the Divinity said, \u2018I will vanish from the ascetic Gotama! I will vanish from the ascetic Gotama!\u2019 But he was unable to vanish from me. So I said to him, \u2018Come then, Divinity, see me vanish from you!\u2019 \u2018Come on then, good fellow, vanish from me\u2014if you can.\u2019 Then I used my psychic power to will that my voice would extend so that divinity, his assembly, and his retinue would hear me, but they would not see me. And while vanished I spoke this verse: \u2018Seeing the danger in existence\u2014 that life in any existence will cease to be\u2014 I didn\u2019t affirm any kind of existence, and didn\u2019t grasp at relishing.\u2019 Then the Divinity, his assembly, and his retinue, their minds full of wonder and amazement, thought, \u2018Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic Gotama has such psychic power and might! We\u2019ve never before seen or heard of any other ascetic or brahmin with psychic power and might like the ascetic Gotama, who has gone forth from the Sakyan clan. Though people enjoy continued existence, loving it so much, he has extracted it, root and all.\u2019 Then M\u0101ra the Wicked took possession of a member of the retinue of Divinity and said this to me, \u2018If such is your understanding, good fellow, do not present it to your disciples or those gone forth! Do not teach this Dhamma to your disciples or those gone forth! Do not wish this for your disciples or those gone forth! There have been ascetics and brahmins before you, mendicant, who claimed to be perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas. They presented, taught, and wished this for their disciples and those gone forth. When their bodies broke up and their breath was cut off they were established in a lower realm. But there have also been other ascetics and brahmins before you, mendicant, who claimed to be perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas. They did not present, teach, or wish this for their disciples and those gone forth. When their bodies broke up and their breath was cut off they were established in a higher realm. So, mendicant, I tell you this: please, good fellow, remain passive, dwelling in blissful meditation in this life, for this is better left unsaid. Good fellow, do not instruct others.\u2019 When he had spoken, I said to M\u0101ra, \u2018I know you, Wicked One. Do not think, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t know me.\u201d You are M\u0101ra the Wicked. You don\u2019t speak to me like this out of sympathy, but with no sympathy. For you think, \u201cThose who the ascetic Gotama teaches will go beyond my reach.\u201d Those who formerly claimed to be fully awakened Buddhas were not in fact fully awakened Buddhas. But I am. The Realized One remains such whether or not he teaches disciples. The Realized One remains as such whether or not he presents the teaching to disciples. Why is that? Because the Realized One has given up the defilements that are corrupting, leading to future lives, hurtful, resulting in suffering and future rebirth, old age, and death. He has cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, obliterated them so they are unable to arise in the future. Just as a palm tree with its crown cut off is incapable of further growth, the Realized One has given up the defilements that are corrupting, leading to future lives, hurtful, resulting in suffering and future rebirth, old age, and death. He has cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, obliterated them so they are unable to arise in the future.\u2019\u201d And so, because of the silencing of M\u0101ra, and because of the invitation of the Divinity, the name of this discussion is \u201cOn the Invitation of Divinity\u201d.","title":"On the Invitation of Divinity","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":2070}