Cūḷanikāsutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.80

Numbered Discourses 3.80

8. Ānandavagga

8. Ānanda

Cūḷanikāsutta

Lesser

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“sammukhā metaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ:

“Sir, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha:

‘bhagavato, ānanda, sikhissa abhibhū nāma sāvako brahmaloke ṭhito sahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpesī’ti.

‘Ānanda, the Buddha Sikhī had a disciple named Abhibhū. Standing in the realm of divinity, he could make his voice heard throughout the thousandfold galaxy.’

Bhagavā pana, bhante, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho kīvatakaṁ pahoti sarena viññāpetun”ti?

I wonder how far a Blessed One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha can make their voice heard?”

“Sāvako so, ānanda, appameyyā tathāgatā”ti.

“He was a disciple, Ānanda. Realized Ones are immeasurable.”

Dutiyampi kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

For a second time …

“sammukhā metaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ:

‘bhagavato, ānanda, sikhissa abhibhū nāma sāvako brahmaloke ṭhito sahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpesī’ti.

Bhagavā pana, bhante, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho kīvatakaṁ pahoti sarena viññāpetun”ti?

“Sāvako so, ānanda, appameyyā tathāgatā”ti.

Tatiyampi kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

For a third time, Ānanda said to the Buddha:

“sammukhā metaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ:

‘bhagavato, ānanda, sikhissa abhibhū nāma sāvako brahmaloke ṭhito sahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpesī’ti.

Bhagavā pana, bhante, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho kīvatakaṁ pahoti sarena viññāpetun”ti?

“… I wonder how far a Blessed One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha can make their voice heard?”

“Sutā te, ānanda, sahassī cūḷanikā lokadhātū”ti?

“Ānanda, have you heard of a thousandfold lesser world system, a galaxy?”

“Etassa, bhagavā, kālo; etassa, sugata, kālo,

“Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One!

yaṁ bhagavā bhāseyya. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

Let the Buddha speak. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”

“Tenahānanda, suṇāhi sādhukaṁ manasi karohi, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Well then, Ānanda, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paccassosi.

“Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Yāvatā, ānanda, candimasūriyā pariharanti, disā bhanti virocanā, tāva sahassadhā loko.

“Ānanda, a galaxy extends a thousand times as far as the moon and sun revolve and the dazzling ones light up the quarters.

Tasmiṁ sahassadhā loke sahassaṁ candānaṁ, sahassaṁ sūriyānaṁ, sahassaṁ sinerupabbatarājānaṁ, sahassaṁ jambudīpānaṁ, sahassaṁ aparagoyānānaṁ, sahassaṁ uttarakurūnaṁ, sahassaṁ pubbavidehānaṁ, cattāri mahāsamuddasahassāni, cattāri mahārājasahassāni, sahassaṁ cātumahārājikānaṁ, sahassaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ, sahassaṁ yāmānaṁ, sahassaṁ tusitānaṁ, sahassaṁ nimmānaratīnaṁ, sahassaṁ paranimmitavasavattīnaṁ, sahassaṁ brahmalokānaṁ—

In that galaxy there are a thousand moons, a thousand suns, a thousand Sinerus king of mountains, a thousand Black Plum Tree Lands, a thousand lands west of Godāvarī, a thousand lands north of Kuru, a thousand lands east of Videha, four thousand oceans, four thousand great kings, a thousand realms of the gods of the four great kings, a thousand realms of the gods of the thirty-three, of the gods of Yama, of the joyful gods, of the gods who love to create, of the gods who control what is created by others, and a thousand realms of divinity.

ayaṁ vuccatānanda, sahassī cūḷanikā lokadhātu.

This is called a thousandfold lesser world system, a ‘galaxy’.

Yāvatānanda, sahassī cūḷanikā lokadhātu tāva sahassadhā loko.

A world system that extends for a thousand galaxies

Ayaṁ vuccatānanda, dvisahassī majjhimikā lokadhātu.

is called a millionfold middling world system, a ‘galactic cluster’.

Yāvatānanda, dvisahassī majjhimikā lokadhātu tāva sahassadhā loko.

A world system that extends for a thousand galactic clusters

Ayaṁ vuccatānanda, tisahassī mahāsahassī lokadhātu.

is called a billionfold great world system, a ‘galactic supercluster’.

Ākaṅkhamāno, ānanda, tathāgato tisahassimahāsahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpeyya, yāvatā pana ākaṅkheyyā”ti.

If he wished, Ānanda, a Realized One could make his voice heard throughout a galactic supercluster, or as far as he wants.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana, bhante, bhagavā tisahassimahāsahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpeyya, yāvatā pana ākaṅkheyyā”ti?

“But how would the Buddha make his voice heard so far?”

“Idhānanda, tathāgato tisahassimahāsahassilokadhātuṁ obhāsena phareyya.

“First, Ānanda, a Realized One would fill the galactic supercluster with light.

Yadā te sattā taṁ ālokaṁ sañjāneyyuṁ, atha tathāgato ghosaṁ kareyya saddamanussāveyya.

When sentient beings saw the light, the Realized One would project his call so that they’d hear the sound.

Evaṁ kho, ānanda, tathāgato tisahassimahāsahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpeyya, yāvatā pana ākaṅkheyyā”ti.

That’s how a Realized One could make his voice heard throughout a galactic supercluster, or as far as he wants.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca:

When he said this, Venerable Ānanda said,

“lābhā vata me, suladdhaṁ vata me,

“I’m so fortunate, so very fortunate,

yassa me satthā evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo”ti.

to have a teacher with such power and might!”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā udāyī āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:

When he said this, Venerable Udāyī said to Venerable Ānanda,

“kiṁ tuyhettha, āvuso ānanda, yadi te satthā evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo”ti?

“What is it to you, Reverend Ānanda, if your teacher has such power and might?”

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca:

When he said this, the Buddha said to Venerable Udāyī,

“mā hevaṁ, udāyi, mā hevaṁ, udāyi.

“Not so, Udāyī, not so!

Sace, udāyi, ānando avītarāgo kālaṁ kareyya, tena cittappasādena sattakkhattuṁ devesu devarajjaṁ kāreyya, sattakkhattuṁ imasmiṁyeva jambudīpe mahārajjaṁ kāreyya.

If Ānanda were to die while still not free of greed, he would rule as king of the gods for seven lifetimes, or as king of the Black Plum Tree Land for seven lifetimes, because of the confidence of his heart.

Api ca, udāyi, ānando diṭṭheva dhamme parinibbāyissatī”ti.

However, Ānanda will be fully extinguished in this very life.”

Dasamaṁ.

Ānandavaggo tatiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Channo ājīvako sakko,

nigaṇṭho ca nivesako;

Duve bhavā sīlabbataṁ,

gandhajātañca cūḷanīti.