Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

“Bhūtapubbaṃ, bhikkhave, arako nāma satthā ahosi titthakaro kāmesu vītarāgo. Arakassa kho pana, bhikkhave, satthuno anekāni sāvakasatāni ahesuṃ. Arako satthā sāvakānaṃ evaṃ dhammaṃ deseti–

‘appakaṃ, brāhmaṇa, jīvitaṃ manussānaṃ parittaṃ lahukaṃ bahudukkhaṃ bahupāyāsaṃ mantāyaṃ boddhabbaṃ^*, kattabbaṃ kusalaṃ, caritabbaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, natthi jātassa amaraṇaṃ.

Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, tiṇagge ussāvabindu sūriye uggacchante khippaṃyeva paṭivigacchati, na ciraṭṭhitikaṃ hoti; evamevaṃ kho, brāhmaṇa, ussāvabindūpamaṃ jīvitaṃ manussānaṃ parittaṃ lahukaṃ bahudukkhaṃ bahupāyāsaṃ mantāyaṃ boddhabbaṃ, kattabbaṃ kusalaṃ, caritabbaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, natthi jātassa amaraṇaṃ …’ti.

… “Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṃ saṭṭhivassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṃ ahosi, pañcavassasatikā kumārikā alaṃpateyyā ahosi. Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṃ chaḷeva ābādhā ahesuṃ–

‘sītaṃ, uṇhaṃ, jighacchā, pipāsā, uccāro, passāvo. So hi nāma, bhikkhave, arako satthā evaṃ dīghāyukesu manussesu evaṃ ciraṭṭhitikesu evaṃ appābādhesu sāvakānaṃ evaṃ dhammaṃ desessati–

‘appakaṃ, brāhmaṇa, jīvitaṃ manussānaṃ parittaṃ lahukaṃ bahudukkhaṃ bahupāyāsaṃ mantāyaṃ boddhabbaṃ, kattabbaṃ kusalaṃ, caritabbaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, natthi jātassa amaraṇan.’ti.

Etarahi taṃ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya– ‘appakaṃ jīvitaṃ manussānaṃ parittaṃ lahukaṃ bahudukkhaṃ bahupāyāsaṃ mantāyaṃ boddhabbaṃ, kattabbaṃ kusalaṃ, caritabbaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, natthi jātassa amaraṇan’ti. Etarahi, bhikkhave , yo ciraṃ jīvati so vassasataṃ appaṃ vā bhiyyo. Vassasataṃ kho pana, bhikkhave, jīvanto tīṇiyeva utusatāni jīvati– utusataṃ hemantānaṃ, utusataṃ gimhānaṃ, utusataṃ vassānaṃ. …

… Yaṃ, bhikkhave, satthārā karaṇīyaṃ sāvakānaṃ hitesinā anukampakena anukampaṃ upādāya; kataṃ vo taṃ mayā etāni, bhikkhave, rukkhamūlāni etāni suññāgārāni. Jhāyatha, bhikkhave, mā pamādattha; mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha. Ayaṃ vo amhākaṃ anusāsanī”ti.

Mahāvaggo, Sattakanipātapāḷi, Aṅguttaranikāyo

^*mantāya boddhabbaṃ, paññāya jānitabbanti attho: The meaning of ‘by Mantras you should get enlightened’ is ‘through wisdom you should understand’.