/lit/ - Literature

IOLO

I Only Samsara Once
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When this was said, I told Baka Brahmā, ‘How immersed in ignorance is Baka Brahmā! How immersed in ignorance is Baka Brahmā! — in that what is actually inconstant he calls “constant.” What is actually impermanent he calls “permanent.” What is actually non-eternal he calls “eternal.” What is actually partial he calls “total.” What is actually subject to falling away he calls “not subject to falling away.” Where one takes birth, ages, dies, falls away, and reappears, he says, “For here one does not take birth, does not age, does not die, does not fall away, does not reappear.” And there being another, higher escape, he says, “There is no other, higher escape.”’

“Then Māra, the Evil One, taking possession of an attendant of the Brahmā assembly, said to me, ‘Monk! Monk! Don’t attack him! Don’t attack him! For this Brahmā, monk, is the Great Brahmā, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-Seeing, All-Powerful, the Sovereign Lord, the Maker, Creator, Chief, Appointer and Ruler, Father of All That Have Been and Shall Be. There were, monk, before your time, contemplatives & brahmans in the world

who found fault with earth and were disgusted with earth,

who found fault with liquid and were disgusted with liquid,

who found fault with fire and were disgusted with fire,

who found fault with wind and were disgusted with wind,

who found fault with beings and were disgusted with beings,

who found fault with devas and were disgusted with devas,

who found fault with Pajāpati and were disgusted with Pajāpati,2
who found fault with Brahmā and were disgusted with Brahmā.

“‘They, with the break-up of the body, with the cutting off of life, were established in a coarse body.3 There were, monk, before your time, contemplatives & brahmans in the world

who praised earth and were delighted with earth,

who praised liquid and were delighted with liquid,

who praised fire and were delighted with fire,

who praised wind and were delighted with wind,

who praised beings and were delighted with beings,

who praised devas and were delighted with devas,

who praised Pajāpati and were delighted with Pajāpati,

who praised Brahmā and were delighted with Brahmā.

“‘They, with the break-up of the body, with the cutting off of life, were established in a refined body. So I tell you, monk, “Please, good sir, do only as Brahmā says. Don’t defy the word of Brahmā. If you defy the word of Brahmā, then—as a man, when the goddess of fortune approaches, chases her away with a stick, or as a man, falling into hell, loses hold of the earth with his hands and feet—that will be what you have accomplished. Please, good sir, do only as Brahmā says. Don’t defy the word of Brahmā. Don’t you see that Brahmā’s assembly has gathered?”’ And so Māra the Evil One directed my attention to Brahmā’s assembly.

MN49 Brahma nimantanika sutta