70(10)EarthquakesThe portion of this sutta as far as the verse is also at SN 51:10,V 258-63.The entire sutta is at DN 16.3.1-20,Ⅱ102-9.
The portion of this sutta as far as the verse is also at SN 51:10,V 258-63.The entire sutta is at DN 16.3.1-20,Ⅱ102-9.On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesali in the hall with the peaked roof in the Great Wood.
Then,in the morning,the Blessed One dressed,took his bowl and robe,and entered Vesali for alms.
When he had walked for alms in Vesalī,after his meal,on returning from his alms round,he addressed the Venerable Ananda:
"Take a sitting cloth,Ananda.
Let us go to the Cāpala Shrine for the day's dwelling."
"Yes,Bhante,"the Venerable Ananda replied and,having taken a sitting cloth,he followed closely behind the Blessed
One.
The Blessed One then went to the Capala Shrine,
sat down on the seat that was prepared for him,
and said to the Venerable Ananda:[309]
"Delightful is Vesali,Ananda,Delightful is the Udena Shrine,delightful the Gotamaka Shrine,delightful the Sattamba Shrine,delightful the Bahuputta Shrine,
delightful the Sarandada Shrine,delightful the Cāpala Shrine.
Whoever,Ananda,has developed and cultivated the four bases for psychic potency,made them a vehicle and basis,carried them out,consolidated them,and properly undertaken them could,if he so wished,live on for an eon or for the remainder of an eon.
The Tathāgata,Ananda,has developed and cultivated the four bases for psychic potency,made them a vehicle and basis,carried them out,consolidated them,and properly undertaken them:
If he so wished,the Tathagata could live on for an eon or for the remainder of an eon."
Kappam va tittheyya kappavasesam va.Mp glosses kappa,"eon,"asayukappa,"the life eon,"the full normal life span of human beings at a particular time,presently a hundred years.Kappavasesa,"the remainder of the eon,"is explained as a little more than the normal life span of a hundred years.Mp mentions the view of an elder named Mahasiva,who held that the Buddha could live on for the rest of the cosmic eon,but Mp cites the old commentary as holding that the "life eon" alone is intended (idameva atthakathayaniyamitam).Nevertheless,nowhere else in the Nikayas is kappa used in the sense of a normal human life span,and there seems no compelling reason to ascribe to the word as used here a meaning different from the usual one,that is,a cosmic eon.
But though the Venerable Ananda was given such an obvious signal by the Blessed One,though he was given such an obvious hint,he was unable to pick up the hint.
He did not request the Blessed.One:
"Bhante,let the Blessed One live on for an eon!Let the Fortunate One live on for an eon,for the welfare of many people,for the happiness of many people,out of compassion for the world,for the good,welfare,and happiness of devas and humans."For his mind was obsessed by Mara.
Yatha tam Marena pariyutthitacitto.Mp:"As any worldling would not be able to pick up a hint,so Ananda was unable to pick it up.For Mara can obsess the mind of anyone who has not entirely abandoned the twelve cognitive inversions(vipallasa;see 4:49),and Ananda [being only a stream-enterer]still had four of them.[Mp-t:The inversions of perception and thought that take the unattractive as attractive and the painful as pleasurable.]Mara obsessed his mind by displaying a frightful sight.On seeing this,the elder failed to pick up the clear hint given him by the Buddha."
A second time...A third time the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Ananda:
"Delightful is Vesāli...Delightful is the Udena Shrine...delightful the Capala Shrine.
Whoever,Ananda,has developed and cultivated the four bases for psychic potency...and properly undertaken them could,if he so wished,live on for an eon or for the remainder of aneon.
The Tathāgata,Ananda,has developed and cultivated the four bases for psychic potency,made them a vehicle and basis,carried them out,consolidated them,and properly undertaken them.If he so wished,the Tathagata could live on for an eon or for the remainder of an eon."
But again,though the Venerable Ananda [310]was given such an obvious signal by the Blessed One,though he was given such an obvious hint,he was unable to pick up the hint.
...
...For his mind was obsessed by Mara.
Then the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Ananda:
"You may go,Ananda,at your own convenience."
"Yes,Bhante,"the Venerable Ananda replied,and he rose from his seat,paid homageto the Blessed One,circumambulated him keeping the right side toward him,and sat down at the foot of a tree not far from the Blessed One.
Then,not long after the Venerable Ananda had left,Mara the Evil One said to the Blessed One:
"Bhante,let the Blessed One now attain final nibbana!Let the Fortunate One now attain final nibbana!
Now is the time,Bhante,for the Blessed One's final nibbāna!
These words were uttered,Bhante,by the Blessed
One:
Interestingly,in the Nikāyas no such conversation between the Buddha and Māra is recorded as having taken place earlier in the Buddha's life.It is referred to only in this sutta and its parallels at DN16.3.7-8,II104-6,and SN 51:10,V260,29-262,11.I will not attain final nibbāna,Evil One,until there are bhikkhu disciples of mine who are competent,disciplined,self-confident,attained to security from bondage,learned,upholders of the Dhamma,practicing in accordance with the Dhamma,practicing in the proper way,conducting themselves accordingly;who have learned their own teacher's teaching and can explain it,teach it,proclaim it,establish it,disclose it,analyze it,and elucidate it;who can thoroughly refute in reasoned ways the current tenets of others and teach the antidotal Dhamma.
The expression pattayogakkhema,"attained to security from bond- age,"is in all three editions of AN but is absent from some(butnot all)editions of the text's parallels in DN and SN imentioned in the preceding note.Since the phrase normally denotes the attainment of arahantship,it seems out of place in a description of the lay disciples.Mp coinments on all the other expressions here but this,which suggests it was not present in the version available to the commentator. Mp glosses sappatihariyam dhammam desenti with"they teach the Dhamma so that it is emancipating"(yava niyyanikam katva dhammam desessanti).Mp-t elaborates:"They explain the Dhamma in such a way that the doctrines of others are demolished and their own doctrine is established;thus,by citing reasons,it brings attainment of the goal [to be]achieved"(yathāparavadam bharijitvā sakavado patitthahati,evam hetudaharanehiyathadhigatamattham sampadetva dhammam kathessanti).My reason for translating sappatihariya as"anitidotal"is explained on p.1673,note 586.Now at present the Blessed One has bhikkhu disciples who are competent...and who can teach the antidotal Dhamma.
Bhante,let the Blessed One now attain final nibbāna!Let the Fortunate One now attain final nibbāna!
Now is the time for the
Blessed One's final nibbāna!
"And these words were uttered,Bhante,by the Blessed
One:
'I will not attain final nibbāna,Evil One,until there are bhikkhunī disciples of mine who are competent...until there are male lay disciples of mine [311]who are competent...until there are female lay disciples of mine who are competent...and teach the antidotal Dhamma.'
Now at present the Blessed One has bhikkhuni disciples...male lay disciples...female lay disciples who are competent,disciplined,self-confident,attained to security from bondage,learned,upholders of the Dhamma,practicing in accordance with the Dhamma,practicing in the proper way,conducting themselves accordingly;who have learned their own teacher's doctrine and can explain it,teach it,proclaim it,establish it,disclose it,analyze it,and elucidate it;who can thoroughly refute in reasoned ways the current tenets of others and teach the antidotal Dhamma.
Bhante,let the Blessed One now attain final nibbāna!Let the Fortunate One now attain final nibbāna!
Now is the time for the Blessed One's final nibbāna!
"And these words were uttered,Bhante,by the Blessed One:
I will not attain final nibbāna,Evil One,until this spiritual life of mine has become successful and prosperous,extensive,popular,wide spread,well proclaimed among devas and humans.'
That spiritual life of the Blessed One has become successful and prosperous,extensive,popular,wide spread,well proclaimed among devas and humans.
Bhante,let the Blessed One now attain final nibbāna!Let the Fortunate One now attain final nibbāna!
Now is the time,Bhante,for the Blessed One's final nibbāna!"
[The Blessed One said:]"Be at ease,Evil One.
It won't be long before the Tathāgata's final nibbāna takes place.
Three months from now the Tathāgata will attain final nibbāna."
Then the Blessed One,at the Capāla Shrine,mindful and clearly comprehending,let go his vital force.
Ayusarkharam ossaji.Mp:"Having thoroughly set up mindfulness,having limited it by knowledge,he discarded,abandoned,his vital force.The Blessed One did not relinquish his vital force in the way one drops a clod of earth with one's hand,but here solved,I will enter fruition attainment for only three more months but not beyond that.'"
And when the Blessed One had let go his vital force,a great earthquake occurred,frightening and terrifying,and peals of thunder shook the sky.
Then,having understood the meaning of this,the Blessed One on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance:
[312]"Comparing the incomparable and continued existence,the sage let go the force of existence.
Rejoicing internally,concentrated,he broke his own existence like a coat of armor."
The verse is difficult,especially the first couplet.It is commented on identically by Spk Ⅲ254-55,Sv II557-58,MpIV153-54,and Ud-a 329-30.The commentaries offer two interpretations,one taking tulam and atulam as opposites,the other taking tulam as the short present participle(=tulento)and atulam and sambhavam as the opposites.I adopt the second interpretation.For a fuller discussion of the verse,see CDB1941-44,note 255.
Then it occurred to the Venerable Ananda:
"This earthquake was indeed powerful!
This earthquake was indeed very powerful,frightening and terrifying,and peals of thundershook the sky!
What is the cause and condition for a powerful earthquake?"
Then the Venerable Ananda approached the Blessed One,
paid,homage to him,sat down to one side,
and said to him:
"Bhante,this earthquake was indeed powerful!
This earthquake was indeed very powerful,frightening and terrifying,and peals of thunder shook the sky!
What,Bhante,is the cause and condition for a powerful earthquake?"
"Ananda,there are these eight causes and conditions for a powerful earthquake.
What eight?
(1)"Ananda,this great earth is established upon water;
the water rests upon wind;
the wind blows in space.
There comes a time,Ananda,when strong winds blow
and shake the water.
The water,being shaken,shakes the earth.
This is the first cause and condition for a powerful earthquake.
(2)"Again,there is an ascetic or brahmin who possesses psychic potency and has attained mastery of mind,or a deity who is very powerful and mighty.
He has developed a limited perception of earth and a measureless perception of water.
He makes this earth shake,shudder,and tremble.
Ce and Ee have kampeti,sankampeti,sampakampeti.Be adds a fourth verb,sampavedheti,which might be rendered"makes [it] shudder."Just below,non-causative counterparts of the three verbs occur in Ce and Ee:kampati,sankampati,sampakampati.Be has a fourth,sampavedhati.This is the second cause and condition for a powerful earthquake.
(3)"Again,when the bodhisatta passes away from the Tusitaorder and,mindful and clearly comprehending,enters his mother's womb,this [313]earth shakes,shudders,and trembles.
This is the third cause
and condition for a powerful earthquake.
(4)"Again,when the bodhisatta,mindful and clearly comprehending,emerges from his mother's womb,this earth shakes,shudders,and trembles.
This is the fourth cause and condition for a powerful earthquake.
(5)"Again,when the Tathāgata awakens to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment,this earth shakes,shudders,and trembles.
This is the fifth cause and condition for a powerful earthquake.
(6)"Again,when the Tathāgata sets in motion the unsurpassed wheel of the Dhamma,this earth shakes,shudders,and trembles.
This is the sixth cause and condition for a powerful earthquake.
(7)"Again,when the Tathagata,mindful and clearly comprehending,lets go his vital force,this earth shakes,shudders,and trembles.
This is the seventh cause and condition for a powerful earthquake.
(8)"Again,when the Tathāgata attains final nibbāna by the nibbāna element without residue remaining,this earth shakes,shudders,and trembles.
This is the eighth cause and condition
for a powerful earthquake.
"These are the eight causes and conditions for a powerful earthquake."[314]