THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
368
Hemavata Deva, after hearing the positive reply as regards the purity of speech and being
desirous of questioning whether or not the Buddha had, at present, the purity of
consciousness; whether or not He had overcome ignorance and whether or not He was
endowed with the five eyes, asked by reciting this verse:
Kacci na rajjati kÈmesu;
kacci cittarn anÈvilam.
Kacci mohaÑ alikkanto;
Kacci Dhammesu CakkhunmÈ.
My friend SÈgÈri, what is He like? Is the Buddha, whom you have seen, truly
one free from
abhijjhÈ
, covetousness for five material objects of sensual
pleasures? What is He like? Is the mind of the Buddha, whom you have seen,
free from
vyÈpÈda
, unhealthy mental condition agitated by hate? What is He
like? Is the Buddha, whom you have seen, truly one who has overcome the
fourfold
moha
(ignorance), which is the basic cause of
micchÈ-diÔÔhi
(wrong
view)? What is He like? Is He truly one who is endowed with the Eye of
Wisdom penetrating all the Dhammas without any hindrance?
(Bearing in mind that, ‚One is not yet a Buddha merely on account of the purity of the
three sense-doors but one becomes a genuine Buddha only if He is endowed with
sabbaÒÒutÈ-ÒÈÓa
, Omniscience or the Five Eyes,‛ he asked: Is He truly one who is
endowed with the Eye of Wisdom, penetrating all the Dhammas without any hindrance?
(‚
Kacci Dhammesu CakkhumÈ
?‛)
(Even before realising
arahatta-phala
and while still at the moment of His attainment of
anÈgÈmÊ-magga
, the Buddha became free from defilement of craving for sensual objects
and also free from defilement of ill-will, an unhealthy mental state since He had already
discarded
kÈma-rÈga-kilesa
and
vyÈpÈda-kilesa
. Even at the moment of His attainment of
sotÈpatti-magga
, He was already one who had overcome ignorance since He had already
discarded
sacca
-
paÔicchÈdaka
moha
, ignorance-covering which conceals the four truths,
which is the cause of
micchÈ-diÔÔhi
(wrong view). He had already earned the title ‘Buddha’
and realised Insight-Knowledge as well, since He had even discerned the Four Truths
unaided and with Self-born Knowledge (
sayambh|-ÒÈÓa
). Hence, SÈtÈgiri Deva, being
desirous of boldly proclaiming the fact that the Buddha possessed purity in respect of His
consciousness and having attained Omniscience, was a genuine Buddha, replied by reciting
this verse:
Na so rajjati kÈmesu;
atho cittaÑ anÈvilam.
SabbamohaÑ atikkanto;
Buddho Dhammesu CakkhumÈ.
My friend Hemavata, the Buddha, whom I have seen, is truly one free from
abhijjhÈ
, covetousness for material objects of sensual pleasures. The mind of
the Buddha, whom I have seen, is also free from
vyÈpÈda
. The Buddha,
whom I have seen, is truly one who has overcome the entire fourfold
moha
(ignorance), which is the basic cause of
micchÈ-diÔÔhi
(wrong view). Since He
has penetratingly discerned all the Dhammas with
sayambh|-ÒÈÓa
(Self-born
Knowledge), He has earned the title ‘Buddha’ and has also been endowed
with the Five Eyes.
In this manner Hemavata Deva was greatly delighted and rejoiced in hearing and
knowing that the Buddha possessed purity in respect of the three sense-doors and was a
genuine
SabbaÒÒ|-Buddha
. Being himself one endowed with auspiciousness of great
learning (
bÈhusacca-ma~gala
) in his past life during Buddha Kassapa's Dispensation and
being therefore a fluent, learned and effective speaker with very pure knowledge and
wisdom, and desiring again to hear further marvellous and extraordinary qualities of the
Buddha, he asked by reciting this verse: