Chapter 22
universe entered into
jhÈna
based on meditation device of golden yellow object (
pita
kasiÓa
); and to signify his presence, emitted brilliant golden yellow rays from his body
that enveloped all the devas and BrahmÈs from the ten thousand universes as though
they were covered under a cloak of gold. Then after the manner of the first BrahmÈ,
approached the Buddha and presented his verse:
Tatra bhikkhuvo samÈdahaÑsu
cittamattano ujukamakamsu
sÈrathÊva nettÈni gahetvÈ
IndriyÈni rakkhanti panditÈ
Most Exalted, Glorious Buddha .... at this congregation of the devas and
BrahmÈs, the five hundred
arahats
have kept their minds at peace and
perfectly tranquilised through developing the highest state of supramundane
concentration of attainment,
appana-samÈdhi
. They have kept their minds
perfectly upright, free from mental deviations which may be likened to three
deviations from straightness exemplified by zigzag track of urine of an ox,
the comb shape crescent of the moon and the curvature of a harrow's handle.
In the same way, a skilful charioteer of a chariot harnessed to well-tamed
Sindara horses, held the reins gently without pulling them roughly, to get an
easy, comfortable ride, these five hundred
arahats
, wise with Path
Knowledge (
magga-ÒÈÓa
), have guarded the sense doors, the eye, ear, nose,
tongue, body and mind, against the inroads of defilements by means of the
guardian Mindfulness. Most Exalted, Glorious Buddha .... we have come to
this forest of MahÈvana with the object of paying homage to these five
hundred
arahats
.
Then he went back to his place at the edge of the southern hemisphere of the universe
like his predecessor and remained standing there.
(3) Then the BrahmÈ who had descended on the edge of the western hemisphere of the
universe entered into
jhÈna
based on meditation device of red object (
lohita kasiÓa
);
and to signify his presence at the Great Assembly emitted shining red colour from his
body that enveloped all the devas and BrahmÈs from the ten thousand universes as
though they have been wrapped up in a cloak of red colour. Then after the manner of
his predecessors, approached the Buddha and presented his verse:
ChetvÈ khÊlam chetvÈ paligham
I~da khÊlam |hajjha maneja
te caranti suddhÈ vimalÈ
cakkhumatÈ sudantÈ susunÈgÈ
Most Exalted and Glorious Buddha, the youthful
arahats
, who being well
instructed, have been subdued and tamed to restrain their six faculties by the
Buddha who is gifted with five kinds of eye:
Buddha-cakkhu
, the eye of a
Buddha who sees the heart of humans;
Dhamma-cakkhu
, the eye of Truth
which means attainment of the Path knowledge;
Samanta-cakkhu
, the eye of
all round knowledge, Omniscience;
Mansa-cakkhu
, the physical eye which is
exceptionally powerful and sensitive;
Dibba-cakkhu
, the deva-eye which is
all pervading, seeing all that proceeds in the hidden worlds. These youthful
arahats
have done away with the thorns of passion, malice and delusion
(
lobha
,
dosa
,
moha
) by the sword of the fourfold
magga-ÒÈÓa
. They have
struck off and destroyed the cross-bars and bolts (on the door of the chamber
of existence) namely,
lobha
,
dosa
and
moha
, which hinder escape from the
SaÑsÈra. By the same weapon of
magga-ÒÈÓa
, they have up-rooted the
pillars, namely,
lobha
,
dosa
and
moha
, stoutly standing at the gate of the city
of ‘
SakkÈya
’ (personality-belief), by means of the fourfold
magga
. Being
devoid of craving, free from taints and desires, they freely roam about in all