THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
840
the darkness created by the BrahmÈ. So Baka was unable to hide himself.
Being unable to hide by changing his body or by creating darkness, Baka BrahmÈ
desperately entered his mansion and hid there. He hid under the wish-fulfilling tree. He
squatted furtively. Then hosts of BrahmÈs burst into laughter and jeered, saying: ‚This
Baka BrahmÈ is now hiding in the mansion. Now he is hiding under the wish-fulfilling tree
squatting furtively. O, Baka BrahmÈ what a pity that you think you have hidden yourself.‛
Being thus jeered at by other BrahmÈs, Baka BrahmÈ wore a displeased face. Hence it is
said in brief in the Text.
‚Monks, though Baka BrahmÈ said: ‘I will hide myself in the presence of the Monk
Gotama, I will hide myself in the presence of the Monk Gotama’, he was unable to
do so.‛
To the BrahmÈ who was unable to hide himself, the Buddha said:
‚Baka BrahmÈ, if you cannot hide yourself, I will hide myself in your presence
now. I am going to perform a miracle so that you cannot see me.‛
Then Baka BrahmÈ replied to the Buddha:
‚Venerable Sir, hide yourself in my presence now if you can.‛
Then the Buddha (1) first entered upon the fourth
jhÈna
(
r|pÈvacara-kiriya
), the
foundation of His resolve; (2) then rising from that
jhÈna
, He resolved that the MahÈ
BrahmÈ, the assembly of BrahmÈs and the young attendant-BrahmÈs could only hear His
voice but not see his body; (3) then He entered upon the fourth
jhÈna
(
r|pÈvacara-kiriya
),
the foundation of His Psychic Power; (4) when He rose from that
jhÈna
, a process of
Psychic Powers occurred in His mind; as soon as He felt that mental process but once, the
Buddha's body vanished and not a single BrahmÈ could see Him. To make them know that
He was still with them though He had vanished, the Buddha uttered this verse:
BhavevÈhaÑ bhayaÑ disvÈ, bhavaÒ ca bhavesinaÑ
BhavaÑ nÈbhivadiÑ kiÒci, nandiÒ ca na upÈdiyiÑ.
O, BrahmÈs who have assembled here! Because I have seen clearly with My
eye of wisdom, the dangers of birth, old age, and sickness on the three planes
of existence such as
kÈma
,
r|pa
and
ar|pa
, and the endless arising of beings
(like Baka BrahmÈ), who have gone astray in their search of NibbÈna that is
non-existence, I no longer cling to any existence as permanent, constant,
eternal, etc., under the power of craving and wrong view. I am entirely free
from craving for existence as I have rooted it out and cutting it off four
times with the axe-like wisdom of the fourfold Path-Knowledge.
Attainment of Noble Stages by Ten Thousand BrahmÈs
In this verse, by the word ‘existence’ (
bhava
) is indicated ‘the Truth of Suffering’, by
‘craving for existence’ (
bhava
-
taÓhÈ
) is indicated ‘the Truth of the Cause of Suffering’, by
‘non-existence’ (
vibhava
) is indicated ‘the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering’, by ‘I have
no craving for existence’ (
nandiÒ ca na upÈdiyiÑ
) is indicated ‘the Truth of the Path
leading to the Cessation of Suffering’.
Thus the Buddha taught the Four Truths in detail to the BrahmÈs according to their
dispositions and led them to VipassanÈ Insight and concluded His Teaching with the
Fruition of Arahatship as its apex. At the end of the Discourse, the BrahmÈs, reflectively
following the discourse, were steeped in the essence of VipassanÈ Insight at various stages,
some attaining
sotÈpatti-phala
, some
sakadÈgÈmÊ-phala,
some
anÈgÈmÊ-phala
and the rest
arahatship. Then the BrahmÈs rejoiced, marvelled and extolled the Buddha. Hence it is said
in the Text:
‚Monks, then the BrahmÈ, his followers and attendants were filled with great
wonder, saying: ‘Friends, wonderful indeed is the great power and the great might
of the Monk Gotama! Never have we seen or heard any
samaÓa
or
brÈhmana
who
is so powerful and so mighty as the Monk Gotama, a Sakyan Prince and an ascetic