Dīgha Nikāya — Discursos Longos — 20 — The Great Congregation

1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, in the Great Wood near Kapilavatthu, together with a large Saṅgha of five hundred mendicants, all of whom were perfected ones. And most of the deities from ten solar systems had gathered to see the Buddha and the Saṅgha of mendicants.

2Then four deities of the pure abodes, aware of what was happening, thought: “Why don’t we go to the Buddha and each recite a verse in his presence?”

3Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, they vanished from the Pure Abodes and reappeared in front of the Buddha. They bowed to the Buddha and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

4“There’s a great congregation in the woods,
where heavenly hosts have assembled.
We’ve come to this righteous congregation
to see the invincible Saṅgha!”

5Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

6“The mendicants there are immersed in samādhi,
they’ve straightened their own minds.
Like a charioteer holding the reins,
the astute ones protect their senses.”

7Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

8“They snapped the post and snapped the cross-bar,
unstirred, they tore out Indra’s pillar.
They live pure and immaculate,
the young giants tamed by the Clear-eyed One.”

9Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

10“Anyone who has gone to the Buddha for refuge
won’t go to a plane of loss.
After giving up this human body,
they swell the heavenly host.”

111. The Gathering of Deities
Then the Buddha said to the mendicants:

12“Mendicants, most of the deities from ten solar systems have gathered to see the Realized One and the mendicant Saṅgha. Those who were perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas in the past also had gatherings of deities that were at best like the gathering for me now. Those who will be perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas in the future will also have gatherings of deities that will be at best like the gathering for me now. I shall declare the names of the heavenly hosts; I shall extol the names of the heavenly hosts; I shall teach the names of the heavenly hosts. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

13“Yes, sir,” they replied.

14The Buddha said this:

15“I invoke a paean of praise!
Where the earth-gods dwell,
there, in mountain caves,
resolute and composed,

16dwell many like lonely lions,
who have mastered their fears.
Their minds are bright and pure,
clear and unclouded.”

17Over five hundred were known
in the wood at Kapilavatthu.
Consequently, the Teacher addressed
the disciples who love the teaching:

18“The heavenly hosts have come forth;
mendicants, you should be aware of them.”
Those monks grew keen,
hearing the Buddha’s instruction.

19Knowledge manifested in them,
seeing those non-human beings.
Some saw a hundred,
a thousand, even seventy thousand,

20while some saw a hundred thousand
non-human beings.
But some saw an endless number
spread out in every direction.

21And all that was known
and distinguished by the Clear-eyed One.
Consequently, the Teacher addressed
the disciples who love the teaching:

22“The heavenly hosts have come forth;
mendicants, you should be aware of them.
I shall extol them for you,
with lyrics in proper order.

23There are seven thousand spirits,
earth-gods of Kapilavatthu.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

24From the Himalayas there are six thousand
spirits of different colors.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

25From Mount Sātā there are three thousand
spirits of different colors.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

26And thus there are sixteen thousand
spirits of different colors.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

27From Vessāmitta’s mountain there are five hundred
spirits of different colors.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

28And there’s Kumbhīra of Rājagaha,
whose home is on Mount Vepulla.
Attended by more than
a hundred thousand spirits,
Kumbhīra of Rājagaha
also came to the meeting in the wood.

29King Dhataraṭṭha rules
the eastern quarter.
Lord of the centaurs,
he’s a great king, glorious.

30And he has many mighty sons
all of them named Indra.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

31King Virūḷhaka rules
the southern quarter.
Lord of the gnomes,
he’s a great king, glorious.

32And he has many mighty sons
all of them named Indra.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

33King Virūpakkha rules
the western quarter.
Lord of the dragons,
he’s a great king, glorious.

34And he has many mighty sons
all of them named Indra.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

35King Kuvera rules
the northern quarter.
Lord of spirits,
he’s a great king, glorious.

36And he has many mighty sons
all of them named Indra.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

37Dhataraṭṭha in the east,
Virūḷhaka to the south,
Virūpakkha to the west,
and Kuvera in the north.

38These four great kings,
all around in the four quarters,
stood there dazzling
in the wood at Kapilavatthu.

39Their deceitful heathens came,
so treacherous and crafty—
the deceivers Kuṭeṇḍu, Viṭeṇḍu,
with Viṭucca and Viṭuṭa.

40And Candana and Kāmaseṭṭha,
Kinnughaṇḍu and Nighaṇḍu,
Panāda and Opamañña,
and Mātali, the god’s equerry.

41Cittasena the centaur came too,
and the kings Nala and Janesabha.
Pañcasikha came too, with
Timbaru and Suriyavaccasā.

42These and other kings there were,
the centaurs with their kings.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

43Then came the dragons of Nābhasa lake,
and those from Vesālī with those from Takkasilā.
The Kambalas and Assataras came
and those from Payāga with their kin.

44Those from Yamunā, and the Dhataraṭṭha
dragons came, so glorious.
And Erāvaṇa the great dragon
also came to the meeting in the wood.

45Those who seize the dragon kings by force—
Heavenly, twice-born birds with piercing vision—
swoop down to the wood from the sky;
their name is ‘Rainbow Phoenix’.

46But the dragon kings remained fearless,
for the Buddha kept them safe from the phoenixes.
Wooing each other with gentle words,
the dragons and phoenixes <j>took the Buddha as refuge.

47Defeated by Vajirahattha,
the titans live in the ocean.
They’re brothers of Vāsava,
powerful and glorious.

48There’s the terrifying Kālakañjas,
the Dānava and Ghasa titans,
Vepacitti and Sucitti,
Pahārāda with Namuci,

49and Bali’s hundred sons,
all named after Virocana.
Bali’s army armed themselves
and went to the auspicious Rāhu, saying:
‘Now is the time, sir,
for the meeting of mendicants in the wood.’

50The gods of water and earth,
and fire and wind came there.
The gods of Varuṇa and Varuṇa’s offsping,
and Soma together with Yasa.

51A host of the gods of love
and compassion came, so glorious.
These ten hosts of gods
shone in all different colors.

52They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

53The Vishnu and Sahalī gods,
and the unequaled pair of twins.
The gods living on the moon came,
with the Moon before them.

54The gods living on the sun came,
with the Sun before them.
And with the stars before them
came the languid gods of clouds.

55And Vāsava came, the greatest of the Vasus,
who is Sakka the Able, Purindada the Firstgiver:
These ten hosts of gods
shone in all different colors.

56They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

57Then came the Sahabhū gods,
blazing like a crested flame;
and the Ariṭṭhakas and Rojas too,
and the gods hued blue as flax.

58The Varuṇas and Sahadhammas,
the Accutas and Anejakas,
the Sūleyyas and Ruciras all came,
as did the Vāsavanesi gods.
These ten hosts of gods
shone in all different colors.

59They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

60The Samānas, Mahāsamānas,
Mānusas, and Mānusuttamas all came,
and the gods depraved by play,
and those who are malevolent.

61Then came the gods of Mercury,
and those who live on Mars.
The Pāragas and Mahāpāragas came,
such glorious gods.
These ten hosts of gods
shone in all different colors.

62They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

63The gods of Venus, the newborn Sun, <j>and the Dawn
came along with those from Saturn.
And the gods of the white globe came
leading the brilliant gods.

64The Sadāmattas and Hāragajas,
and assorted glorious ones;
Pajjuna came thundering,
he who rains on all quarters.

65These ten hosts of gods
shone in all different colors.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

66The Khemiyas from the realms of Tusita and Yama,
and the glorious Kaṭṭhakas came;
the Lambītakas, Lāmaseṭṭhas,
those called the Shining, and those Yonder.
The gods who love to create came too,
and those who control what is created by others.

67These ten hosts of gods
shone in all different colors.
They’re powerful and brilliant,
so beautiful and glorious.
Rejoicing, they’ve come forth
to the meeting of mendicants in the wood.

68These sixty hosts of gods
shone in all different colors.
They came organized by name,
these and others likewise, thinking:

69‘They who have shed rebirth, the kindly ones,
the undefiled ones who have crossed the flood—
let us see them, <j>with the dragon who brought them across,
who like the Moon has overcome darkness.’

70Subrahmā and Paramatta came,
with sons of those powerful ones.
Sanaṅkumāra and Tissa
also came to the meeting in the wood.

71Of a thousand realms of divinity,
the Great Divinity stands forth.
He has arisen, brilliant,
his formidable body so glorious.

72Ten Gods Almighty came there,
each one of them wielding power,
and in the middle of them came
Hārita with his following.”

73When they had all come forth—
the gods with their Lord, and the divinities—
Māra’s army came forth too:
see the stupidity of the Dark Lord!

74“Come, seize them and bind them,” he said,
“let them be bound by desire!
Surround them on all sides,
don’t let any escape!”

75And so there the great general,
the Dark Lord sent forth his army.
He struck the ground with his fist
to make a horrifying sound

76like a monsoon cloud,
thundering and flashing.
But then turned back,
furious, out of control.

77And all that was known
and distinguished by the Clear-eyed One.
Consequently, the Teacher addressed
the disciples who love the teaching:

78“Māra’s army has arrived;
mendicants, you should be aware of them.”
Those monks grew keen,
hearing the Buddha’s instruction.
The army fled from those free of passion,
and not a single hair was stirred!

79“All triumphant in battle,
so fearless and glorious.
They rejoice with all the spirits,
the disciples renowned among men.”