The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [286]
22. “To the extent that you may wish: ‘May I recollect my manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births…(as Sutta 51, §24)…Thus with their aspects and particulars may I recollect my manifold past lives’—you will attain the ability to witness any aspect therein, there being a suitable basis. [496]
23. “To the extent that you may wish: ‘May I, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, see beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate…(as Sutta 51, §25)…and may I understand how beings pass on according to their actions’—you will attain the ability to witness any aspect therein, there being a suitable basis.
24. “To the extent that you may wish: ‘May I, by realising for myself with direct knowledge, here and now enter upon and abide in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the taints’—you will attain the ability to witness any aspect therein, there being a suitable basis.”
25. Then the venerable Vacchagotta, having delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words, rose from his seat, and after paying homage to the Blessed One, keeping him on his right, he departed.
26. Before long, dwelling alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent, and resolute, the venerable Vacchagotta, by realising for himself with direct knowledge, here and now entered upon and abided in that supreme goal of the holy life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness. He directly knew: “Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.” And the venerable Vacchagotta became one of the arahants.
27. Now on that occasion a number of bhikkhus were going to see the Blessed One. The venerable Vacchagotta saw them coming in the distance. Seeing them, he went to them and asked them: [497] “Where are the venerable ones going?” “We are going to see the Blessed One, friend.”
“In that case, may the venerable ones pay homage in my name with their heads at the Blessed One’s feet, saying: ‘Venerable sir, the bhikkhu Vacchagotta pays homage with his head at the Blessed One’s feet.’ Then say: ‘The Blessed One has been worshipped by me, the Sublime One has been worshipped by me.’”729
“Yes, friend,” those bhikkhus replied. Then they went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, they sat down at one side and told the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, the venerable Vacchagotta pays homage with his head at the Blessed One’s feet, and he says: ‘The Blessed One has been worshipped by me, the Sublime One has been worshipped by me.’”
28. “Bhikkhus, having encompassed his mind with my own mind, I already knew of the bhikkhu Vacchagotta: ‘The bhikkhu Vacchagotta has attained the threefold true knowledge and has great supernormal power and might.’ And deities also told me this: ‘The bhikkhu Vacchagotta has attained the threefold true knowledge and has great supernormal power and might.’”
That is what the Blessed One said. Those bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Dīghanakha Sutta
To Dīghanakha
1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Rājagaha in the Boar’s Cave on the mountain Vulture Peak.
2. Then the wanderer Dīghanakha went to the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him.730 When this courteous and amiable talk was finished,