The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [480]
10. “There is an occasion, householder, when those deities assemble in one place. When they have assembled in one place, a difference in their colour can be discerned but no difference in their radiance. Just as, if a man were to bring several oil-lamps into a house, a difference in the flames of the lamps might be discerned but no difference in their radiance; so too, there is an occasion when those deities assemble in one place [148]…but no difference in their radiance.
11. “There is an occasion, householder, when those deities disperse from there. When they have dispersed, a difference in their colours can be discerned and also a difference in their radiance. Just as, if the man were to remove those several oil-lamps from that house, a difference might be discerned in the flames of the lamps and also a difference in their radiance; so too, there is an occasion when those deities disperse from there…and also a difference in their radiance.
12. “It does not occur to those deities: ‘This [life] of ours is permanent, everlasting, and eternal,’ yet wherever those deities settle down, there they find delight. Just as, when flies are being carried along on a carrying-pole or on a basket, it does not occur to them: ‘This [life] of ours is permanent, everlasting, or eternal,’ yet wherever those flies settle down, there they find delight; so too, it does not occur to those deities…yet wherever they settle down, there they find delight.”
13. When this was said, the venerable Abhiya Kaccāna said to the venerable Anuruddha: “Good, venerable Anuruddha, yet I have something further to ask: Are all those radiant ones deities of Limited Radiance, or are some of them deities of Immeasurable Radiance?”
“By reason of the factor [responsible for rebirth], friend Kaccāna, some are deities of Limited Radiance, some deities of Immeasurable Radiance.”
14. “Venerable Anuruddha, what is the cause and reason why among those deities that have reappeared in a single order of gods, [149] some are deities of Limited Radiance, some deities of Immeasurable Radiance?”
“As to that, friend Kaccāna, I shall ask you a question in return. Answer it as you choose. What do you think, friend Kaccāna? When one bhikkhu abides resolved upon an area the size of the root of one tree, pervading it as exalted, and another bhikkhu abides resolved upon the area the size of the roots of two or three trees, pervading it as exalted—which of these types of mental development is more exalted?”—“The second, venerable sir.”
“What do you think, friend Kaccāna? When one bhikkhu abides resolved upon an area the size of the roots of two or three trees, pervading it as exalted, and another bhikkhu abides resolved upon an area the size of one village, pervading it as exalted…an area the size of one village and an area the size of two or three villages…an area the size of two or three villages [150] and an area the size of one major kingdom…an area the size of one major kingdom and an area the size of two or three major kingdoms…an area the size of two or three major kingdoms and an area the size of the earth bounded by the ocean, pervading it as exalted—which of these two types of mental development is more exalted?”—“The second, venerable sir.”
“This is the cause and reason, friend Kaccāna, why among those deities that have reappeared in a single order of gods, some are deities of Limited Radiance, some deities of Immeasurable Radiance.”
15. “Good, venerable Anuruddha, yet I have something further to ask: Are all those radiant ones deities of Defiled Radiance, or are