[I. The First Teachings]

[Yassa Desetutīrentaṁ]
[6. Deciding Who to Teach] Here and at the end of this bhāṇavāraṁ ChS writes: Pañcavaggiyakathā, but none of the other editions know of this end-title.

Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Fortunate One: Cf. MN 26 and 85, and the version of this story in Mahāvastu, for which see Uruvilvā to Ṛṣipatana elsewhere on this website.

“Kassa nu kho ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ Dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ?
“To whom should I first teach the Dhamma?

Ko imaṁ Dhammaṁ khippam-eva ājānissatī?” ti
Who will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly? ”

Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Fortunate One:

“Ayaṁ kho Āḷāro Kālāmo paṇḍito byatto medhāvī,
“This Āḷāra Kālāma Āḷāra Kālāma was one of the Bodhisatta’s early teachers (see MN 26). Another teacher is mentioned at the beginning of ThiA., as Bhaggava, whose doctrine (samaya) he learned before going to Āḷāra Kālāma. is wise, learned, intelligent,

dīgharattaṁ apparajakkhajātiko.
for a long time he has been one with little dust on his eyes.

Yan-nūnāhaṁ Āḷārassa Kālāmassa paṭhamaṁ Dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ?
Now what if I first teach the Dhamma to Āḷāra Kālāma?

So imaṁ Dhammaṁ khippam-eva ājānissatī.” ti
He will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly.” In Mahāvastu and Lalitavistara the order in which he thought of these teachers is reversed.

Atha kho antarahitā devatā Bhagavato ārocesi:
Then an invisible god Comm to Aṅg. 6.62: Antarahitā ti adassanaṁ gatā; Antarahitā means one who has become invisible. informed the Fortunate One:

“Sattāhakālaṅkato Bhante Āḷāro Kālāmo,” ti.
“Āḷāra Kālāma died An idiom, literally: made time. seven days ago, venerable Sir,”

Bhagavato pi kho ñāṇaṁ udapādi: “Sattāhakālaṅkato Āḷāro Kālāmo.” ti
and this knowledge arose in the Fortunate One: “Āḷāra Kālāma died seven days ago.” Comm: ākiñcaññāyatane nibbatto; (and) arose in the sphere of Nothingness. This is the cosmic equivalent of the level of meditation that he had taught to the Bodhisatta.

Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Fortunate One:

“Mahājāniyo kho Āḷāro Kālāmo,
“Āḷāra Kālāma had great understanding,

sace hi so imaṁ Dhammaṁ suṇeyya khippam-eva ājāneyyā.” ti
if he had heard this Dhamma he would have understood it quickly.”

Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Fortunate One:

“Kassa nu kho ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ Dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ?
“To whom should I first teach the Dhamma?

Ko imaṁ Dhammaṁ khippam-eva ājānissatī?” ti
Who will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly?”

Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Fortunate One:

“Ayaṁ kho Uddako Rāmaputto paṇḍito byatto medhāvī,
“This Uddaka Rāmaputta is wise, learned, intelligent,

dīgharattaṁ apparajakkhajātiko.
for a long time he has been one with little dust on his eyes.

Yan-nūnāhaṁ Uddakassa Rāmaputtassa paṭhamaṁ Dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ?
Now, what if I first teach the Dhamma to Uddaka Rāmaputta?

So imaṁ Dhammaṁ khippam-eva ājānissatī.” ti
He will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly.”

Atha kho antarahitā devatā Bhagavato ārocesi:
Then an invisible god informed the Fortunate One:

“Abhidosakālaṅkato Bhante Uddako Rāmaputto,” ti.
“Uddaka Rāmaputta died yesterday evening, According to Mahāvastu and Lalitavistara he had died three days earlier. The Pāḷi commentary says he had been reborn in the Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana (the Sphere of Neither-Pereception-nor-Non-Perception), again the level of meditation he had reached, the ‘8th level’ of absorption. Part of the Ārūpaloka (Formless Worlds), it is the highest level in the Universe, 17 levels higher than the Mahābrahmā Worlds, from which Brahmā Sahampati had descended. venerable Sir,”

Bhagavato pi kho ñāṇaṁ udapādi: “Abhidosakālaṅkato Uddako Rāmaputto.” ti
and this knowledge arose in the Fortunate One: “Uddaka Rāmaputta died yesterday evening.”

Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Fortunate One:

“Mahājāniyo kho Uddako Rāmaputto,
“Uddaka Rāmaputta had great understanding,

sace hi so imaṁ Dhammaṁ suṇeyya khippam-eva ājāneyyā.” ti
if he had heard this Dhamma he would have understood it quickly.” Uddaka had been a friend in the spiritual life, and had led a group formed around his Father Rāma, who had attained the Sphere of Neither-Perception-nor-Non-Perception.

Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Fortunate One:

“Kassa nu kho ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ Dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ?
“To whom should I first teach the Dhamma?

Ko imaṁ Dhammaṁ khippam-eva ājānissatī?” ti
Who will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly? ”

Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Fortunate One:

“Bahūpakārā kho me pañcavaggiyā bhikkhū,
“The group-of-five monks It is interesting that even here the group-of-five are referred to as monks (bhikkhū), before they were Awakened or had even been ordained by the Buddha, this is not the case in Mahāvastu. were very helpful to me,

ye maṁ padhānapahitattaṁ upaṭṭhahiṁsu.
they attended on me when I was striving resolutely.

Yan-nūnāhaṁ pañcavaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ paṭhamaṁ Dhammaṁ deseyyan?”-ti
Now, what if I first teach the Dhamma to the group-of-five monks?”

Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Fortunate One:

“Kahaṁ nu kho etarahi pañcavaggiyā bhikkhū viharantī?” ti
“Where are the group-of-five monks dwelling now?”

Addasā kho Bhagavā dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena
The Fortunate One saw with the divine eye which is purified and surpasses that of (normal) men

pañcavaggiye bhikkhū Bārāṇasiyaṁ viharante Isipatane Migadāye.
that the group-of-five monks were dwelling near Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Uruvelā, where the Buddha Awakened, was in Magadha, whereas Bārāṇasī was the capital of the neighbouring state of Kāsī.

last updated: May, 2014