The Great MeetingMahṅ Samaya Sutta (DN 20)

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It shows that the tendency of Asian popular Buddhism to regard the Buddha as a protective figure, and not just as a teacher, has its roots in the earliest part of the tradition. Metrical analysis indicates that the long "tribute" section of this discourse is very old, while the verses in the introductory section—which is also found in the Saṃyutta Nikṅya—are later. This fits with a more subjective judgment: that the tribute was an earlier composition, to which the introduction was added at a later date. This judgment is based on the fact that the two sections do not quite fit each other. The introduction to the tribute indicates that the reciter of the tribute is the Buddha himself, whereas the narration in the tribute indicates otherwise. The style of the tribute—with its repeated stanzas and tropes—also falls into the ancient genre of verses celebrating a kingâs victory over his enemies At any rate, this discourse is the closest thing in the Pali Canon to a "whoâs who" of the deva worlds, and should provide useful material for anyone interested in the cosmology of early Buddhism. The Commentary reports the belief that devas still enjoy hearing this discourse chanted in Pali. Until recently it was part of many monksâ standard memorized repertoire, to be chanted at weddings and the dedication of new buildings. Even today, as many of the traditions of memorization in Asia seem to be falling by the wayside, there are a few monks and laypeople who chant this discourse regularly. * * * I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Great Forest, together with a large Saṃgha of approximately five hundred monks, all of them arahants. And most of the devatṅs from ten world-systems had gathered in order to see the Blessed One & the Saṃgha of monks. Then the thought occurred to four devatṅs of the ranks from the Pure Abodes: "The Blessed One is dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Great Forest, together with a large Saṃgha of about five hundred monks, all of them arahants. And most of the devatṅs from ten world-systems have gathered in order to see the Blessed One & the Saṃgha of monks. Let us also approach the Blessed One and, on arrival, let us each speak a verse in his presence." Then, just as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm, those devatṅs disappeared from among the Devas of the Pure Abodes and reappeared before the Blessed One. Having paid homage to him, they stood to one side. As they were standing there, one devatṅ recited this verse in the Blessed Oneâs presence: "A great meeting in the woods: The deva hosts have assembled. We have come to this Dhamma meeting to see the unvanquished Saṃgha." Then another devatṅ recited this verse in the Blessed Oneâs presence: "There the monks are concentrated, have straightened their own minds. Like a charioteer holding the reins, the wise ones guard their faculties." Then another devatṅ recited this verse in the Blessed Oneâs presence: "Having cut through barrenness, cut the cross-bar, having uprooted Indraâs pillar, unstirred, they wander about pure, unstained, young nṅgas1 well tamed by the One with Eyes." Then another devatṅ recited this verse in the Blessed Oneâs presence: "Those who have gone to the Buddha for refuge will not go to the plane of woe. On discarding the human body, they will fill the hosts of the devas." Then the Blessed One addressed the monks: "Monks, most of the devatṅs from ten world-systems have gathered in order to see the Tathṅgata & the Saṃgha of monks. Those who, in the past, were Worthy Ones, Rightly Self- awakened, at most had their devatṅ-gathering like mine at the present. Those who, in the future, will be Worthy Ones, Rightly Self-awakened, will at most have their devatṅ-gathering like mine at the present. "I will tell you the names of the deva hosts. I will describe to you the names of the deva hosts. I will teach you the names of the deva hosts. Listen & pay close attention. I will speak." "As you say, lord," the monks responded to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said: I will recite a verse of tribute. Those who live where spirits dwell, who live in mountain caves, resolute, concentrated, many, like hidden lions, who have overcome horripilation, white-hearted, pure, serene, & undisturbed: Knowing that more than 500 of them had come to the forest of Kapilavatthu, the Teacher then said to them, disciples delighting in his instruction, "The deva hosts have approached. Detect them, monks!" Listening to the Awakened Oneâs instruction, they made an ardent effort. Knowledge appeared to them, vision of non-human beings. Some saw 100, some 1,000, some 70,000, some had vision of 100,000 non-human beings. Some gained vision of innumerable devas filling every direction. Realizing all this, the One-with-Vision felt moved to speak. The Teacher then said to them, disciples delighting in his instruction, "The deva hosts have approached. Detect them, monks, as I describe their glories, one by one. 7,000 yakkhas inhabiting the land of Kṅpilavatthu, powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. 6,000 yakkhas from the Himṅlayas, of varied hue, powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. From Mount Sṅta 3,000 yakkhas of varied hue, powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. These 16,000 yakkhas of varied hue powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. 500 yakkhas from Vessṅmitta, of varied hue, powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. Kumbhīra from Rṅjagaha, who dwells on Mount Vepulla, attended to by more than 100,000 yakkhas— Kumbhīra from Rṅjagaha: He, too, has come to the forest meeting. And Dhataraṭṭha, who rules as king of the Eastern Direction, as lord of the gandhabbas: A glorious, great king is he, and many are his sons named Indra, of great strength. Powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, they have approached the monksâ forest meeting. And Virūḍha, who rules as king of the Southern Direction, as lord of the kumbaṃṇas: A glorious, great king is he, and many are his sons named Indra, of great strength. Powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, they have approached the monksâ forest meeting. And Virūpakkha, who rules as king of the Western Direction, as lord of the nṅgas: A glorious, great king is he, and many are his sons named Indra, of great strength. Powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, they have approached the monksâ forest meeting. And Kuvera, who rules as king of the Northern Direction, as lord of the yakkhas: A glorious, great king is he, and many are his sons named Indra, of great strength. Powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, they have approached the monksâ forest meeting. Dhataraṭṭha from the Eastern Direction, Virūḍhaka from the South, Virūpakkha from the West, Kuvera from the Northern Direction: These four Great Kings encompassing the four directions, resplendent, stand in the Kṅpilavatthu forest. Their deceitful vassals have also come —deceptive, treacherous— Mṅyṅ, Kuṭeṃṇu, Veṭeṃṇu, Viṭu with Viṭuṭa, Candana, the Chief of Sensuality, Kinnughaṃṇu, Nighaṃṇu, Panṅda, the Mimic, Mṅtali, the devaâs charioteer, Cittasena the gandhabba, King Naḍa, the Bull of the People, Paā±casikha has come with Timbaru [and his daughter,] Suriyavacchasṅ [SunDazzle].2 These & other kings, gandhabbas with their kings, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. Then there have also come nṅgas from Lake Nṅbhasa, Vesṅlī & Tacchaka. Kambalas, Assataras, Pṅyṅgas, & their kin. And from the River Yṅmuna comes the prestigious nṅga, Dhataraṭṭha. The great nṅga Erṅvaṃṃa: He, too, has come to the forest meeting. They who swoop down swiftly on nṅga kings, divine, twice-born, winged, their eyesight pure: (Garuṇas) came from the sky to the midst of the forest. Citra & Supaṃṃa are their names. But the Buddha made the nṅga kings safe, made them secure from Supaṃṃa. Addressing one another with affectionate words, the nṅgas & Supaṃṃas made the Buddha their refuge. Defeated by Indra of the thunderbolt hand, Asuras dwelling in the ocean, Vṅsavaâs brothers—powerful, prestigious— Greatly terrifying Kṅlakaā±jas, the Dṅnaveghasa asuras, Vepacitti & Sucitti, Pahṅrṅda, with Namucī, and Baliâs hundred sons, all named Veroca, arrayed with powerful armies have approached their honored Rṅhu [and said]: "Now is the occasion, sir, of the monkâs forest meeting." Devas of water, earth, fire, & wind have come here. Varuṃas, Vṅruṃas, Soma together with Yasa, the prestigious devas of the hosts of goodwill & compassion have come. These ten ten-fold hosts, all of varied hue, powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. Veṃṇu [Viṃ£ṃu] & Sahalī, Asama & the Yama twins, the devas dependent on the moon surrounding the moon have come. The devas dependent on the sun surrounding the sun have come. Devas surrounding the zodiac stars and the sprites of the clouds have come. Sakka, chief of the Vasus, the ancient donor, has come. These ten ten-fold hosts, all of varied hue, powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. Then come the Sahabhu devas, blazing like crests of fire-flame. The Ariṭṭakas, Rojas, cornflower blue. Varuṃas & Sahadhammas, Accutas & Anejakas, Sūleyyas & Ruciras, and Vṅsavanesis have come. These ten ten-fold hosts, all of varied hue, powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. Samṅnas, Great Samṅnas, Mṅnusas, Super Mṅnusas, the devas corrupted by play have come, as well as devas corrupted by mind.3 Then come green-gold devas and those wearing red. Pṅragas, Great Pṅragas, prestigious devas have come. These ten ten-fold hosts, all of varied hue, powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. White devas, ruddy-green devas, dawn-devas have come with the Veghanas headed by devas totally in white. The Vicakkhaṃas have come. Sadṅmatta, Hṅragajas, & the prestigious multi-coloreds, Pajunna, the thunderer, who brings rain to the lands: These ten ten-fold hosts, all of varied hue, powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. The Khemiyas, Tusitas, & Yṅmas, the prestigious Kaṭṭhakas, Lambitakas & Lṅma chiefs, the Jotinṅmas & ṅsavas, the Nimmṅnaratis have come, as have the Paranimmitas. These ten ten-fold hosts, all of varied hue, powerful, effulgent, glamorous, prestigious, rejoicing, have approached the monksâ forest meeting. These 60 deva groups, all of varied hue, have come arranged in order, together with others in like manner (thinking:) "Weâll see the one who has transcended birth, who has no bounds, who has crossed over the flood, effluent-free, the Mighty One, crossing over the flood, like the moon emerging from the dark fortnight." Subrahmṅ and Paramatta Brahmṅ, together with sons of the Powerful One, Sanaṃkumṅra and Tissa: They too have come to the forest meeting. Great Brahmṅ, who stands over 1,000 Brahmṅ worlds, who arose there spontaneously, effulgent: Prestigious is he, with a terrifying body.4 And ten Brahmṅ sovereigns, each the lord of his own realm— and in their midst has come Hṅrita Brahmṅ surrounded by his retinue." When all these devas with Indras & Brahmṅs had come, Mṅraâs army came as well. Now look at the Dark Oneâs foolishness! [He said:] "Come seize them! Bind them! Tie them down with passion! Surround them on every side! Donât let anyone at all escape!" Thus the great warlord urged on his dark army, slapping the ground with his hand, making a horrendous din, as when a storm cloud bursts with thunder, lightning, & torrents of rain. But then he withdrew—enraged, with none under his sway. Realizing all this, the One-with-Vision felt moved to speak. The Teacher then said to them, disciples delighting in his instruction, "Mṅraâs army has approached. Detect them, monks!" Listening to the Awakened Oneâs instruction, they made an ardent effort. The army retreated from those without passion, without raising even a hair on their bodies. Having all won the battle—prestigious, past fear— they rejoice with all beings: disciples outstanding among the human race. Notes 1. Here nṅga means "Great Being." It is frequently used in this sense as an epithet for arahants. The verse containing this line is set in one of the most complex meters found in the Pali Canon. 2. See DN 21. 3. DN 1 reports that devas corrupted by play and corrupted by mind, on falling to the human state and then remembering their previous lives, hold views of partial eternalism. Their accounts of why they hold these views incidentally show what "corrupted by play" and "corrupted by mind" mean: "Those honorable devas who are not corrupted by play donât spend an excessive amount of time indulging in the delights of laughter & play. Because they donât spend an excessive amount of time indulging in the delights of laughter & play, their mindfulness doesnât become muddled. Because of unmuddled mindfulness, they donât fall from that company. They are constant, permanent, eternal, not subject to change, and will stay just like that as long as eternity. But those of us who were corrupted by play spent an excessive amount of time indulging in the delights of laughter & play. Because we spent an excessive amount of time indulging in the delights of laughter & play, our mindfulness became muddled. Because of muddled mindfulness, we fell from that company and—inconstant, impermanent, short-lived, subject to falling—have come to this world.â" — DN 1 "Those honorable devas who are not corrupted in mind donât spend an excessive amount of time staring at one another. Because they donât spend an excessive amount of time staring at one another, their minds donât become corrupted toward one another. Because they are uncorrupted in mind toward one another, they donât grow exhausted in body or exhausted in mind. They donât fall from that company. They are constant, permanent, eternal, not subject to change, and will stay just like that as long as eternity. But those of us who were corrupted in mind spent an excessive amount of time staring at one another. Because we spent an excessive amount of time staring at one another, our minds became corrupted toward one another. Because we were corrupted in mind toward one another, we grew exhausted in body & exhausted in mind. We fell from that company and—inconstant, impermanent, short-lived, subject to falling—have come to this world.â" — DN 1 4.  DN 1 tells how the Great Brahmṅ appears spontaneously at the beginning of an eon, and how he and his retinue become deluded about his creative powers: "There ultimately comes a time when, with the passing of a long stretch of time, this world devolves. When the world is devolving, beings for the most part head toward the Radiant (Brahmṅs). There they stay: mind-made, feeding on rapture, self-luminous, coursing through the air, established in beauty for a long stretch of time. Then there ultimately comes a time when, with the passing of a long stretch of time, this world evolves. When the world is evolving, an empty Brahmṅ palace appears. Then a certain being—from the exhaustion of his life span or the exhaustion of his merit—falls from the company of the Radiant and re-arises in the empty Brahmṅ palace. And there he still stays mind-made, feeding on rapture, self-luminous, coursing through the air, established in beauty for a long stretch of time. "After dwelling there alone for a long time, he experiences displeasure & agitation: ),

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('â', O, if only other beings would come to this world!â "Then other beings, through the ending of their life span or the ending of their merit, fall from the company of the Radiant and reappear in the Brahmṅ palace, in the company of that being. And there they still stay mind-made, feeding on rapture, self-luminous, coursing through the air, established in beauty for a long stretch of time. "Then the thought occurred to the being who reappeared first: ),

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('â', I am Brahmṅ, the Great Brahmṅ, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-Seeing, All-Powerful, the Sovereign Lord, the Maker, Creator, Chief, Appointer and Ruler, Father of All That Have Been and Shall Be. These beings were created by me. Why is that? First the thought occurred to me, "O, if only other beings would come to this world!" And thus my direction of will brought these beings to this world.â As for the beings who reappear later, this thought occurred to them: ),

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('â', This is Brahmṅ⦠Father of All That Have Been and Shall Be. We were created by this Brahmṅ. Why is that? We saw that he appeared here before, while we appeared after.â The being who reappeared first was of longer life span, more beautiful, & more influential, while the beings who reappeared later were of shorter life span, less beautiful, & less influential." — DN 1 See also: DN 11; DN 21; SN 1:20; SN 4; SN 5; SN 6:1–2; SN 6:15; SN 9; SN 10:12; SN 11:3; SN 11:5; SN 55:25, SN 56:11 - --> - - - -