Amazing & Astounding Qualities Acchariyâabbhūtadhamma Sutta (MN 123)
- suttas - - evening talks - short morning talks - lectures - guided meditations - talk collections - other themes - chants - - - - à¹à¸à¸¢ - Franā§ais - Espaā±ol - - Portuguāªs - Ð ÑÑÑкий - - - УкÑаÑнÑÑка Submit Search - Home - Suttas - MN - MN 123 Amazing & Astounding Qualities ## Browse Suttas Go to Majjhima Nikṅya index MN index ## Amazing & Astounding Qualities Acchariyâabbhūtadhamma Sutta  (MN 123) I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sṅvatthī in Jetaâs Grove, Anṅthapiṃṇikaâs monastery. Now at that time, a large number of monks, after the meal, on returning from their alms round, had gathered at the meeting hall, when this conversation arose among them: "Itâs amazing, friends. Itâs astounding, the great might, the great power of the Tathṅgata, in that the Tathṅgata knows of the Awakened Ones of the past—those totally unbound, who have cut through objectification, who have cut the cycle, who have put an end to the round, who have lifted away all suffering & stress: ),
# Right single quote
('â', Such was the birth of those Blessed Ones, such was their name, such their clan, such their virtue, such their Dhamma, such their discernment, such their (mental) dwelling, such their release.â" When this was said, Ven. ṅnanda said to those monks, "Friends, Tathṅgatas are both amazing & endowed with amazing qualities, both astounding & endowed with astounding qualities." But the conversation among them was interrupted. For the Blessed One, emerging from his seclusion in the late afternoon, went to the meeting hall and, on arrival, sat down on a seat laid out. Seated, he addressed the monks: "For what topic of conversation, monks, are you gathered together here? In the midst of what topic of conversation have you been interrupted?" "Just now, lord, after the meal, on returning from our alms round, we gathered at the meeting hall, when this conversation arose among us: ),
# Right single quote
('â', Itâs amazing, friends. Itâs astounding, the great might, the great power of the Tathṅgata, in that the Tathṅgata knows of the Awakened Ones of the past—those totally unbound, who have cut through objectification, who have cut the cycle, who have put an end to the round, who have lifted away all suffering & stress: "Such was the birth of those Blessed Ones, such was their name, such their clan, such their virtue, such their Dhamma, such their discernment, such their (mental) dwelling, such their release."â "When this was said, Ven. ṅnanda said to us, ),
# Right single quote
('â', Friends, Tathṅgatas are both amazing & endowed with amazing qualities, both astounding & endowed with astounding qualities.â But the conversation among us was interrupted when the Blessed One approached." Then the Blessed One said to Ven. ṅnanda, "That being the case, ṅnanda, elaborate to a greater extent on the Tathṅgataâs amazing & astounding qualities." "In the Blessed Oneâs presence, lord, I have heard this, in the Blessed Oneâs presence I have learned this: ),
# Right single quote
('â', Mindful & alert, the bodhisatta appeared among the Tusita host.â And the fact that, mindful & alert, the bodhisatta, appeared among the Tusita host: I hold this to be an amazing & astounding quality of the Blessed One. "In the Blessed Oneâs presence, lord, I have heard this, in the Blessed Oneâs presence I have learned this: ),
# Right single quote
('â', Mindful & alert, the bodhisatta stayed for a full lifespan in the Tusita host.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', Mindful & alert, the bodhisatta, descending from the Tusita host, alighted in his motherâs womb.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta, mindful & alert descended from the Tusita host and alighted in his motherâs womb, a great, measureless radiance surpassing the effulgence of the devas appeared in the cosmos with its devas, Mṅras, & Brahmṅs, with its people with their contemplatives & brahmans, their royalty & commonfolk. Even in the inter-cosmic [intergalactic?] void of the unrestrained darkness, pitch-black darkness, where even the light of the sun & moon—so mighty, so powerful—doesnât reach, even there the great, measureless radiance surpassing the effulgence of the devas appeared. And the beings reborn there perceived one another by that radiance: "So other beings have been reborn here, too!" And so this ten-thousand-fold cosmos shivered & quivered & quaked, while the great, measureless radiance appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the devas.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta, mindful & alert, had alighted in his motherâs womb, four male devas came to guard him from four directions, (thinking,) "May no human or non-human beings or anyone at all harm the bodhisatta or his mother."â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta had alighted in his motherâs womb, the bodhisattaâs mother was naturally virtuous, abstaining from taking life, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from sexual misconduct, abstaining from telling lies, abstaining from distilled & fermented drinks that cause heedlessness.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta had alighted in his motherâs womb, there appeared in the bodhisattaâs mother no intention imbued with sensuality toward men, and the bodhisattaâs mother was inaccessible to any man with an impassioned mind.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta had alighted in his motherâs womb, the bodhisattaâs mother was one who received the five strings of sensuality. She went around endowed and provided with the five strings of sensuality.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta had alighted in his motherâs womb, there appeared in the bodhisattaâs mother no illness. She was happy and unafflicted in body. And she saw the bodhisatta within her womb with all his limbs and no inferior faculties. Suppose that there were a beryl gem, beautiful, radiant, eight-faceted, well-cut & polished, and through it were strung a blue, yellow, red, white, or beige thread. And then a man of good eyesight, taking it in his hand, would contemplate it: "This is a beryl gem, beautiful, radiant, eight-faceted, well-cut & polished, and through it is strung a blue, yellow, red, white, or beige thread." In the same way, when the bodhisatta had alighted in his motherâs womb, the bodhisattaâs mother experienced no illness. She was happy and unafflicted in body. And she saw the bodhisatta within her womb with all his limbs and no inferior faculties.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta had been born seven days, the bodhisattaâs mother passed away and reappeared in the Tusita host.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', Whereas other women give birth after nurturing the fetus in the womb between nine and ten lunar months, thatâs not how the bodhisattaâs mother gave birth to the bodhisatta. After nurturing the bodhisatta in her womb exactly ten lunar months, the bodhisattaâs mother gave birth.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', Whereas other women give birth while sitting or lying down, thatâs not how the bodhisattaâs mother gave birth to the bodhisatta. The bodhisattaâs mother gave birth to the bodhisatta while standing.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta left his motherâs womb, devas received him first, and then human beings.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta left his motherâs womb but before he reached the ground, four male devas received him and set him in front of his mother, (saying,) "Be gratified, O queen. A son of great influence has been born to you."â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta left his motherâs womb, he left it immaculate, unsullied by fluid, unsullied by mucus, unsullied by blood, unsullied by lymph: pure, very pure. Just as a when a gemstone is placed on Kṅsi cloth, neither would the gemstone sully the cloth, nor the cloth the gemstone. Why is that? Because of the purity of both. In the same way, when the bodhisatta left his motherâs womb he left it immaculate, unsullied by fluid, unsullied by mucus, unsullied by blood, unsullied by lymph: pure, very pure.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta left his motherâs womb, two streams of water appeared from the sky—one cool, the other warm—to wash the bodhisatta and his mother.â ⦠"â¦),
# Right single quote
('â', As soon as the bodhisatta was born, he stood steadily with his feet on the ground and, facing north, took seven steps while a white parasol was held over him. Surveying all the directions, he made a bellowing statement: "I am the foremost of the world. I am chief of the world. I am the best of the world."â ⦠"In the Blessed Oneâs presence, lord, I have heard this, in the Blessed Oneâs presence I have learned this: ),
# Right single quote
('â', When the bodhisatta left his motherâs womb, a great, measureless radiance surpassing the effulgence of the devas appeared in the cosmos with its devas, Mṅras, & Brahmṅs, with its people with their contemplatives & brahmans, their royalty & commonfolk. Even in the inter-cosmic void of the unrestrained darkness, pitch-black darkness, where even the light of the sun & moon—so mighty, so powerful—doesnât reach, even there the great, measureless radiance surpassing the effulgence of the devas appeared. And the beings reborn there perceived one another by that radiance: "So other beings have been reborn here, too!" And so this ten-thousand-fold cosmos shivered & quivered & quaked, while the great, measureless radiance appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the devas.â And the fact that when the bodhisatta left his motherâs womb⦠this ten-thousand-fold cosmos shivered & quivered & quaked, while the great, measureless radiance appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the devas: I hold this, too, to be an amazing & astounding quality of the Blessed One." "That being the case, ṅnanda, you can hold this, too, to be an amazing & astounding quality of the Tathṅgata: There is the case where feelings are known to the Tathṅgata when they arise, known when they remain, known when they go to their end. Perceptions are known to the Tathṅgata when they arise, known when they remain, known when they go to their end. Thoughts are known to the Tathṅgata when they arise, known when they remain, known when they go to their end. You can hold this, too, ṅnanda, to be an amazing & astounding quality of the Tathṅgata." "The fact, lord, that feelings are known to the Blessed One when they arise, known when they remain, known when they go to their end; perceptions are known to the Blessed One when they arise, known when they remain, known when they go to their end; thoughts are known to the Blessed One when they arise, known when they remain, known when they go to their end: I hold this, too, lord, to be an amazing & astounding quality of the Blessed One." That is what Ven. ṅnanda said. The Teacher approved. Gratified, the monks delighted in Ven. ṅnandaâs words. See also: Sn 3:11 - --> - - - -