Pali Canon Search

Numbered Discourses · AN 4.23

  • Numbered Discourses 4.23Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.23
  • 3. At Uruvelā3. Uruvelavagga

The WorldLokasutta

“Mendicants, the world has been understood by the Realized One;“Loko, bhikkhave, tathāgatena abhisambuddho. and he is detached from the world.Lokasmā tathāgato visaṁyutto. The origin of the world has been understood by the Realized One;Lokasamudayo, bhikkhave, tathāgatena abhisambuddho. and he has given up the origin of the world.Lokasamudayo tathāgatassa pahīno. The cessation of the world has been understood by the Realized One;Lokanirodho, bhikkhave, tathāgatena abhisambuddho. and he has realized the cessation of the world.Lokanirodho tathāgatassa sacchikato. The practice that leads to the cessation of the world has been understood by the Realized One;Lokanirodhagāminī paṭipadā, bhikkhave, tathāgatena abhisambuddhā. and he has developed the practice that leads to the cessation of the world.Lokanirodhagāminī paṭipadā tathāgatassa bhāvitā.

In this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—whatever is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, and explored by the mind, all that has been understood by the Realized One.Yaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevakassa lokassa samārakassa sabrahmakassa sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, sabbaṁ taṁ tathāgatena abhisambuddhaṁ. That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.Tasmā ‘tathāgato’ti vuccati.

From the night when the Realized One awakens to the supreme perfect awakening until the night he becomes fully extinguished—in the element of extinguishment with no residue—everything he speaks, says, and expresses is real, not otherwise.Yañca, bhikkhave, rattiṁ tathāgato anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambujjhati yañca rattiṁ anupādisesāya nibbānadhātuyā parinibbāyati, yaṁ etasmiṁ antare bhāsati lapati niddisati sabbaṁ taṁ tatheva hoti, no aññathā. That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.Tasmā ‘tathāgato’ti vuccati.

The Realized One does as he says, and says as he does.Yathāvādī, bhikkhave, tathāgato tathākārī, yathākārī tathāvādī. Since this is so,Iti yathāvādī tathākārī, yathākārī tathāvādī. that’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.Tasmā ‘tathāgato’ti vuccati.

In this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—the Realized One is the vanquisher, the unvanquished, the universal seer, the wielder of power.Sadevake, bhikkhave, loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya tathāgato abhibhū anabhibhūto aññadatthu daso vasavattī. That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.Tasmā ‘tathāgato’ti vuccati.

Directly knowing the whole world as it is,Sabbaṁ lokaṁ abhiññāya, and everything in it,sabbaṁ loke yathātathaṁ; he is detached from the whole world,Sabbaṁ lokaṁ visaṁyutto, uninvolved with the whole world.sabbaloke anūpayo.

That attentive one is the vanquisher of allSa ve sabbābhibhū dhīro, who is released from all ties.sabbaganthappamocano; He has reached ultimate peace:Phuṭṭha’ssa paramā santi, extinguishment, fearing nothing from any quarter.nibbānaṁ akutobhayaṁ.

He is the Buddha, with defilements ended,Esa khīṇāsavo buddho, untroubled, with doubts cut off.anīgho chinnasaṁsayo; He has attained the end of all deeds,Sabbakammakkhayaṁ patto, freed with the ending of attachments.vimutto upadhisaṅkhaye.

That Blessed One is the Buddha,Esa so bhagavā buddho, he is the supreme lion,esa sīho anuttaro; in all the world with its gods,Sadevakassa lokassa, he turns the divine wheel.brahmacakkaṁ pavattayī.

And so those gods and humans,Iti devā manussā ca, who have gone to the Buddha for refuge,ye buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā; come together and revere him,Saṅgamma taṁ namassanti, great of heart and intrepid:mahantaṁ vītasāradaṁ.

‘Tamed, he is the best of tamers,Danto damayataṁ seṭṭho, peaceful, he is the seer among the peaceful,santo samayataṁ isi; liberated, he is the foremost of liberators,Mutto mocayataṁ aggo, crossed over, he is the most excellent of guides across.’tiṇṇo tārayataṁ varo.

And so they revere him,Iti hetaṁ namassanti, great of heart and intrepid.mahantaṁ vītasāradaṁ; In the world with its gods,Sadevakasmiṁ lokasmiṁ, he has no rival.”natthi me paṭipuggalo”ti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. Iti 112 The World 0.87near 5.1The Realized One does as he says, and says as he does. Since this is so, that’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’. In this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods…
  2. DN 29 An Impressive Discourse 0.50near 5.1That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’. The Realized One does as he says, and says as he does. Since this is so, that’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’. In this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this popu…