Tissa the DivinityTissabrahmāsutta

So I have heard.Evaṁ me sutaṁ— At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.

Then, late at night, two glorious deities, lighting up the entire Vulture’s Peak, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side. One deity said to him,Atha kho dve devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ gijjhakūṭaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho ekā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Sir, these nuns are freed!”“etā, bhante, bhikkhuniyo vimuttā”ti.

The other deity said to him,Aparā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Sir, these nuns are well freed with no residue!”“etā, bhante, bhikkhuniyo anupādisesā suvimuttā”ti.

This is what those deities said,Idamavocuṁ tā devatā. and the Teacher concurred.Samanuñño satthā ahosi. Then those deities, knowing that the Teacher concurred, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on their right, before vanishing right there.Atha kho tā devatā “samanuñño satthā”ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu.

Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:

Now at that time Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was sitting not far from the Buddha.Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti. He thought,Atha kho āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa etadahosi: “Which gods know whether a person has remainder or not?”“katamesānaṁ kho devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

Now, at that time a monk named Tissa had recently passed away and been reborn in a realm of divinity.Tena kho pana samayena tisso nāma bhikkhu adhunākālaṅkato aññataraṁ brahmalokaṁ upapanno hoti. There they knew thatTatrāpi naṁ evaṁ jānanti: Tissa the Divinity was very mighty and powerful.“tisso brahmā mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo”ti.

And then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from the Vulture’s Peak and reappeared in that realm of divinity.Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—gijjhakūṭe pabbate antarahito tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi.

Tissa saw Moggallāna coming off in the distance,Addasā kho tisso brahmā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. and said to him,Disvā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca: “Come, my good Moggallāna!“ehi kho, mārisa moggallāna; Welcome, my good Moggallāna!svāgataṁ, mārisa moggallāna. It’s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here.Cirassaṁ kho, mārisa moggallāna, imaṁ pariyāyamakāsi, yadidaṁ idhāgamanāya. Sit, my good Moggallāna, here, a seat is ready.”Nisīda, mārisa moggallāna, idamāsanaṁ paññattan”ti.

Moggallāna sat down on the seat spread out.Nisīdi kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno paññatte āsane. Then Tissa bowed to Moggallāna and sat to one side.Tissopi kho brahmā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Moggallāna said to him,Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho tissaṁ brahmānaṁ āyasmā mahāmoggallāno etadavoca: “Which gods know whether a person has remainder or not?”“katamesānaṁ kho, tissa, devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

“The gods of the Divinity’s host know this.”“Brahmakāyikānaṁ kho, mārisa moggallāna, devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

“But do all of them know this?”“Sabbesaññeva kho, tissa, brahmakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

“No, my good Moggallāna, not all of them.“Na kho, mārisa moggallāna, sabbesaṁ brahmakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

Those gods of the Divinity’s host who are content with the lifespan of the Divinity, with the beauty, happiness, glory, and sovereignty of the Divinity, and who don’t truly understand any escape beyond:Ye kho te, mārisa moggallāna, brahmakāyikā devā brahmena āyunā santuṭṭhā brahmena vaṇṇena brahmena sukhena brahmena yasena brahmena ādhipateyyena santuṭṭhā, te uttari nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti. they don’t know this.Tesaṁ na evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: But those gods of the Divinity’s host who are not content with the lifespan of the Divinity, with the beauty, happiness, glory, and sovereignty of the Divinity, and who do truly understand any escape beyond:Ye ca kho te, mārisa moggallāna, brahmakāyikā devā brahmena āyunā asantuṭṭhā, brahmena vaṇṇena brahmena sukhena brahmena yasena brahmena ādhipateyyena asantuṭṭhā, te ca uttari nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti. they do know this.Tesaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

Take a mendicant who is freed both ways.Idha, mārisa moggallāna, bhikkhu ubhatobhāgavimutto hoti. The gods know of them:Tamenaṁ te devā evaṁ jānanti: ‘This venerable is freed both ways.‘ayaṁ kho āyasmā ubhatobhāgavimutto. As long as their body remains they will be seen by gods and humans.Yāvassa kāyo ṭhassati tāva naṁ dakkhanti devamanussā. But when their body breaks up gods and humans will see them no more.’Kāyassa bhedā na naṁ dakkhanti devamanussā’ti. This too is how those gods know whether a person has remainder or not.Evampi kho, mārisa moggallāna, tesaṁ devānaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

Take a mendicant who is freed by wisdom.Idha pana, mārisa moggallāna, bhikkhu paññāvimutto hoti. The gods know of them:Tamenaṁ te devā evaṁ jānanti: ‘This venerable is freed by wisdom.‘ayaṁ kho āyasmā paññāvimutto. As long as their body remains they will be seen by gods and humans.Yāvassa kāyo ṭhassati tāva naṁ dakkhanti devamanussā. But when their body breaks up gods and humans will see them no more.’Kāyassa bhedā na naṁ dakkhanti devamanussā’ti. This too is how those gods know whether a person has remainder or not.Evampi kho, mārisa moggallāna, tesaṁ devānaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

Take a mendicant who is a direct witness.Idha pana, mārisa moggallāna, bhikkhu kāyasakkhī hoti. The gods know of them:Tamenaṁ devā evaṁ jānanti: ‘This venerable is a direct witness.‘ayaṁ kho āyasmā kāyasakkhī. Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties.Appeva nāma ayamāyasmā anulomikāni senāsanāni paṭisevamāno kalyāṇamitte bhajamāno indriyāni samannānayamāno— Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyā’ti. This too is how those gods know whether a person has remainder or not.Evampi kho, mārisa moggallāna, tesaṁ devānaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

Take a mendicant who is attained to view. …Idha pana, mārisa moggallāna, bhikkhu diṭṭhippatto hoti …pe… freed by faith …saddhāvimutto hoti …pe… a follower of teachings.dhammānusārī hoti. The gods know of them:Tamenaṁ te devā evaṁ jānanti: ‘This venerable is a follower of teachings.‘ayaṁ kho āyasmā dhammānusārī. Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties.Appeva nāma ayamāyasmā anulomikāni senāsanāni paṭisevamāno kalyāṇamitte bhajamāno indriyāni samannānayamāno— Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyā’ti. This too is how those gods know whether a person has remainder or not.”Evampi kho, mārisa moggallāna, tesaṁ devānaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:

Moggallāna approved and agreed with what Tissa the Divinity said. Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared on the Vulture’s Peak.Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno tissassa brahmuno bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—brahmaloke antarahito gijjhakūṭe pabbate pāturahosi. Then Mahāmoggallāna went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side,Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. and told him what had happened.Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno yāvatako ahosi tissena brahmunā saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesi.

“But Moggallāna, Tissa the Divinity didn’t teach the seventh individual, the signless meditator.”“Na hi pana te, moggallāna, tisso brahmā sattamaṁ animittavihāriṁ puggalaṁ deseti”.

“Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One!“Etassa, bhagavā, kālo, etassa, sugata, kālo. May the Buddha teach the seventh individual, the signless meditator. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”Yaṁ bhagavā sattamaṁ animittavihāriṁ puggalaṁ deseyya. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

“Well then, Moggallāna, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”“Tena hi, moggallāna, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, sir,” Mahāmoggallāna replied.“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavato paccassosi. The Buddha said this:Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Moggallāna, take the case of a mendicant who, not focusing on any signs, enters and remains in the signless immersion of the heart.“Idha, moggallāna, bhikkhu sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati. The gods know of them:Tamenaṁ te devā evaṁ jānanti: ‘This venerable, not focusing on any signs, enters and remains in the signless immersion of the heart.‘ayaṁ kho āyasmā sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati. Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties.Appeva nāma ayamāyasmā anulomikāni senāsanāni paṭisevamāno kalyāṇamitte bhajamāno indriyāni samannānayamāno— Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyā’ti. This too is how those gods know whether a person has remainder or not.”Evaṁ kho, moggallāna, tesaṁ devānaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: