AssembliesParisāsutta

“Mendicants, there are these eight assemblies.“Aṭṭhimā, bhikkhave, parisā. What eight?Katamā aṭṭha? The assemblies of aristocrats, brahmins, householders, and ascetics. An assembly of the gods of the four great kings. An assembly of the gods of the thirty-three. An assembly of Māras. An assembly of divinities.Khattiyaparisā, brāhmaṇaparisā, gahapatiparisā, samaṇaparisā, cātumahārājikaparisā, tāvatiṁsaparisā, māraparisā, brahmaparisā.

I recall having approached an assembly of hundreds of aristocrats.Abhijānāmi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, anekasataṁ khattiyaparisaṁ upasaṅkamitā. There I used to sit with them, converse, and engage in discussion.Tatrapi mayā sannisinnapubbañceva sallapitapubbañca sākacchā ca samāpannapubbā. And my appearance and voice became just like theirs.Tattha yādisako tesaṁ vaṇṇo hoti tādisako mayhaṁ vaṇṇo hoti, yādisako tesaṁ saro hoti tādisako mayhaṁ saro hoti. I educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired them with a Dhamma talk.Dhammiyā ca kathāya sandassemi samādapemi samuttejemi sampahaṁsemi. But when I spoke they didn’t know:Bhāsamānañca maṁ na jānanti: ‘Who is this that speaks? Is it a god or a human?’‘ko nu kho ayaṁ bhāsati devo vā manusso vā’ti. And when my Dhamma talk was finished I vanished.Dhammiyā kathāya sandassetvā samādapetvā samuttejetvā sampahaṁsetvā antaradhāyāmi. But when I vanished they didn’t know:Antarahitañca maṁ na jānanti: ‘Who was that who vanished? Was it a god or a human?’‘ko nu kho ayaṁ antarahito devo vā manusso vā’ti.

I recall having approached an assembly of hundreds of brahmins …Abhijānāmi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, anekasataṁ brāhmaṇaparisaṁ …pe… householders …gahapatiparisaṁ … ascetics …samaṇaparisaṁ … the gods of the four great kings …cātumahārājikaparisaṁ … the gods of the thirty-three …tāvatiṁsaparisaṁ … Māras …māraparisaṁ … divinities.brahmaparisaṁ upasaṅkamitā. There too I used to sit with them, converse, and engage in discussion.Tatrapi mayā sannisinnapubbañceva sallapitapubbañca sākacchā ca samāpannapubbā. And my appearance and voice became just like theirs.Tattha yādisako tesaṁ vaṇṇo hoti tādisako mayhaṁ vaṇṇo hoti, yādisako tesaṁ saro hoti tādisako mayhaṁ saro hoti. I educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired them with a Dhamma talk.Dhammiyā ca kathāya sandassemi samādapemi samuttejemi sampahaṁsemi. But when I spoke they didn’t know:Bhāsamānañca maṁ na jānanti: ‘Who is this that speaks? Is it a god or a human?’‘ko nu kho ayaṁ bhāsati devo vā manusso vā’ti. And when my Dhamma talk was finished I vanished.Dhammiyā kathāya sandassetvā samādapetvā samuttejetvā sampahaṁsetvā antaradhāyāmi. But when I vanished they didn’t know:Antarahitañca maṁ na jānanti: ‘Who was that who vanished? Was it a god or a human?’‘ko nu kho ayaṁ antarahito devo vā manusso vā’ti. These are the eight assemblies.”Imā kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha parisā”ti.