The Negligent DivinityBrahmalokasutta

At Sāvatthī.Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Now at that time the Buddha had gone into retreat for the day’s meditation.Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā divāvihāragato hoti paṭisallīno.

Then the independent divinities Subrahmā and Suddhāvāsa went to the Buddha and stationed themselves one by each door-post. But Subrahmā said to Suddhāvāsa,Atha kho subrahmā ca paccekabrahmā suddhāvāso ca paccekabrahmā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā paccekaṁ dvārabāhaṁ upanissāya aṭṭhaṁsu. Atha kho subrahmā paccekabrahmā suddhāvāsaṁ paccekabrahmānaṁ etadavoca: “Good fellow, it’s the wrong time to pay homage to the Buddha.“akālo kho tāva, mārisa, bhagavantaṁ payirupāsituṁ; He has gone into retreat for the day’s meditation.divāvihāragato bhagavā paṭisallīno ca. But such-and-such realm of divinity is successful and prosperous, while the divinity living there is negligent.Asuko ca brahmaloko iddho ceva phīto ca, brahmā ca tatra pamādavihāraṁ viharati. Come, let’s go to that realm of divinity and inspire awe in that divinity!”Āyāma, mārisa, yena so brahmaloko tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ brahmānaṁ saṁvejeyyāmā”ti.

“Yes, good fellow,” replied Suddhāvāsa.“Evaṁ, mārisā”ti kho suddhāvāso paccekabrahmā subrahmuno paccekabrahmuno paccassosi.

Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, they vanished from in front of the Buddha and appeared in that realm of divinity.Atha kho subrahmā ca paccekabrahmā suddhāvāso ca paccekabrahmā—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso …pe… evameva—bhagavato purato antarahitā tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahesuṁ.

That divinity saw those divinities coming off in the distance and said to them,Addasā kho so brahmā te brahmāno dūratova āgacchante. Disvāna te brahmāno etadavoca: “Well now, good fellows, where have you come from?”“handa kuto nu tumhe, mārisā, āgacchathā”ti?

“Good fellow, we’ve come from the presence of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha.“Āgatā kho mayaṁ, mārisa, amha tassa bhagavato santikā arahato sammāsambuddhassa. Shouldn’t you go to attend on that Blessed One?”Gaccheyyāsi pana tvaṁ, mārisa, tassa bhagavato upaṭṭhānaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā”ti?

When they had spoken, that divinity refused to accept their advice. He multiplied himself a thousand times and said to Subrahmā,Evaṁ vutto, kho so brahmā taṁ vacanaṁ anadhivāsento sahassakkhattuṁ attānaṁ abhinimminitvā subrahmānaṁ paccekabrahmānaṁ etadavoca: “Good fellow, can’t you see that I have such psychic power?”“passasi me no tvaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan”ti?

“I see that, good fellow.”“Passāmi kho tyāhaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan”ti.

“Since I have such psychic power and might, what other ascetic or brahmin should I go to and attend upon?”“So khvāhaṁ, mārisa, evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo kassa aññassa samaṇassa vā brāhmaṇassa vā upaṭṭhānaṁ gamissāmī”ti?

Then Subrahmā multiplied himself two thousand times and said to that divinity,Atha kho subrahmā paccekabrahmā dvisahassakkhattuṁ attānaṁ abhinimminitvā taṁ brahmānaṁ etadavoca: “Good fellow, can’t you see that I have such psychic power?”“passasi me no tvaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan”ti?

“I see that, good fellow.”“Passāmi kho tyāhaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan”ti.

“That Buddha has even more psychic power and might than you or me.“Tayā ca kho, mārisa, mayā ca sveva bhagavā mahiddhikataro ceva mahānubhāvataro ca. Shouldn’t you go to attend on that Blessed One?”Gaccheyyāsi tvaṁ, mārisa, tassa bhagavato upaṭṭhānaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā”ti?

Then that divinity addressed Subrahmā in verse:Atha kho so brahmā subrahmānaṁ paccekabrahmānaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“There are three hundreds of phoenixes, four of swans,“Tayo supaṇṇā caturo ca haṁsā, and five of tigerhawks. To he who practiced absorptionByagghīnisā pañcasatā ca jhāyino; belongs this palace; it shines, Divinity,Tayidaṁ vimānaṁ jalate ca brahme, lighting up the northern quarter!”Obhāsayaṁ uttarassaṁ disāyan”ti.

“So what if your palace shines,“Kiñcāpi te taṁ jalate vimānaṁ, lighting up the northern quarter?Obhāsayaṁ uttarassaṁ disāyaṁ; A clever person, seeing the strife in form,Rūpe raṇaṁ disvā sadā pavedhitaṁ, its chronic trembling, takes no pleasure in it.”Tasmā na rūpe ramatī sumedho”ti.

Then after inspiring awe in that divinity, the independent divinities Subrahmā and Suddhāvāsa vanished right there.Atha kho subrahmā ca paccekabrahmā suddhāvāso ca paccekabrahmā taṁ brahmānaṁ saṁvejetvā tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu. And after some time that divinity went to attend on the Buddha.Agamāsi ca kho so brahmā aparena samayena bhagavato upaṭṭhānaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassāti.