Episode Transcript
## Sutta 1 - One Person
“One person, mendicants, arises in the world for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of sympathy for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans. What one person? The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. This is the one person, mendicants, who arises in the world for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of sympathy for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.”
“One person, mendicants, arises in the world unique, without peer or counterpart, incomparable, matchless, unrivaled, unequaled, without equal, the best of men. What one person? The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. This is the one person, mendicants, who arises in the world unique, without peer or counterpart, incomparable, matchless, unrivaled, unequaled, without equal, the best of men.”
“With the appearance of one person, mendicants, there is the appearance of a great eye, a great light, a great radiance, and the six unsurpassable things; the realization of the four kinds of textual analysis; the penetration of many and diverse elements; the realization of the fruit of knowledge and freedom; the realization of the fruits of stream-entry, once-return, non-return, and perfection. What one person? The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. This is the one person whose appearance brings the appearance of a great eye, a great light, a great radiance, and the six unsurpassable things; the realization of the four kinds of textual analysis; the penetration of many and diverse elements; the realization of the fruit of knowledge and release; the realization of the fruits of stream-entry, once-return, non-return, and perfection.”
AN1.170; AN1.174; AN1.175-186
## Sutta 2 - Incredible and Amazing
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Then after the meal, on return from almsround, several mendicants sat together in the assembly hall and this discussion came up among them:
“It’s incredible, reverends, it’s amazing! The Realized One has such psychic power and might! For he is able to know the Buddhas of the past who have become completely quenched, cut off proliferation, cut off the track, finished off the cycle, and transcended all suffering. He knows their birth, names, clans, conduct, teaching, wisdom, meditation, and freedom.”
When they said this, Venerable Ānanda said, “The Realized Ones are incredible, reverends, and they have incredible qualities. They’re amazing, and they have amazing qualities.” But this conversation among those mendicants was left unfinished.
Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat, went to the assembly hall, sat down on the seat spread out, and addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?”
So the mendicants told him what they had been talking about. The Buddha said, “Well then, Ānanda, say some more about the incredible and amazing qualities of the Realized One.”
“Sir, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘Mindful and aware, the being intent on awakening was reborn in the host of joyful gods.’ This I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘Mindful and aware, the being intent on awakening remained in the host of joyful gods.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘Mindful and aware, the being intent on awakening passed away from the host of joyful gods and was conceived in his mother’s womb.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘When the being intent on awakening passes away from the host of joyful gods, he is conceived in his mother’s womb. And then—in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—an immeasurable, magnificent light appears, surpassing the glory of the gods. Even in the boundless void of interstellar space—so utterly dark that even the light of the moon and the sun, so mighty and powerful, makes no impression—an immeasurable, magnificent light appears, surpassing the glory of the gods. And even the sentient beings reborn there recognize each other by that light: “So, it seems other sentient beings have been reborn here!” And this ten-thousandfold galaxy shakes and rocks and trembles. And an immeasurable, magnificent light appears in the world, surpassing the glory of the gods.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘When the being intent on awakening is conceived in his mother’s belly, four godlings approach to guard the four quarters, so that no human or non-human or anyone at all shall harm the being intent on awakening or his mother.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘When the being intent on awakening is conceived in his mother’s belly, she becomes naturally ethical. She refrains from killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
…
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘Other women carry the infant in the womb for nine or ten months before giving birth. Not so the mother of the being intent on awakening. She gives birth after exactly ten months.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘Other women give birth while sitting or lying down. Not so the mother of the being intent on awakening. She only gives birth standing up.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘When the being intent on awakening emerges from his mother’s womb, gods receive him first, then humans.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘When the being intent on awakening emerges from his mother’s womb, before he reaches the ground, four godlings receive him and place him before his mother, saying: “Rejoice, O Queen! An illustrious son is born to you.”’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘When the being intent on awakening emerges from his mother’s womb, he emerges already clean, unsoiled by waters, mucus, blood, or any other kind of impurity, pure and clean. Suppose a jewel-treasure was placed on a cloth from Kāsi. The jewel would not soil the cloth, nor would the cloth soil the jewel. Why is that? Because of the cleanliness of them both.
In the same way, when the being intent on awakening emerges from his mother’s womb, he emerges already clean, unsoiled by waters, mucus, blood, or any other kind of impurity, pure and clean.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘When the being intent on awakening emerges from his mother’s womb, two showers of water appear from the sky, one cool, one warm, for bathing the being intent on awakening and his mother.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘As soon as he’s born, the being intent on awakening stands firm with his own feet on the ground. Facing north, he takes seven strides with a white parasol held above him, surveys all quarters, and makes this dramatic proclamation: “I am the foremost in the world! I am the eldest in the world! I am the first in the world! This is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.”’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.
I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘When the being intent on awakening emerges from his mother’s womb, then—in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—an immeasurable, magnificent light appears, surpassing the glory of the gods. Even in the boundless void of interstellar space—so utterly dark that even the light of the moon and the sun, so mighty and powerful, makes no impression—an immeasurable, magnificent light appears, surpassing the glory of the gods. And the sentient beings reborn there recognize each other by that light: “So, it seems other sentient beings have been reborn here!” And this ten-thousandfold galaxy shakes and rocks and trembles. And an immeasurable, magnificent light appears in the world, surpassing the glory of the gods.’ This too I remember as an incredible and amazing quality of the Buddha.”
“Well then, Ānanda, you should also remember this as an incredible and amazing quality of the Realized One. It’s that the Realized One knows feelings as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. He knows perceptions as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. He knows thoughts as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. This too you should remember as an incredible and amazing quality of the Realized One.”
“Sir, the Buddha knows feelings as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. He knows perceptions as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. He knows thoughts as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. This too I remember as an incredible and amazing quality of the Buddha.”
That’s what Ānanda said, and the teacher approved. Satisfied, those mendicants approved what Venerable Ānanda said.
MN123 - abridged
