1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus!"

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"Venerable sir!" those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

2"Bhikkhus, on one occasion I was dwelling at Uruvelā, by the goatherds’ banyan tree on the bank of the Neranjarā River, just after I had attained full enlightenment. Then, while I was alone in seclusion, a course of thought arose in my mind thus: ‘It is painful to dwell without reverence and deference. Now what ascetic or brahmin can I honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on?’

3"Then it occurred to me: (1) ‘If my aggregate of virtuous behavior were incomplete, for the sake of completing it I would honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on another ascetic or brahmin. However, in this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, among this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, I do not see another ascetic or brahmin more accomplished in virtuous behavior than myself whom I could honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on.

4(2) "‘If my aggregate of concentration were incomplete, for the sake of completing it I would honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on another ascetic or brahmin. However … I do not see another ascetic or brahmin more accomplished in concentration than myself ….

5(3) "‘If my aggregate of wisdom were incomplete, for the sake of completing it I would honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on another ascetic or brahmin. However … I do not see another ascetic or brahmin more accomplished in wisdom than myself ….

6(4) "‘If my aggregate of liberation were incomplete, for the sake of completing it I would honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on another ascetic or brahmin. However, in this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, among this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, I do not see another ascetic or brahmin more accomplished in liberation than myself whom I could honor, respect, and dwell in dependence on.

7"It occurred to me: ‘Let me then honor, respect, and dwell in dependence only on this Dhamma to which I have become fully enlightened.’

8"Then Brahmā Sahampati, having known with his own mind the reflection in my mind, disappeared from the brahmā world and reappeared before me just as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm. He arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, bent down with his right knee on the ground, reverently saluted me, and said: ‘So it is, Blessed One! So it is, Fortunate One! Bhante, those who were the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones in the past—those Blessed Ones, too, honored, respected, and dwelled in dependence only on the Dhamma. Those who will be the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones in the future—those Blessed Ones, too, will honor, respect, and dwell in dependence only on the Dhamma. Let the Blessed One, too, who is at present the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, honor, respect, and dwell in dependence only on the Dhamma.’

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"This is what Brahmā Sahampati said. Having said this, he further said this:

9"‘The perfect Buddhas of the past,
the Buddhas of the future,
and the present Buddha
who removes the sorrow of many:

10all those dwelled, now dwell,
and in the future will dwell
revering the good Dhamma.
This is the nature of the Buddhas.

11"‘Therefore one desiring the good, [n.650] Ce reads atthakāmena; Be and Ee have attakāmena, "desiring self." In pāda d, the plural of Buddha is in the Pāli, buddhānasāsanaṁ. Possibly the compound is a corruption of buddhānusāsanaṁ, "the Buddha’s instruction," which would preserve a singular.
aspiring for greatness,
should revere the good Dhamma,
recollecting the Buddhas’ teaching.’

12"This was what Brahmā Sahampati said. He then paid homage to me, and keeping me on his right, he disappeared right there. Then, having acknowledged Brahmā's request and what was proper for myself, I honored, respected, and dwelled in dependence only on the Dhamma to which I had become fully enlightened. And now that the Saṅgha has acquired greatness, I have respect for the Saṅgha, too."

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "bhikkhavo"ti.

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"Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

2"Ekamidāhaṁ, bhikkhave, samayaṁ uruvelāyaṁ viharāmi najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhe paṭhamābhisambuddho. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘dukkhaṁ kho agāravo viharati appatisso. Kiṁ nu kho ahaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyan’ti?

3Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘aparipūrassa kho ahaṁ sīlakkhandhassa pāripūriyā aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ. Na kho panāhaṁ passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā attanā sīlasampannataraṁ, yamahaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ.

4Aparipūrassa kho ahaṁ samādhikkhandhassa pāripūriyā aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ. Na kho panāhaṁ passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā attanā samādhisampannataraṁ, yamahaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ.

5Aparipūrassa kho ahaṁ paññākkhandhassa pāripūriyā aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ. Na kho panāhaṁ passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā attanā paññāsampannataraṁ, yamahaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ.

6Aparipūrassa kho ahaṁ vimuttikkhandhassa pāripūriyā aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ. Na kho panāhaṁ passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā attanā vimuttisampannataraṁ, yamahaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyan’ti.

7Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘yannūnāhaṁ yvāyaṁ dhammo mayā abhisambuddho tameva dhammaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyan’ti.

8Atha kho, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati mama cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ – brahmaloke antarahito mama purato pāturahosi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇaṁ jāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yenāhaṁ tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā maṁ etadavoca: ‘evametaṁ, bhagavā, evametaṁ, sugata. Yepi te, bhante, ahesuṁ atītamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā tepi bhagavanto dhammaṁyeva sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihariṁsu; yepi te, bhante, bhavissanti anāgatamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā tepi bhagavanto dhammaṁyeva sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharissanti; bhagavāpi, bhante, etarahi arahaṁ sammāsambuddho dhammaṁyeva sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharatū’ti.

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Idamavoca brahmā sahampati. Idaṁ vatvā athāparaṁ etadavoca:

9‘Ye ca atītā sambuddhā,
ye ca buddhā anāgatā;
Yo cetarahi sambuddho,
bahūnaṁ sokanāsano.

10Sabbe saddhammagaruno,
vihaṁsu viharanti ca;
Athopi viharissanti,
esā buddhāna dhammatā.

11Tasmā hi attakāmena,
mahattamabhikaṅkhatā;
Saddhammo garukātabbo,
saraṁ buddhāna sāsanan’ti.

12Idamavoca, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati. Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi. Atha khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmuno ca ajjhesanaṁ viditvā attano ca patirūpaṁ yvāyaṁ dhammo mayā abhisambuddho tameva dhammaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihāsiṁ. Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, saṅghopi mahattena samannāgato, atha me saṅghepi gāravo"ti.

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Paṭhamaṁ.