1Thus have I heard. [n.362] The incident is also recorded at Vin I 4–7 and MN I 167–169, and at DN II 36–40 with the Buddha Vipassī and Mahābrahmā as the speakers. Spk assigns the incident to the eighth week after the enlightenment. A BHS parallel at Mvu III 314–19, considerably more ornate, records several variant traditions of the encounter, more or less corresponding with the Pali version; see Jones, 3:302–9. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Uruvela on the bank of the river Nerañjara at the foot of the Goatherd's Banyan Tree just after he had become fully enlightened. Then, while the Blessed One was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in his mind thus: "This Dhamma that I have discovered is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful and sublime, not within the sphere of reasoning, subtle, to be experienced by the wise. But this generation delights in adhesion, takes delight in adhesion, rejoices in adhesion. [n.363] Spk explains alaya objectively as the five cords of sensual pleasure, called "adhesions" because it is these to which beings adhere; and again, subjectively, as the 108 mental examinations driven by craving (taṇhavicaritani; see AN II 212,8–213,2), since it is these that adhere to their objects. For such a generation this state is hard to see, that is, specific conditionality, dependent origination. And this state too is hard to see, that is, the stilling of all formations, the relinquishment of all acquisitions, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. [n.364] Spk: All these terms are synonyms for Nibbāna. For contingent upon that (tam āgamma), all the vacillations of formations become still and calm down; all acquisitions are relinquished; all cravings are destroyed; all lustful defilements fade away; and all suffering ceases. Spk-pṭ: Contingent upon that: in dependence upon that, because it is the object condition for the noble path. If I were to teach the Dhamma and if others would not understand me, that would be wearisome for me, that would be troublesome."

Thereupon these astounding verses, not heard before in the past, occurred to the Blessed One: [n.365] The exact meaning of anacchariyā is uncertain. Spk (along with other commentaries) offers only a verbal resolution, which is hardly a semantic solution: Anacchariyā ti anuacchariyā (“repeatedly —or according to— acchariyā”). Most translators render it “spontaneously,” apparently taking the stem to be acchara = “moment”; but the commentators seem to understand the stem to be acchariya = “wonderful.”
Spk-pṭ proposes an additional etymology which entails the same meaning: Vuddhippattā vā acchariyā anacchariyā; vuddhi-attho pi hi a-kāro hoti yathā asekkhā dhammā ti; “Or non-wonderful is the wonderful that has increased, for the syllable a (the negative prefix) also signifies what has increased, as in ‘qualities of a non-trainee’ (i.e., of an arahant, ‘one beyond training’).” Though the derivation is problematic, from lack of an alternative I conform to current practice and use “astounding” as the intensification.
Spk-pṭ says: “The verses have the quality of ‘astoundingness’ because they indicate that after having fulfilled the perfections (pāramī) for four incalculables and 100,000 aeons for the sake of sharing the Dhamma with the world and its devas, now that he has achieved kingship of the Dhamma he wishes to live at ease. It is this ‘astoundingness’ that is intensified [by the negative prefix an-].”
Von Hinüber contends that anacchariyā represents Skt *an-akṣar-ika (see “Anacchariyā pubbe assutapubbā,” in Selected Papers, pp. 17-24), but his argument rests on the assumption that pubbe assutapubbā would be a redundancy and therefore pubbe must be taken in apposition to the preceding anacchariyā. This assumption, however, is contradicted by DN I 184,27-29, where we find pubbe … sutapubbā as one block. Interestingly, no corresponding word is to be found in the Mvu and Lalitavistara versions of the same incident.

2v.556 "Enough now with trying to teach
What I found with so much hardship;
This Dhamma is not easily understood
By those oppressed by lust and hate.

3v.557 "Those fired by lust, obscured by darkness,
Will never see this abstruse Dhamma,
Deep, hard to see, subtle,
Going against the stream." sn.i.137

4As the Blessed One reflected thus, his mind inclined to living at ease, not to teaching the Dhamma. [n.366] Spk: Living at ease (appossukkata, lit. "little zeal") means lack of desire to teach. But why did his mind so incline after he had made the aspiration to Buddhahood, fulfilled the perfections, and attained omniscience? Because as he reflected, the density of the defilements of beings and the profundity of the Dhamma became manifest to him. Also, he knew that if he inclined to living at ease, Brahma would request him to teach, and since beings esteem Brahma, this would instill in them a desire to hear the Dhamma. On ussukka, see n. 54.

5Then Brahma Sahampati, having known with his own mind the reflection in the Blessed One's mind, thought: "Alas, the world is lost! Alas, the world is to perish, in that the mind of the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, inclines to living at ease, not to teaching the Dhamma." [n.367] Brahma Sahampati appears in dramatic roles at key points in the Buddha’s ministry and also utters the first verse at his parinibbāna (v. 608 below). See SN48.57 for his own account of how he become a prominent deity in the brahma world. His other appearances in SN are at: SN6.2, 3, 10, 12, 13; SN11.17; SN22.80; SN47.18, 43. In the Mvu version the deity who arrives is referred to simply as Mahābrahmā, without a personal name. He comes accompanied by many other gods including Sakka.
In this chapter (and elsewhere in this translation), I use "Brahma" when the word is part of a proper name and "brahma" when it refers more generally to a being or class of beings. Sometimes there is no hard and fast boundary between the two. Then, just as quickly as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm, Brahma Sahampati disappeared from the brahma world and reappeared before the Blessed One. He arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt down with his right knee on the ground, raised his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, and said to him: "Venerable sir, let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma; let the Fortunate One teach the Dhamma. There are beings with little dust in their eyes who are falling away because they do not hear the Dhamma. There will be those who will understand the Dhamma."

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

6v.558 "In the past there appeared among the Magadhans
An impure Dhamma devised by those still stained.
Throw open this door to the Deathless! Let them hear
The Dhamma that the Stainless One discovered. [n.368] Spk identifies the door to the Deathless (amatassa dvara) with the noble path, "the door to the deathless Nibbāna." Although the text here uses the singular dvara, just below it has the plural dvara.

7v.559 "Just as one standing on a mountain peak
Might see below the people all around,
So, O wise one, universal eye,
Ascend the palace made of the Dhamma.
Being yourself free from sorrow, behold the people
Submerged in sorrow, oppressed by birth and decay.

8v.560 "Rise up, O hero, victor in battle!
O caravan leader, debt-free one, wander in the world.
Teach the Dhamma, O Blessed One:
There will be those who will understand." [n.369] I translate pāda c in accordance with the reading in Be, Se, and Ee2, desassu bhagava dhammam, found consistently in the Sinhalese texts. Ee1 desetu (found also in the DN and Vin parallels) seems to be a normalization influenced by the preceding prose passage. The verse is recited again by Brahma Sahampati at v. 919. The Buddha is called the "unsurpassed caravan leader" at v. 736b; see n. 517. sn.i.138

9Then the Blessed One, having understood Brahma's request, out of compassion for beings surveyed the world with the eye of a Buddha. [n.370] Spk: The eye of a Buddha (buddhacakkhu) is a name for the knowledge of the degrees of maturity in the faculties of beings (indriyaparopariyattañāṇa) and the knowledge of the dispositions and underlying tendencies of beings (asayanusayañāṇa). The knowledge of omniscience is called the universal eye (samantacakkhu, at v. 559d). The knowledge of the three lower paths is called the Dhamma eye (or "vision of Dhamma," dhammacakkhu). Together with the divine eye (dibbacakkhu: see SN6.5, 12:70) and the fleshly eye (mamsacakkhu), these make up the "five eyes" of a Buddha. As he did so, the Blessed One saw beings with little dust in their eyes and with much dust in their eyes, with keen faculties and with dull faculties, with good qualities and with bad qualities, easy to teach and difficult to teach, and a few who dwelt seeing blame and fear in the other world. [n.371] Paralokavajjabhayadassavino. At MLDB, p. 261, the ambiguous compound is rendered "seeing fear in blame and in the other world." This agrees well enough with the commentaries, which resolve it: paralokañ c’ eva vajjañ ca bhaya-to passanti. At Dhp 317–18, however, bhaya and vajja are treated as parallel terms, which suggests that the compound should be resolved: paraloke vajjañ c’ eva bhayañ ca passanti. Just as in a pond of blue or red or white lotuses, some lotuses might be born in the water, grow up in the water, and thrive while submerged in the water, without rising up from the water; some lotuses might be born in the water, grow up in the water, and stand at an even level with the water; some lotuses might be born in the water and grow up in the water, but would rise up from the water and stand without being soiled by the water—so too, surveying the world with the eye of a Buddha, the Blessed One saw beings with little dust in their eyes and with much dust in their eyes, with keen faculties and with dull faculties, with good qualities and with bad qualities, easy to teach and hard to teach, and a few who dwelt seeing blame and fear in the other world.

Having seen this, he answered Brahma Sahampati in verse:

10v.561 "Open to them are the doors to the Deathless:
Let those who have ears release faith.
Foreseeing trouble, O Brahma, I did not speak
The refined, sublime Dhamma among human beings."

11Then Brahma Sahampati, thinking, "The Blessed One has given his consent to my request regarding the teaching of the Dhamma," paid homage to the Blessed One and disappeared right there. [n.372] Katavakaso kho ’mhi bhagavata dhammadesanaya. Ee1 bhagavato here must be an error. At MLDB, p. 262, in accordance with prevalent practice this phrase was rendered, "I have created the opportunity for the Blessed One to teach the Dhamma." CPD (s.v. katavakasa) remarks that this construal "is both grammatically impossible and contextually unlikely." The rendering here, based on a suggestion of VĀT, uses the active voice in place of an awkward passive construction imitative of the Pali.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ vihārati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho. Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: "adhigato kho myāyaṁ dhammo gambhīro duddaso duranubodho santo paṇīto atakkāvacaro nipuṇo paṇḍitavedanīyo. Ālayarāmā kho panāyaṁ pajā ālayaratā ālayasammuditā. Ālayarāmāya kho pana pajāya ālayaratāya ālayasammuditāya duddasaṁ idaṁ ṭhānaṁ yadidaṁ idappaccayatāpaṭiccasamuppādo. Idampi kho ṭhānaṁ duddasaṁ yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānaṁ. Ahañceva kho pana dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ; pare ca me na ājāneyyuṁ; so mamassa kilamatho, sā mamassa vihesā"ti.

Apissu bhagavantaṁ imā anacchariyā gāthāyo paṭibhaṁsu pubbe assutapubbā:

2"Kicchena me adhigataṁ,
halaṁ dāni pakāsituṁ;
Rāgadosaparetehi,
nāyaṁ dhammo susambudho.

3Paṭisotagāmiṁ nipuṇaṁ,
gambhīraṁ duddasaṁ aṇuṁ;
Rāgarattā na dakkhanti,
tamokhandhena āvuṭā"ti.

4Itiha bhagavato paṭisañcikkhato appossukkatāya cittaṁ namati, no dhammadesanāya.

5Atha kho brahmuno sahampatissa bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya etadahosi: "nassati vata bho loko, vinassati vata bho loko, yatra hi nāma tathāgatassa arahato sammāsambuddhassa appossukkatāya cittaṁ namati, no dhammadesanāyā"ti. Atha kho brahmā sahampati – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva – brahmaloke antarahito bhagavato purato pāturahosi. Atha kho brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇajāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "desetu, bhante, bhagavā dhammaṁ, desetu sugato dhammaṁ. Santi sattā apparajakkhajātikā, assavanatā dhammassa parihāyanti. Bhavissanti dhammassa aññātāro"ti.

Idamavoca brahmā sahampati, idaṁ vatvā athāparaṁ etadavoca:

6"Pāturahosi magadhesu pubbe,
Dhammo asuddho samalehi cintito;
Apāpuretaṁ amatassa dvāraṁ,
Suṇantu dhammaṁ vimalenānubuddhaṁ.

7Sele yathā pabbatamuddhaniṭṭhito,
Yathāpi passe janataṁ samantato;
Tathūpamaṁ dhammamayaṁ sumedha,
Pāsādamāruyha samantacakkhu;
Sokāvatiṇṇaṁ janatamapetasoko,
Avekkhassu jātijarābhibhūtaṁ.

8Uṭṭhehi vīra vijitasaṅgāma,
Satthavāha anaṇa parajika loke;
Desassu bhagavā dhammaṁ,
Aññātāro bhavissantī"ti.

9Atha kho bhagavā brahmuno ca ajjhesanaṁ viditvā sattesu ca kāruññataṁ paṭicca buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokesi. Addasā kho bhagavā buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokento satte apparajakkhe mahārajakkhe tikkhindriye mudindriye svākāre dvākāre suviññāpaye duviññāpaye, appekacce paralokavajjabhayadassāvine vihārante, appekacce na paralokavajjabhayadassāvine vihārante. Seyyathāpi nāma uppaliniyaṁ vā paduminiyaṁ vā puṇḍarīkiniyaṁ vā appekaccāni uppalāni vā padumāni vā puṇḍarīkāni vā udake jātāni udake saṁvaḍḍhāni udakānuggatāni anto nimuggaposīni, appekaccāni uppalāni vā padumāni vā puṇḍarīkāni vā udake jātāni udake saṁvaḍḍhāni samodakaṁ ṭhitāni, appekaccāni uppalāni vā padumāni vā puṇḍarīkāni vā udake jātāni udake saṁvaḍḍhāni udakā accuggamma ṭhitāni anupalittāni udakena; evameva bhagavā buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokento addasa satte apparajakkhe mahārajakkhe tikkhindriye mudindriye svākāre dvākāre suviññāpaye duviññāpaye, appekacce paralokavajjabhayadassāvine vihārante, appekacce na paralokavajjabhayadassāvine vihārante.

Disvāna brahmānaṁ sahampatiṁ gāthāya paccabhāsi:

10"Apārutā tesaṁ amatassa dvārā,
Ye sotavanto pamuñcantu saddhāṁ;
Vihiṁsasaññī paguṇaṁ na bhāsiṁ,
Dhammaṁ paṇītaṁ manujesu brahme"ti.

11Atha kho brahmā sahampati "katāvakāso khomhi bhagavatā dhammadesanāyā"ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.