Discourse an.4.33 - buddha.co.za

The Lion

“Bhikkhus, in the evening the lion, the king of beasts, comes out from his lair, stretches his body, surveys the four quarters all around, and roars his lion’s roar three times. Then he sets out in search of game.

“Whatever animals hear the lion roaring for the most part are filled with fear, a sense of urgency, and terror. Those who live in holes enter their holes; those who live in the water enter the water; those who live in the woods enter the woods; and the birds resort to the sky. Even those royal bull elephants, bound by strong thongs in the villages, towns, and capital cities, burst and break their bonds asunder; frightened, they urinate and defecate and flee here and there. So powerful among the animals is the lion, the king of beasts, so majestic and mighty.

“So too, bhikkhus, when the Tathāgata arises in the world, an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One, he teaches the Dhamma thus: ‘(1) Such is personal existence, (2) such the origin of personal existence, (3) such the cessation of personal existence, (4) such the way to the cessation of personal existence.’

“When those devas who are long-lived, beautiful, abounding in happiness, dwelling for a long time in lofty palaces, hear the Tathāgata’s teaching of the Dhamma, for the most part they are filled with fear, a sense of urgency, and terror thus: ‘It seems that we are actually impermanent, though we thought ourselves permanent; it seems that we are actually transient, though we thought ourselves everlasting; it seems that we are actually non-eternal, though we thought ourselves eternal. It seems that we are impermanent, transient, non-eternal, included in personal existence.’ So powerful is the Tathāgata, so majestic and mighty is he in this world together with its devas.”

When, through direct knowledge,
the Buddha, the teacher, the peerless person
in this world with its devas,
sets in motion the wheel of Dhamma,
he teaches personal existence, its cessation,
the origin of personal existence,
and the noble eightfold path
that leads to the calming down of suffering.

Then even those devas with long life spans—
beautiful, ablaze with glory—
become fearful and filled with terror,
like beasts who hear the lion’s roar.
“It seems that we are impermanent,
not beyond personal existence,” they say,
when they hear the word of the Arahant,
the Stable One who is fully freed.

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

The Lion

“Mendicants, towards evening the lion, king of beasts, emerges from his den,
yawns,
looks all around the four quarters,
and roars his lion’s roar three times.
Then he sets out on the hunt.
And the animals who hear the roar of the lion, king of beasts, are typically filled with fear, awe, and terror.
They return to their lairs, be they in a hole, the water, or a wood; and the birds take to the air.
Even the royal elephants, bound with strong harnesses in the villages, towns, and capital cities, break apart their bonds, and urinate and defecate in terror as they flee here and there.
That’s how powerful is the lion, king of beasts, among animals, how illustrious and mighty.
In the same way, when a Realized One arises in the world—perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed—he teaches the Dhamma:
‘Such is identity, such is the origin of identity, such is the cessation of identity, such is the practice that leads to the cessation of identity.’
Now, there are gods who are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy, lasting long in their divine palaces. When they hear this teaching by the Realized One, they’re typically filled with fear, awe, and terror.
‘Oh no! It turns out we’re impermanent, though we thought we were permanent!
It turns out we don’t last, though we thought we were everlasting!
It turns out we’re transient, though we thought we were eternal!
It turns out that we’re impermanent, not lasting, transient, and included within identity.’
That’s how powerful is the Realized One in the world with its gods, how illustrious and mighty.
The Buddha, the teacher without a peer
in all the world with its gods,
rolls forth the Wheel of Dhamma
from his own insight:
identity, its cessation,
the origin of identity,
and the noble eightfold path
that leads to the stilling of suffering.
And then the long-lived gods,
so beautiful and famous,
are afraid and full of terror,
like the other beasts when they hear a lion.
‘We haven’t transcended identity!
It turns out we’re impermanent!’
So they say when they hear the word
of the perfected one, free and poised.”

an.4.33 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

The Lion

The Lion