iti.112 Itivuttaka

The World

This was said by the Lord, said by the Arahant, so I heard:

“Bhikkhus, the world has been fully understood by the Tathāgata; the Tathāgata is released from the world. The origin of the world has been fully understood by the Tathāgata; the origin of the world has been abandoned by the Tathāgata. The cessation of the world has been fully understood by the Tathāgata; the cessation of the world has been realized by the Tathāgata. The course leading to the cessation of the world has been fully understood by the Tathāgata; the course leading to the cessation of the world has been developed by the Tathāgata.

“Bhikkhus, in the world with its devas, māras, and brahmās, with its recluses and brahmins, among humankind with its princes and people, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, and reflected upon by the mind—that is fully understood by the Tathāgata: therefore he is called the Tathāgata.

“Bhikkhus, from the night when the Tathāgata awakened to unsurpassed full enlightenment until the night when he passes away into the Nibbāna-element with no residue left, whatever he speaks, utters, and explains—all that is just so and not otherwise: therefore he is called the Tathāgata.

“As the Tathāgata says, so he does; as the Tathāgata does, so he says: therefore he is called the Tathāgata.

“In the world with its devas, māras, and brahmās, with its recluses and brahmins, among humankind with its princes and people, the Tathāgata is the conqueror, unvanquished, all-seer, wielding power: therefore he is called the Tathāgata.”

By knowledge of the whole world,
The whole world as it truly is,
He is released from all the world,
In all the world he is unattached.

The all-conquering heroic sage,
Freed from every bond is he;
He has reached that perfect peace,
Nibbāna which is free from fear.

Rid of taints, he is enlightened,
Trouble-free, with doubts destroyed,
Reached the final end of deeds,
Released by clinging’s full destruction.

The Enlightened One, the Lord,
A lion is he, unsurpassed;
For in the world together with its devas
He set the Brahma-wheel in motion.

Thus those devas and human beings,
Gone for refuge to the Buddha,
On meeting him pay homage to him,
The great one free from diffidence.

Tamed, of the tamed he is the best;
Calmed, of the calmed he is the seer;
Freed, of the freed he is the foremost;
Crossed, of the crossed he is the chief.

Thus do they pay him due homage,
The great one free from diffidence:
“In the world together with its devas
There is no person equalling you.”

This too is the meaning of what was said by the Lord, so I heard.

The Book of the Buddha’s Sayings is Finished

- Translator: John D. Ireland

- Editor: Bhikkhu Sujato

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The World

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
“Mendicants, the world has been understood by the Realized One;
and he is detached from the world.
The origin of the world has been understood by the Realized One;
and he has given up the origin of the world.
The cessation of the world has been understood by the Realized One;
and he has realized the cessation of the world.
The practice that leads to the cessation of the world has been understood by the Realized One;
and he has developed the practice that leads to the cessation of the world.
In this world—with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—whatever is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, and explored by the mind, all that has been understood by the Realized One.
That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.
From the night when the Realized One understands the supreme perfect awakening until the night he becomes fully extinguished—through the element of extinguishment with nothing left over—everything he speaks, says, and expresses is real, not otherwise.
That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.
The Realized One does as he says, and says as he does.
Since this is so,
that’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.
In this world—with its gods, Māras and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—the Realized One is the undefeated, the champion, the universal seer, the wielder of power.
That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.”
The Buddha spoke this matter.
On this it is said:
“Directly knowing the whole world as it is,
and everything in it,
he is detached from the whole world,
disengaged from the whole world.
That wise one is the champion
who is released from all ties.
He has reached ultimate peace:
extinguishment, fearing nothing from any quarter.
He is the Buddha, with defilements ended,
untroubled, with doubts cut off.
He has attained the end of all deeds,
freed with the ending of attachments.
That Blessed One is the Buddha,
he is the supreme lion,
in all the world with its gods,
he turns the holy wheel.
And so those gods and humans,
who have gone to the Buddha for refuge,
come together and revere him,
even the deities revere him:
‘Tamed, he is the best of tamers,
peaceful, he is the hermit among the peaceful,
liberated, he is the foremost of liberators,
crossed over, he is the most excellent of guides across.’
And so they revere him,
great of heart and rid of naivety.
In the world with its gods,
he has no counterpart.”
This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.