Introductory verses

From the delightful city of the Kosalans to the Southern lands went
one who wanted to have no possessions, a brahmin perfect in the Vedas.

In the locality of Assaka, and near to Mūḷaka
close to the bank of the Godhāvari he lived on gleanings and fruit.

In the vicinity of the river there was a large village,
and with the income that arose from that he offered a great sacrifice.

When that great sacrifice had been given he entered his hermitage again,
and when he had re-entered it, another brahmin came along—

he had sore feet, and was thirsty, with dirty teeth, and dust on his head—
and after approaching the first brahmin, he begged for five hundred coins.

After seeing him Bāvari invited him to take a seat,
and he asked after his happiness and welfare, and this is the word he spoke:

“Whatever kind of gift I had, all that has been given away by me,
please excuse me brahmin, I do not have the five hundred.”

“If your honour will not give me what I am begging for,
then within seven days may your head split into seven pieces!”

Having made a scene the dishonest man proclaimed this fearful thing.
After hearing this word of his, Bāvari became miserable.

Going without food he dried up, and was affected by the dart of grief,
and when his heart was like that his mind did not delight in meditation.

Having seen him terrified and miserable, a God who desired his welfare,
approached Bāvari, and this is the word he spoke:

“He does not know the head—he is a dishonest man who wants wealth!
He does not have knowledge about the head or head-splitting.”

“But now your honour knows! Please explain this to me when asked:
the head and head-splitting, may we hear that word of yours.”

“I also do not know about this, I do not have this knowledge here.
The head and head-splitting! Indeed only Victors see this!”

“Then who knows about the head and head-splitting
on the face of the earth? O God, please explain this to me.”

“From out of the city of Kapilavatthu a world leader has renounced,
he is of king Okkāka’s line, a Sakyan’s son, a light-maker.
He is a Sambuddha, brahmin, in everything he is perfect,

“Having attained all deep knowledges and strengths, endowed with Vision regarding all things,
he has come to the end of all actions, in the end of all clinging he is freed.

“He is the Buddha in the world, the Gracious One, the Visionary who teaches Teaching,
after going there you can ask him about it, he will explain it to you.”

Having heard the word ‘Sambuddha’, Bāvari became elated,
then his grief became but little, and he received great happiness.

Bāvari, uplifted and elated,
enthusiastically asked that God:
“In which village, or again in which town,
in which country, is the Lord of the World?
Where having gone to can we revere the Sambuddha, the Supreme Human Being?”

“The Victor is in the Kosalan’s city, Sāvatthī,
he has much wisdom, excellent and great intelligence,
that Sakyan’s son, who is free from burden and pollutant,
that Bull of a Man has understanding of head-splitting.”

So then the brahmin addressed his students, who were perfect in the Vedas:
“Come, young men, and I shall explain, please listen to this word of mine:

“He whose manifestation in the world is always exceptional,
has now arisen in the world, renowned as one called a ‘Sambuddha’.
Having gone quickly to Sāvatthī, you can see the Supreme Human Being.”

“Having seen him how will we know that he is the ‘Buddha’, O brahmin?
You must tell us who do not know, how we can know it is him.”

“There has come down to us in the Vedas the marks of a Great Man,
they are explained as thirty-two, complete in regular order.

“For whoever has on his limbs the marks of a Great Man,
there can be just two destinies, for a third cannot be found:

“If he lives in a house, when he has been victorious over this earth,
without a stick or a sword he will rule according to the Teaching.

“But if he goes forth from the house to the houseless life,
he becomes a Cover-Remover, a Sambuddha, a Worthy One, unexcelled.

“About my birth, family, and marks; lore, students and other things,
about the head and head-splitting, you must ask in your mind.

“If he should be a Buddha, one who sees without obstruction,
the questions that are asked in your mind he will answer by way of speech.”

After hearing Bāvari’s words, the sixteen brahmin students:
Ajita, Tissa Metteyya, Puṇṇaka, also Mettagū,

Dhotaka, and Upasīva, Nanda, and also Hemaka,
the two: Todeyya and Kappa, and Jatukaṇṇī, the one who is wise,

Bhadrāvudha and Udaya, and also the brahmin Posāla,
Mogharāja, the intelligent one, and the great seer, Piṅgiya,

each one with his own group, renowned throughout the whole world,
meditators delighting in meditation, wise ones, influenced by their pre-dispositions,

after worshipping Bāvari, and circumambulating him,
they all, wearing matted-hair and deer-skins, set out for the North:

From Mūḷaka to Patiṭṭhāna first, then on to Mahissati,
to Ujjenī, and Gonaddha, to Vedisa, and to the place called Vanasa,

to Kosambī, and Sāketa, and Sāvatthī, the city supreme,
to Setabya, and Kapilavatthu, and to the city of Kusinārā,

to Pāva, to Bhoganagara, to Vesāli, and to the Magadhan city Rājagaha,
and to the Pāsāṇaka shrine, delightful, it is the mind’s delight.

Just like a thirsty man to cool water, or like a trader to great gain,
like one scorched by the heat to shade, quickly he climbed the mountain.

Now at that time the Gracious One was in front of the Community of monks,
teaching the Teaching to the bhikkhus, roaring like a lion in a forest,

Ajita saw the Sambuddha, brilliant like the hundred-rayed sun,
like the moon which has reached fullness on the fifteenth day of the month,

and after seeing on his limbs the characteristics in their fullness,
standing cheerfully on one side he asked a question in his mind:

“Speak and point out his birth, speak of his family, and marks,
speak of his perfection in the Vedas, how many does the brahmin school?”

“One hundred and twenty years his age, his family is Bāvari,
three marks are on his limbs, he is perfect in the three Vedas.

“In the marks, and the traditions, with the glossaries, and the ritual,
he schools five hundred, in his own teaching he is perfect.”

“Your investigation of Bāvari’s marks, O One Supreme among Men,
O craving-cutter, make that clear, so that we are not left doubting.”

“He can cover his face with his tongue, there is hair between his eyebrows,
what is covered by a cloth is ensheathed: know it is so young man.”

Not hearing any question, but having heard the questions answered,
all the people were enthusiastic, and raised their hands, thinking:

“Now who was it, a God, or a Brahma, or Inda, the lord of Sujā,
who asked those questions with the mind? To whom did he make reply?”

“About the head and head-splitting, Bāvari asks this question,
please explain that O Gracious One, please remove our doubts, O seer.”

“Know ignorance is called the head, and understanding is the head-splitter,
joined with confidence, mindfulness, concentration, desire, and energy.”

Then with great enthusiasm, being resolute, the young man,
having put his deer-skin on one shoulder, fell placing his head at the Buddha’s feet:

“The honourable brahmin Bāvari, and his students, dear Sir,
elated in heart, and happy in mind, worships your feet, O Visionary One.”

“May the brahmin Bāvari, together with his students, be happy!
And may you also be happy! May you live for a long time, young man!

“All of the doubts that Bāvari, or you, or anyone else has,
having received leave, ask whatever you long to know in the mind.”

Having received leave from the Sambuddha, sitting with hands raised in reverence,
Ajita asked the Realised One the first question in that place:

The Introductory Verses are Finished

- Translator: Bhikkhu Ānandajoti

- Editor: Bhikkhu Sujato

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The Way to the Beyond

The Prologue Telling the Story

Narrator
A brahmin who’d mastered all mantras,
Desiring the state of no-thingness,
From Kosalans’ fair city he left then
Towards the southern parts.

By Godhāvarī river he sojourned
In Assaka’s realm near Alaka’s border,
Surviving on gleanings and fruit.

Close by to him a village large,
With revenue derived from there,
Great the sacrifice he performed.

With ritual offerings made
For the sacrifice, he returned
To his hermitage again,
And there another brahmin came.

Footsore and thirsty, he,
with teeth unclean, dust-covered head,
then approached him begging for
at least five hundred coins.

Having seen him, Bāvarī
invited him to take a seat
and asked about his comfort, health—
then to the stranger spoke these words:

Bāvarī
Whatever was given for me to give,
All this I’ve given away,
So brahmin please forgive me,
I’ve not five hundred coins.

Brahmin
If your honour will not give
To me who begs from him,
Then let your head be split apart
In seven days from now.

Narrator
Having done preparatory rites
That charlatan a fearful curse pronounced,
So that having heard his words
“one-with-dukkha” did Bāvarī become.

He took no food and withered up,
afflicted with the dart of grief;
and then with mind of such a kind,
his heart enjoyed no jhāna.

Seeing him suffering, terrified,
a deva there who wished his good,
on drawing near to Bāvarī,
to him she spoke these words:

Devī
He doesn’t know about the head,
that charlatan desiring wealth;
of heads, and splitting heads apart,
in him no knowing’s found.

Bāvarī
If my lady knows of this,
when asked, please tell me too;
let me hear your words on this,
on heads and splitting heads apart.

Devī
I do not know about this thing,
in me no knowing’s found,
on heads and splitting heads apart
but by Victors it has been Seen.

Bāvarī
Who, then knows about this thing?
Who on this sphere of earth?
On heads and splitting heads apart,
O deva, tell me this.

Devī
From out of Kapilavatthu town
came lately, Leader of the world,
a Sakyan son bringing light,
a scion of Okkāka king.

He is indeed a Wakened One
all dharmas gone across,
all straightly-knowing’s power won,
in all dharmas, Seer,
to exhaustion of all dharmas won,
freed by all assets’ wearing out—

One Awakened, lord of the world,
the Seer who teaches Dharma,
go to him and then enquire—
that matter he’ll explain.

Narrator
On hearing “Sambuddha”—that word,
Bāvarī was overjoyed,
and grief diminished too,
while rapture then arose in him.
Glad at heart, overjoyed, in awe,
spoke Bāvarī to that devatā:

Bāvarī
In which village, in which town,
in which state is the world’s lord found?
Where should we go to honour him,
the All-awakened, best of men?

Devī
In Kosala’s kingdom he dwells,
the greatly wise truly of Knowledge profound,
of Sakyas the scion, burdenless, from inflows free,
the eminent among men knows splitting the head.

Narrator
Addressing then his brahmin pupils,
those who had mastered the mantras:

Bāvarī
Come here, young brahmins, listen well
for I shall speak to you.

Whose rare appearance in the world
is hard then to experience,
has appeared for us today,
acclaimed as All-awakened One,
quickly now go to Sāvatthī,
to see this Best of men.

Pupils
How, O brahmin, shall we know
on seeing him that he’s Awake?
Tell us, who are so ignorant,
that him we’ll recognize?

Bāvarī
In mantra-hymns come down to us,
the signs of Superman—
two and thirty there complete,
in order are described.

Upon whose body these appear—
these signs of the Superman—
two possibilities are there for birth,
a third bourn is not found:

So should he choose the household life,
this world he’ll conquer weaponless,
non-violently, without a sword,
by Dharma rule it righteously.

But if he go forth from home
to the state of homelessness,
he’ll be Awake, removed the veils,
one of worth, the unexcelled.

Question in your mind alone
my birth, my caste, how I appear,
my mantras, pupils and so on,
with heads and splitting heads apart.

If he’s indeed the One Awake,
who, lacking obscurations, Sees;
to Questions asked in mind alone,
he will reply with words.

Narrator
The voice of Bāvarī they heard,
those brahmin pupils—all sixteen:
Ajita, Tissamettayya,
Puṇṇaka, then there’s Mettagu,

Dhotaka, Upasīva then
Nanda, also Hemaka,
Todeyya, Kappa—just those two,
Jātukaṇṇa the learned one,

Bhadrāvudha, Udaya and
as well the brahmin Posala,
Moghāraja the very wise
and Piṅgiya the greatest sage—

All of them with their pupils’ groups
in all the world they’re famed—
enjoyers of jhāna, meditators Wise,
patterned by past good karmas made.

Having bowed down to Bāvarī
and circumambulated him,
then in deer-skins clad, with dreadlocks all,
they headed for the north:

From Patiṭṭhāna in Aḷaka’s land,
then to the city, Māhissati,
from there to Ujjeni and Gonaddha,
to Vedisa and to Vana town,

Next to Kosambi and Sāketa,
and Sāvatthī of cities best
on to Setavya, Kapilavatthu,
Kusināra and surrounding lands,

To Pāvā and to Bhoga town,
to the Māgadhans’ city of Vesāli,
to the rocky Pāsāṇaka Shrine—
delightful, mind-delighting place.

As a person thirsty for water,
or merchant for profit great,
or a sunburnt person seeks for shade,
so they hastily climbed the Rock.

The Lord on that occasion was
in honour seated with the bhikkhu-Saṅgha,
teaching Dharma to all the monks,
as lion roaring in the jungly woods.

Ajita saw then the Sambuddha
as the sun’s brilliance devoid of rays,
or as the moon completely full,
arrived at its fifteenth day.

Then standing to one side he saw
the set of signs complete
upon the Buddha’s body, so
joyful, in his mind he asked:

Ajita
Speak now about my Master’s age,
tell of his clan and body-marks,
say how far he’s mastered the mantras
and how many the brahmins he instructs.

Buddha
His age is a hundred and twenty years,
by clan he is a Bāvarī,
upon his body appear three signs,
Three Vedas he has mastered all.

In lore of signs and legends in tradition—
in the glossaries and the ritual treatises—
in his own Dharma to perfection he’s arrived,
and five hundred students he instructs.

Ajita
O highest of men, with craving cut,
describe in detail all the signs
upon the body of Bāvarī,
so there may be no doubt in us.

Buddha
Cover his face with his tongue he can,
hair grows between his brows,
ensheathed is the cloth-concealed:
Know this, O brahmin youth.

Narrator
Now none there heard the questions asked,
but all the answers heard;
then the people, overjoyed,
with lotussed hands they thought:

What deva indeed, whether Brahma
or Indra or Sujampati—
these questions asked in mind,
to whom are they addressed?

Ajita
Bāvarī has questioned you
on heads and splitting heads apart.
O Lord, do you explain this,
dispel our doubt, O Sage.

Buddha
Know ignorance as “head”,
gnosis as that which “splits the head”,
with mindfulness, meditation, faith
by determination, effort too.

Narrator
Then the young brahmin overawed,
with great emotion overcome,
(respectfully) with his deerskin (cloak)
over one shoulder (placed),
put his head at (the Buddha’s) feet.

Ajita
Sir, the brahmin Bāvarī,
with all his pupils too,
overjoyed, glad-minded,
to the great Seer’s feet bowed down.

Buddha
May all be well with Bāvarī,
with his brahmin pupils too,
and you as well be happy,
live long O brahmin youth!

Bāvarī, yourself as well
and all the rest have many doubts,
ask now whatever’s in your minds—
you have the opportunity.

So permitted by the All-awake,
Ajita sat, and with lotussed hands,
asked the initial question,
addressed to the Tathāgata.

- Translator: Laurence Khantipalo Mills

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Introductory Verses

Quickly go to Sāvatthī
“Bāvari asks
From the fair city of the Kosalans
to the southern region
came a brahmin expert in hymns,
aspiring to nothingness.
In the domain of Assaka,
close by Aḷaka,
he lived on the bank of the Godhāvarī River,
getting by on gleanings and fruit.
He was supported
by a prosperous village nearby.
With the revenue earned from there
he performed a great sacrifice.
When he had completed the great sacrifice,
he returned to his hermitage once more.
Upon his return,
another brahmin arrived.
Foot-sore and thirsty,
with grotty teeth and dusty head,
he approached the other
and asked for five hundred coins.
When Bāvari saw him,
he invited him to sit down,
asked of his happiness and well-being,
and said the following.
“Whatever I had available to give,
I have already distributed.
Believe me, brahmin,
I don’t have five hundred coins.”
“If, good sir, you do not
give me what I ask,
then on the seventh day,
let your head explode in seven!”
After performing a ritual,
that charlatan uttered his dreadful curse.
When he heard these words,
Bāvari became distressed.
Not eating, he grew emaciated,
stricken by the dart of sorrow.
And in such a state of mind,
he could not enjoy absorption.
Seeing him anxious and distraught,
a goddess wishing to help,
approached Bāvari
and said the following.
“That charlatan understands nothing
about the head, he only wants money.
When it comes to heads or head-splitting,
he has no knowledge at all.”
“Madam, surely you must know—
please answer my question.
Let me hear what you say
about heads and head-splitting.”
“I too do not know that,
I have no knowledge in that matter.
When it comes to heads or head-splitting,
it is the Victors who have vision.”
“Then, in all this vast territory,
who exactly does know
about heads and head-splitting?
Please tell me, goddess.”
“From the city of Kapilavatthu
the World Leader has gone forth.
He is a scion of King Okkāka,
a Sakyan, and a beacon.
For he, brahmin, is the Awakened One!
He has gone beyond all things;
he has attained to all knowledge and power;
he is the seer into all things,
he has attained the end of all deeds;
he is freed with the ending of attachments.
That Buddha, the Blessed One in the world,
the Seer, teaches Dhamma.
Go to him and ask—
he will answer you.”
When he heard the word “Buddha”,
Bāvari was elated.
His sorrow faded,
and he was filled to brimming with joy.
Uplifted, elated, and inspired,
Bāvari questioned that goddess:
“But in what village or town,
or in what land is the protector of the world,
where we may go and pay respects
to the Awakened One, best of men?”
“Near Sāvatthī, the home of the Kosalans, is the Victor
abounding in wisdom, vast in intelligence.
That Sakyan is indefatigable, free of defilements, a bull among men:
he understands head-splitting.
Therefore he addressed his pupils,
brahmins who had mastered the hymns:
“Come, students, I shall speak.
Listen to what I say.
Today has arisen in the world
one whose appearance in the world
is hard to find again—
he is renowned as the Awakened One.
and see the best of men.”
“Brahmin, how exactly are we to know
the Buddha when we see him?
We don’t know, please tell us,
so we can recognize him.”
“The marks of a great man
have been handed down in our hymns.
Thirty-two have been described,
complete and in order.
One upon whose body is found
these marks of a great man
has two possible destinies,
there is no third.
If he stays at home,
having conquered this land
without rod or sword,
he shall govern by principle.
But if he goes forth
from the lay life to homelessness,
he becomes an Awakened One, a perfected one,
with veil drawn back, supreme.
Ask him about my birth, clan, and marks,
my hymns and students; and further,
about heads and head-splitting—
but do so only in your mind!
If he is the Buddha
of unobstructed vision,
he will answer with his voice
the questions in your mind.”
Sixteen brahmin pupils
heard what Bāvari said:
Ajita, Tissametteyya,
Puṇṇaka and Mettagū,
Dhotaka and Upasīva,
Nanda and then Hemaka,
both Todeyya and Kappa,
and Jatukaṇṇī the astute,
Bhadrāvudha and Udaya,
and the brahmin Posāla,
Mogharājā the intelligent,
and Piṅgiya the great hermit.
Each of them had their own following,
they were renowned the whole world over.
Those wise ones, meditators who love absorption,
were redolent with the potential of their past deeds.
Having bowed to Bāvari,
and circled him to his right,
they set out for the north,
with their dreadlocks and hides.
First to Patiṭṭhāna of Aḷaka,
then on to the city of Mahissati;
to Ujjenī and Gonaddhā,
and Vedisa, and Vanasa.
Then to Kosambi and Sāketa,
and the supreme city of Sāvatthī;
on they went to Setavyā and Kapilavatthu,
and the homestead at Kusinārā.
To Pāvā they went, and Bhoganagara,
and on to Vesālī and the Magadhan city.
Finally they reached the Pāsāṇaka shrine,
fair and delightful.
Like a thirsty person to cool water,
like a merchant to great profit,
like a heat-struck person to shade,
they quickly climbed the mountain.
At that time the Buddha
at the fore of the mendicant Saṅgha,
was teaching the mendicants the Dhamma,
like a lion roaring in the jungle.
Ajita saw the Buddha,
like the sun shining with a hundred rays,
like the moon on the fifteenth day
when it has come into its fullness.
Then he saw his body,
complete in all features.
Thrilled, he stood to one side
and asked this question in his mind.
“Speak about the brahmin’s birth;
of his clan; and his own marks;
what hymns is he proficient in;
and how many he teaches.”
“His age is a hundred and twenty.
By clan he is a Bāvari.
There are three marks on his body.
He is a master of the three Vedas,
the teachings on the marks, the testaments,
the vocabularies, and the rituals.
He teaches five hundred,
and has reached proficiency in his own teaching.”
“O supreme person, cutter of craving,
please reveal in detail
Bāvari’s marks—
let us doubt no longer!”
“He can cover his face with his tongue;
there is a tuft of hair between his eyebrows;
his private parts are concealed in a foreskin:
know them as this, young man.”
Hearing the answers
without having heard any questions,
all the people, inspired,
with joined palms, wondered:
“Who is it that asked a question with their mind?
Was it a god or Brahmā?
Or Indra, Sujā’s husband?
To whom does the Buddha reply?”
about heads and head-splitting.
May the Buddha please answer,
and so, O hermit, dispel our doubt.”
“Know ignorance as the head,
and knowledge as the head-splitter,
when joined with faith, mindfulness, and immersion,
and enthusiasm and energy.”
At that, the brahmin student,
full of inspiration,
arranged his antelope-skin cloak over one shoulder,
and fell with his head to the Buddha’s feet.
“Good sir, the brahmin Bāvari
together with his pupils,
elated and happy,
bows to your feet, O seer!”
“May the brahmin Bāvari be happy,
together with his pupils.
And may you, too, be happy!
May you live long, young man.
To Bāvari and you all
I grant the opportunity to clear up all doubt.
Please ask
whatever you want.”
Granted the opportunity by the Buddha,
they sat down with joined palms.
Ajita asked the Realized One
the first question right there.
The introductory verses are finished.