Digha Nikaya - Maha Sudassana Sutta

Maha Sudassana Sutta

Once the Lord was staying at Kusinara in the Mallas' sal-grove shortly before
his final Nibbana between the twin sal-trees.
The Venerable Ananda came to the Lord, saluted him, sat down to one side and
said: "Lord, may the Blessed Lord not pass away in this miserable little town of
wattle-and-daub, right in the jungle in the back of beyond! Lord, there are
other great cities such as Campa, Rajagaha, Savatthi, Saketa, Kosambi or
Varanasi. In those places there are wealthy Khattiyas, Brahmins and householders
who are devoted to the Tathagatha and they will provide for the Tathagatha's
funeral in proper style."
"Ananda, don't call it a miserable little town of wattle-and-daub, right in the
jungle in the back of beyond! Once upon a time, Ananda, King Mahasudassana was a
wheel-turning monarch, a rightful and righteous king, who had conquered the land
in four directions and ensured the security of his realm. And this King
Mahasudassana had this very Kusinara, under the name of Kusavati, for his
capital. And it was twelve yojanas long from east to west, and seven yojanas
wide from north to south. Kusavati was rich, prosperous and well-populated,
crowded with people and well-stocked with food. Just as the deva-city of
Alakamanda is rich..., so was the royal city of Kusavati. And the city of
Kusavati was never free of ten sounds by day or night: the sound of elephants,
horses, carriages, kettle-drums, side-drums, lutes, singing, cymbals and gongs,
with cries of 'Eat, drink and be merry' as tenth.
"The royal city of Kusavati was surrounded by seven encircling walls. One was of
gold, one silver, one beryl, one crystal, one ruby, one emerald, and one of all
sorts of gems.
"Kusavati was surrounded by seven rows of palm-trees, of the same materials. The
gold trees had gold trunks with silver leaves and fruit, the silver trees had
silver trunks with gold leaves and fruit. The beryl had beryl trunks with
crystal leaves and fruit, the crystal trees had crystal trunks with beryl leaves
and fruit. The ruby trees had ruby trunks and emerald leaves and fruit, the
emerald trees had emerald trunks and ruby leaves and fruit, while the trees of
all sorts of gems were the same as regards trunks, leaves and fruit. The sound
of the leaves stirred by the wind was lovely, delightful, sweet and
intoxicating, just like that of the five kinds of musical instruments played in
concert by well-trained and skillful players. And, Ananda, those who were
libertines and drunkards in Kusavati had their desires assuaged by the sound of
the leaves in the wind.
"King Mahasudassana was endowed with the seven treasures and the four
properties. What are the seven? Once, on a fast-day, the divine Wheel-Treasure
appeared to him, thousand-spoked, complete with felloe, hub and all
appurtenances. On seeing it, King Mahasudassana thought: 'I have heard that when
a duly anointed Khattiya kings sees such a wheel on the fast-day of the
fifteenth, he will become a wheel-turning monarch. May I become such a monarch!'

"Then, rising from his seat, covering one shoulder with his robe, the King took
a gold vessel in his left hand, sprinkled the Wheel with his right hand, and
said: 'May the noble Wheel-Treasure turn, may the noble Wheel-Treasure conquer!'
The Wheel turned to the East, and King Mahasudassana followed it with his
fourfold army. And in whatever country the Wheel stopped, the King took up
residence with his fourfold army.
"And, those kings who faces him in the eastern region came and said: 'Come, Your
Majesty, welcome! We are yours, Your Majesty. Rule us, Your Majesty!' And the
King said: 'Do not take life. Do not take what is not given. Do not commit
sexual misconduct. Do not tell lies. Do not drink strong drink. Be moderate in
eating.' And those who had faced him in the eastern region became his subjects.
"And when the Wheel had plunged into the eastern sea, it emerged and turned
south, and King Mahasudassana followed it with his fourfold army. And those
Kings...became his subjects. Having plunged into the southern sea it turned
west..., having plunged into the western sea it turned north, and King
Mahasudassana followed it with his fourfold army...and those who had faced him
in the northern region became his subjects.
"Then the Wheel-Treasure, having conquered the lands from sea to sea, returned
to the royal capital of Kusavati and stopped before the King's palace as he was
trying a case, as if to adorn the royal palace. And this is how the
Wheel-Treasure appeared to King Mahasudassana.
"Then the Elephant-Treasure appeared to King Mahasudassana, pure white, of
sevenfold strength, with the wonderful power of traveling through the air, a
royal tusker called Uposatha. Seeing him, the King thought: 'What a wonderful
riding-elephant, if only he could be brought under control!' And this
Elephant-Treasure submitted to control just like a thoroughbred that had been
trained for a long time. And once the King, to try him, mounted the
Elephant-Treasure at crack of dawn and rode him from sea to sea, returning to
Kusavati in time for breakfast. And that is how the Elephant-Treasure appeared
to King Mahasudassana.
"Then the Horse-Treasure appeared to King Mahasudassana, with a crow's head,
dark-maned, with the wondrous power of traveling through the air, a royal
stallion called Valahaka. And the King thought: 'What a wonderful mount, if only
he could be brought under control!' And this Horse-Treasure submitted to control
just like a thoroughbred that had been trained for a long time...And that is how
the Horse-Treasure appeared to King Mahasudassana.
"Then the Jewel-Treasure appeared to King Mahasudassana. It was beryl, pure,
excellent, well-cut into eight facets, clear, bright, unflawed, perfect in every
respect. The luster of this Jewel-Treasure radiated for an entire yojana round
about. And once the King, to try it, went on night-maneuvers on a dark night
with his four-fold army, with the Jewel-Treasure fixed to the top of his
standard. And all who lived in the villages round about started their daily
work, thinking it was daylight. And that is how the Jewel-Treasure appeared to
King Mahasudassana.
"Then the Woman-Treasure appeared to King Mahasudassana, lovely, fair to see,
charming, with a lotus-like complexion, not too tall or too short, not too thin
or too fat, not too dark or too fair, of more than human, deva-like beauty. And
the touch of the skin of the Woman-Treasure was like cotton or silk, and her
limbs were cool when it was hot, and warm when it was cold. Her body smelt of
sandal-wood and her lips of lotus. This Woman-Treasure rose before the King and
retired later, and was always willing to do his pleasure, and she was pleasant
of speech. And this Woman-Treasure was not unfaithful to the King even in
thought, much less in deed. And that is how the Woman-Treasure appeared to King
Mahasudassana.
"Then the Householder-Treasure appeared to King Mahasudassana. With the divine
eye which, as the result of kamma, he possessed, he saw where treasure, owned
and ownerless, was hidden. He came to the King and said: 'Have no fear, Your
Majesty, I will look after your wealth properly.' And once, the King, to try
him, went on board a ship and had taken to the current in the middle of the
Ganges. Then he said to the Householder-Treasure: 'Householder, I want some gold
coin!' 'Well then, Sire, let the ship be brought to one bank.' 'I want the gold
coins here!' Then the householder touched the water with both hands and drew out
a vessel full of gold coins, saying: 'Is that enough, Sire? Will that do, Sire?'
and the King said: 'That is enough, householder, that will do, you have served
me enough.' And that is how the Householder-Treasurer appeared to King
Mahasudassana.
"Then the Counselor-Treasure appeared to King Mahasudassana. He was wise,
experienced, clever and competent to advise the King on how to proceed with what
should be proceeded with, and to withdraw from what should be withdrawn from,
and to overlook what should be overlooked. He came to the King and said: 'Have
no fear, Your Majesty, I shall advise you.' And that is how the
Counselor-Treasure appeared to King Mahasudassana, and how he was equipped with
all the seven treasures.
"Again, Ananda, King Mahasudassana was endowed with the four properties. What
are they? Firstly, the King was handsome, good to look at, pleasing, with a
complexion like the finest lotus, surpassing other men.
"Secondly, he was long-lived, outliving other men.
"Thirdly, he was free from illness, free from sickness, with a healthy
digestion, less subject to cold and heat than that of other men.
"Fourthly, he was beloved and popular with Brahmins and householders. Just as a
father is beloved by his children, so he was with Brahmins and householders. And
they were beloved by the King as children are beloved by their father. Once the
King set out for the pleasure-park with his fourfold army, and the Brahmins and
householders came to him and said: 'Pass slowly by, Sire, that we may see you as
long as possible!' And the King said to the charioteer: 'Drive the chariot
slowly so that I can see these Brahmins and householders as long as possible.'
Thus King Mahasudassana was endowed with these four properties.
"Then King Mahasudassana thought: "Suppose I were to construct lotus-ponds
between the palm-trees, a hundred bow-lengths apart.' And he did so. The
lotus-ponds were lined with four-colored tiles, gold, silver, beryl, and
crystal, each pond being approached by four staircases, one gold, one silver,
one beryl and one crystal. And the gold staircase had gold posts with silver
railings and banisters, and so on. And the lotus-ponds were provided with two
kinds of parapet, gold and silver--the gold parapets having gold posts, silver
railings and banisters, and the silver parapets having silver posts, gold
railings and banisters.
"Then the King thought: "Suppose I were to provide each pond with suitable
flowers for garlands--blue, yellow, red and white lotuses which will last
thought all seasons without fading?' And he did so. Then he thought: 'Suppose I
were to place bathmen on the banks of these ponds, to bathe those who come
there?' And he did so. Then he thought: 'Suppose I were to establish charitable
posts on the banks of these ponds, so that those who want food can get it, those
who want drink can get it, those who want clothes can get it, those who want
transport can get it, those who want a sleeping-place can get it, those who want
a wife can get one, and those who want gold coin can get it?' And he did so.
"Then the Brahmins and householders took great wealth and went to the King,
saying: 'Sire, here is wealth that we have gathered together especially for Your
Majesty, please accept it!' 'Thank you, friends, but I have enough wealth from
legitimate revenues. Let this be yours, and take away more besides!' Being thus
refused by the King, they withdrew to one side and considered: 'It would not be
right for us to take this wealth back home again. Suppose we were to build a
dwelling for King Mahasudassana.' So they went to the King and said: 'Sire, we
would build you a dwelling', and the King accepted by silence.
"Then Sakka, ruler of the gods, knowing in his mind King Mahasudassana's
thought, said to the attendant-deva Vissakamma: 'Come, friend Vissakama, and
build a dwelling for King Mahasudassana, a palace called Dhamma.' 'Very good,
Lord', Vissakamma replied and, as swiftly as a strong man might stretch his
flexed arm or flex it again, he at once vanished from the Heaven of the
Thirty-Three and appeared before King Mahasudassana, and said to him: 'Sire, I
shall build you a dwelling, a palace called Dhamma.' The King assented by
silence, and Vissakamma build him the Palace of Dhamma.
"The Palace of Dhamma, Ananda, was a yojana in length from east to west, and
half a yojana wide from north to south. The whole palace was faced up to three
times a man's height with tiles of four colors, gold, silver, beryl, and
crystal, and it contained eighty-four thousand columns of the same four colors.
It had twenty-four staircases of the same four colors, and the gold staircases
had gold posts with silver railings and banisters...It also had eighty-four
thousand chambers of the same colors. In the gold chamber was a silver couch, in
the silver chamber a gold couch, in the beryl chamber an ivory couch, and in the
crystal chamber a sandal-wood couch. On the door of the gold chamber a silver
palm-tree was figured, with silver stem, gold leaves and fruit...On the door of
the silver chamber a golden palm-tree was figured, with golden trunk, leaves and
fruit, on the door beryl chamber a crystal palm-tree was figured, with crystal
trunk and beryl leaves and fruit, on the door of the crystal chamber a beryl
palm-tree was figured, with crystal leaves and fruit.
"Then the King thought: 'Suppose I were to make a grove of palm-trees all of
gold by the door of the great gabled chamber where I sit in the daytime?' and he
did so.
"Surrounding the Dhamma Palace were two parapets, one of gold, one of silver.
The gold one had gold posts, silver railings and banisters, and the silver one
had silver posts, gold railings and banisters.
"The Dhamma Palace was surrounded by two nets of tinkling bells. One net was
gold with silver bells, the other silver with gold bells. And when these nets of
bells were stirred by the wind their sound was lovely, delightful, sweet and
intoxicating, just like that of the five kinds of musical instruments played in
concert by well-trained and skillful players. And those who were libertines and
drunkards in Kusavati had their desires assuaged by the sound of those nets of
bells.
"And when the Dhamma Palace was finished, it was had to look at, dazzling to the
eyes, just as in the last month of the Rains, in autumn, when there is a clear
and cloudless sky, the sun breaking thorough the mists is hard to look at, so
was the Dhamma Palace when it was finished.
"Then the King thought: 'Suppose I were to make a lotus-lake called Dhamma in
front of the Dhamma Palace?' so he did so. This lake was a yojana long from eat
to west, and half a yojana wide from north to south, and lined with four kings
of tiles, gold, silver, beryl and crystal. There were twenty-four staircases to
it of four different kinds: gold, silver, beryl and crystal. The gold staircases
had gold posts with silver railings and banisters, the silver had gold railings
and banisters...
"Then Dhamma Lake was surrounded by seven kinds of palm-trees. The sound of the
leaves stirred by the wind was lovely, delightful, sweet and intoxicating, just
like that of the five kinds of musical instruments played in concert by
well-trained and skillful players. And, Ananda, those who were libertines and
drunkards in Kusavati had their desires assuaged by the sound of the leaves in
the wind.
"When the Dhamma Palace and the Dhamma Lake were finished, King Mahasudassana,
having satisfied every wish of those who at the time were ascetics or Brahmins,
or revered as such, ascended into the Dhamma Palace.
"Then, King Mahasudassana thought: 'Of what kamma is it the fruit, of what kamma
is it the result, that I am now so mighty and powerful?' Then he thought: 'It is
the fruit, the result of three kinds of kamma: of giving, self-control, and
abstinence.'
"Then the King went to the great gabled chamber and, standing at the door,
exclaimed: 'May the thought of lust cease! May the thought of ill-will cease!
May the thought of cruelty cease! Thus far and no further the thought if lust,
of ill-will, of cruelty!'
"Then the King went into the great gabled chamber, sat down cross-legged on the
golden couch, and detached from all sense-desires, detached from unwholesome
mental states, entered and remained in the first jhana, which is with thinking
and pondering, born of detachment, filled with delight and joy. And with the
subsiding and oneness of mind, he entered and remained in the second jhana,
which is without thinking and pondering, born of concentration, filled with
delight and joy. And with the fading away of delight, remaining imperturbable,
mindful and clearly aware, he experienced in himself that joy of which the
Noble-Ones say: 'Happy is he who dwells with equanimity and mindfulness', he
entered and remained in the third jhana. And, having given up pleasure and pain,
and with the disappearance of former gladness and sadness, he entered and
remained in the fourth jhana which is beyond pleasure and pain, and purified by
equanimity and mindfulness.
"Then the King, emerging from the great gabled chamber, went to the golden
gabled chamber and, seated crosslegged on the silver couch, stayed pervading
first one quarter, then the second, the third and the fourth quarter with a mind
filled with loving-kindness. Thus he stayed, spreading the thought of
loving-kindness above, below and across, everywhere, always with a mind filled
with loving-kindness, abundant, magnified, unbounded, without hatred or
ill-will. And he did likewise with compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
"Of King Mahasudassana's eighty-four thousand cities, his capital Kusavati was
the chief; of his eighty-four thousand palaces Dhamma was the chief; of his
eighty-four thousand gabled halls the great gabled chamber was the chief; his
eighty-four thousand couches were of gold, silver, ivory, sandal-wood, covered
with fleece, wool, spread with kadali-deer hide, with head-covers, with red
cushions at both ends; of his eighty-four thousand elephants adorned with gold
ornaments, with gold banners and spread with gold nets, Uposatha the royal
tusker was chief; of his eighty-four thousand carriages, covered with
lion-skins, tiger-skins, leopard-skins or with orange-colored cloth, adorned
with gold ornaments, gold banners and spread with gold nets, the chariot
Vejayanta was the chief; of his eighty-four thousand wives Queen Subhadda was
the chief; of his eighty-four thousand householders the Householder-Treasure was
the chief; of his eighty-four thousand Khattiya retainers the Counselor-Treasure
was the chief; his eighty-four thousand cows had tethers of fine jute and
milk-pails of silver; his eighty-four thousand bales of clothing were of the
finest linen, cotton, silk and wool; his eighty-four thousand rice-offerings
were there for the taking by those in need, evening and morning.
"And at the time, King Mahasudassana's eighty-four thousand elephants waited on
him evening and morning. And he thought: 'These eighty-four thousand elephants
wait on me evening and morning. How if, at the end of each century, forty-two
thousand elephants were to wait on me, turn and turn about?' And he gave
instructions accordingly to his Counselor-Treasure, and it was done.
"And, Ananda, after many hundred, many hundred thousand years, Queen Subhadda
thought: 'It is a long time since I saw King Mahasudassana. Suppose I were to go
and see him?' So she said to her women: 'Come now, wash your heads and put on
clean clothes. It is long since we saw King Mahasudassana. We shall go see him.'
'Yes, Your Majesty', they said, and prepared themselves as ordered, then
returned to the Queen. And Queen Subhadda said to the Counselor-Treasure:
'Friend Counselor, draw up the fourfold army. It is long since we saw King
Mahasudassana. We shall go and see him.' 'Very good, Your Majesty', said the
Counselor-Treasure and, having drawn up the fourfold army, he reported to the
Queen: 'Now is the time to do as Your Majesty wishes.'
"Then Queen Subhadda went with the fourfold army and her womenfolk to the Dhamma
Palace and, entering, went to the great gabled chamber and stood leaning against
the door-post. And King Mahasudassana, thinking: 'What is this great noise, as
of a crowd of people?' came out of the door and saw Queen Subhadda leaning
against the door-post. And he said: 'Stay there, Queen! Do not enter!'
"Then King Mahasudassana said to a certain man: 'Here, fellow, go to the great
gabled chamber, bring the gold couch out and lay it down along the gold
palm-trees.' 'Very good, Sire,' said the man, and did so. Then King
Mahasudassana adopted the lion-posture on his right side with one foot on the
other, mindful and clearly aware.
"Then Queen Subhadda thought: 'King Mahasudassana's faculties are purified, his
complexion is clear and bright, oh--I hope he is not dead!' So she said to him:
'Sire, of your eighty-four thousand cities, Kusavati is the chief. Make a wish,
arouse the desire to live there!' Thus, reminding him of all his royal
possessions she exhorted him to wish to stay alive.
"At this, King Mahasudassana said to the Queen: 'For a long time, Queen, you
spoke pleasing, delightful, attractive words to me, but now at this last time
your words have been unpleasing, undelightful, unattractive to me.' 'Sire, how
then am I to speak to you?'
"'This is how you should speak: 'All things that are pleasing and attractive are
liable to change, to vanish, to become otherwise. Do not, Sire, die filled with
longing. To die filled with longing is painful and blameworthy. Of your
eighty-four thousand cities, Kusavati is the chief: abandon desire, abandon the
longing to live with them...Of your eighty-four thousand palaces, Dhamma is the
chief: abandon desire, abandon the longing to live there...'
"At this, Queen Subhadda cried out and burst into tears. Then, wiping away her
tears, she said: 'Sire, all things that are pleasing and attractive are liable
to change...Do not, Sire, die filled with longing...'
"Soon after this, King Mahasudassana died; and just as a householder or his son
might feel drowsy after a good meal, so he felt the sensation of passing away,
and he had a favorable rebirth in the Brahma-world.
"King Mahasudassana indulged in boyish sports for eighty-four thousand years,
for eighty-four thousand years he exercised the viceroyalty, for eighty-four
thousand years he ruled as King, and for eighty-four thousand years, as a
layman, he loved the holy life in the Dhamma Palace. And, having practiced the
four divine abidings, at the breaking-up of the body he was reborn in the
Brahma-world.
"Now, Ananda, you might think King Mahasudassana at that time was somebody else.
But you should not regard it so, for I was King Mahasudassana then. Those
eighty-four thousand cities of which Kusavati was the chief were mine,...the
eighty-four thousand rice-offerings...were mine.
"And of those eighty-four thousand cities I dwelt in just one, Kusavati,...of
the eighty-four thousand wives I had, just one looked after me, and she was
called Khattiyani or Velamikani; of the eighty-four thousand bales of cloth I
had just one...; of the eighty-four thousand rice offerings there was just one
measure of choice curry that I ate.
"See, Ananda, how all those conditional states of the past have vanished and
changed! Thus, Ananda, conditional states are impermanent, they are unstable,
they can bring us no comfort, and such being the case, Ananda, we should not
rejoice in conditioned states, we should cease to take an interest in them, and
be liberated from them.
"Six times, Ananda, I recall discarding the body in this place, and at the
seventh time I discarded it as a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king who had
conquered the four quarters and established a firm rule, and who possessed the
seven treasures. But, Ananda, I do not see any place in this world with its
devas and maras and Brahmas, or in this generation with its ascetics and
Brahmins, princes and people, where the Tathagata will for an eighth time
discard the body."
So the Lord spoke. The Well-Farer having said this, the teacher said:
"Impermanent are compounded things, prone to rise And fall, Having risen,
they're destroyed, their passing truest Bliss."