Janavasabha Sutta (DN18) : Brahmā Addressed Devas

K.Wong

Purport

Introduction

When Gotama Buddha was staying in Nādikā, the Lord perceived and declared the destinies and fates of his dead devotees  who had taken refuge in  the Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha  while they were  alive in Nādikā. Their respective destinations  of rebirth were known and seen by the personal superknowledge (abhiññā) of  clairvoyant vision of Gotama Buddha. Through his meditative supernormal power, the Exalted One knew and saw  that  a large number of them had become either stream-winners, once–returners, never-returners,  Arahants or devas. The Exalted One reported that more than fifty Nādikan late devotees had obtained rebirths as non-returners (third stage sainthood), more than ninety had become once-returners (second stage) and more than five hundred had been reborn as stream-winners (first stage). Hearing the report of the Lord, the living devotes of Nādikā  were jubilant. The incident occurred shortly before the parinibbāna of the Lord in Kusinārā.

The above story is not a fabricated legend to artificially inflate faith in the Buddha’s teaching. The aforementioned Janavasabha Sutta (DN18) was compiled into Buddhist Suttapițaka by  large group of 500 Arahants (fourth stage) during the first Buddhist Council soon after the parinibbāna of Gotama Buddha in the 6th century B.C.E in India.

An Arahant always speaks the truth. Whoever does not speak the truth cannot become an Arahant. The above narration in the Sutta is significant in two aspects. Firstly, the doctrine of Kamma and Rebirth are expounded by Gotama Buddha from his direct experience of supernormal knowledge of arising and ceasing of sentient beings. Secondly, that Gotama Buddha’s preaching of Dhamma was highly effective and productive  during his time. He produced many diverge levels of Buddhist saints and devas. Saints are arisen from liberative knowledge of wisdom. Devas are produced from adherence to the Ten Good Precepts or the Ten Wholesome Course of Actions (Dasasīlas).

Gotama Buddha’s position must not be misinterpreted and mispresented. The Lord admonishes all Buddhist disciples or adherents  to take refuge only in the Buddhist saints but not in the devas. Nevertheless, devas are worth venerated and emulated because they are exemplarily virtuous as far as their adherence to the Ten Good Precepts are concerned. However, their wisdom has not yet been consummated . Therefore, human beings are not encouraged to take refuge in the devas according to the Gotama Buddha’s teaching. Every Buddhist must take refuge only the Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha. Eventually, all human beings must take refuge in their own inner Heart in which the Buddha-nature dwells. The Original Nature of all sentient beings is Buddha-nature.

It is important also to understand Gotama Buddha’s attitude towards the public display of supernatural or psychic powers by his Buddhist disciples. If the psychic powers of the monastic members are displayed to entertain the public, the Buddhist Vinaya discourages the Saṅgha members  to do so. If the psychic powers displayed help promote and foster Dhamma propagation, their actions of noble intention to diffuse the Dhamma are not an offence. However, the display of psychic powers in public is not encouraged by the Buddhist Vinaya. The key role of any Buddhist preacher especially  monks or  nuns is to instruct the audience or students to learn the true Dhamma to improve their morality and develop their wisdom. The development of the supernormal knowledge of the psychic power is not encouraged as it fosters the emergence of self-centric ego. Furthermore, such conduct  impedes gnosis and liberation.  The sole function of Buddhism is to bring forth the good nature (sudhammatā) of Man to benefit oneself and others through moral restraint, benevolent lovingkindness (mettā) and altruistic compassion (karuṇ̣ā).

Destinies of Magadha Devotees

Having heard about the Master’s report  about the destinies and fates of late  Nādikan Buddhist devotees, Ānanda was jubilantly excited too. He requested the Lord to perceive by clairvoyant vision and declare the destinies and fates of  those devotees who had lived and passed away in Magadha.  For instance, the living devotees of Magadha would like to know the destiny and fate of the former King Bimbisāra who was righteous and lawful.

The Lord applied his supernormal knowledge of  clairvoyance and perceived that King Bimbisāra was reborn as the ruler of devas . In the heavenly world, he was named  Deva Janavasabha  who related the  event of the great assembly of devas to the Lord. The divine assembly or congregation  of devas was attended by those devas from the world of Thirty-three gods and the world of Four Great Kings. In that assembly, the ruler of the devas, Sakka praised  those new coming and outstanding devas who were the former disciples of the Gotama Buddha  in their previous lives on earth. Owing to the holy life led under the Lord on earth, they were well trained in the Dhamma on earth thus becoming outstanding devas  reborn then in the various heavenly worlds of devas.

Subsequently, Brahmā Sanankumāra, one of the sons of the Great Brahmā from the Brahmāworld came to attend the assembly. He manifested  and appeared before the assembly in the form of Pañcasikha  because all devas liked Pañcasikha. As soon as Brahmā Sanankumāra appeared, he addressed the assembly thus :

 The new coming devas outshone many other devas in fame and splendour
because these devas were previously well trained by the Lord Buddha on
earth. They were reborn in the 6 realms of devas as follows:-

1. Realm of Parinimmita-vasavatti devas
2. Realm of Nimmānaratti devas
3. Realm of Tusita devas
4. Realm of Yāma devas
5. Realm of Thirtry Three devas
6. Realm of the Four Great Kings
   [or at least as their attendants called gandhabbas]

Four Gateways to Bliss

Brahmā Sanankumā̄ra continued to address the assembly of devas. He  told them that the Lord Buddha has proclaimed three gateways to bliss.They are :-

1. Dissociation from selfish  desires and  unwholesome  conditions
2. Appeasement of dispositions or volitions
3. Abandonment of  ignorance  and attainment of wisdom

These were the three ways declared by Gotama  Buddha in order to produce lasting happiness of equanimity. Dissociation from selfish desires is abandonment of desires directed and empowered by self-centric ego. It ought to be displaced with pure mind of selfless desires. Generous giving or charity (performance of dāna) is an exemplary example of pure mind. Unwholesome conditions can be dissociated by not transgressing the Five Precepts  (Pañcasīlas) or Ten Good Precepts (Dasasīlas) .

The appeasement of dispositions or volitions can only be achieved by the complete annihilation of self-centric ego. The complete aannihilation of self-centric ego is attained by the right mindfulness (sammā sati) of  non-grasping (anupādāna) upon the five aggregates (pañcakkhandhā) as this is I; this is mine ; this belongs to me. Wisdom (paññā) is light; ignorance (avijjā) is darkness (tama).

Wisdom is developed from the  intuitive discernment of the ultimate Truth of Three Universal Characteristics (Tilakkhaṇas)  of Existence. The Three Universal Characteristics are Impermanence (Anicca), Suffering (Dukkha) and Insubstantiality (Anattā). They are not to be comprehended intellectually or conventionally but intuitively as the ultimate Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity of Non-duality – the cosmic Unity. The insightful Truth penetration must be consummated with the intuitive discernment of the Four Noble Truth.

Four Foundation of Mindfulness

Brahmā Sanankumāra continued his address to the deva assembly telling them that the Lord Buddha had also declared the doctrine of Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Cattāri Satipațțhāna). They are briefly elaborated as follows:-

1. Mindfulness of the Body
2. Mindfulness of Feelings
3. Mindfulness of thoughts
4. Mindfulness of mind-objects [forms/phenomena]

Mindfulness of body is abiding of the yogi comtemplating the body as body earnestly, mindfully, and clearly aware between grasping and non-grasping and thus attaining perfect concentration and serenity of equanimity. The mind abides on the body without grasping , that is without any notion of this is I; this is Mine ; this belongs to me. Such right mindfulness and clear awareness have a soteriological significance. They annihilate the false notion of self-centric ego shepherding the mind directly towards  the inner Heart of Nibbāna.

The grasping self is false self which is attā ; the non-grasping self is true Self which is Anattā. Anattā is the state in which the illusively superimposed self-centric ego ha been obliterated. Anattā is the wisdom of knowing the Insubstantiality of the five aggregates  as this is not I; this is not mine ‘ this does not belong to me. Non-grasping purifies the mind. Non-grasping is completely letting go the self-centric ego. Abandoning the centric ego is the purifying spirit of Anattā.

Mindfulness of feelings is the abiding of the yogi contemplating the feelings as feelings earnestly, mindfully and clearly aware and thus attaining perfect concentration and serenity of equanimity. Thus, the notion of I or Mine has been effaced .

Mindfulness of thoughts is the abiding of the yogi contemplating the thoughts  as  thoughts earnestly, mindfully and clearly aware and thus attaining perfect concentration and serenity of equanimity. Perfect equanimity leads to complete appeasement of dispositions or volitions. The complete appeasement of dispositions or volitions is Nibbāna .

Mindfulness of mind-objects or objects of perception is the abiding of the yogi contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects earnestly, mindfully and clearly aware and thus attaining perfect concentration and serenity of equanimity. Equanimity pacifies the mind so that one is morally restrained and the transgression of precepts is averted. Most importantly, all wholesome actions through the body, speech and mind are not directed and empowered by self-centric ego. In other words, all wholesome actions are executed skillfully or adeptly in the spirit of genenous giving or charity without a selfish motive .

Seven Requisites

Next, Brahm̄ā  Sanankumāra proceeded to address the assembly on the doctrine of the seven requisites of   concentration (samādhi) which is the Noble Eight Fold Path. The Lord Buddha had declared the seven requisites of concentration as follows:-

1. Right View
2. “Thought
3. “Speech
4. “ Action
5. “ Livelihood
6. “ Efforts
7. “ Mindfulness

When these first seven aggregates  are consummated by right view of Insubstantial ontology of dynamic process becoming, there exists neither attachment to the favourable conditions nor aversion towards the diverse conditions of life . These seven consummated aggregates of the Nobel Eight Fold Path  consummates the Right Concentration (Sammā Samādhi) of the Noble Eight Fold Path. This consummated Right Concentration is the pure, infinite concentration of an Arahant.

Outstanding Results

Brahmā Sanankumara announced to the devas that there were 2,400 Magadha followers of the Lord Buddha. They  had either become  stream winners or once returners. Obviously, the results of Gotama Buddha’s ministry were immensely outstanding and impressive. In our modern world today, the production of devas, once returners, never-retruners and Arahants are hard to come by.  Consequently, Brahmā Sanankumāra exclaimed  that it was indeed marvelous and wonderful that such a glorious teacher had arisen to proclaim the Dhamma for the benefits of both the devas and the humans.

Good News Related

Deva Janavasabha attended the assembly and heard what Brahmā Sanankumāra had addressed  the devas. He related the incident to the Lord who perceived him through clairvoyant vision. The Lord related it to Ānanda who in turn related it to the monks, nuns, male and female devotees.  The devotees were delighted and rejoiced at the news brought by Ānanda from the Lord.

Conclusion

The Dhamma education and training to produce devas, stream-winners, once-returners, never-returners and Arahants from devas and human beings  are to be perceived  educationally and ethically   as the fruitful generation of sentient beings of high moral values and Truth-discerning wisdom. Those born as devas in the heavenly world will be reborn and will return in the cycle of death and birth to serve the terrestrial world of human beings as first class human capital in the future.

The King of devas, Sakka, who visited Gotama Buddha on earth,  praised Gotama Buddha for his excellent transformative  training efforts to edify the devas who previously lived on the earth as human beings. Nibbāna (complete Peace of mind)  or Vimutti  (Liberation or Freedom) should be correctly conceived as the production of Perfect Men (Arahants)  in wisdom and ethics. Nibbāna or Vimutti is complete freedom from committing  evils and a burning selfless desire to promote and foster the  highest good  of life because the mind is totally purged of the self-centric ego. What is left in a Perfect Man or an Arahant  is liberative and non-discriminative wisdom of Anattā or emptiness of attā directed and empowered by illusory self-centric ego.