The Lion

When you know and understand what is possible and what is not.

When you are able to analyze the cause tree of each fact, reasoning it.

When you know what is skillful, what is not skillful and leads to perdition in practice.

When you understand how reality works.

When you understand the attitudes of people and their causes.

When you know if someone is skillful or not, if he is willing or not, if he wants or not, and you understand the ways in which ignorance has him tied.

When you understand the mechanisms of meditation and its achievements …

If, in addition, you are liberated, you can teach, but only to those who are willing, among a mass of fools who do not understand anything, because ignorance prevents it.

Collection of Medium Length Discourses MN 12. The great discourse on Lion’s Roar

So I’ve heard.

There was a time when the Buddha was staying near Vesāli in a wooded forest behind the city. Now at that time, Sunakkhatta the Licchavi had recently left this teaching and training. He was saying to a crowd in Vesāli: «The ascetic Gotama does not have a superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the nobles.It teaches what has worked by logic, following a line of inquiry, expressing its own perspective. And its teaching leads those who practice it to the complete completion of suffering, the goal for which it is taught. «

Then the venerable Sāriputta dressed in the morning and, taking his bowl and tunic, entered Vesāli by alms. He listened to what Sunakkhatta was saying.

Then he wandered for alms in Vesāli. After the meal, on his return from the alms round, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to the side and told him what had happened.

«Sāriputta, Sunakkhatta, that fool, is angry. His words are spoken out of anger.Thinking that he criticizes the Tathagata, in fact, he simply praises him. Because it is a compliment to the Tathāgata to say: «His teaching leads to those who practice it until the full end of suffering, the goal by which it is taught.»

But there is no way for Sunakkhatta to deduce about me from the teaching: ‘That Blessed One is perfect, a Buddha fully awake, Tathāgata in knowledge and conduct, holy, knowledgeable of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, master of gods. And the humans, awake, blessed.

And there is no way for Sunakkhatta to deduce about me from the teaching: «That Blessed One handles the many types of psychic power: multiply and become one again; appearing and disappearing; go unhindered through a wall, a wall or a mountain as through space; Diving in and out of the earth as if it were water;walking on water as if it were land; flying with legs crossed across the sky like a bird; Touching and caressing with the hand the sun and the moon, so powerful and powerful; controlling the body to the kingdom of Brahmā. «

And there is no way for Sunakkhatta to deduce about me from the teaching: «That Blessed One, with a clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, hears both types of sounds, human and divine, either near or far.»

And there is no way for Sunakkhatta to deduce about me from the teaching: «That Blessed One understands the minds of other beings and individuals, having understood them with his own mind. He understands the mind with greed as «mind with greed,» and the mind without avarice as «mind without avarice.»Understand the mind with hate … mind without hate … mind with delirium … mind without delirium … restricted mind … scattered mind … expansive mind … non-expansive mind … mind that is supreme … mind that is not supreme … mind immersed in samādhi … mind not submerged in samādhi … liberated mind as «liberated mind», and mind not liberated as «liberated mind».

The Tathagata possesses ten powers of a Tathagata. With these he claims the place of the bull, roars the roar of his lion in the assemblies and turns the sacred wheel.That ten

In the first place, the Tathagata really understands the possible as possible, and the impossible as impossible. Since he really understands this, this is a power of the Tathagata. Trusting in this, he claims the place of the bull, roars the roar of his lion in the assemblies and turns the sacred wheel.

In addition, the Tathāgata really understands the outcome of the events in the past, the future and the present in terms of causes and reasons. Since he really understands this, this is a power of the Tathagata …

Furthermore, the Tathāgata really understands where all the paths of practice lead.Since he really understands this, this is a power of the Tathagata …

In addition, the Tathāgata really understands the world with its many and diverse elements. Since he really understands this, this is a power of the Tathagata …

In addition, the Tathagata really understands the different attitudes of sentient beings. Since he really understands this, this is a power of the Tathagata …

In addition, the Tathāgata really understands the faculties of other sentient beings and other individuals after understanding them with their mind. Since he really understands this, this is a power of the Tathagata …

Furthermore, the Tathagata truly understands corruption, cleansing and emergence with regard to absorptions, liberations, immersions and achievements.Since he really understands this, this is a power of the Tathagata …

In addition, the Tathāgata recalls many types of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contract, many eons of the world expand, many eons of the world contract and expand. Remember: «There they called me that, my clan was that, I saw myself like that, and that was my food».That’s how I felt pleasure and pain, and that’s how my life ended. When I died from that place, I was reborn in another place. Here they also called me that, my clan was that, I saw myself like that, and that was my food. That’s how I felt pleasure and pain, and that’s how my life ended. When I died from that place, I was reborn here. « And so he remembers his many types of past lives, with characteristics and details. Since he really understands this, this is a power of the Tathagata …

Furthermore, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, the Tathagata sees sentient beings disappear and be reborn: inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good or bad place. He understands how sentient beings are reborn according to their works. «These loved ones did bad things through body, speech and mind. They spoke badly of the nobles; they had a wrong vision; and they chose to act outside of that wrong view. When your body breaks, after death, you are reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These loved ones, however, did good things through body, speech and mind. They never spoke ill of the nobles; They had the correct view; and they chose to act outside of that correct vision. When their body is broken, after death, they are reborn in a good place, in a celestial kingdom. « And so, with the purified and superhuman clairvoyance, sees the sentient beings disappear and be reborn: inferior and superior, beautiful, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. He understands how sentient beings are reborn according to their works. Since he really understands this, this is a power of the Tathagata …

In addition, the Tathāgata has realized the freedom of heart and freedom without blemish by means of wisdom in this very life, and he lives by having Tathāgata with his own perception due to the end of the impurities. Since he really understands this, this is a power of the Tathagata. Trusting in this, he claims the place of the bull, roars the roar of his lion in the assemblies and turns the sacred wheel.

A Tathagata possesses these ten powers of a Tathagata. With these he claims the place of the bull, roars the roar of his lion in the assemblies and turns the sacred wheel.

When you know and see in this way, suppose someone said this: «The ascetic Gotama does not have a superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the nobles. He teaches what he has worked by logic, following a line of inquiry, expressing his own perspective. « Unless you give up that discourse and that thought, and leave that perspective, you will be thrown into hell. Just as a mendicant fulfilled in ethics, immersion and wisdom would achieve enlightenment in this very life, such is the consequence, I say. Unless you give up that discourse and thought, and put that vision aside, you will be thrown into hell.

Sāriputta, the Tathagata has four types of self-confidence. With these he claims the place of the bull, roars the roar of his lion in the assemblies and turns the sacred wheel. That four

I see no reason for anyone, whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra or Brahmā, or any other person in the world, to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘You say you are wide awake, but you do not understand these things. ‘Since I do not see such a reason, I live safe, bold and secure.

I see no reason for anyone, whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra or Brahmā, or any other person in the world, to legitimately scold me, saying: «You say you have done away with all the impurities, but these impurities are not over « Since I do not see such a reason, I live safe, bold and secure.

I see no reason for anyone, whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra or Brahmā, or anyone else in the world, to legitimately scold me, saying: «Acts that he says are obstructions are not really obstructions to the one who acts « they. ‘Since I do not see such a reason, I live safe, bold and secure.

I see no reason for anyone, whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra or Brahmā, or anyone else in the world, to legitimately scold me, saying: «Teaching does not lead to those who practice it at the full end of suffering. , the goal for which you taught it. ‘Since I do not see such a reason, I live safe, bold and secure.

A Tathāgata has these four types of security in himself. With these he claims the place of the bull, roars the roar of his lion in the assemblies and turns the sacred wheel.

When you know and see in this way, suppose someone said this: ‘The ascetic Gotama does not have a superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the nobles …’ Unless they renounce that speech and that thought, leave that view, they will be thrown to the hell.

Sāriputta, there are these eight assemblies. That eight Assemblies of aristocrats, brahmins, heads of families and ascetics. An assembly of the gods under the Four Great Kings. An assembly of the gods under thirty-three. An assembly of māras. An assembly of Brahmās. These are the eight assemblies. By possessing these four types of self-assurance, the Tathāgata One approaches and enters directly into these eight sets. I remember approaching an assembly of hundreds of aristocrats. There I used to sit with them, talk and participate in discussions. But I do not see any reason to feel fear or insecurity. Since I do not see such a reason, I live safe, bold and secure.

I remember that I had approached an assembly of hundreds of Brahmins … housewives … ascetics … the gods under the Four Great Kings … the gods under thirty-three … Māras … Brahmās. There I also sat with them, talked and participated in discussions. But I do not see any reason to feel fear or insecurity.Since I do not see such a reason, I live safe, bold and secure.

Sāriputta, there are these four types of reproduction. That four Reproduction for creatures born from an egg, from a matrix, from moisture or spontaneously. And what is the reproduction of an egg? There are beings that are born coming out of an eggshell. This is called reproduction of an egg. And what is reproduction from a uterus? There are beings that are born when leaving the amniotic sac. This is called reproduction from a matrix. And what is the reproduction of humidity? There are beings that are born in a rotten fish, in a rotten body, in a rotten mass, in a well or in a sink. This is called moisture reproduction. And what is spontaneous reproduction? Gods, beings from hell, certain humans and certain beings in the lower realms. This is called spontaneous reproduction. These are the four types of reproduction.

There are these five destinations. That five Hell, the animal kingdom, the ghost realm, humanity and the gods. I understand hell, and the path and practice that leads to hell. And I understand how someone who practices that way, when his body breaks, after death, is reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. I understand the animal kingdom … the ghost realm … humanity … gods, and the path and practice that leads to the world of the gods. And I understand how someone who practices in that way, when his body breaks, after death, is reborn in a good place, a celestial kingdom. And I understand extinction, and the path and practice that leads to extinction. And I understand how someone who practices in this way realizes freedom of heart and freedom without blemish through wisdom in this very life, and lives by having it Tathagata with his own perception due to the end of the impurities.

When I have understood the mind of a certain person, I understand: ‘This person is practicing in such a way and has entered such a way that when his body is broken, after death, he will be reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, Underworld, hell. «Then, some time later, I see that they have indeed been reborn in hell, where they experience exclusively painful, acute and severe feelings. Suppose there was a well of glowing coals that was deeper than a man’s height, full of burning coals that neither flamed nor smoked. Then comes a person who struggles with oppressive, tired, thirsty and dry heat. But the road they are on is one way, to the same coal pit.If a person with good eyesight saw them, they would say: «This person is advancing in such a way and has entered such a path that he will reach that well of embers».Then, some time later, they will see that they have In fact, they fell into that coal pit, where they experience exclusively painful, sharp and severe feelings …

When I have understood the mind of a certain person, I understand: ‘This person … will be reborn in the animal kingdom.’ Then, some time later, I see that they have indeed been reborn in the animal kingdom, where they experience painful, sharp and severe feelings. Suppose there was a sewer deeper than a man’s height, filled to the brim with feces. Then comes a person who struggles with oppressive, tired, thirsty and dry heat. But the road they are on is in one direction, to that same sewer. If a person with good eyesight saw them, they would say: «This person is advancing in such a way and has entered such a path that he will reach that same culvert». Then, some time later, they will see that they have actually fallen. in that sewer, where they experience painful, acute and severe feelings …

When I have understood the mind of a certain person, I understand: ‘This person … will be reborn in the realm of ghosts’. Then, some time later, I see that they have indeed been reborn in the realm of ghosts, where they experience many painful situations. feelings. Suppose there was a tree that grew on rugged terrain, with a thin foliage with speckled shade. Then comes a person who struggles with oppressive, tired, thirsty and dry heat. But the path they travel is only in one direction, towards that same tree. If a person with good eyesight saw them, they would say: «This person is advancing in such a way and has entered such a path that he will reach that same tree». Then, some time later, you will see them sitting or lying underneath. That tree, where they experience many painful feelings …

When I have understood the mind of a certain person, I understand: «This person … will be reborn among human beings». Then, some time later, I see that they have indeed been reborn among human beings, where they experience many pleasant feelings. Let us suppose that there is a tree that grows on smooth ground, with abundant foliage that casts a dense shade. Then comes a person who struggles with oppressive, tired, thirsty and dry heat. But the path they travel is only in one direction, towards that same tree. If a person with good eyesight saw them, they would say: «This person is advancing in such a way and has entered such a path that he will reach that same tree». Then, some time later, you will see them sitting or lying underneath. That tree, where they experience many pleasant feelings …

When I have understood the mind of a certain person, I understand: ‘This person … will be reborn in a good place, a celestial kingdom’. Then, some time later, I see that they have indeed been reborn in a celestial kingdom, where they experience exclusively pleasant feelings. Suppose there was a long house on stilts with a roof in the shape of a peak, plastered inside and out, without drafts, with closed closures and closed windows. And it had an extended sofa with wool covers (stacked, pure white or flower embroidery) and spread with a fine deerskin, with an upper canopy and red pillows at both ends. Then comes a person who struggles with oppressive, tired, thirsty and dry heat. But the road they are on is in one direction, towards that same stilt house. If a person with good eyesight saw them, they would say: «This person is advancing in such a way and has entered such a way that he will arrive at that stilt house very long». Then, some time later, you will see them sitting or lying down. in that stilt of a communal house, where they experience exclusively pleasant sensations …

When I have understood the mind of a certain person, I understand: ‘This person is practicing in such a way and has entered such a way that he will realize the freedom of heart and freedom without blemish through the wisdom in this very life and will live having realized with his own perception due to the end of the impurities. ‘Then, some time later, I realize that indeed they have realized the freedom of heart and freedom without blemish with wisdom in this very life, and I live by having it Tathagata with its own due perception At the end of the contaminations, experiencing feelings exclusively pleasant. Let’s suppose there was a lotus pond with clear water, sweet, fresh, clean, with smooth edges, lovely. And there was a dark forest nearby. Then comes a person who struggles with oppressive, tired, thirsty and dry heat. But the road they travel is only in one direction, towards that same lotus pond. If a person with good eyesight saw them, they would say: «This person is advancing in such a way and has entered such a path that he will reach that lotus pond». Then, some time later, they would see it. They had dived in that lotus pond, bathed and drunk. When all their stress, tiredness and heat exhaustion faded, they emerged and sat or lay down in that thick forest, where they experienced exclusively pleasant feelings. In the same way, when I have understood the mind of a person, I understand: «This person is practicing in such a way and has entered such a way that he will realize the freedom of heart and freedom without blemish through wisdom in this same sense. life, and alive having realized it with its own perception due to the end of the impurities. ‘ Then, some time later, I see that indeed they have realized the freedom of heart and freedom without blemish by means of wisdom in this very life, and I live by having it Tathagata with Its own perception due to the end of the impurities, experiencing feelings exclusively pleasant. These are the five destinations.

Sāriputta, I remember having practiced a spiritual path consisting of four factors.It used to be a self-defeating, the last self-mortifying. I used to live in the rough, the liver in the final brute. I used to live with disgust for sin, the last one who lives with disgust for sin. He used to be isolated, in maximum seclusion. And that’s how my self-mortification was. I undressed, ignoring the conventions. I licked my hands and did not come or stop when they asked me. I did not accept the food that was brought to me, nor the food prepared especially for me, nor an invitation for a meal. I did not receive anything from a pot or bowl; or someone who has sheep, or who has a gun or shovel in his house; or where a couple is eating; or where there is a woman who is pregnant, breastfeeding or who has a man in her house; or where food is advertised for distribution; or where there is a dog waiting or flies buzzing.I did not accept fish, meat, liquor, wine, or beer. I went to a house for alms, taking just one bite, or two houses and two bites, up to seven houses and seven bites. I fed on a dish a day, t