Brahmajāla Sutta

The Discourse on Brahma's Net

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Translated by Max Makki


The Ending of the Round

"Monks, when a monk understands the reality of the senses, their origin, their cessation, their satisfaction, non-satisfaction, and how to escape them, then he understands what transcends them.

Monks, the net of sixty-two grids entraps those recluses and Brahmans who theorize about the past and future. Staggered, they twist and turn this way and that way. Their struggle occurs within this net which ensnares them.

In the same way, monks, that a skilled fisherman or his apprentice, after capturing fish in a net, may think: 'This net traps all the fish, regardless of their size. Struggle as they may, it continues to hold them', so too are these recluses and Brahmans, who speculate about the past and the future, trapped within the net of sixty-two grids. Struggle as they may, it continues to hold them.

The Tathāgata, monks, stands before you with the tether of rebirth cut. So long as the Tathāgata's body lasts, men and gods will see him. Upon the dissolution of the Tathāgata's body, after death, neither god nor man will see him.

Monks, when the stalk of a mango bunch is cut, all the mangoes on that stalk go with it. In the same way, monks, when the Tathāgata cuts the tether of rebirth—on the dissolution of the body, after death—neither god nor man will see him."

The venerable Ananda, after listening to the Buddha's discourse, said: "Your words are strange, Lord. Indeed, your words are wonderful! What is the title of this exposition of truth?"

"Ananda, you may remember this exposition as the Net of Benefit, the Net of Truth, the Supreme Net, and the Net of Theories. You may even remember it as the Unrivaled Victory in Battle!"

Thus spoke the Blessed One. Overjoyed, the monks relished the words of the Blessed One. Upon the delivery of this discourse, the thousandfold world-system shook.

Here ends the Brahmajāla Sutta.

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