[44] Then, bhikkhus, a certain Great Brahmā (Mahābrahmā), having known with his own mind the reflection in the mind of the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, thought: 'Alas, sirs, the world is lost! Alas, sirs, the world perishes! — in that the mind of the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, has inclined to remaining inactive, not to teaching the Dhamma.'
Then, bhikkhus, just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, even so that Great Brahmā vanished from the Brahmā world and appeared before the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One.
Then, bhikkhus, the Great Brahmā, having arranged his upper robe over one shoulder and set his right knee upon the ground, raised his joined palms toward the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, and said this to the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One: 'Venerable sir, let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma; let the Sublime One teach the Dhamma. There are beings here with little dust in their eyes who are falling away through not hearing the Dhamma; there will be those who understand the Dhamma.'
When this was said, bhikkhus, the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, said this to that Great Brahmā: 'To me too, Brahmā, this thought occurred: "Suppose I were to teach the Dhamma." Then, Brahmā, it occurred to me: "This Dhamma attained by me is profound, hard to see, hard to awaken to, peaceful, sublime, beyond the sphere of reasoning, subtle, to be experienced by the wise. But this generation delights in attachment (ālaya), is delighted with attachment, rejoices in attachment. And for a generation that delights in attachment, is delighted with attachment, rejoices in attachment, this matter is hard to see, namely, specific conditionality (idappaccayatā), dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda); and this matter too is hard to see, namely, the stilling of all formations, the relinquishment of all acquisitions (upadhi), the destruction of craving (taṇhā), dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. And if I were to teach the Dhamma and others did not understand me, that would be weariness for me, that would be vexation for me." And then, Brahmā, these verses, spontaneous, never heard by me before, occurred to me: "What I attained through hardship — enough now with making it known … obstructed." Thus, Brahmā, as I reflected, my mind inclined to remaining inactive, not to teaching the Dhamma.'
A second time, bhikkhus, that Great Brahmā … A third time, bhikkhus, that Great Brahmā said this to the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One: 'Venerable sir, let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma; let the Sublime One teach the Dhamma. There are beings here with little dust in their eyes who are falling away through not hearing the Dhamma; there will be those who understand the Dhamma.'
Then, bhikkhus, the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, having understood Brahmā's request, out of compassion for beings surveyed the world with the eye of a Buddha. And, bhikkhus, the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, surveying the world with the eye of a Buddha, saw beings with little dust in their eyes and with much dust in their eyes, with keen faculties and with dull faculties, of good disposition and of bad disposition, easy to instruct and hard to instruct, capable and incapable, and some who dwelt seeing danger in faults pertaining to the other world.
Just as, in a pond of blue lotuses, or of red lotuses, or of white lotuses, some blue lotuses, or red lotuses, or white lotuses, born in the water, grown up in the water, do not rise above the water but thrive submerged within it; some blue lotuses, or red lotuses, or white lotuses, born in the water, grown up in the water, stand at an even level with the water; and some blue lotuses, or red lotuses, or white lotuses, born in the water, grown up in the water, rise up above the water and stand unsoiled by the water — even so, bhikkhus, the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, surveying the world with the eye of a Buddha, saw beings with little dust in their eyes and with much dust in their eyes, with keen faculties and with dull faculties, of good disposition and of bad disposition, easy to instruct and hard to instruct, capable and incapable, and some who dwelt seeing danger in faults pertaining to the other world.
Then, bhikkhus, the Great Brahmā, having known with his own mind the reflection in the mind of the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, addressed the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, in verses:
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.