[554] "Bhikkhus, when this was said, Baka the Brahmā said this to me: 'For I, good sir, say of what is indeed permanent that it is permanent; I say of what is indeed stable that it is stable; I say of what is indeed eternal that it is eternal; I say of what is indeed whole (kevala) that it is whole; I say of what is indeed not subject to passing away that it is not subject to passing away. And where one is neither born, nor ages, nor dies, nor passes away, nor is reborn — of that very place I say: "This indeed is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, and is not reborn." And since there is no other escape beyond this, I say: "There is no other escape beyond this." Bhikkhu, there were ascetics and brahmins in the world before you whose practice of austerity alone lasted as long as your entire lifespan. They would know, if there were another escape beyond this, that "there is another escape beyond this"; or, if there were no other escape beyond this, that "there is no other escape beyond this." Why, bhikkhu, do I speak to you thus? Because you will never see any other escape beyond this, and you will only come to partake of weariness and vexation. Bhikkhu, if you hold to (ajjhosati) earth, you will lie close to me, lie upon my ground, be one for me to deal with as I please, one for me to cast aside. If you hold to water, fire, air, beings, gods, Pajāpati, or Brahmā, you will lie close to me, lie upon my ground, be one for me to deal with as I please, one for me to cast aside.'
'I too, Brahmā, know this. If I hold to earth, I shall lie close to you, lie upon your ground, be one for you to deal with as you please, one for you to cast aside. If I hold to water, fire, air, beings, gods, Pajāpati, or Brahmā, I shall lie close to you, lie upon your ground, be one for you to deal with as you please, one for you to cast aside. Moreover, Brahmā, I understand your reach (gati) and I understand your radiance (juti): "So mighty in power is Baka the Brahmā, so mighty in majesty is Baka the Brahmā, so mighty in influence is Baka the Brahmā."'
'But in what way, good sir, do you understand my reach and understand my radiance: "So mighty in power is Baka the Brahmā, so mighty in majesty is Baka the Brahmā, so mighty in influence is Baka the Brahmā"?'
'As far as moon and sun revolve,
shining, illumining the quarters,
over so far a thousandfold world
does your sway there extend.
You know the superior and the inferior,
and likewise the passionate and the dispassionate,
the state of being thus and the state of being otherwise,
and the coming and going of beings.
Thus, Brahmā, do I understand your reach and understand your radiance: "So mighty in power is Baka the Brahmā, so mighty in majesty is Baka the Brahmā, so mighty in influence is Baka the Brahmā." But there are, Brahmā, three other bodies, which you there neither know nor see; those I know and see. There is, Brahmā, the body named Ābhassara, whence you passed away and were reborn here. Because of your overlong dwelling here, that memory has been lost to you; therefore you neither know nor see it, while I know and see it. Thus, Brahmā, I do not stand merely as your equal in direct knowledge (abhiññā) — how could I be lower? Rather, it is I who am higher than you. There is, Brahmā, the body named Subhakiṇhā, the body named Vehapphalā; these you neither know nor see, while I know and see them. Thus, Brahmā, I do not stand merely as your equal in direct knowledge — how could I be lower? Rather, it is I who am higher than you.
Having directly known earth as earth, Brahmā, and having directly known that which is not partaken of through the earthness of earth, I did not become earth, I was not in earth, I was not from earth, I did not hold "earth is mine," I did not affirm earth. Thus, Brahmā, I do not stand merely as your equal in direct knowledge — how could I be lower? Rather, it is I who am higher than you. Water, Brahmā, I … fire, Brahmā, I … air, Brahmā, I … beings, Brahmā, I … gods, Brahmā, I … Pajāpati, Brahmā, I … Brahmā, Brahmā, I … the Ābhassaras, Brahmā, I … the Subhakiṇhas, Brahmā, I … the Vehapphalas, Brahmā, I … the Abhibhū (the Overlord), Brahmā, I … Having directly known the all as the all, Brahmā, and having directly known that which is not partaken of through the allness of the all, I did not become the all, I was not in the all, I was not from the all, I did not hold "the all is mine," I did not affirm the all. Thus, Brahmā, I do not stand merely as your equal in direct knowledge — how could I be lower? Rather, it is I who am higher than you.'
'If, good sir, you have directly known that which is not partaken of through the allness of the all — may that not prove for you merely vacuous, may it not prove merely hollow!
Consciousness (viññāṇa) non-manifesting, boundless, radiant all around: that is not partaken of through the earthness of earth, not partaken of through the waterness of water, not partaken of through the fireness of fire, not partaken of through the airness of air, not partaken of through the beinghood of beings, not partaken of through the godhood of gods, not partaken of through the Pajāpati-hood of Pajāpati, not partaken of through the Brahmā-hood of Brahmā, not partaken of through the Ābhassara-hood of the Ābhassaras, not partaken of through the Subhakiṇha-hood of the Subhakiṇhas, not partaken of through the Vehapphala-hood of the Vehapphalas, not partaken of through the Abhibhū-hood of the Abhibhū, not partaken of through the allness of the all.
Well then, good sir, I shall now vanish from you.'
'Well then, Brahmā, vanish from me — if you are able.'
Then, bhikkhus, Baka the Brahmā, (saying) 'I shall vanish from the ascetic Gotama! I shall vanish from the ascetic Gotama!' was simply unable to vanish from me. When this was said, bhikkhus, I said to Baka the Brahmā: 'Well then, Brahmā, I shall now vanish from you.' 'Well then, good sir, vanish from me — if you are able.' Then, bhikkhus, I performed a feat of psychic power of such a kind that, to this extent, the Brahmā and the Brahmā's assembly and the Brahmā's retinue would hear my voice yet not see me. Having vanished, I spoke this verse:
'Having seen peril in existence itself,
and existence (even) for one who seeks non-existence,
I did not affirm any existence whatever,
nor did I cling to delight.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.