[109] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Verañjā, at Naḷeru's neem tree. Then Pahārāda, lord of the asuras, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. As Pahārāda, lord of the asuras, stood to one side, the Blessed One said this to him: "Pahārāda, do the asuras delight in the great ocean?"
"Venerable sir, the asuras do delight in the great ocean."
"But, Pahārāda, how many astounding and marvellous qualities (acchariyā abbhutadhammā) are there in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean?"
"Venerable sir, there are eight astounding and marvellous qualities in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean. What are the eight? The great ocean, venerable sir, slopes gradually, slants gradually, inclines gradually, with no abrupt drop-off like a precipice. That the great ocean slopes gradually, slants gradually, inclines gradually, with no abrupt drop-off like a precipice — this, venerable sir, is the first astounding and marvellous quality in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, the great ocean is stable in nature and does not overflow its shoreline. That the great ocean is stable in nature and does not overflow its shoreline — this, venerable sir, is the second astounding and marvellous quality in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, the great ocean does not keep company with a dead corpse: whatever dead corpse there is in the great ocean, it quickly carries it to the shore and casts it up on dry land. That the great ocean does not keep company with a dead corpse, but whatever dead corpse there is in the great ocean, it quickly carries it to the shore and casts it up on dry land — this, venerable sir, is the third astounding and marvellous quality in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, whatever great rivers there are — that is, the Gaṅgā, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī — on reaching the great ocean, they abandon their former names and clans and are reckoned simply as 'the great ocean.' That whatever great rivers there are — that is, the Gaṅgā, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī — on reaching the great ocean, they abandon their former names and clans and are reckoned simply as 'the great ocean' — this, venerable sir, is the fourth astounding and marvellous quality in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, whatever streams in the world flow into the great ocean, and whatever showers fall from the sky, no swelling or filling up of the great ocean is discerned on that account. That whatever streams in the world flow into the great ocean, and whatever showers fall from the sky, no swelling or filling up of the great ocean is discerned on that account — this, venerable sir, is the fifth astounding and marvellous quality in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt. That the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt — this, venerable sir, is the sixth astounding and marvellous quality in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, the great ocean contains many treasures, treasures of diverse kinds. Therein are these treasures, that is: pearl, gem, beryl, conch, quartz, coral, silver, gold, ruby, and cat's-eye. That the great ocean contains many treasures, treasures of diverse kinds — therein are these treasures, that is: pearl, gem, beryl, conch, quartz, coral, silver, gold, ruby, and cat's-eye — this, venerable sir, is the seventh astounding and marvellous quality in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, the great ocean is the abode of great beings. Therein are these beings: the timi-timiṅgalas and the timira-miṅgalas, asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas; there are in the great ocean individual beings one hundred yojanas in extent, individual beings two hundred yojanas in extent, individual beings three hundred yojanas in extent, individual beings four hundred yojanas in extent, individual beings five hundred yojanas in extent. That the great ocean is the abode of great beings — therein are these beings: the timi-timiṅgalas and the timira-miṅgalas, asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas; there are in the great ocean individual beings one hundred yojanas in extent … individual beings three hundred yojanas, four hundred yojanas, five hundred yojanas in extent — this, venerable sir, is the eighth astounding and marvellous quality in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean.
"These, venerable sir, are the eight astounding and marvellous qualities in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean.
"But, venerable sir, do the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline?"
"Pahārāda, the bhikkhus do delight in this Dhamma and Discipline."
"But, venerable sir, how many astounding and marvellous qualities are there in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline?"
"There are eight, Pahārāda, astounding and marvellous qualities in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline. What are the eight? Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean slopes gradually, slants gradually, inclines gradually, with no abrupt drop-off like a precipice, so too, Pahārāda, in this Dhamma and Discipline there is gradual training, gradual practice, gradual progress, with no abrupt penetration of final knowledge (aññā). That in this Dhamma and Discipline there is gradual training, gradual practice, gradual progress, with no abrupt penetration of final knowledge — this, Pahārāda, is the first astounding and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean is stable in nature and does not overflow its shoreline, so too, Pahārāda, whatever training rule (sikkhāpada) I have laid down for my disciples, my disciples do not transgress it even for the sake of life. That whatever training rule I have laid down for my disciples, my disciples do not transgress it even for the sake of life — this, Pahārāda, is the second astounding and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean does not keep company with a dead corpse — whatever dead corpse there is in the great ocean, it quickly carries it to the shore and casts it up on dry land — so too, Pahārāda, whatever person is immoral, of evil character, of impure and suspect behaviour, concealing his deeds, no ascetic though claiming to be one, not living the holy life though claiming to do so, rotten within, oozing with lust, become like refuse — the Saṅgha does not dwell together with him; rather, having quickly assembled, it suspends him; and though he may be seated in the midst of the Saṅgha of bhikkhus, yet he is far from the Saṅgha and the Saṅgha is far from him. That whatever person is immoral, of evil character, of impure and suspect behaviour, concealing his deeds, no ascetic though claiming to be one, not living the holy life though claiming to do so, rotten within, oozing with lust, become like refuse — the Saṅgha does not dwell together with him; rather, having quickly assembled, it suspends him; and though he may be seated in the midst of the Saṅgha of bhikkhus, yet he is far from the Saṅgha and the Saṅgha is far from him — this, Pahārāda, is the third astounding and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, whatever great rivers there are — that is, the Gaṅgā, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī — on reaching the great ocean, they abandon their former names and clans and are reckoned simply as 'the great ocean,' so too, Pahārāda, these four castes — khattiyas, brahmins, vessas, and suddas — having gone forth from the home life into homelessness in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, abandon their former names and clans and are reckoned simply as 'ascetics, sons of the Sakyan.' That these four castes — khattiyas, brahmins, vessas, and suddas — having gone forth from the home life into homelessness in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, abandon their former names and clans and are reckoned simply as 'ascetics, sons of the Sakyan' — this too, Pahārāda, is the fourth astounding and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, whatever streams in the world flow into the great ocean, and whatever showers fall from the sky, no swelling or filling up of the great ocean is discerned on that account, so too, Pahārāda, even if many bhikkhus attain final Nibbāna by way of the Nibbāna element without residue remaining, no swelling or filling up of the Nibbāna element is discerned on that account. That even if many bhikkhus attain final Nibbāna by way of the Nibbāna element without residue remaining, no swelling or filling up of the Nibbāna element is discerned on that account — this, Pahārāda, is the fifth astounding and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so too, Pahārāda, this Dhamma and Discipline has one taste, the taste of liberation (vimutti). That this Dhamma and Discipline has one taste, the taste of liberation — this, Pahārāda, is the sixth astounding and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean contains many treasures, treasures of diverse kinds — therein are these treasures, that is: pearl, gem, beryl, conch, quartz, coral, silver, gold, ruby, and cat's-eye — so too, Pahārāda, this Dhamma and Discipline contains many treasures, treasures of diverse kinds. Therein are these treasures, that is: the four establishments of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna), the four right exertions (sammappadhāna), the four bases for success (iddhipāda), the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening (bojjhaṅga), and the Noble Eightfold Path. That this Dhamma and Discipline contains many treasures, treasures of diverse kinds — therein are these treasures, that is: the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases for success, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the Noble Eightfold Path — this, Pahārāda, is the seventh astounding and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean is the abode of great beings — therein are these beings: the timi-timiṅgalas and the timira-miṅgalas, asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas; there are in the great ocean individual beings one hundred yojanas in extent, individual beings two hundred yojanas in extent, individual beings three hundred yojanas in extent, individual beings four hundred yojanas in extent, individual beings five hundred yojanas in extent — so too, Pahārāda, this Dhamma and Discipline is the abode of great beings. Therein are these beings: the stream-enterer and the one practising for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry; the once-returner and the one practising for the realization of the fruit of once-returning; the non-returner and the one practising for the realization of the fruit of non-returning; the arahant and the one practising for arahantship. That this Dhamma and Discipline is the abode of great beings — therein are these beings: the stream-enterer and the one practising for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry; the once-returner and the one practising for the realization of the fruit of once-returning; the non-returner and the one practising for the realization of the fruit of non-returning; the arahant and the one practising for arahantship — this, Pahārāda, is the eighth astounding and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.
"These, Pahārāda, are the eight astounding and marvellous qualities in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again the bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.