So It Was Said 112

The Book of the Fours

The Chapter on the Brahmin’s Offering of the Teaching

The World

iti112:1 This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

iti112:2 “Mendicants, the world has been understood by the Realized One; and he is detached from the world. The origin of the world has been understood by the Realized One; and he has given up the origin of the world. The cessation of the world has been understood by the Realized One; and he has realized the cessation of the world. The practice that leads to the cessation of the world has been understood by the Realized One; and he has developed the practice that leads to the cessation of the world.

iti112:3 In this world—with its angels and devils, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans—whatever is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, and explored by the mind, all that has been understood by the Realized One. That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.

iti112:4 From the night when the Realized One awakens to the supreme perfect awakening until the night he becomes fully extinguished—in the element of extinguishment with no residue—everything he speaks, says, and expresses is real, not otherwise. That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.

iti112:5 The Realized One does as he says, and says as he does. Since this is so, that’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.

iti112:6 In this world—with its angels and devils, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, angels and humans—the Realized One is the victor, the one not overcome, a seer of the truth, empowered by God. That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.” The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

iti112:7 “Directly knowing the whole world as it is, and everything in it, he is detached from the whole world, uninvolved with the whole world.

iti112:8 That attentive one is the vanquisher of all who is released from all ties. He has reached ultimate peace: extinguishment, fearing nothing from any quarter.

iti112:9 He is the Buddha, with defilements ended, untroubled, with doubts cut off. He has attained the end of all deeds, freed with the ending of attachments.

iti112:10 That Blessed One is the Buddha, he is the supreme lion, in all the world with its angels, he turns the wheel of the teaching.

iti112:11 And so those angels and humans, who have followed the Buddha’s guidance, come together and honor him, even the angels honor him:

iti112:12 ‘Tamed, he is the best of tamers, peaceful, he is the seer among the peaceful, liberated, he is the foremost of liberators, crossed over, he is the most excellent of guides across.’

iti112:13 And so they revere him, great of heart and intrepid. In the world with its angels, he has no rival.”

iti112:14 This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

iti112:17 The So it Was Said is finished.