Buddhist Sutras

Acchariya Abbhuta Sutta("Wonderful And Marvelous")

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park.

Now a number of Bhikkhus were sitting in the assembly hall, where they had met together on returning from their alms-round, after their meal, when this discussion arose among them: "It is wonderful, friends, it is marvelous, how mighty and powerful is the Tathágata! For he is able to know about the Buddhas of the past-who attained to final Nibbána, cut the tangle of proliferation, broke the cycle, ended the round, and surmounted all suffering-that for those Blessed Ones their birth was thus, their names were thus, their clans were thus, their virtue was thus, their state of concentration was thus, their wisdom was thus, their abiding in attainments was thus, their deliverance was thus."

When this was said, the venerable Ánanda told the Bhikkhus: "Friends, Tathágatas are wonderful and have superb qualities. Tathágatas are marvelous and have splendid qualities."

However, their discussion was interrupted; for the Blessed One rose from meditation when it was evening, went to the assembly hall, and sat down on a seat made ready. Then he addressed the Bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus, for what discussion are you sitting together here now? And what was your discussion that was interrupted?"

"Here, Venerable Sir, we were sitting in the assembly hall, where we had met together on returning from our alms-round, after our meal, when this discussion arose among us: 'It is wonderful, friends, it is marvelous...their deliverance was thus." When this was said, Venerable Sir, the Venerable Ánanda said to us: 'Friends, Tathágatas are wonderful and have superb qualities. Tathágatas are marvelous and have splendid qualities.' This was our discussion, Venerable Sir, that was interrupted when the Blessed One arrived."

Then the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Ánanda: "That being so, Ánanda, explain more fully the Tathágatas wonderful and marvelous qualities."

"I heard and learned this, Venerable Sir, from the Blessed One's own lips: 'Mindful and fully aware, Ánanda, the Bodhisattva appeared in the Tushita heaven.' That mindful and fully aware the Bodhisattva appeared in the Tushita Heaven - This I remember as a wonderful and marvelous quality of the Blessed One.

'I heard and learned this from the Blessed One's own lips: Mindful and fully aware the Bodhisattva remained in the Tushita Heaven.' This too I remember as a wonderful and marvelous quality of the Blessed One.

"I heard and learned this from the Blessed One's own lips: 'For the whole of his life-span the Bodhisattva remained in the Tushita heaven.' This too I remember as a wonderful and marvelous quality of the Blessed One.

"I heard and learned this from the Blessed One's own lips: 'Mindful and fully aware the Bodhisattva passed away from the Tushita heaven and descended into his mother's womb.' This too I remember as a wonderful and marvelous quality of the Blessed One.

"I heard and learned this from the Blessed One's own lips: 'When the Bodhisattva passed away from the Tushita heaven and descended into his mother's womb, then a great immeasurable light surpassing the splendor of the gods appeared in the world with its gods, its Maras, and its Brahmas, in this generation with its recluses and Brahmans, with its princes and its people. And even in those abysmal world interspaces of vacancy, gloom, and utter darkness, where the moon and the sun, mighty and powerful as they are, cannot make the their light prevail-there too a great immeasurable light surpassing the splendor of the gods appeared. And the beings born there perceived each other by that light: "So other beings, indeed, have appeared here." And this ten-thousand-fold world system shook and quaked and trembled, and there too a great immeasurable light surpassing the splendor of the gods appeared.' This too I remember as a wonderful and marvelous quality of the Blessed One.