​DN 11 Kevaddha Sutta: What Brahma didn't know

Thus have i heard. 

Once Buddha was staying at Nalanda in Pavarika's mango grove. At that time, Kevaddha, a young householder, approached the Buddha, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. He then: “Venerable Sir, this Nalanda of ours is rich, prosperous, populous, crowded with people devoted to the Buddha. It would be well if the Blessed One were to have some monks perform superhuman feats and miracles that can surpass that of ordinary men. Then in this way Nalanda would have more faith in the Buddha.”

​​Buddha replied : " that's not the way i teach the dhamma to the monks. I do not tell the monks to go perform some superhuman feats and miracles for the lay people." But Kevaddha repeated his request to ask for miracle performance two more times making it three times in total.  After three repeated questioning, Buddha said:  “Kevaddha, there are three kinds of miracles which I have declared to others, having self-realized and understood them myself by insight. These three kinds of miracles are: the miracle of psychic power, the miracle of telepathy, and the miracle of instruction.

Miracle of Psychic Power 

He can split himself into many "self-bodies" and become one. He appears and vanishes. He can go unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space. He dives in and out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water as if it were dry land. Sitting cross-legged he flies through the air like a bird. His mind-made body can travel as far as the Brahma world (Astral travel). With his hand he can touch even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful. 

Then someone who has faith and trust in him sees him doing these things.

If he tells his ability of this psychic power to an unbeliever by saying: 'Wonderful and marvelous, Sir, is the psychic power and potency of that recluse. " “Then that unbeliever might say to him: 'Well, Sir! there is a certain charm called the Gandhāra Charm. It is by means of this charm that the ascetic is able to performs all this instead.'

Buddha then say " Kevaddha, don't you think that an unbeliever will say that ascetic is able to perform such miracle through some charm instead of through his own meditative efforts and practice? It is because of this reason, seeing the danger of such miracles that I dislike, reject and despise them. " 

​Miracle of telepathy 

Here a monk is able to read the minds of other beings and other people, he can read their mental states, thoughts and pondering. 

Then someone who has faith and trust in him sees him doing these things.

If he tells his ability of this telepathic power to an unbeliever by saying: 'How wonderful and marvelous, Sir, is the telepathic power of that recluse. " “Then that unbeliever might say to him: 'Well, Sir! there is a certain charm called the Manika Charm. It is by means of this charm that the ascetic is able to performs all this instead.'

Buddha then say " Kevaddha, don't you think that an unbeliever will say that ascetic is able to perform such miracle through some charm instead of through his own meditative efforts and practice? It is because of this reason, seeing the danger of such miracles that I dislike, reject and despise them. " 

Miracle of Instruction 

“Here, Kevaddha, a bhikkhu teaches in this way: Reason in this way, do not reason in that way. Consider this, and not that. Get rid of this disposition, train yourself, and remain in that.' This is called 'The miracle of instruction.' "

“Friends, a Tathágata arises in the world, an Arahant, fully-enlightened Buddha (he has realized the four noble truths and discovered the noble eightfold path by himself) , endowed with wisdom and conduct, Well-Farer, Knower of the worlds (he knows the arising, the cessation and the means to the cessation of the worlds), incomparable Trainer of men to be tamed (he surpasses in terms of virtue, knowledge, concentration, deliverance and understanding), Teacher of Gods and humans, enlightened and blessed. He, having realized it by his own super-knowledge, preaches the Dhamma, which is lovely in it’s beginning, lovely in its middle, lovely in it’s ending, in the spirit and in the letter, and displays the fully-perfected and purified holy life.

A disciple goes forth and practices the moralities. He guards the sense doors and attains the four jhanas and various insights. He realizes the four noble truths, the path and cessation of corruptions (taints) and he understand that there is nothing further here and this holy life is fully completed and purified. This, Kevaddha is called the miracle of instruction. " 

​A visit to Deva realms

Buddha then told Kevaddha a story of a certain monk that was pondering where do the four great elements namely the earth element, the water element, the fire element and air element cease without remainder? The monk who had attained such a state of material concentration went all the way to the deva realms to ask this question. 

So this monk went to the realm of devas and he asked the devas the question "Where do the four great elements namely the earth element, the water element, the fire element and air element cease without remainder?" They do not know the answer and they told the monk to go to the Four Great Kings instead. 

So the monk went to the Four Great Kings, asked the same question but they could not answer and they sent him to the Thirty-three Gods, who sent him on to their king, Sakka (lord of gods); who sent him on to the Yāma devas, who sent him on to their king, Suyāma; who sent him on to the Tusita devas, who sent him on to their king, Santusita; who sent him on to the Nimmāna-rati devas, who sent him on to their king, Sunimmita; who sent him on to the Para-nimmita Vasavatti devas, who sent him on to their king, Vasavatti; who sent him on to the devas of the Brahmā-world. 

So basically all the devas and their respective kings do not know the answer to the question posted to them. Then the monk with appropriate concentration made the way to the Brahmā-world. He went to the devas of the retinue of Brahmā, and asked: 'Where, friends, do the four great elements earth, water, fire, and wind cease without remainder?' They could not answer and they asked him to go to Brahma, the great Brahma, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-seeing, All-powerful, the Maker, the Creator, the Ruler, Appointer and Orderer. 

The monk asked the devas where to find Brahma. They replied : "we do not know when or how or why Brahmā appears. But, monk, when the signs of his coming appear for example when a light appears and a radiance shines then you will find him." It was not long when the monk met Brahma later and he asked him the same question again. 

Brahma replied : " I am the Great Brahmā, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-seeing, the Ruler, the Lord of all, the Controller, the Creator, the Chief of all, appointing each to his place, the Ancient of days, the Father of all that is and is to be!" . The monk clarified and said that he did not ask Brahma who he was but rather question on where do the four great elements cease without remainder. Again Brahma gave the same reply. Then the monk asked a third time the question to which he wanted an answer. 

​This time the Great Brahmā took the monk by the arm, led him aside, and said: "The devas of the retinue of Brahmā, believe that there is nothing I cannot see, nothing I have not understood, nothing I have not realized. Therefore I gave no answer and do not speak in their presence. I do not know, monk, where do those four great elements- earth, water, fire, and wind cease without remainder. Therefore you have done and acted wrongly and unwisely by ignoring the Exalted One(Buddha). You have undertaken this long search among others for an answer to this question everywhere. Go now and return to the blessed One, ask him the question, and accept the answer he gives you."

​So the monk disappeared from the Brahma world swiftly and appeared before the Buddha. After paying respect to the Buddha, he asked the same question that he had asked multiple times earlier : " Buddha, may i know where do the four great elements- earth element, water element, fire element and air element cease without remainder?" 

​Buddha replied : " Long time ago, monk, the sea-faring merchants were setting sail on an ocean voyage, they took with them a land-sighting bird. When the ship got out of sight of the shore and the merchants could not see the land themselves, they would let the land-sighting bird free. Then the bird would fly to the East, and to the South and to the West, and to the North, to the zenith, and to the intermediate points of the compass. If the bird caught sight of land, it would fly there. But if it cannot find any land, it would return to that ship.

In the same way, monk, you have sought an answer to this question in vain all the way up to the Brahmā-world hence you have come back to me. Now monk, you should not have asked the question as you have put it earlier. Instead of asking where the four great elements, cease without remainder, you should have asked: 
  • Where do earth, water, fire and air no footing find?
    Where are long and short, small and great, fair and foul -
    Where are “name-and-form” brought to an end?'
Then the answer to this question will be : 
  • 'Where Consciousness that is signless, limitless, all-illuminating,
  • That's where water, earth, fire, & wind find no footing,
  • There long & short, small & large, pleasant & unpleasant -
  • There “name-&-form” are all brought to an end (wholly destroyed).
  • With the cessation of viññāṇa (consciousness) all this is brought to an end.'”
(When one walks the noble eightfold path and achieved enlightenment, they reached their final destination, Nibanna. After which rebirth ceases, the 12 links of dependent origination is broken, there is no more becoming and thats when the consciousness is brought to an end. This is the final goal and end of suffering. ) 

After hearing this, the householder Kevaddha was delighted and rejoiced over his teachings. 

Moral of story is Buddha does not encourage the discussion of miracles like psychic power, miracle of telepathy and miracle of instruction as they are not the key to gain insight and wisdom. Discussing about miracles does not allow one to understand the four noble truths and it is not part of the noble eightfold path. Instead he encourages the learning of dhamma, practicing morality, meditation and gaining wisdom and insight. 

By WHH

​References: 
1. www.accesstoinsight.org
2. https://suttacentral.net/
3. The long discourses of the Buddha (Bhikkhu Bodhi)