​MN 12  Mahasihanada Sutta :The Greater Discourse on the Lion's Roar 

Thus have i heard.

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Vesali in the grove outside the city to the west. One day, Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, had recently left this Dhamma and Discipline. He made this statement before the Vesali assembly: "The recluse Gotama does not have any super-human states, any distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones. The recluse Gotama teaches a Dhamma merely hammered out by reasoning, following his own line of inquiry, expressing his own perspective.  When he teaches the Dhamma to anyone, it leads him when he practices it to the complete destruction of suffering."

Venerable Sariputta who went into Vesali for alms heard Sunakkhatta making this statement before the Vesali assembly. When he had returned from his alms-round,  he went to 'the Blessed One and told him what Sunakkhatta was saying. The Buddha said: "Sariputta, the misguided man Sunakkhatta is angry and his words are spoken out of anger. Thinking to discredit the Tathagata, he actually praises him;  for it is praise of the Tathagata when Sunakkhata said: 'When he teaches the Dhamma to anyone, it leads him when he practices it to the complete destruction of suffering.'  Sariputta, this misguided man Sunakkhatta will never infer of me according to Dhamma: 'That Blessed One is accomplished, fully enlightened, perfect in true knowledge and conduct, sublime, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, enlightened, blessed.'

"And he will never infer of me according to Dhamma: 'That Blessed One enjoys the various kinds of super-normal power: having been one, he becomes many; having been many, he becomes one; he appears and vanishes; he goes unhindered through a wall, through an enclosure, as though through space; he dives in and out of the earth as though it were water; he walks on water without sinking as though it were earth; seated cross-legged, he travels in space like a bird; with his hand he touches and strokes the moon and sun so powerful and mighty; he wields bodily mastery even as far as the Brahma-world.'

"And he will never infer of me according to Dhamma: 'With the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human, that Blessed One hears both kinds of sounds, the heavenly and the human, those that are far and near. That Blessed One encompasses with his own mind the minds of other beings, other persons. He understands a mind affected by lust as affected by lust and a mind unaffected by lust as unaffected by lust; he understands a mind affected by hate as affected by hate and a mind unaffected by hate as unaffected by hate; he understands a mind affected by delusion as affected by delusion and a mind unaffected by delusion as unaffected by delusion; he understands a contracted mind as contracted and a distracted mind as distracted; he understands an exalted mind as exalted and an un-exalted mind as un-exalted; he understands a surpassed mind as surpassed and an unsurpassed mind as unsurpassed; he understands a concentrated mind as concentrated and an un-concentrated mind as un-concentrated; he understands a liberated mind as liberated and an un-liberated mind as un-liberated.' 

​TEN POWERS OF A TATHAGATA

"Sariputta, the Tathagata has these ten Tathagata's powers, possessing which he claims the herd-leader's place, roars his lion's roar in the assemblies, and turns the Wheel of Brahma. What are the ten? "

 (1) "Here, the Tathagata understands the possible as possible and the impossible as impossible as it is. And that is a Tathagata's power that the Tathagata has, by virtue of which he claims the herd-leader's place, roars his lion's roar in the assemblies, and sets rolling the Wheel of Brahma. "

(2) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the results of actions undertaken, past, future, and present, with possibilities and with causes.

(3) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the ways leading to all destinations.
(4) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the world with its many and different elements.
(5) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is how beings have different inclinations.

(6) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the disposition of the faculties of other beings, other persons.  (7) "Again, the Tathagata understands as it actually is the defilement, the cleansing, and the emergence in regard to the jhanas, liberations, concentrations, and attainments.
(8) "Again, the Tathagata recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births...Thus with their aspects and particulars he recollects his manifold past lives.

(9) "Again, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, the Tathagata sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate... he understands how beings pass on according to their actions (kamma).
(10) "Again, by realizing for himself with direct knowledge, the Tathagata here and now enters upon and abides in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that are taint-less with the destruction of the taints. 

"The Tathagata has these ten Tathagata's powers, possessing which he claims the herd-leader's place, roars his lion's roar in the assemblies, and sets rolling the Wheel of Brahma.  "

"Sariputta, when I know and see thus, should anyone say of me: 'The recluse Gotama does not have any superhuman states, any distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones. The recluse Gotama teaches a Dhamma hammered out by reasoning, following his own line of inquiry as it occurs to him' - unless he abandons that assertion and that state of mind and let go of that view, he will wind up in hell. Just as a bhikkhu possessed of virtue, concentration, and wisdom would here and now enjoy final knowledge, so it will happen in this case, I say, that unless he abandons that assertion and that state of mind and relinquishes that view, then he will wind up in hell. "

FOUR KINDS OF INTREPIDITY

"Sariputta, the Tathagata has these four kinds of intrepidity, possessing which he claims the herd-leader's place, roars his lion's roar in the assemblies, and sets rolling the Wheel of Brahma. What are the four?

"Here, I see no ground on which any recluse or brahmin or god or Mara or Brahma or anyone else at all in the world could, in accordance with the Dhamma, accuse me thus: 'While you claim full enlightenment, you are not fully enlightened in regard to certain things.' And seeing no ground for that, I abide in safety, fearlessness, and intrepidity.

"I see no ground on which any recluse...or anyone at all could accuse me thus: 'While you claim to have destroyed the taints (defilements), these taints are un-destroyed by you.' And seeing no ground for that, I abide in safety, fearlessness, and intrepidity.

"I see no ground on which any recluse...or anyone at all could accuse me thus: 'Those things called obstructions by you are not able to obstruct one who engages in them.' And seeing no ground for that, I abide in safety, fearlessness, and intrepidity. 

"I see no ground on which any recluse...or anyone at all could accuse me thus: 'When you teach the Dhamma to someone, it does not lead him when he practices it to the complete destruction of suffering.' And seeing no ground for that, I abide in safety, fearlessness, and intrepidity. 

THE EIGHT ASSEMBLIES

"Sariputta, there are these eight assemblies. What are the eight? An assembly of nobles, an assembly of brahmins, an assembly of householders, an assembly of recluses, an assembly of gods of the heaven of the Four Great Kings, an assembly of gods of the heaven of the Thirty-three, an assembly of Mara's retinue, an assembly of Brahmas. Possessing these four kinds of intrepidity mentioned above, the Tathagata approaches and enters these eight assemblies."

"I recall having approached many hundred assemblies of nobles...of brahmins..of householders...of recluses...of gods of the heaven of the Four Great Kings.. .. of gods of the heaven of the Thirty-three.. .of Mara's retinue...of Brahmas. And formerly I had sat with them there and talked with them and held conversations with them, yet I see no ground for thinking that fear or timidity might come upon me there. And seeing no ground for that, I abide in safety, fearlessness, and intrepidity. " 

"Sariputta, When I know and see in this way, suppose someone were to say this: ‘The ascetic Gotama has no superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones …’ Unless they give up that speech and that thought, and let go of that view, they will be cast down to hell."

FOUR KINDS OF REPRODUCTION

"Sariputta, there are these four kinds of reproduction. Egg-born generation, womb-born generation, moistureborn generation, and spontaneous generation. 
1. "What is egg-born generation? There are these beings born by breaking out of the shell of an egg; this is called egg-born generation.
2. "What is womb-born generation? There are these beings born by breaking out from the amniotic sac; this is called womb-born generation.
3. "What is moisture-born generation? There are these beings born in a rotten fish, in a rotten corpse, in rotten dough, in a cesspit, or in a sewer; this is called moisture-born generation.
4. "What is spontaneous generation? There are gods and hell-beings and certain human beings and some beings in the lower worlds; this is called spontaneous generation.
These are the four kinds of generation.

"Sariputta, When I know and see in this way, suppose someone were to say this: ‘The ascetic Gotama has no superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones …’ Unless they give up that speech and that thought, and let go of that view, they will be cast down to hell."

THE FIVE DESTINATIONS AND NIBBANA in brief
​
"Sariputta, there are these five destinations after death. What are the five? Hell, the animal realm, the realm of ghosts, human beings, and gods.
(1) I understand hell, and the path and way leading to hell. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination,  in hell.
(2) I understand the animal realm, and the path and way leading to the animal realm. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in the animal realm.
(3) I understand the realm of ghosts, and the path and way leading to the realm of ghosts. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in the realm of ghosts. (4) "I understand human beings, and the path and way leading to the human world. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear among human beings.
(5) I understand the gods, and the path and way leading to the world of the gods. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will, on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly world. "

"I understand Nibbana, and the path and way leading to Nibbana. I also understand how one who has entered this path will, by realizing for himself with direct knowledge, here and now enter upon and abide in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that are taint-less with the destruction of the taints. "

THE FIVE DESTINATIONS AND NIBBANA in detail

1. Hell Realm: "By encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: 'This person behaves and conducts himself such, has taken a path that after death, he will reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.' And later on, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, I see that after death, he has reappeared in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination,  in hell, and is experiencing extremely painful, racking, piercing feelings. Suppose there were a charcoal pit deeper than a man's height full of glowing coals without flame or smoke; and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather, came by a path going in one direction only and was directed to that same charcoal pit. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: 'This person behaves and conducts himself such, has taken such a path, that he will come to this same charcoal pit'; and then later on he sees that he has fallen into that charcoal pit and is experiencing extremely painful, racking, piercing feelings. So too, by encompassing mind with mind... piercing feelings.'

(2) Animal Realm: "By encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: 'This person  behaves conducts himself such, has taken such a path that after death, he will reappear in the animal realm.' And then later on, with the divine eye,  I see that  after death, he has reappeared in the animal realm and is experiencing extremely painful, racking, piercing feelings. Suppose there were a sewer deeper than a man's height full of filth; and then a man  scorched and exhausted by hot weather,  came by a path going in one direction only and directed to that same sewer. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: 'This person so behaves...that he will come to this same sewer'; and then later on he sees that he has fallen into that cesspit and is experiencing extremely painful, racking, piercing feelings. So too, by encompassing mind with mind... piercing feelings.

(3) Ghost Realm: "By encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: 'This person behaves and conducts himself such, has taken such a path that after death, he will reappear in the realm of ghosts.' And then later on...I see with divine eye..he has reappeared in the realm of ghosts and is experiencing much painful feeling. Suppose there were a tree growing on uneven ground with scanty foliage casting a dappled shadow; and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather,  came by a path going in one direction only and directed to that same tree. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: 'This person so behaves... that he will come to this same tree'; and then later on he sees that he is sitting or lying in the shade of that tree experiencing much painful feeling. So too, by encompassing mind with mind .. .much painful feeling.

(4) Human Realm: "By encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: 'This person  behaves and conducts himself, has taken such a path that after death, he will reappear among human beings.' And then later on...I see with divine eye...he has reappeared among human beings and is experiencing much pleasant feeling. Suppose there were a tree growing on even ground with thick foliage casting a deep shade; and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather, came by a path going in one direction only and directed to that same tree. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: 'This person so behaves...that he will come to this same tree'; and then later on he sees that he is sitting or lying in the shade of that tree experiencing much pleasant feeling. So too, by encompassing mind with mind...much pleasant feeling.

(5) Heavenly Realm: "By encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: 'This person  behaves and  conducts himself such, has taken such a path that after death, he will reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly world.' And then later on...I see that with divine eye...he has reappeared in a happy destination, in the heavenly world, and is experiencing extremely pleasant feelings. Suppose there were a mansion, and it had an upper chamber plastered, shut off, secured by bars, with shuttered windows, and in it there was a couch spread with rugs, blankets, and sheets, with a deerskin coverlet, with a canopy as well as crimson pillows and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather,came by a path going in one direction only and directed to that same mansion. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: 'This person so behaves.. .that he will come to this same mansion'; and then later on he sees that he is sitting or lying in that upper chamber in that mansion experiencing extremely pleasant feelings. So too, by encompassing mind with mind.. .extremely pleasant feelings.

(6) Nibbana :"By encompassing mind with mind I understand a certain person thus: 'This person behaves and conducts himself such, has taken such a path that by realizing for himself with direct knowledge, he here and now will enter upon and abide in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that are taint-less with the destruction of the taints.' And then later on I see that by realising for himself ..... with the destruction of the taints, and is experiencing extremely pleasant feelings. Suppose there were a pond with clean, cool water, transparent, with smooth banks, delightful, and nearby a dense wood; and then a man scorched and exhausted by hot weather, came by a path going in one direction only towards that same pond. Then a man with good sight on seeing him would say: 'This person so behaves...that he will come to this same pond'; and then later on he sees that he has plunged into the pond, bathed, drunk, and relieved all his distress, fatigue, and got better and is sitting or lying in the wood experiencing extremely pleasant feelings. So too, by encompassing mind with mind...extremely pleasant feelings.

These are the five destinations.
"Sariputta, when I know and see thus, should anyone say of me: 'The recluse Gotama does not have any super-human states, any distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones. The recluse Gotama teaches a Dhamma  hammered out by reasoning, following his own line of inquiry as it occurs to him' - unless he abandons that assertion and that state of mind and relinquishes that view, if not he will wind up in hell. Just as a bhikkhu possessed of virtue, concentration, and wisdom would here and now enjoy final knowledge, so it will happen in this case, I say, that unless he abandons that assertion and that state of mind and relinquishes that view, then he will wind up in hell. 

THE BODHISATTA'S AUSTERITIES

"Sariputta, I recall having lived a holy life possessing four factors. I have practiced asceticism (self-mortification) - the extreme of asceticism; I have practiced coarseness - the extreme of coarseness; I have practiced scrupulousness - the extreme of scrupulousness; I have practiced seclusion - the extreme of seclusion.

Self mortification: Such was my asceticism, Sariputta, that I went naked, rejecting conventions, licking my hands, not coming when asked, not stopping when asked; I didn’t consent to food brought to me, or food prepared specially for me, or an invitation for a meal. ; I received nothing from a pot, from a bowl, from a couple eating together, from a pregnant or lactating woman, from a woman with a man in her home, from where food was advertised to be distributed, from where a dog was waiting, from where flies were buzzing; I accepted no fish or meat, I drank no liquor, wine, or fermented brew. I kept to one house,taking just a mouthful; I kept to two  houses, taking two mouthfuls.. . kept to seven houses, to seven mouthfuls. I lived on one saucer a day, on two saucers a day...on seven saucers a day; I took food once a day, once every two days...once every week, and so on up to once every fortnight; I lived committed to the practice of eating food at set intervals.

I was an eater of greens or wild rice or moss or rice bran or sesamum flour or grass or cowdung. I lived on forest roots and fruits. I clothed myself in hemp, in shrouds, in refuse rags, in tree bark, in antelope hide, in kusa-grass fabric, in bark fabric, in wood shavings fabric, in animal wool, in owls' wings. I was pursuing the practice of pulling out hair and beard. I was one who stood continuously, rejecting seats. I was one who squatted continuously. I was one who used a mattress of spikes as my bed. I dwelt pursuing the practice of bathing in water three times daily. In such a variety of ways I dwelt pursuing the practice of tormenting and mortifying the body. Such was my asceticism.

Coarseness: "Such was my coarseness, Sariputta, just as the trunk of a tinduka tree, accumulating over the years flakes off, so too the dust and dirt, accumulating over the years, caked off my body and flaked off. It never occurred to me: 'Oh, let me rub this dust and dirt off ' - it never occurred to me thus. Such was my coarseness." 

Scrupulousness: "Such was my scrupulousness, Sariputta, that I was always mindful in stepping forwards and stepping backwards. I was full of pity even for the beings in a drop of water thus: 'Let me not hurt the tiny creatures in the crevices of the ground.' Such was my scrupulousness. "

seclusion: "Such was my seclusion, Sariputta, I would plunge into some forest and dwell there. And when I saw a cowherd or a shepherd or someone gathering grass or sticks, or a woodsman, I would flee from grove to grove, from hollow to hollow, from hillock to hillock. Why was that? So that they can't see me or I can't see them. Just like a forest deer flees upon seeing human beings. Such was my seclusion. "

"I would go on all fours to the cow-pens and feed on the cow dung when the cattle had gone out and the cowherd had left them. As long as my own excrement and urine lasted, I fed on my own excrement and urine. Such was my great distortion in feeding. I would plunge into some awe-inspiring grove and dwell there - a grove so awe-inspiring that normally it would make a man's hair stand up if he were not free from lust. Such was my eating of most unnatural things. And on cold nights like the eight days of winter when the snow falls, I would dwell by night in the open and by day in the grove.194 In the last month of the hot season I would dwell by day in the open and by night in the grove. And there came to me spontaneously this stanza never heard before: 

'Chilled by night and scorched by day, Alone in awe-inspiring groves, Naked, no fire to sit beside, The sage yet pursues his quest.' 

"I would make my bed in a charnel ground with the bones of the dead as a pillow. And cowherd boys came up and spat on me, urinated on me, threw dirt at me, and poked sticks into my ears. Yet I do not recall that I ever aroused an evil mind of hate against them. Such was my abiding in equanimity. " 

"Sariputta, there are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through food.' They say: 'Let us live on kola-fruits,' and they eat kolafruits, they eat kola-fruit powder, they drink kola-fruit water, and they make many kinds of kola-fruit concoctions. Now I recall having eaten a single kola-fruit a day. Sariputta, you may think that the kola-fruit was not big at that time, thus by feeding on a single kola-fruit a day my body reached a state of extreme emaciation. Because of eating so little my limbs became like the jointed segments of bamboo stems, my backside became like a camel's hoof, the projections on my spine stood forth like corded beads, my ribs jutted out as gaunt as the crazy rafters of an old roofless barn, the gleam of my eyes sank far down in their sockets, looking like a gleam of water that has sunk far down in a deep well, my scalp shriveled and withered as a green bitter gourd shrivels and withers in the wind and sun, my belly skin adhered to my backbone; thus if I touched my belly skin I encountered my backbone, and if I touched my backbone I encountered my belly skin. Because of eating so little, if I tried to ease my body by rubbing my limbs with my hands, the hair, rotted at its roots, fell from my body as I rubbed." (Practice of self- mortification) 

​"Sariputta, there are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through food.' They say: 'Let us live on beans... sesamum.... rice and they eat rice, they eat rice powder, they drink rice water, and they make many kinds of rice concoctions. Now I recall having eaten a single rice grain a day and my body reached a state of extreme emaciation. Yet, Sariputta, by such conduct, by such practice, by such performance of austerities, I did not attain any superhuman states, any distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones. Why was that? Because I did not attain that noble wisdom which when attained is noble and emancipating and leads the one who practices in accordance with it to the complete destruction of suffering."

"Sariputta, there are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through the round of rebirths.' But it is impossible to find a realm in the round that I have not already passed through in this long journey, except for the gods of the Pure Abodes; and had I passed through the round as a god in the Pure Abodes, I would never have returned to this world.

There are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through some particular kind of rebirth.' But it is impossible to find a kind of rebirth that I have not been reborn in already in this long journey, except for the gods of the Pure Abodes...

There are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through some particular abode.' But it is impossible to find a kind of abode that I have not already dwelt in...except for the gods of the Pure Abodes...

There are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes about through sacrifice.' But it is impossible to find a kind of sacrifice that has not already been offered up by me in this long journey, when I was either a noble king or a well-to-do brahmin.

There are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'Purification comes through fire-worship.' But it is impossible to find a kind of fire that has not already been worshiped by me in this long journey, when I was either a head-anointed noble king or a well-to-do brahmin."

"Sariputta, there are certain recluses and brahmins whose doctrine and view is this: 'As long as this good man is still young, a black-haired young man endowed with the blessing of youth, in the prime of life, so long is he perfect in his lucid wisdom. But when this good man is old, aged,advanced in life, and come to the last stage, being eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old, then the lucidity of his wisdom is lost.' But it should not be regarded so. I am now old, aged and come to the last stage: my years have turned eighty.

​Now suppose that I had four disciples with a hundred years' lifespan, perfect in mindfulness, retentiveness, memory, and lucidity of wisdom. Just like a skilled archer, trained, practiced could easily shoot a light arrow across the shadow of a palm tree, suppose that they were even to that extent perfect in mindfulness, retentiveness, memory, and lucidity of wisdom. Suppose that they continuously asked me about the four foundations of mindfulness and that I answered them when asked and that they remembered each answer of mine and never asked a subsidiary question or paused except to eat, drink, consume, urinate, defecate, and rest in order to remove sleepiness and tiredness.

Still the Tathagata's exposition of the Dhamma, his explanations of factors of the Dhamma, and his replies to questions would not yet come to an end, but meanwhile those four disciples of mine with their hundred years' lifespan would have died at the end of those hundred years. Sariputta, even if you have to carry me about on a bed, still there will be no change in the proficiency of the Tathagata's wisdom.

"Rightly speaking, if anyone were to say: 'A being not subject to delusion has appeared in the world for the welfare and happiness of many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans/ it is of me indeed that rightly speaking this should be said."

After Buddha has spoken, the venerable Nagasamala who was standing behind the Blessed One fanning him said to the Blessed One: "It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous! As I listened to this discourse on the Dhamma, the hairs of my body stood up. Venerable sir, what is the name of this discourse on the Dhamma?"

Buddha: "Nagasamala, you may remember this discourse as "The Hair-raising Discourse.'' The venerable Nagasamala was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One's words. 

In summary, Venerable Sariputta reported to Buddha what Sunakkhatta had criticized on the discipline after he left the monks order. Sunakkhatta told others that the blessed one does not possess super-human powers and does not have the right knowledge but he made a contradicting statement to his criticism by saying that what Buddha taught helped people to end suffering. 

To this, Buddha told Sariputta what are the ten super-human powers and the four intrepidity  of the Tathagata. He also taught the 8 assemblies,  4 kinds of reproduction, the 5 rebirth destinations and Nibbana. Then he mentioned how in many past lives, he had practiced austerities like self-mortification and that practice did not lead to super-human states, wisdom and enlightenment thus it should be avoided. He also mentioned how certain claims of purification by some brahmins/ recluses are untrue and why so. 

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