0 Source: Savatthi.

1 “The world should seize its opportunity, the world should seize its opportunity,” O bhikkhus, [so] speaks the Dhamma-deaf puthujjana. But he does not know what is an opportune time or inopportune time. There are these eight inopportune times, O bhikkhus, not the occasion for the living of the life of purity. Which eight?

2 “Here, O bhikkhus, the Tathagata has arisen in the world, the Arahant, the rightly self-awakened one, excelling in knowledge and conduct, well-farer, knower of worlds, incomparable trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, awakened, auspicious, and the Dhamma as declared by the Well-farer is being taught, leading to cessation, leading to total extinction, leading to self-awakening. But this individual has arisen in hell. This, O bhikkhus, is the first inopportune time, not the occasion for the living of the life of purity.

3 Furthermore, O bhikkhus, the Tathagata has arisen in the world, the Arahant, the rightly self-awakened one, excelling in knowledge and conduct, well-farer, knower of worlds, incomparable trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, awakened, auspicious, and the Dhamma as declared by the Well-farer is being taught, leading to cessation, leading to total extinction, leading to self-awakening. But this individual has arisen in the animal womb. This, O bhikkhus, is the second inopportune time, not the occasion for the living of the life of purity.

4 Furthermore, O bhikkhus, the Tathagata has arisen in the world, the Arahant, the rightly self-awakened one, excelling in knowledge and conduct, well-farer, knower of worlds, incomparable trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, awakened, auspicious, and the Dhamma as declared by the Well-farer is being taught, leading to cessation, leading to total extinction, leading to self-awakening. But this individual has arisen in the sphere of ghost. This, O bhikkhus, is the third inopportune time, not the occasion for the living of the life of purity.

5 Furthermore, O bhikkhus, the Tathagata has arisen in the world, the Arahant, the rightly self-awakened one, excelling in knowledge and conduct, well-farer, knower of worlds, incomparable trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, awakened, auspicious, and the Dhamma as declared by the Well-farer is being taught, leading to cessation, leading to total extinction, leading to self-awakening. But this individual has arisen among a certain long lived deva group. This, O bhikkhus, is the fourth inopportune time, not the occasion for the living of the life of purity.

6 Furthermore, O bhikkhus, the Tathagata has arisen in the world, the Arahant, the rightly self-awakened one, excelling in knowledge and conduct, well-farer, knower of worlds, incomparable trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, awakened, auspicious, and the Dhamma as declared by the Well-farer is being taught, leading to cessation, leading to total extinction, leading to self-awakening. But this individual has taken birth in a country situated far away, among uncivilized barbarians, where bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, male lay disciples and female lay disciples do not go. This, O bhikkhus, is the fifth inopportune time, not the occasion for the living of the life of purity.

7 Furthermore, O bhikkhus, the Tathagata has arisen in the world, the Arahant, the rightly self-awakened one, excelling in knowledge and conduct, well-farer, knower of worlds, incomparable trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, awakened, auspicious, and the Dhamma as declared by the Well-farer is being taught, leading to cessation, leading to total extinction, leading to self-awakening. But although this individual has taken birth in the middle country, he holds wrong view and a distorted perspective: “There is not what is offered, there is not what is given, there is not what is sacrificed. There are no fruits and results of kamma, of what is well done and badly done. There is not this world, there is not another world, there is not mother, there is not father, there are no beings from spontaneous birth, there is not in the world samanas and brahmanas who have come to the right path, entered upon the right path, those who, having realized by themselves this world and the other world with supreme knowledge, they cause to make it known.” This, O bhikkhus, is the sixth inopportune time, not the occasion for the living of the life of purity.

8 Furthermore, O bhikkhus, the Tathagata has arisen in the world, the Arahant, the rightly self-awakened one, excelling in knowledge and conduct, well-farer, knower of worlds, incomparable trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, awakened, auspicious, and the Dhamma as declared by the Well-farer is being taught, leading to cessation, leading to total extinction, leading to self-awakening. But although this individual has taken birth in the middle country, he is unwise, stupid, dull-witted, not able to understand the meaning of what is well-spoken and what is badly-spoken. This, O bhikkhus, is the seventh inopportune time, not the occasion for the living of the life of purity.

9 Furthermore, O bhikkhus, the Tathagata has arisen in the world, the Arahant, the rightly self-awakened one, excelling in knowledge and conduct, well-farer, knower of worlds, incomparable trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, awakened, auspicious, but the Dhamma as declared by the Well-farer is not being taught, leading to cessation, leading to total extinction, leading to self-awakening. Yet this individual has taken birth in the middle country, he is wise, not stupid, not dull-witted, able to understand the meaning of what is well-spoken and what is badly-spoken. This, O bhikkhus, is the eighth inopportune time, not the occasion for the living of the life of purity.

10 There is just one unique opportune time, O bhikkhus, an occasion for the living of the life of purity. Which one? Here, O bhikkhus, the Tathagata has arisen in the world, the Arahant, the rightly self-awakened one, excelling in knowledge and conduct, well-farer, knower of worlds, incomparable trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, awakened, auspicious, and the Dhamma as declared by the Well-farer is being taught, leading to cessation, leading to total extinction, leading to self-awakening. And this individual has taken birth in the middle country, he is wise, not stupid, not dull-witted, able to understand the meaning of what is well-spoken and what is badly-spoken. This, O bhikkhus, is just the one unique opportune time, an occasion for the living of the life of purity.”

Having gained the gain of human birth,
[when] the true Dhamma is well-proclaimed;
those who do not seize the opportunity,
they have let the opportunity pass them by.

[For] many indeed are said to be the inopportune times,
impediments for the path;
at some time or other in the world,
Tathagatas arise.

If one has an encounter of this,
that which is so difficult to gain in the world;
one has obtained human birth,
and the teaching of the true Dhamma;
so this is enough [incentive] to strive,
by a living being [seeking] his own welfare.

How can one understand true Dhamma,
surely do not let this opportunity pass by;
indeed having missed the opportunity,
they grieve consigned in hell.

For one in this world who just misses out,
on [entering] the fixed course of the true Dhamma;
will regret it for a long time,
like a merchant who has missed out on a profit.

a person enveloped in ignorance,
who has not succeeded in the true Dhamma;
will undergo birth and death for a long time,
the wandering on in samsara.

But those who have attained the human state,
[and] the well-proclaimed true Dhamma;
they heeded the advice there [in the true Dhamma],
or will do so, or are doing so.

Those who have entered upon the path,
well-proclaimed by the Tathagata;
have seized the opportunity in the world,
the unsurpassed life of purity.

Those who possess vision and are restrained,
guarded, ever mindful,
in that [Dhamma] taught by the Kinsman of the Sun;
they dwell not filled with desire.

Having cut off all underlying tendencies,
an arrow following one in Mara's domain;
those who have attained the extinction of the asavas,
they have surely reached the end in the world.

0 sāvatthinidānaṃ

1 khaṇakicco loko khaṇakicco lokoti bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano bhāsati no ca kho so jānāti khaṇaṃ vā akkhaṇaṃ vā. aṭṭhime bhikkhave, akkhaṇā asamayā brahmacariyavāsāya. katame aṭṭha.

2 idha bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti arahaṃ sammā sambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. dhammo ca desīyati opasamiko parinibbāyiko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito, ayañca puggalo nirayaṃ upapanno hoti. ayaṃ bhikkhave, paṭhamo akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya. bjt page 130

3 puna ca paraṃ bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti arahaṃ sammā sambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. dhammo ca desīyati opasamiko parinibbāyiko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito, ayañca puggalo tiracchānayoniṃ upapanno hoti. ayaṃ bhikkhave, dutiyo akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya. pts page 226

4 puna ca paraṃ bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti arahaṃ sammā sambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. dhammo ca desīyati opasamiko parinibbāyiko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito, ayañca puggalo pettivisayaṃ upapanno hoti. ayaṃ bhikkhave, tatiyo akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya.

5 puna ca paraṃ bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti arahaṃ sammā sambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. dhammo ca desīyati opasamiko parinibbāyiko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito, ayañca puggalo aññataraṃ dīghāyukaṃ devanikāyaṃ upapanno hoti. ayaṃ bhikkhave catuttho akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya.

6 puna ca paraṃ bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti arahaṃ sammā sambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. dhammo ca desīyati opasamiko parinibbāyiko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito, ayañca puggalo paccantimesu janapadesu paccājāto hoti aviññātāresu milakkhesu. yattha natthi gati bhikkhūnaṃ bhikkhunīnaṃ upāsakānaṃ upāsikānaṃ. ayaṃ bhikkhave pañcamo akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya.

7 puna ca paraṃ bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti arahaṃ sammā sambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. dhammo ca desīyati opasamiko parinibbāyiko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito, ayañca puggalo majjhimesu janapadesu paccājāto hoti micchādiṭṭhiko viparītadassano natthi dinnaṃ natthi yiṭṭhaṃ natthi hutaṃ natthi sukaṭadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko, natthi ayaṃ loko natthi paro loko natthi mātā natthi pitā natthi sattā opapātikā natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṃ parañca lokaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentīti. ayaṃ bhikkhave chaṭṭho akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya. bjt page 132

8 puna ca paraṃ bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti arahaṃ sammā sambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. dhammo ca desīyati opasamiko parinibbāyiko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito, ayañca puggalo majjhimesu janapadesu paccājāto hoti so ca hoti duppañño jaḷo elamūgo. na paṭibalo subhāsita dubbhāsitassa atthamaññātuṃ. ayaṃ bhikkhave sattamo akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya. bjt page 134

9 puna ca paraṃ bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti arahaṃ sammā sambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. dhammo ca na desīyati opasamiko parinibbāyiko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito, ayañca puggalo majjhimesu janapadesu paccājāto hoti so ca hoti paññavā ajaḷo anelamūgo paṭibalo subhāsita dubbhāsitassa atthamaññātuṃ. ayaṃ bhikkhave, aṭṭhamo akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya. ime kho bhikkhave, aṭṭha akkhaṇā asamayā brahmacariyavāsāya. pts page 227

10 ekova bhikkhave, khaṇo ca samayo ca brahmacariyavāsāya. katamo eko: idha bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti, arahaṃ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṃ buddho bhagavā. dhammo ca desīyati opasamiko parinibbāyiko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito. ayañca puggalo majjhimesu janapadesu paccājāto hoti. so ca hoti paññavā ajaḷo anelamūgo paṭibalo subhāsita dubbhāsitassa atthamaññātuṃ. ayaṃ bhikkhave, ekova khaṇo ca samayo ca brahmacariyavāsāyāti. pts page 228

manussalābhaṃ laddhāna,
saddhamme suppavedite;
ye khaṇaṃ nādhigacchanti,
atināmenti te khaṇaṃ.

bahū hi akkhaṇā vuttā,
maggassa antarāyikā;
kadāci karahaci loke,
uppajjanti tathāgatā.

tassidaṃ sammūkhībhūtaṃ,
yaṃ lokasmiṃ sudullabhaṃ;
manussapaṭilābho ca,
saddhammassa ca desanā;
alaṃ vāyamituṃ tattha,
attakāmena jantunā.

kathaṃ vijaññā saddhammaṃ,
khaṇo ve mā upaccagā;
khaṇātītā hi socanti,
nirayamhi samappitā.

idha ceva naṃ virādheti,
saddhammassa niyāmataṃ;
vāṇijova atītattho,
cirattaṃ anutapessati.

avijjānivuto poso,
saddhammaṃ aparādhiko;
jātimaraṇasaṃsāraṃ,
ciraṃ paccanubhossati.

ye ca laddhā manussattaṃ,
saddhamme suppavedite;
akaṃsu tattha vacanaṃ,
karissanti karonti vā.

khaṇaṃ paccaviduṃ loke,
brahmacariyaṃ anuttaraṃ;
ye maggaṃ paṭipajjiṃsu,
tathāgatappaveditaṃ.

ye saṃvarā cakkhumatā,
desitādiccabandhunā;
tesu gutto sadā sato,
vihare anavassuto.

sabbe anusaye chetvā,
māradheyya sarānuge;
te ve pāragatā loke,
ye pattā āsavakkhayanti.