AN 4.33 Sīha Sutta: The Lion

[mikenz66]

AN 4.33 (AN ii 33) Sīha Sutta: The Lion
Translating by Bhikkhu Bodhi

http://suttacentral.net/en/an4.33

"Bhikkhus, in the evening the lion, the king of beasts, comes out from his lair, stretches his body, surveys the four quarters all around, and roars his lion’s roar three times. Then he sets out in search of game.

“Whatever animals hear the lion roaring for the most part are filled with fear, a sense of urgency, and terror. Those who live in holes enter their holes; those who live in the water enter the water; those who live in the woods enter the woods; and the birds resort to the sky. Even those royal bull elephants, bound by strong thongs in the villages, towns, and capital cities, burst and break their bonds asunder; frightened, they urinate and defecate and flee here and there. So powerful among the animals is the lion, the king of beasts, so majestic and mighty.

“So too, bhikkhus, when the Tathāgata arises in the world, an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One, he teaches the Dhamma thus: ‘(1) Such is personal existence, (2) such the origin of personal existence, (3) such the cessation of personal existence, (4) such the way to the cessation of personal existence.’ [688]

“When those devas who are long-lived, beautiful, abounding in happiness, dwelling for a long time in lofty palaces, hear the Tathāgata’s teaching of the Dhamma, for the most part they are filled with fear, a sense of urgency, and terror thus: [689] ‘It seems that we are actually impermanent, though we thought ourselves permanent; it seems that we are actually transient, though we thought ourselves everlasting; it seems that we are actually non-eternal, though we thought ourselves eternal. It seems that we are impermanent, transient, non-eternal, included in personal existence.’ [690] So powerful is the Tathāgata, so majestic and mighty is he in this world together with its devas.”

• When, through direct knowledge,
  the Buddha, the teacher, the peerless person
  in this world with its devas,
  sets in motion the wheel of Dhamma,
  he teaches personal existence, its cessation,
  the origin of personal existence,
  and the noble eightfold path
  that leads to the calming down of suffering.
  
  Then even those devas with long life spans—
  beautiful, ablaze with glory—
  become fearful and filled with terror,
  like beasts who hear the lion’s roar.
  “It seems that we are impermanent,
  not beyond personal existence,” they say,
  when they hear the word of the Arahant,
  the Stable One who is fully freed.

Notes

[688] “Personal existence” (sakkāya): the five aggregates subject to clinging. See MN 44.2, I 299,8–14;

2. “Lady, ‘identity, identity’ is said. What is called identity by the Blessed One?”

“Friend Visākha, these five aggregates affected by clinging are called identity by the Blessed One; that is, the material form aggregate affected by clinging, the feeling aggregate affected by clinging, the perception aggregate affected by clinging, the formations aggregate affected by clinging, and the consciousness aggregate affected by clinging. These five aggregates affected by clinging are called identity by the Blessed One.”

SN 22:105; III 158,3–4.

At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you identity, the origin of identity, the cessation of identity, and the way leading to the cessation of identity.”

“And what, bhikkhus, is identity? It should be said: the five aggregates subject to clinging. What five?
…

[689] Mp: “‘For the most part’ (yebhuyyena) is said to make an exception of those devas who are noble disciples. Though they experience urgency of knowledge (ñāṇasaṃvega), no fear at all arises in the arahants, because they have attained what should be attained through careful striving. The other devas, as they attend to impermanence, experience both fear as mental fright (cittutrāsabhaya) and, at the time of strong insight, cognitive fear (ñāṇabhaya).” “Cognitive fear” is probably the stage of insight called “knowledge of appearance as fearful” (bhayat’upaṭṭhānañāṇa; see Vism 645–47, Ppn 21.29–34).
Visuddhimagga: The Path of Purification from here: http://www.bps.lk/library_books.php
Chapter XXI, Paragraphs 29-34:

• [3. KNOWLEDGE OF APPEARANCE AS TERROR]
  29. As he repeats, develops and cultivates in this way the contemplation of
  dissolution, the object of which is cessation consisting in the destruction, fall
  and breakup of all formations, then formations classed according to all kinds of
  becoming, generation, destiny, station, or abode of beings, appear to him in the
  form of a great terror, as lions, tigers, leopards, bears, hyenas, spirits, ogres, fierce
  bulls, savage dogs, rut-maddened wild elephants, hideous venomous serpents,
  thunderbolts, charnel grounds, battlefields, flaming coal pits, etc., appear to a
  timid man who wants to live in peace. When he sees how past formations have
  ceased, present ones are ceasing, and those to be generated in the future will
  cease in just the same way, then what is called knowledge of appearance as
  terror arises in him at that stage.
  ...

[690] Mp: “Included in personal existence (sakkāyapariyāpannā): included in the five aggregates. Thus, when the Buddha teaches them the Dhamma stamped with the three characteristics, exposing the faults in the round of existence, cognitive fear enters them.”

[Unrul3r]

Some additional & helpful information. SN 22.78 also named "The Lion" (Sīhasuttaṃ), is exactly the same but has a small twist in terminology although not in meaning:

At Savatthi. “Bhikkhus, in the evening the lion, the king of beasts, comes out from his lair. Having come out, he stretches himself, surveys the four quarters all around, and roars his lion’s roar three times. Then he sets out in search of game.

“When the lion, the king of beasts, roars, whatever animals hear the sound are for the most part filled with fear, a sense of urgency, and terror. Those who live in holes enter their holes; those who live in the water enter the water; those who live in the woods enter the woods; and the birds fly up into the air. Even those royal bull elephants, bound by strong thongs in the villages, towns, and capital cities, burst and break their bonds asunder; frightened, they urinate and defecate and flee here and there. So powerful, bhikkhus, is the lion, the king of beasts, among the animals, so majestic and mighty.

“So too, bhikkhus, when the Tathagata arises in the world, an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One, he teaches the Dhamma thus: ‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling … such is perception … such are volitional formations … such is consciousness, such its origin, such its passing away.’

“Then, bhikkhus, when those devas who are long-lived, beautiful, abounding in happiness, dwelling for a long time in lofty palaces, hear the Tathagata’s teaching of the Dhamma, they are for the most part filled with fear, a sense of urgency, and terror, saying: ‘It seems, sir, that we are impermanent, though we thought ourselves permanent; it seems, sir, that we are unstable, though we thought ourselves stable; it seems, sir, that we are noneternal, though we thought ourselves eternal. It seems, sir, that we are impermanent, unstable, noneternal, included within identity.’ So powerful, bhikkhus, is the Tathagata over this world together with its devas, so majestic and mighty.”

This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:

“When the Buddha, through direct knowledge,
Sets in motion the Wheel of Dhamma,
The peerless Teacher in this world
With its devas makes this known:

“The cessation of identity
And the origin of identity,
Also the Noble Eightfold Path
That leads to suffering’s appeasement.

“Then those devas with long life spans,
Beautiful, ablaze with glory,
Are struck with fear, filled with terror,
Like beasts who hear the lion’s roar.

“‘We’ve not transcended identity;
It seems, sir, we’re impermanent,’
So they say having heard the utterance
Of the Arahant, the released Stable One.”

These suttas mention the peculiarity of the Buddha's teaching ("Roar"), that is, he is the only one who discloses clinging to self doctrine (attavādupādāna), this is mentioned more explicitly in MN 11 (The Shorter Discourse on the Lion's Roar [Cūḷasīhanādasuttaṃ]), which, coherently, also has a similar name.

Edit: Altered for clarity.

[aletheia]

The metaphor of the lion and his prey in this Sutta is really rich and interesting. I take it that although the devas are as terrified by the Buddha's teaching that they are impermanent as the animals are of the lion's roar, there is an important difference between the Buddha and the lion. Whereas the lion threatens to actually harm the animals (his roar is a threat of violence), the Buddha's Dhamma only seems threatening to the devas because they are deluded by wrong views. If they fully understood the Buddha's Dhamma, they would see it as a path to freedom, not as something to be feared.

I like this metaphor because it reminds me that, as someone with many unskillful tendencies, my first response to many of the Buddha's teachings (impermanence, indulgence of desire as a cause of suffering, etc.), my initial, habitual response is some mixture of fear or denial. Like the animals fleeing to their usual dwelling places when they hear the lion's roar, I sometimes find myself retreating to my familiar habits and tendencies when faced with the teaching that these habits and tendencies are unskillful, lead to more suffering, etc.

I also think it's compelling that the Buddha is described here as "powerful" and "majestic" like a lion. Again, they seem to be analogous in one way but not analogous in another, since the lion's power lies in his ability to destroy, harm, dominate, etc. The Buddha seems to present us with a very different sort of power and strength, namely, the power to break free from the bonds of attachment and desire. This seemed interesting to me because it reminds me that compassion, nonviolence, not harboring ill will, altruism, etc., are not the marks of someone who is weak and powerless, but are signs of a different kind of power and majesty.

[ihrjordan]

I may be over analyzing this but I like how the Buddha also says the "Bhikkhus, in the evening the lion, the king of beasts, comes out from his lair" I feel as though this could be an analogy for the arising of a Buddha or Arahant. Because even they to were kept in the dark before supreme knowledge and freedom (e.g. Lions Den Darkness representing ignorance or wrong views) Then once the beast comes out of the darkness of his den (destruction of ignorance, Arahantship) you can see the beast is actually the picture of majesty (Arahant, Buddha) he can then roar his great roar (Teach the dhamma to others) and it will then instill fear and urgency to the Devas

[Unrul3r]

I may be over analyzing this but I like how the Buddha also says the "Bhikkhus, in the evening the lion, the king of beasts, comes out from his lair" I feel as though this could be a simile for the arising of a Buddha or Arahant. Because even they to were kept in the dark before supreme knowledge and freedom (e.g. Lions Den Darkness representing ignorance or wrong views) Then once the beast comes out of the darkness of his den (destruction of ignorance, Arahantship) you can see the beast is actually the picture of majesty (Arahant, Buddha) he can then roar his great roar (Teach the dhamma to others) and it will then instill fear and urgency to the Devas

You are not over analyzing. Indeed, the analogy present in these suttas is very vivid (Lion = Buddha, Coming out of the lair = Arising in the world, Roar = Teaching, Animals = Devas) and you just gave it a nice twist (Lair = Ignorance, Coming out = Awakening)!

[mikenz66]

Some additional & helpful information. SN 22.78 also named "The Lion" (Sīhasuttaṃ), is exactly the same but has a small twist in terminology although not in meaning:...

Yes, thank you. A number of suttas, including that sutta, the ones I linked to and others, especially a series in Samyutta 22, around SN 22.105, use the four truths pattern to analyse aggregates, and so on.

From "In the Buddha's Words": http://www.wisdompubs.org/book/buddhas- ... ght-wisdom

Examination of the five aggregates, the topic of the Khandhasaṃyutta (Saṃyutta Nikāya, chapter 22), is critical to the Buddha’s teaching for at least four reasons. First, the five aggregates are the ultimate referent of the first noble truth, the noble truth of suffering (see the exposition of the first truth in Text II,5), and since all four truths revolve around suffering, understanding the aggregates is essential for understanding the Four Noble Truths as a whole. Second, the five aggregates are the objective domain of clinging and as such contribute to the causal origination of future suffering. Third, clinging to the five aggregates must be removed to attain liberation. And fourth, the kind of wisdom needed to remove clinging is precisely clear insight into the true nature of the aggregates. The Buddha himself declares that so long as he did not understand the five aggregates in terms of their individual nature, arising, cessation, and the way to their cessation, he did not claim to have attained perfect enlightenment. The full understanding of the five aggregates is a task he likewise enjoins on his disciples. The five aggregates, he says, are the things that must be fully understood; their full understanding brings the destruction of greed, hatred, and delusion (SN 22:23).

The word khandha (Skt: skandha) means, among other things, a heap or mass (rāsi). The five aggregates are so called because they each unite under one label a multiplicity of phenomena that share the same defining characteristic. Thus whatever form there is, “past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near,” is incorporated into the form aggregate; whatever feeling there is, “past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near,” is incorporated into the feeling aggregate; and so for each of the other aggregates. Text IX,4(1)(a) enumerates in simple terms the constituents of each aggregate and shows that each aggregate arises and ceases in correlation with its own specific condition; the Noble Eightfold Path is the way to bring each aggregate to an end. Here we find the “four-truth pattern” applied to the five aggregates, an application that follows quite logically from the role that the five aggregates play in representing the first noble truth.

This sutta makes a distinction between trainees and arahants similar to that made by the Discourse on Right View. Trainees have directly known the five aggregates by way of the four-truth pattern and are practicing for their fading away and cessation; they have thereby “gained a foothold (gādhanti) in this Dhamma and Discipline.” Arahants too have directly known the five aggregates by way of the fourtruth pattern, but they have gone further than the trainees. They have extirpated all attachment to the aggregates and are liberated by nonclinging; thus they are called “consummate ones” (kevalino) who cannot be described by way of the round of rebirths.

Mike

[mikenz66]

The metaphor of the lion and his prey in this Sutta is really rich and interesting. I take it that although the devas are as terrified by the Buddha's teaching that they are impermanent as the animals are of the lion's roar, there is an important difference between the Buddha and the lion. Whereas the lion threatens to actually harm the animals (his roar is a threat of violence), the Buddha's Dhamma only seems threatening to the devas because they are deluded by wrong views. If they fully understood the Buddha's Dhamma, they would see it as a path to freedom, not as something to be feared.

Yes, it's certainly a powerful metaphor, and it's interesting case of progressing in the dhamma not being necessarily pleasant (as expanded upon in the quote from the Visuddhimagga on the "knowledge of appearance as fearful".


Mike

[mikenz66]

Here some discussion by Piya Tan

(Catukka) Sīha Sutta
The Lion Discourse (the Fours) | A 4.33/2:33 f
Theme: Even the gods fear impermanence

http://www.dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp ... 3-piya.pdf


Mike

[mikenz66]

Regarding devas having fear and a sense of urgency:

“When those devas who are long-lived, beautiful, abounding in happiness, dwelling for a long time in lofty palaces, hear the Tathāgata’s teaching of the Dhamma, for the most part they are filled with fear, a sense of urgency, and terror thus: ‘It seems that we are actually impermanent, though we thought ourselves permanent; it seems that we are actually transient, though we thought ourselves everlasting; it seems that we are actually non-eternal, though we thought ourselves eternal. It seems that we are impermanent, transient, non-eternal, included in personal existence.’ So powerful is the Tathāgata, so majestic and mighty is he in this world together with its devas.”

SN 2.17, Subrahma Sutta, also talks of a Deva with fear: http://tipitaka.wikia.com/wiki/Subrahma_Sutta

Here is Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation:

Standing to one side, the young deva Subrahmā addressed the Blessed One in verse:

• “Always frightened is this mind,
  The mind is always agitated
  About unarisen problems
  And about arisen ones.
  If there exists release from fear,
  Being asked, please declare it to me.”
  
  “Not apart from enlightenment and austerity,
  Not apart from restraint of the sense faculties,
  Not apart from relinquishing all,
  Do I see any safety for living beings.”

This is what the Blessed One said…. He [the young deva] disappeared right there.

Bhikkhu Bodhi discusses this sutta in detail here:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... ay_37.html


Mike

[mikenz66]

The only other sutta reference I can think of where the idea that learning about not-self will cause some sort of confusion is SN 44.10 Ananda Sutta, where the Buddha observes:

"“And if, when I was asked by him, ‘Is there no self?’ I had answered, ‘There is no self,’ the wanderer Vacchagotta, already confused, would have fallen into even greater confusion, thinking, ‘It seems that the self I formerly had does not exist now.’”

Are there others?

The only other parallel is in SN 12.23 Upanisa Sutta where:

Dispassion, monks, also has a supporting condition, I say, it does not lack a supporting condition. And what is the supporting condition for dispassion?
'Disenchantment' (nibbida) should be the reply.

In this post http://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... ht#p177838 I summarised how the Commentary connects that to the progress of insight, with nibbida (variously translated as disenchantment and revulsion) is identified as:

revulsion: (nibbidā ) is strong insight, namely, knowledge of appearance as fearful, of contemplation of danger, of reflection, and of equanimity about formations

Mike

[Unrul3r]

The only other sutta reference I can think of where the idea that learning about not-self will cause some sort of confusion is SN 44.10 Ananda Sutta, where the Buddha observes:

"And if I — being asked by Vacchagotta the wanderer if there is no self — were to answer that there is no self, the bewildered Vacchagotta would become even more bewildered: 'Does the self I used to have now not exist?'"

Are there others?

Indeed, this type of confusion only arises due to unsourced consideration (ayoniso manasikārā), which Vacchagotta demonstrates by precisely making those questions and which MN 2 portrays well:

“This is how he attends unwisely: ‘Was I in the past? Was I not in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been what, what did I become in the past? Shall I be in the future? Shall I not be in the future? What shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the future? Having been what, what shall I become in the future?’ Or else he is inwardly perplexed about the present thus: ‘Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? Where has this being come from? Where will it go?’

“When he attends unwisely in this way, one of six views arises in him. The view ‘self exists for me’ arises in him as true and established; or the view ‘no self exists for me’ arises in him as true and established; or the view ‘I perceive self with self’ arises in him as true and established; or the view ‘I perceive not-self with self’ arises in him as true and established; or the view ‘I perceive self with not-self’ arises in him as true and established; or else he has some such view as this: ‘It is this self of mine that speaks and feels and experiences here and there the result of good and bad actions; but this self of mine is permanent, everlasting, eternal, not subject to change, and it will endure as long as eternity.’ This speculative view, bhikkhus, is called the thicket of views, the wilderness of views, the contortion of views, the vacillation of views, the fetter of views. Fettered by the fetter of views, the untaught ordinary person is not freed from birth, ageing, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; he is not freed from suffering, I say.

[vinasp]

Hi Mike,

Perhaps these are also related to the main topic, - MN 22.20 to 21, and SN 12.31?

Regards, Vincent.

[mikenz66]

Hi Vincent,

Thanks:
MN 22, Alagaddūpama Sutta: The Simile of the Snake.
After a discussion of agitation about what is non-existent externally, paragraphs 20-21 in Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation read:

Venerable sir, can there be agitation about what is non-existent internally?”

“ There can be, bhikkhu, ” the Blessed One said. “ Here, bhikkhu, someone has the view: ‘That which is the self is the world; after death I shall be permanent, everlasting, eternal, not subject to change; I shall endure as long as eternity.’ He hears the Tathāgata or a disciple of theTathāgata teaching the Dhamma for the elimination of all standpoints, decisions, obsessions, adherences, and underlying tendencies, for the stilling of all formations, for the relinquishing of all attachments, for the destruction of craving, for dispassion, for cessation, for Nibbāna. He thinks thus: ‘So I shall be annihilated! So I shall perish! So I shall be no more!’ Then he sorrows, grieves, and laments, he weeps beating his breast and becomes distraught. That is how there is agitation about what is non-existent internally.”

“Venerable sir, can there be no agitation about what is non-existent internally?”

“There can be, bhikkhu, ” the Blessed One said. “ Here, bhikkhu, someone does not have the view: ‘That which is the self is the world…I shall endure as long as eternity.’ He hears the Tathāgata or a disciple of the Tathāgata teaching the Dhamma for the elimination of all standpoints, decisions, obsessions, adherences, and underlying tendencies, for the stilling of all formations, for the relinquishing of all attachments, for the destruction of craving, for dispassion, for cessation, for Nibbāna. He does not think thus: ‘So I shall be annihilated! So I shall perish! So I shall be no more!’ Then he does not sorrow, grieve, and lament, he does not weep beating his breast and become distraught. That is how there is no agitation about what is non-existent internally.

Mike

[mikenz66]

Vincent also mentions SN 12.31 Bhūta Sutta: What Has Come to Be.

This references a Sutta Nipata Sutta: Snp 5.1: Ajita-manava-puccha — Ajita's Questions.

'Those who have comprehended the Dhamma,
And the manifold trainees here:
Asked about their way of conduct,
Being discreet, tell me, dear sir.’

In SN 12.31 Sāriputta elaboratates:

'Venerable sir, one sees as it really is with correct wisdom: ‘This has come to be.’ Having seen as it really is with correct wisdom: ‘This has come to be,’ one is practising for the purpose of revulsion [nibbida - disenchantment] towards what has come to be, for its fading away and cessation.
...

Mike