Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.80 8.

Cūḷanikāsutta

Ānandavagga Cūḷanikāsutta Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One:

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sammukhā metaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ: ‘bhagavato, ānanda, sikhissa abhibhū nāma sāvako brahmaloke ṭhito sahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpesī’ti.

Venerable sir, I have heard and received this from the Blessed Ones own lips: Ānanda, the disciple named Abhibhū, while standing in the Brahma world, made his voice heard throughout a thousandfold world system.

Bhagavā pana, bhante, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho kīvatakaṁ pahoti sarena viññāpetun”ti?

But, venerable sir, how far can the voice of the Blessed One, who is an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One, be heard?

“Sāvako so, ānanda, appameyyā tathāgatā”ti.

Ānanda, a disciple can do that, but the Tathāgatas are immeasurable.

Dutiyampi kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sammukhā metaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ: ‘bhagavato, ānanda, sikhissa abhibhū nāma sāvako brahmaloke ṭhito sahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpesī’ti.

For a second time, the Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One:

Venerable sir, I have heard and received this from the Blessed Ones own lips: Ānanda, the disciple named Abhibhū, while standing in the Brahma world, made his voice heard throughout a thousandfold world system.

Bhagavā pana, bhante, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho kīvatakaṁ pahoti sarena viññāpetun”ti?

But, venerable sir, how far can the voice of the Blessed One, who is an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One, be heard?

“Sāvako so, ānanda, appameyyā tathāgatā”ti.

Ānanda, a disciple can do that, but the Tathāgatas are immeasurable.

Tatiyampi kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sammukhā metaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ: ‘bhagavato, ānanda, sikhissa abhibhū nāma sāvako brahmaloke ṭhito sahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpesī’ti.

For a third time, the Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One:

Venerable sir, I have heard and received this from the Blessed Ones own lips: Ānanda, the disciple named Abhibhū, while standing in the Brahma world, made his voice heard throughout a thousandfold world system.

Bhagavā pana, bhante, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho kīvatakaṁ pahoti sarena viññāpetun”ti?

But, venerable sir, how far can the voice of the Blessed One, who is an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One, be heard?

“Sutā te, ānanda, sahassī cūḷanikā lokadhātū”ti?

Ānanda, have you heard of the thousandfold minor world system?

“Etassa, bhagavā, kālo; etassa, sugata, kālo, yaṁ bhagavā bhāseyya.

Now is the time, Blessed One, now is the time, Sublime One, for the Blessed One to speak.

Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

Having heard it from the Blessed One, the disciples will remember it.

“Tenahānanda, suṇāhi sādhukaṁ manasi karohi, bhāsissāmī”ti.

Therefore, Ānanda, listen and attend closely, I will speak.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paccassosi.

Yes, venerable sir, the Venerable Ānanda replied to the Blessed One.

Bhagavā etadavoca: “Yāvatā, ānanda, candimasūriyā pariharanti, disā bhanti virocanā, tāva sahassadhā loko.

The Blessed One said this:

Ānanda, as far as the moon and sun revolve, illuminating the directions with their light, that is a thousandfold world system.

Tasmiṁ sahassadhā loke sahassaṁ candānaṁ, sahassaṁ sūriyānaṁ, sahassaṁ sinerupabbatarājānaṁ, sahassaṁ jambudīpānaṁ, sahassaṁ aparagoyānānaṁ, sahassaṁ uttarakurūnaṁ, sahassaṁ pubbavidehānaṁ, cattāri mahāsamuddasahassāni, cattāri mahārājasahassāni, sahassaṁ cātumahārājikānaṁ, sahassaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ, sahassaṁ yāmānaṁ, sahassaṁ tusitānaṁ, sahassaṁ nimmānaratīnaṁ, sahassaṁ paranimmitavasavattīnaṁ, sahassaṁ brahmalokānaṁ— ayaṁ vuccatānanda, sahassī cūḷanikā lokadhātu.

In that thousandfold world system, there are a thousand moons, a thousand suns, a thousand Sineru mountains, a thousand Jambudīpas, a thousand Aparagoyānas, a thousand Uttarakurus, a thousand Pubbavidehas, four thousand great oceans, four thousand great kings, a thousand realms of the Four Great Kings, a thousand realms of the Thirty-Three gods, a thousand realms of the Yāma gods, a thousand realms of the Tusita gods, a thousand realms of the gods who delight in creation, a thousand realms of the gods who wield power over others creations, and a thousand Brahma worlds:

This is called, Ānanda, the thousandfold minor world system.

Yāvatānanda, sahassī cūḷanikā lokadhātu tāva sahassadhā loko.

As far as, Ānanda, the thousandfold minor world system, so many thousands of worlds.

Ayaṁ vuccatānanda, dvisahassī majjhimikā lokadhātu.

This is called, Ānanda, the two-thousandfold middling world system.

Yāvatānanda, dvisahassī majjhimikā lokadhātu tāva sahassadhā loko.

As far as, Ānanda, the two-thousandfold middling world system, so many thousands of worlds.

Ayaṁ vuccatānanda, tisahassī mahāsahassī lokadhātu.

This is called, Ānanda, the three-thousandfold great-thousandfold world system.

Ākaṅkhamāno, ānanda, tathāgato tisahassimahāsahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpeyya, yāvatā pana ākaṅkheyyā”ti.

If he wished, Ānanda, the Tathāgata could make known the three-thousandfold great-thousandfold world system with his voice, as far as he wished.

“Yathā kathaṁ pana, bhante, bhagavā tisahassimahāsahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpeyya, yāvatā pana ākaṅkheyyā”ti?

How, venerable sir, could the Blessed One make known the three-thousandfold great-thousandfold world system with his voice, as far as he wished?

“Idhānanda, tathāgato tisahassimahāsahassilokadhātuṁ obhāsena phareyya.

Here, Ānanda, the Tathāgata would pervade the three-thousandfold great-thousandfold world system with light.

Yadā te sattā taṁ ālokaṁ sañjāneyyuṁ, atha tathāgato ghosaṁ kareyya saddamanussāveyya.

When those beings perceive that light, then the Tathāgata would make a sound, he would make his voice heard.

Evaṁ kho, ānanda, tathāgato tisahassimahāsahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpeyya, yāvatā pana ākaṅkheyyā”ti.

Thus, Ānanda, the Tathāgata could make known the three-thousandfold great-thousandfold world system with his voice, as far as he wished.

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca: “lābhā vata me, suladdhaṁ vata me, yassa me satthā evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo”ti.

When this was said, the venerable Ānanda said to the venerable Udāyi,

Fortunate am I, truly fortunate am I, to have a teacher so powerful, so mighty.

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā udāyī āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca: “kiṁ tuyhettha, āvuso ānanda, yadi te satthā evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo”ti?

When this was said, the venerable Udāyi said to the venerable Ānanda,

What is it to you, friend Ānanda, if your teacher is so powerful, so mighty?

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca: “mā hevaṁ, udāyi, mā hevaṁ, udāyi.

When this was said, the Blessed One said to the venerable Udāyi,

Do not say so, Udāyi, do not say so, Udāyi.

Sace, udāyi, ānando avītarāgo kālaṁ kareyya, tena cittappasādena sattakkhattuṁ devesu devarajjaṁ kāreyya, sattakkhattuṁ imasmiṁyeva jambudīpe mahārajjaṁ kāreyya.

If, Udāyi, Ānanda were to pass away without having abandoned passion, with that confidence he would be reborn seven times as a king of the gods, seven times as a great king in this very Jambudīpa.

Api ca, udāyi, ānando diṭṭheva dhamme parinibbāyissatī”ti. Dasamaṁ. Ānandavaggo tatiyo. Tassuddānaṁ Channo ājīvako sakko, nigaṇṭho ca nivesako; Duve bhavā sīlabbataṁ, gandhajātañca cūḷanīti.

But, Udāyi, Ānanda will attain final Nibbāna in this very life.