Maha Kassapa - Dhammapada
Dhammapada Verse 028
The Story of Maha Kassapa Thera
While residing at the Veluvana monastery, near Rajagaha, the Buddha uttered this Verse, with reference to the Elder Mahakassapa.
One day the Elder, who was residing at the Pipphali cave, went to Rajagaha for begging alms. On return from the round and after having had his meal, he sat down developing light of wisdom while trying to find, through his super-normal vision, beings negligent and diligent, as also those going out of existence or coming into it, in the water, on the land, on the mountains and at other places.
Staying at Jetavana, the Teacher, while surveying with super-normal vision the way in which His disciple Kassapa was spending that day and finding that he was occupied with the investigation into the birth and death of beings, pondered thus: "Birth and death of beings cannot be reckoned even by Sabbannuta-nana (Omniscience). Nor is it possible to reckon the number of beings who, after taking conception in the mother's womb, die without the parents being aware of it. O Kassapa, this does not lie within your purview. Narrow indeed is your span (of knowledge). It is within the spheres of the Buddhas alone to know and to see in their entirety the passing away of beings or their coming into existence".
Thus thinking, He shed forth lustre and appeared as if He was seated before the Elder, and uttered that verse. At the end (of the utterance of) the verse, many realized the fruition of Sotapatti and so on.
The Story of Maha Kassapa Thera
Pamadam appamadena
yada nudati pandito
pannapasadamaruyha
asoko sokinim pajam
pabbatatthova bhumatthe
dhiro bale avekkhati.
When a learned man drives away negligence through heedfulness, grief-less himself,
he ascends the palace of wisdom and looks at the sorrowing crowd.
Just as a person, standing on a mountain looks at the people standing (below) on the ground,
even so a wise man looks at the "fools".
While residing at the Veluvana monastery, near Rajagaha, the Buddha uttered this Verse, with reference to the Elder Mahakassapa.
One day the Elder, who was residing at the Pipphali cave, went to Rajagaha for begging alms. On return from the round and after having had his meal, he sat down developing light of wisdom while trying to find, through his super-normal vision, beings negligent and diligent, as also those going out of existence or coming into it, in the water, on the land, on the mountains and at other places.
Staying at Jetavana, the Teacher, while surveying with super-normal vision the way in which His disciple Kassapa was spending that day and finding that he was occupied with the investigation into the birth and death of beings, pondered thus: "Birth and death of beings cannot be reckoned even by Sabbannuta-nana (Omniscience). Nor is it possible to reckon the number of beings who, after taking conception in the mother's womb, die without the parents being aware of it. O Kassapa, this does not lie within your purview. Narrow indeed is your span (of knowledge). It is within the spheres of the Buddhas alone to know and to see in their entirety the passing away of beings or their coming into existence".
Thus thinking, He shed forth lustre and appeared as if He was seated before the Elder, and uttered that verse. At the end (of the utterance of) the verse, many realized the fruition of Sotapatti and so on.