Mil 3.7.4
4. Question on the Brahma World
4. Brahmalokapañha
from: Analysis of Formless Dhammas Chapter
4. Question on the Brahma World
The king asked, “Venerable Nāgasena, how far away is it from here to the Brahma world?” “So far, your majesty, that if a rock the size of a peaked-roof building had fallen from there, and falling at the speed of eighty-four thousand yojanas per day, it would take four months to land on the earth.”
“Venerable sir, you say thus, ‘Just as a strong man might stretch out his bent arm or bend his stretched arm, in the same way a bhikkhu with psychic powers who has attained mastery over his mind could disappear from Jambudīpa and appear in the Brahma world.’ This I do not believe that one might go so quickly over so many hundreds of yojanas.”
The elder said, “Where then, your majesty, is the place of your birth?” “There is, venerable sir, an island called Alasanda, there I was born.” “How far away, your majesty, is Alasanda from here?” “About two hundred yojanas, venerable sir.” “Do you not know, your majesty, of some business that you have completed there and now remember?” “Yes, venerable sir, I remember.” “Indeed, so quickly you have gone about two hundred yojanas, your majesty!”
“You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena!”
Question on the Brahma World fourth
4. Brahmalokapañha
Rājā āha— “bhante nāgasena, kīvadūro ito brahmaloko”ti? “Dūro kho, mahārāja, ito brahmaloko kūṭāgāramattā silā tamhā patitā ahorattena aṭṭhacattālīsayojanasahassāni bhassamānā catūhi māsehi pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhaheyyā”ti.
“Bhante nāgasena, tumhe evaṁ bhaṇatha— ‘seyyathāpi balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva iddhimā bhikkhu cetovasippatto jambudīpe antarahito brahmaloke pātubhaveyyā’ti etaṁ vacanaṁ na saddahāmi, evaṁ atisīghaṁ tāva bahūni yojanasatāni gacchissatī”ti.
Thero āha— “kuhiṁ pana, mahārāja, tava jātabhūmī”ti? “Atthi, bhante, alasando nāma dīpo, tatthāhaṁ jāto”ti. “Kīva dūro, mahārāja, ito alasando hotī”ti? “Dvimattāni, bhante, yojanasatānī”ti. “Abhijānāsi nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, tattha kiñcideva karaṇīyaṁ karitvā saritā”ti? “Āma, bhante, sarāmī”ti. “Lahuṁ kho tvaṁ, mahārāja, gatosi dvimattāni yojanasatānī”ti.
“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
Brahmalokapañho catuttho.