神々はなぜ覚り難いといわれる
Why are gods said to be difficult to attain enlightenment?
2025-04-18
When we open the early scriptures of the Buddha, we find various descriptions of the deities.
759 All forms, sounds, tastes, scents, tangible things, and mental objects that are considered pleasant, lovable, and agreeable—
760 These are indeed generally regarded as "pleasure" by both gods and ordinary people. And when these things perish, they equally regard that as "suffering."
761 The sages see the complete annihilation of the body (= the individual existence) as "pleasure." This view (thought) of those who see (rightly) is the exact opposite of what is believed by all worldly people.
762 What others call "pleasure," the sages call "suffering." What others call "suffering," the sages know to be "pleasure." Behold this truth that is difficult to understand. The ignorant are confused by it. (The Words of the Buddha, Sutta Nipāta, Chapter 3: The Great Chapter, 12: Two Kinds of Views, translated by Hajime Nakamura, Iwanami-Bunko.)
In other words, even the gods have not seen the ultimate truth. They still dwell within the world of sentient beings and are, just like ordinary people, merely beings who carry suffering.
And thus, it is said that even the gods envy those who have attained enlightenment.
Here, “gods” can be understood, in modern terms, as those who possess a deep understanding of the structures and mechanisms of things, and the ability to apply that knowledge—essentially, one form of the highest potential of human intellect.
They are, at the very least, those who stand at the pinnacle of worldly matters, achieving works that captivate ordinary people, and can be considered individuals who command great respect.
And yet,
1 Monks, even the gods envy the one who is self-sustained through alms, whose mind is at peace, and who is devoted—one who has completed the path of practice.
2 Monks, even the gods envy the one who is self-sustained through alms, whose mind is at peace, and who seeks neither honor nor fame—one who has completed the path of practice. (The Dhammapada, Chapter 18: Impurity, translated by Hajime Nakamura, Iwanami-Bunko)
As these verses show, they (the gods) are still distant from enlightenment (= liberation).
Moreover, it is believed that for the gods, attaining enlightenment is actually more difficult than it is for ordinary people.
Why is that? Because although they may rarely fall into deluded or inverted thinking, they often lack the conditions to recognize "words of Dharma (a virtuous friend)" as actual expressions of truth.
For them, language is merely a tool for understanding or conveying concepts, and they tend to remain confined within that framework of understanding.
Because of this, in a certain sense, it can even be said that ordinary people (sentient beings) are closer to enlightenment than the gods.
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