The Lion Sīhasutta

“Mendicants, towards evening the lion, king of beasts, emerges from his den, “Sīho, bhikkhave, migarājā sāyanhasamayaṁ āsayā nikkhamati; yawns, āsayā nikkhamitvā vijambhati; surveys the four quarters, vijambhitvā samantā catuddisaṁ anuviloketi; and roars his lion’s roar three times. samantā catuddisaṁ anuviloketvā tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ nadati; Then he sets out on the hunt. tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ naditvā gocarāya pakkamati. If he strikes an elephant, he does it carefully, not carelessly. So hatthissa cepi pahāraṁ deti, sakkaccaññeva pahāraṁ deti, no asakkaccaṁ; If he strikes a buffalo … mahiṁsassa cepi pahāraṁ deti, sakkaccaññeva pahāraṁ deti, no asakkaccaṁ; a cow … gavassa cepi pahāraṁ deti, sakkaccaññeva pahāraṁ deti, no asakkaccaṁ; a leopard … dīpissa cepi pahāraṁ deti, sakkaccaññeva pahāraṁ deti, no asakkaccaṁ; or any smaller creatures—even a hare or a cat—he does it carefully, not carelessly. khuddakānañcepi pāṇānaṁ pahāraṁ deti antamaso sasabiḷārānampi, sakkaccaññeva pahāraṁ deti, no asakkaccaṁ. Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? Thinking: ‘May I not lose my way.’ ‘Mā me yoggapatho nassā’ti.

‘Lion’ is a term for the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. Sīhoti kho, bhikkhave, tathāgatassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassa. When the Realized One teaches Dhamma to an assembly, this is his lion’s roar. Yaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tathāgato parisāya dhammaṁ deseti, idamassa hoti sīhanādasmiṁ. When the Realized One teaches the monks … Bhikkhūnañcepi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, sakkaccaññeva tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, no asakkaccaṁ; nuns … bhikkhunīnañcepi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, sakkaccaññeva tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, no asakkaccaṁ; laymen … upāsakānañcepi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, sakkaccaññeva tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, no asakkaccaṁ; laywomen … upāsikānañcepi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, sakkaccaññeva tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, no asakkaccaṁ; or ordinary people—even food-carriers and hunters—he teaches them carefully, not carelessly. puthujjanānañcepi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti antamaso annabhāranesādānampi, sakkaccaññeva tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, no asakkaccaṁ. Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? Because the Realized One has respect and reverence for the teaching.” Dhammagaru, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammagāravo”ti.