1At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Then, late at night, the glorious god Hatthaka, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha. Thinking: “I will stand before the Buddha,” he sank and melted down, and wasn’t able to stay still. It’s like when ghee or oil is poured on sand, it sinks and melts down, and can’t remain stable.

2Then the Buddha said to Hatthaka: “Hatthaka, manifest in a solid life-form.”

“Yes, sir,” replied Hatthaka. He manifested in a solid life-form, bowed to the Buddha, and stood to one side.

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3The Buddha said to him: “Hatthaka, I wonder whether you still rehearse now the teachings that you rehearsed when you were a human being?”

“I still rehearse now the teachings that I rehearsed as a human being. And I also rehearse teachings that I didn’t rehearse as a human being.

Just as the Buddha these days lives crowded by monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen; by rulers and their ministers, and teachers of other paths and their disciples, so I live crowded by the gods. The gods come from far away, thinking, ‘We’ll hear the teaching in the presence of Hatthaka.’

Sir, I passed away without getting enough of three things. What three? Seeing the Buddha; hearing the true teaching; and serving the Saṅgha. I passed away without getting enough of these three things.

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4I could never get enough
of seeing the Buddha,
serving the Saṅgha,
or hearing the teaching.

5Training in the higher ethics,
loving to hear the true teaching,
Hatthaka has gone to the Aviha realm
without getting enough of these three things.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho hatthako devaputto abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā:  "Bhagavato purato ṭhassāmī"ti osīdatimeva saṁsīdatimeva, na sakkoti saṇṭhātuṁ. Seyyathāpi nāma sappi vā telaṁ vā vālukāya āsittaṁ osīdatimeva saṁsīdatimeva, na saṇṭhāti; evamevaṁ hatthako devaputto:  "Bhagavato purato ṭhassāmī"ti osīdatimeva saṁsīdatimeva, na sakkoti saṇṭhātuṁ.

2Atha kho bhagavā hatthakaṁ devaputtaṁ etadavoca:  "oḷārikaṁ, hatthaka, attabhāvaṁ abhinimmināhī"ti.

" Evaṁ, bhante"ti, kho hatthako devaputto bhagavato paṭissutvā oḷārikaṁ attabhāvaṁ abhinimminitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitaṁ kho hatthakaṁ devaputtaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: 

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3"Ye te, hatthaka, dhammā pubbe manussabhūtassa pavattino ahesuṁ, api nu te te dhammā etarahi pavattino"ti?

" Ye ca me, bhante, dhammā pubbe manussabhūtassa pavattino ahesuṁ, te ca me dhammā etarahi pavattino; ye ca me, bhante, dhammā pubbe manussabhūtassa nappavattino ahesuṁ, te ca me dhammā etarahi pavattino. Seyyathāpi, bhante, bhagavā etarahi ākiṇṇo viharati bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi; evamevaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, ākiṇṇo viharāmi devaputtehi. Dūratopi, bhante, devaputtā āgacchanti hatthakassa devaputtassa santike ‘dhammaṁ sossāmā’ti.

Tiṇṇāhaṁ, bhante, dhammānaṁ atitto appaṭivāno kālaṅkato. Katamesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ? Bhagavato ahaṁ, bhante, dassanassa atitto appaṭivāno kālaṅkato; saddhammasavanassāhaṁ, bhante, atitto appaṭivāno kālaṅkato; saṅghassāhaṁ, bhante, upaṭṭhānassa atitto appaṭivāno kālaṅkato. Imesaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ atitto appaṭivāno kālaṅkatoti.

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4Nāhaṁ bhagavato dassanassa,
Tittimajjhagā kudācanaṁ;
Saṅghassa upaṭṭhānassa,
Saddhammasavanassa ca.

5Adhisīlaṁ sikkhamāno,
saddhammasavane rato;
Tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ atitto,
hatthako avihaṁ gato"ti.

Pañcamaṁ.