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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

8: The Book of the Eights

V. Sabbath — AN 8.44: With Vāseṭṭha on the Sabbath

1At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Then the layman Vāseṭṭha went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“Vāseṭṭha, the observance of the sabbath with its eight factors is very fruitful and beneficial and glorious and effective. … blameless, they go to a heavenly place.”


2When he said this, Vāseṭṭha said to the Buddha:

“If my loved ones — relatives and kin — were to observe this sabbath with its eight factors, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness. If all the aristocrats, brahmins, merchants, and workers were to observe this sabbath with its eight factors, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness.”

3“That’s so true, Vāseṭṭha! That’s so true, Vāseṭṭha! If all the aristocrats, brahmins, merchants, and workers were to observe this sabbath with its eight factors, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness. If the whole world — with its gods, Māras and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans — were to observe this sabbath with its eight factors, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness. If these great sal trees were to observe this sabbath with its eight factors, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness — if they were sentient. How much more then a human being!”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho vāseṭṭho upāsako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho vāseṭṭhaṁ upāsakaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: 

"Aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgato, vāseṭṭha, uposatho upavuttho mahapphalo hoti … pe … aninditā saggamupenti ṭhānan"ti.


2Evaṁ vutte, vāseṭṭho upāsako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

"piyā me, bhante, ñātisālohitā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, piyānampi me assa ñātisālohitānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sabbe cepi, bhante, khattiyā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, sabbesampissa khattiyānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sabbe cepi, bhante, brāhmaṇā … pe … vessā … suddā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, sabbesampissa suddānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā"ti.

3"Evametaṁ, vāseṭṭha, evametaṁ, vāseṭṭha. Sabbe cepi, vāseṭṭha, khattiyā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, sabbesampissa khattiyānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sabbe cepi, vāseṭṭha, brāhmaṇā … pe … vessā … suddā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, sabbesampissa suddānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sadevako cepi, vāseṭṭha, loko samārako sabrahmako sassamaṇabrāhmaṇī pajā sadevamanussā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, sadevakassapissa lokassa samārakassa sabrahmakassa sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Ime cepi, vāseṭṭha, mahāsālā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, imesampissa mahāsālānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya (). Ko pana vādo manussabhūtassā"ti.

Catutthaṁ.