MN134: Lomasakaṅgiyabhaddekarattasutta - Lomasakaṅgiya and One Fine Night
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Now at that time Venerable Lomasakaṅgiya was staying in the Sakyan country at Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery.
Then, late at night, the glorious god Candana, lighting up the entire Banyan Tree Monastery, went up to the Venerable Lomasakaṅgiya, and stood to one side. Standing to one side, he said to Lomasakaṅgiya:
“Mendicant, do you remember the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night?”
“No, reverend, I do not. Do you?”
“I also do not. But do you remember just the verses on One Fine Night?”
“I do not. Do you?”
“I do.”
“How do you remember the verses on One Fine Night?”
“This one time, the Buddha was staying among the gods of the Thirty-Three at the root of the Shady Orchard Tree on the stone spread with a cream rug. There he taught the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night to the gods of the Thirty-Three:
2
‘Don’t run back to the past,
don’t hope for the future.
What’s past is left behind;
the future has not arrived;
3
and phenomena in the present
are clearly seen in every case.
Knowing this, foster it —
unfaltering, unshakable.
4
Today’s the day to keenly work —
who knows, tomorrow may bring death!
For there is no bargain to be struck
with Death and his mighty hordes.
5
The peaceful sage explained it’s those
who keenly meditate like this,
tireless all night and day,
who truly have that one fine night.’
6That’s how I remember the verses of One Fine Night. Learn the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night, mendicant, memorize it, and remember it. It is beneficial and relates to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.”
That’s what the god Candana said before vanishing right there.
7-10Then Lomasakaṅgiya set his lodgings in order and, taking his bowl and robe, set out for Sāvatthī. Eventually he came to Sāvatthī and Jeta’s Grove. He went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. Then he added:
“Sir, please teach me the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine night.”
11“But mendicant, do you know that god?”
“I do not, sir.”
“That god was named Candana. Candana pays heed, pays attention, engages wholeheartedly, and lends an ear to the teaching. Well then, mendicant, listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, sir,” Lomasakaṅgiya replied. The Buddha said this:
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“Don’t run back to the past,
don’t hope for the future.
What’s past is left behind;
the future has not arrived;
13
and phenomena in the present
are clearly seen in every case.
Knowing this, foster it —
unfaltering, unshakable.
14
Today’s the day to keenly work —
who knows, tomorrow may bring death!
For there is no bargain to be struck
with Death and his mighty hordes.
15
The peaceful sage explained it’s those
who keenly meditate like this,
tireless all night and day,
who truly have that one fine night.
16And how do you run back to the past? …”
And the Buddha repeated the analysis as in MN 131.
21That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Lomasakaṅgiya was happy with what the Buddha said.
1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā lomasakaṅgiyo sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme.
Atha kho candano devaputto abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ nigrodhārāmaṁ obhāsetvā yenāyasmā lomasakaṅgiyo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho candano devaputto āyasmantaṁ lomasakaṅgiyaṁ etadavoca:
"dhāresi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañcā"ti?
"Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, dhāremi bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca. Tvaṁ panāvuso, dhāresi bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañcā"ti?
"Ahampi kho, bhikkhu, na dhāremi bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca. Dhāresi pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattiyo gāthā"ti?
"Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, dhāremi bhaddekarattiyo gāthā. Tvaṁ panāvuso, dhāresi bhaddekarattiyo gāthā"ti?
"Dhāremi kho ahaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattiyo gāthā"ti.
"Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, āvuso, dhāresi bhaddekarattiyo gāthā"ti?
"Ekamidaṁ, bhikkhu, samayaṁ bhagavā devesu tāvatiṁsesu viharati pāricchattakamūle paṇḍukambalasilāyaṁ. Tatra bhagavā devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsi:
2
‘Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;
Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,
appattañca anāgataṁ.
3
Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,
tattha tattha vipassati;
Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.
4
Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,
ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;
Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,
mahāsenena maccunā.
5
Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,
ahorattamatanditaṁ;
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
santo ācikkhate munī’ti.
6Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhikkhu, dhāremi bhaddekarattiyo gāthā. Uggaṇhāhi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca; pariyāpuṇāhi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca; dhārehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca. Atthasaṁhito, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattassa uddeso ca vibhaṅgo ca ādibrahmacariyako"ti.
Idamavoca candano devaputto. Idaṁ vatvā tatthevantaradhāyi.
7Atha kho āyasmā lomasakaṅgiyo tassā rattiyā accayena senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena sāvatthi tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi. Anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena sāvatthi jetavanaṁ anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāmo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā lomasakaṅgiyo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
8"Ekamidāhaṁ, bhante, samayaṁ sakkesu viharāmi kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme. Atha kho, bhante, aññataro devaputto abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ nigrodhārāmaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhante, so devaputto maṁ etadavoca: ‘dhāresi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañcā’ti? Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, taṁ devaputtaṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, dhāremi bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca. Tvaṁ panāvuso, dhāresi bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañcā’ti? ‘Ahampi kho, bhikkhu, na dhāremi bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca. Dhāresi pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattiyo gāthā’ti? ‘Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, dhāremi bhaddekarattiyo gāthā. Tvaṁ panāvuso, dhāresi bhaddekarattiyo gāthā’ti? ‘Dhāremi kho ahaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattiyo gāthā’ti. ‘Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, āvuso, dhāresi bhaddekarattiyo gāthā’ti? ‘Ekamidaṁ, bhikkhu, samayaṁ bhagavā devesu tāvatiṁsesu viharati pāricchattakamūle paṇḍukambalasilāyaṁ. Tatra kho bhagavā devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsi:
9"Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
… pe …
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
santo ācikkhate munī"ti.
10Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhikkhu, dhāremi bhaddekarattiyo gāthā. Uggaṇhāhi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca; pariyāpuṇāhi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca; dhārehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca. Atthasaṁhito, bhikkhu, bhaddekarattassa uddeso ca vibhaṅgo ca ādibrahmacariyako’ti. Idamavoca, bhante, so devaputto. Idaṁ vatvā tatthevantaradhāyi. Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desetū"ti.
11"Jānāsi pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, taṁ devaputtan"ti?
"Na kho ahaṁ, bhante, jānāmi taṁ devaputtan"ti.
"Candano nāma so, bhikkhu, devaputto. Candano, bhikkhu, devaputto aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasikatvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasoto dhammaṁ suṇāti. Tena hi, bhikkhu, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī"ti.
"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho āyasmā lomasakaṅgiyo bhagavato paccassosi. Bhagavā etadavoca:
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"Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;
Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,
appattañca anāgataṁ.
13
Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,
tattha tattha vipassati;
Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.
14
Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,
ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;
Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,
mahāsenena maccunā.
15
Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,
ahorattamatanditaṁ;
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
santo ācikkhate muni.
16Kathañca, bhikkhu, atītaṁ anvāgameti … pe … evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, atītaṁ anvāgameti. Kathañca, bhikkhu, atītaṁ nānvāgameti … pe … evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, atītaṁ nānvāgameti. Kathañca, bhikkhu, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati … pe … evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati. Kathañca, bhikkhu, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati … pe … evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati. Kathañca, bhikkhu, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati … pe … evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati. Kathañca, bhikkhu, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati … pe … evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.
17Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;
Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,
appattañca anāgataṁ.
18Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,
tattha tattha vipassati;
Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.
19Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,
ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;
Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,
mahāsenena maccunā.
20Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,
ahorattamatanditaṁ;
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
santo ācikkhate munī"ti.
21Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano āyasmā lomasakaṅgiyo bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Lomasakaṅgiyabhaddekarattasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ catutthaṁ.