1. On Deities
II. The Garden of Delight — SN1.20: With Samiddhi
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Hot Springs Monastery.
Then Venerable Samiddhi rose at the crack of dawn and went to the hot springs to bathe. When he had bathed and emerged from the water he stood in one robe drying himself.
Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire hot springs, went up to Samiddhi, and, standing in the air, addressed him in verse:
2“Mendicant, you seek alms before you eat;
you wouldn’t seek alms after eating.
But you should eat first, then seek alms:
don’t let the time pass you by.”
3“I actually don’t know the time;
it’s hidden and unseen.
That’s why I seek alms before eating,
so that the time may not pass me by!”
4Then that deity landed on the ground and said to Samiddhi: “You’ve gone forth while young, mendicant. You’re black-haired, blessed with youth, in the prime of life, and you’ve never flirted with sensual pleasures. Enjoy human sensual pleasures! Don’t give up what is visible in the present to chase after what takes effect over time.”
5“I’m not, good sir; I’m giving up what takes effect over time to chase after what is visible in the present. For the Buddha has said that sensual pleasures take effect over time, with much suffering and distress, and they’re all the more full of drawbacks. But this teaching is visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.”
6“But in what way, mendicant, has the Buddha said that sensual pleasures take effect over time, with much suffering and distress, and they’re all the more full of drawbacks? And how is this teaching visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves?”
7“I’m junior, good sir, recently gone forth, newly come to this teaching and training. I’m not able to explain this in detail. But the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha is staying near Rājagaha in the Hot Springs Monastery. You should go to him and ask about this matter. And you should remember it in line with the Buddha’s answer.”
8“It’s not easy for us to approach the Buddha, as he is surrounded by other illustrious deities. If you go to the Buddha and ask him about this matter, we’ll come along and listen to the teaching.”
“Yes, good sir,” Venerable Samiddhi replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.
. . .
Then he added:
“Sir, if that deity spoke the truth, he’ll be close by.”
18When he had spoken, that deity said to Samiddhi: “Ask, mendicant, ask! For I have arrived.”
19Then the Buddha addressed the deity in verse:
20“Sentient beings who perceive the visible,
become established in the visible.
Not understanding the visible,
they come under the yoke of Death.
21But having fully understood the visible,
they don’t identify as a seer,
for they have nothing
by which they might be described.
Tell me if you understand, spirit.”
22“I don’t understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement. Please teach me this matter so I can understand the detailed meaning.”
23“If you think that ‘I’m equal,
special, or worse’, you’ll get into arguments.
Unwavering in the face of the three discriminations,
you’ll have no thought ‘I’m equal or special’.
Tell me if you understand, spirit.”
24“I don’t understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement. Please teach me this matter so I can understand the detailed meaning.”
25“Judging is given up, conceit rejected;
craving for name and form is cut off right here.
They’ve cut the ties, untroubled and free of hope.
Though gods and humans search for them
in this world and the world beyond, they never find them,
not in heaven nor in any abode.
26Tell me if you understand, spirit.”
“This is how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement:
“You should never do anything bad
by speech or mind or body in all the world.
Having given up sensual pleasures, mindful and aware,
you shouldn’t keep doing what’s painful and pointless.”
1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati tapodārāme.
Atha kho āyasmā samiddhi rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya yena tapodā tenupasaṅkami gattāni parisiñcituṁ. Tapode gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsi gattāni pubbāpayamāno.
Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ tapodaṁ obhāsetvā yena āyasmā samiddhi tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ ṭhitā āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
2"Abhutvā bhikkhasi bhikkhu,
na hi bhutvāna bhikkhasi;
Bhutvāna bhikkhu bhikkhassu,
mā taṁ kālo upaccagā"ti.
3"Kālaṁ vohaṁ na jānāmi,
channo kālo na dissati;
Tasmā abhutvā bhikkhāmi,
mā maṁ kālo upaccagā"ti.
4Atha kho sā devatā pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhahitvā āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ etadavoca: "daharo tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pabbajito susu kāḷakeso, bhadrena yobbanena samannāgato, paṭhamena vayasā, anikkīḷitāvī kāmesu. Bhuñja, bhikkhu, mānusake kāme; mā sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvī"ti.
5"Na khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvāmi. Kālikañca khvāhaṁ, āvuso, hitvā sandiṭṭhikaṁ anudhāvāmi. Kālikā hi, āvuso, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā; ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo. Sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī"ti.
6"Kathañca, bhikkhu, kālikā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo? Kathaṁ sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī"ti?
7"Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, navo acirapabbajito adhunāgato imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ. Na tāhaṁ sakkomi vitthārena ācikkhituṁ. Ayaṁ so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho rājagahe vihārati tapodārāme. Taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccha. Yathā te bhagavā byākaroti tathā naṁ dhāreyyāsī"ti.
8"Na kho, bhikkhu, sukaro so bhagavā amhehi upasaṅkamituṁ, aññāhi mahesakkhāhi devatāhi parivuto. Sace kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccheyyāsi, mayampi āgaccheyyāma dhammassavanāyā"ti.
"Evamāvuso"ti kho āyasmā samiddhi tassā devatāya paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā samiddhi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
9"Idhāhaṁ, bhante, rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya yena tapodā tenupasaṅkamiṁ gattāni parisiñcituṁ. Tapode gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsiṁ gattāni pubbāpayamāno. Atha kho, bhante, aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ tapodaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ ṭhitā imāya gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
10‘Abhutvā bhikkhasi bhikkhu,
na hi bhutvāna bhikkhasi;
Bhutvāna bhikkhu bhikkhassu,
mā taṁ kālo upaccagā’ti.
11Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, taṁ devataṁ gāthāya paccabhāsiṁ:
12‘Kālaṁ vohaṁ na jānāmi,
channo kālo na dissati;
Tasmā abhutvā bhikkhāmi,
mā maṁ kālo upaccagā’ti.
13Atha kho, bhante, sā devatā pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhahitvā maṁ etadavoca: ‘daharo tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pabbajito susu kāḷakeso, bhadrena yobbanena samannāgato, paṭhamena vayasā, anikkīḷitāvī kāmesu. Bhuñja, bhikkhu, mānusake kāme; mā sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvī’ti.
14Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ devataṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘Na khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvāmi; kālikañca khvāhaṁ, āvuso, hitvā sandiṭṭhikaṁ anudhāvāmi. Kālikā hi, āvuso, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā; ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo. Sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti.
15Evaṁ vutte, bhante, sā devatā maṁ etadavoca: ‘kathañca, bhikkhu, kālikā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā; ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo? Kathaṁ sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti?
16Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ devataṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, navo acirapabbajito adhunāgato imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ, na tāhaṁ sakkomi vitthārena ācikkhituṁ. Ayaṁ so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho rājagahe vihārati tapodārāme. Taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccha. Yathā te bhagavā byākaroti tathā naṁ dhāreyyāsī’ti.
17Evaṁ vutte, bhante, sā devatā maṁ etadavoca: ‘Na kho, bhikkhu, sukaro so bhagavā amhehi upasaṅkamituṁ, aññāhi mahesakkhāhi devatāhi parivuto. Sace kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccheyyāsi, mayampi āgaccheyyāma dhammassavanāyā’ti.
Sace, bhante, tassā devatāya saccaṁ vacanaṁ, idheva sā devatā avidūre"ti.
18Evaṁ vutte, sā devatā āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ etadavoca: "puccha, bhikkhu, puccha, bhikkhu, yamahaṁ anuppattā"ti.
19Atha kho bhagavā taṁ devataṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:
20"Akkheyyasaññino sattā,
akkheyyasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā;
Akkheyyaṁ apariññāya,
yogamāyanti maccuno.
21Akkheyyañca pariññāya,
Akkhātāraṁ na maññati;
Tañhi tassa na hotīti,
Yena naṁ vajjā na tassa atthi;
Sace vijānāsi vadehi yakkhā"ti.
22"Na khvāhaṁ, bhante, imassa bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi. Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā tathā bhāsatu yathāhaṁ imassa bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ jāneyyan"ti.
23"Samo visesī uda vā nihīno,
Yo maññatī so vivadetha tena;
Tīsu vidhāsu avikampamāno,
Samo visesīti na tassa hoti;
Sace vijānāsi vadehi yakkhā"ti.
24"Imassapi khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa na vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi. Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā tathā bhāsatu yathāhaṁ imassa bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ jāneyyan"ti.
25"Pahāsi saṅkhaṁ na vimānamajjhagā,
Acchecchi taṇhāṁ idha nāmarūpe;
Taṁ chinnaganthaṁ anighaṁ nirāsaṁ,
Pariyesamānā nājjhagamuṁ;
Devā manussā idha vā huraṁ vā,
Saggesu vā sabbanivesanesu.
26Sace vijānāsi vadehi yakkhā"ti.
27"Imassa khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi –
28Pāpaṁ na kayirā vacasā manasā,
Kāyena vā kiñcana sabbaloke;
Kāme pahāya satimā sampajāno,
Dukkhaṁ na sevetha anatthasaṁhitan"ti.
Nandanavaggo dutiyo.
.Nandanā nandati ceva,
Natthiputtasamena ca;
Khattiyo saṇamāno ca,
Niddātandī ca dukkaraṁ;
Hirī kuṭikā navamo,
Dasamo vutto samiddhināti.