1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

2“Mendicants, these days the Licchavis live using wood blocks as pillows, and they exercise diligently and keenly. King Ajātasattu Vedehiputta of Magadha finds no vulnerability, he’s got no foothold. But in the future the Licchavis will become delicate, with soft and tender hands and feet. They’ll sleep on soft beds with down pillows until the sun comes up. King Ajātasattu Vedehiputta of Magadha will find a vulnerability, he’ll get his foothold.

3These days the mendicants live using wood blocks as pillows, and they meditate diligently and keenly. Māra the Wicked finds no vulnerability, he's got no foothold. But in the future the mendicants will become delicate, with soft and tender hands and feet. They’ll sleep on soft beds with down pillows until the sun comes up. Māra the Wicked will find a vulnerability and will get a foothold.

So you should train like this: ‘We will live using wood blocks as pillows, and we will meditate diligently and keenly.’ That’s how you should train.”

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ vihārati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "bhikkhavo"ti.

"Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: 

2"Kaliṅgarūpadhānā, bhikkhave, etarahi licchavī vihāranti appamattā ātāpino upāsanasmiṁ. Tesaṁ rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto na labhati otāraṁ na labhati ārammaṇaṁ. Bhavissanti, bhikkhave, anāgatamaddhānaṁ licchavī sukhumālā mudutalunahatthapādā te mudukāsu seyyāsu tūlabibbohanāsu yāvasūriyuggamanā seyyaṁ kappissanti. Tesaṁ rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto lacchati otāraṁ lacchati ārammaṇaṁ.

3Kaliṅgarūpadhānā, bhikkhave, etarahi bhikkhū vihāranti appamattā ātāpino padhānasmiṁ. Tesaṁ māro pāpimā na labhati otāraṁ na labhati ārammaṇaṁ. Bhavissanti, bhikkhave, anāgatamaddhānaṁ bhikkhū sukhumā mudutalunahatthapādā. Te mudukāsu seyyāsu tūlabibbohanāsu yāvasūriyuggamanā seyyaṁ kappissanti. Tesaṁ māro pāpimā lacchati otāraṁ lacchati ārammaṇaṁ.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘kaliṅgarūpadhānā viharissāma appamattā ātāpino padhānasmin’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.