AN 7 The Book of the Sevens – Sattakanipāta > AN 7.22 With Vassakāra

Numbered Discourses 7.22 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.22

3. The Vajji Seven – 3. Vajjisattakavagga

AN 7.22 With Vassakāra – Vassakārasutta

1.1

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

1.2

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.

1.3

Now at that time King Ajātasattu Vedehiputta of Māgadha wanted to invade the Vajjis.

Tena kho pana samayena rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto vajjī abhiyātukāmo hoti.

1.4

He declared:

So evamāha:

1.5

“I shall wipe out these Vajjis, so mighty and powerful! I shall destroy them, and lay ruin and devastation upon them!”

“ahaṁ hime vajjī evaṁmahiddhike evaṁmahānubhāve ucchecchāmi, vajjī vināsessāmi, vajjī anayabyasanaṁ āpādessāmī”ti.

2.1

And then King Ajātasattu addressed Vassakāra the brahmin minister of Māgadha,

Atha kho rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto vassakāraṁ brāhmaṇaṁ māgadhamahāmattaṁ āmantesi:

2.2

“Please, brahmin, go to the Buddha, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Ask him if he is healthy and well, nimble, strong, and living comfortably.

“ehi tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena bhagavato pāde sirasā vandāhi, appābādhaṁ appātaṅkaṁ lahuṭṭhānaṁ balaṁ phāsuvihāraṁ puccha:

2.3

‘rājā, bhante, māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto bhagavato pāde sirasā vandati, appābādhaṁ appātaṅkaṁ lahuṭṭhānaṁ balaṁ phāsuvihāraṁ pucchatī’ti.

2.4

And then say:

Evañca vadehi:

2.5

‘Sir, King Ajātasattu Vedehiputta of Māgadha wants to invade the Vajjis.

‘rājā, bhante, māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto vajjī abhiyātukāmo.

2.6

He has declared:

So evamāha—

2.7

“I shall wipe out these Vajjis, so mighty and powerful! I shall destroy them, and lay ruin and devastation upon them!”’

ahaṁ hime vajjī evaṁmahiddhike evaṁmahānubhāve ucchecchāmi, vajjī vināsessāmi, vajjī anayabyasanaṁ āpādessāmī’ti.

2.8

Remember well how the Buddha answers and tell it to me.

Yathā te bhagavā byākaroti, taṁ sādhukaṁ uggahetvā mama āroceyyāsi.

2.9

For Realized Ones say nothing that is not so.”

Na hi tathāgatā vitathaṁ bhaṇantī”ti.

3.1

“Yes, sir,” Vassakāra replied. He went to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him.

“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho vassakāro brāhmaṇo māgadhamahāmatto rañño māgadhassa ajātasattussa vedehiputtassa paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.

3.2

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vassakāro brāhmaṇo māgadhamahāmatto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

3.3

“Master Gotama, King Ajātasattu bows with his head to your feet. He asks if you are healthy and well, nimble, strong, and living comfortably.

“rājā, bho gotama, māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto bhoto gotamassa pāde sirasā vandati, appābādhaṁ appātaṅkaṁ lahuṭṭhānaṁ balaṁ phāsuvihāraṁ pucchati.

3.4

King Ajātasattu wants to invade the Vajjis.

Rājā, bho gotama, māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto vajjī abhiyātukāmo.

3.5

He has declared:

So evamāha:

3.6

‘I shall wipe out these Vajjis, so mighty and powerful! I shall destroy them, and lay ruin and devastation upon them!’”

‘ahaṁ hime vajjī evaṁmahiddhike evaṁmahānubhāve ucchecchāmi, vajjī vināsessāmi, vajjī anayabyasanaṁ āpādessāmī’”ti.

4.1

Now at that time Venerable Ānanda was standing behind the Buddha fanning him.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ānando bhagavato piṭṭhito ṭhito hoti bhagavantaṁ bījayamāno.

4.2

Then the Buddha said to him:

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:

4.3

“Ānanda, have you heard that the Vajjis meet frequently and have many meetings?”

“kinti te, ānanda, sutaṁ: ‘vajjī abhiṇhaṁ sannipātā sannipātabahulā’”ti?

4.4

“I have heard that, sir.”

“Sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘vajjī abhiṇhaṁ sannipātā sannipātabahulā’”ti.

4.5

“As long as the Vajjis meet frequently and have many meetings, they can expect growth, not decline.

“Yāvakīvañca, ānanda, vajjī abhiṇhaṁ sannipātā bhavissanti sannipātabahulā; vuddhiyeva, ānanda, vajjīnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

5.1

Ānanda, have you heard that the Vajjis meet in harmony, leave in harmony, and carry on their business in harmony?”

Kinti te, ānanda, sutaṁ: ‘vajjī samaggā sannipatanti, samaggā vuṭṭhahanti, samaggā vajjikaraṇīyāni karontī’”ti?

5.2

“I have heard that, sir.”

“Sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘vajjī samaggā sannipatanti, samaggā vuṭṭhahanti, samaggā vajjikaraṇīyāni karontī’”ti.

5.3

“As long as the Vajjis meet in harmony, leave in harmony, and carry on their business in harmony, they can expect growth, not decline.

“Yāvakīvañca, ānanda, vajjī samaggā sannipatissanti, samaggā vuṭṭhahissanti, samaggā vajjikaraṇīyāni karissanti; vuddhiyeva, ānanda, vajjīnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

6.1

Ānanda, have you heard that the Vajjis don’t make new decrees or abolish existing decrees, but proceed having undertaken the ancient Vajjian dhamma as they have been decreed?”

Kinti te, ānanda, sutaṁ: ‘vajjī apaññattaṁ na paññāpenti, paññattaṁ na samucchindanti, yathāpaññatte porāṇe vajjidhamme samādāya vattantī’”ti?

6.2

“I have heard that, sir.”

“Sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘vajjī apaññattaṁ na paññāpenti, paññattaṁ na samucchindanti, yathāpaññatte porāṇe vajjidhamme samādāya vattantī’”ti.

6.3

“As long as the Vajjis don’t make new decrees or abolish existing decrees, but proceed having undertaken the traditional Vajjian dhamma as they have been decreed, they can expect growth, not decline.

“Yāvakīvañca, ānanda, vajjī apaññattaṁ na paññāpessanti, paññattaṁ na samucchindissanti, yathāpaññatte porāṇe vajjidhamme samādāya vattissanti; vuddhiyeva, ānanda, vajjīnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

7.1

Ānanda, have you heard that the Vajjis honor, respect, esteem, and venerate Vajjian elders, and think them worth listening to?”

Kinti te, ānanda, sutaṁ: ‘vajjī ye te vajjīnaṁ vajjimahallakā te sakkaronti garuṁ karonti mānenti pūjenti, tesañca sotabbaṁ maññantī’”ti?

7.2

“I have heard that, sir.”

“Sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘vajjī ye te vajjīnaṁ vajjimahallakā te sakkaronti garuṁ karonti mānenti pūjenti, tesañca sotabbaṁ maññantī’”ti.

7.3

“As long as the Vajjis honor, respect, esteem, and venerate Vajjian elders, and think them worth listening to, they can expect growth, not decline.

“Yāvakīvañca, ānanda, vajjī ye te vajjīnaṁ vajjimahallakā te sakkarissanti garuṁ karissanti mānessanti pūjessanti, tesañca sotabbaṁ maññissanti; vuddhiyeva, ānanda, vajjīnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

8.1

Ānanda, have you heard that the Vajjis don’t rape or abduct women or girls from their families and force them to live with them?”

Kinti te, ānanda, sutaṁ: ‘vajjī yā tā kulitthiyo kulakumāriyo tā na okassa pasayha vāsentī’”ti?

8.2

“I have heard that, sir.”

“Sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘vajjī yā tā kulitthiyo kulakumāriyo tā na okassa pasayha vāsentī’”ti.

8.3

“As long as the Vajjis don’t rape or abduct women or girls from their families and force them to live with them, they can expect growth, not decline.

“Yāvakīvañca, ānanda, vajjī yā tā kulitthiyo kulakumāriyo tā na okassa pasayha vāsessanti; vuddhiyeva, ānanda, vajjīnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

9.1

Ānanda, have you heard that the Vajjis honor, respect, esteem, and venerate the Vajjian shrines, whether inner or outer, not neglecting the proper spirit-offerings that were given and made in the past?”

Kinti te, ānanda, sutaṁ: ‘vajjī yāni tāni vajjīnaṁ vajjicetiyāni abbhantarāni ceva bāhirāni ca tāni sakkaronti garuṁ karonti mānenti pūjenti, tesañca dinnapubbaṁ katapubbaṁ dhammikaṁ baliṁ no parihāpentī’”ti?

9.2

“I have heard that, sir.”

“Sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘vajjī yāni tāni vajjīnaṁ vajjicetiyāni abbhantarāni ceva bāhirāni ca tāni sakkaronti garuṁ karonti mānenti pūjenti, tesañca dinnapubbaṁ katapubbaṁ dhammikaṁ baliṁ no parihāpentī’”ti.

9.3

“As long as the Vajjis honor, respect, esteem, and venerate the Vajjian shrines, whether inner or outer, not neglecting the proper spirit-offerings that were given and made in the past, they can expect growth, not decline.

“Yāvakīvañca, ānanda, vajjī yāni tāni vajjīnaṁ vajjicetiyāni abbhantarāni ceva bāhirāni ca tāni sakkarissanti garuṁ karissanti mānessanti pūjessanti, tesañca dinnapubbaṁ katapubbaṁ dhammikaṁ baliṁ no parihāpessanti; vuddhiyeva, ānanda, vajjīnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

10.1

Ānanda, have you heard that the Vajjis organize proper protection, shelter, and security for perfected ones, so that more perfected ones might come to the realm and those already here may live in comfort?”

Kinti te, ānanda, sutaṁ: ‘vajjīnaṁ arahantesu dhammikā rakkhāvaraṇagutti susaṁvihitā—kinti anāgatā ca arahanto vijitaṁ āgaccheyyuṁ, āgatā ca arahanto vijite phāsuṁ vihareyyun’”ti?

10.2

“I have heard that, sir.”

“Sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘vajjīnaṁ arahantesu dhammikā rakkhāvaraṇagutti susaṁvihitā bhavissati—kinti anāgatā ca arahanto vijitaṁ āgaccheyyuṁ, āgatā ca arahanto vijite phāsuṁ vihareyyun’”ti.

10.3

“As long as the Vajjis organize proper protection, shelter, and security for perfected ones, so that more perfected ones might come to the realm and those already here may live in comfort, they can expect growth, not decline.”

“Yāvakīvañca, ānanda, vajjīnaṁ arahantesu dhammikā rakkhāvaraṇagutti susaṁvihitā bhavissati: ‘kinti anāgatā ca arahanto vijitaṁ āgaccheyyuṁ, āgatā ca arahanto vijite phāsuṁ vihareyyun’ti; vuddhiyeva, ānanda, vajjīnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihānī”ti.

11.1

Then the Buddha said to Vassakāra:

Atha kho bhagavā vassakāraṁ brāhmaṇaṁ māgadhamahāmattaṁ āmantesi:

11.2

“Brahmin, one time I was staying near Vesālī at the Sārandada woodland shrine.

“ekamidāhaṁ, brāhmaṇa, samayaṁ vesāliyaṁ viharāmi sārandade cetiye.

11.3

There I taught the Vajjis these dhamma that prevent decline.

Tatrāhaṁ, brāhmaṇa, vajjīnaṁ ime satta aparihāniye dhamme desesiṁ.

11.4

As long as these seven dhamma that prevent decline last among the Vajjis, and as long as the Vajjis are seen following them, they can expect growth, not decline.”

Yāvakīvañca, brāhmaṇa, ime satta aparihāniyā dhammā vajjīsu ṭhassanti, imesu ca sattasu aparihāniyesu dhammesu vajjī sandississanti; vuddhiyeva, brāhmaṇa, vajjīnaṁ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihānī”ti.

12.1

When the Buddha had spoken, Vassakāra said to him: “Master Gotama, if the Vajjis follow even a single one of these dhamma they can expect growth, not decline.

“Ekamekenapi, bho gotama, aparihāniyena dhammena samannāgatānaṁ vajjīnaṁ vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni;

12.2

How much more so all seven!

ko pana vādo sattahi aparihāniyehi dhammehi.

12.3

King Ajātasattu cannot defeat the Vajjis in war, unless by diplomacy or by sowing dissension.

Akaraṇīyā ca, bho gotama, vajjī raññā māgadhena ajātasattunā vedehiputtena yadidaṁ yuddhassa, aññatra upalāpanāya, aññatra mithubhedā.

12.4

Well, now, Master Gotama, I must go. I have many duties, and much to do.”

Handa ca dāni mayaṁ, bho gotama, gacchāma, bahukiccā mayaṁ bahukaraṇīyā”ti.

12.5

“Please, brahmin, go at your convenience.”

“Yassadāni tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, kālaṁ maññasī”ti.

12.6

Then Vassakāra the brahmin, having approved and agreed with what the Buddha said, got up from his seat and left.

Atha kho vassakāro brāhmaṇo māgadhamahāmatto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmīti.

12.7

Dutiyaṁ.