AN 9 The Book of the Nines – Navakanipāta > AN 9.19 A Deity

Numbered Discourses 9.19 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 9.19

2. The Lion’s Roar – 2. Sīhanādavagga

AN 9.19 A Deity – Devatāsutta

1.1

“Bhikkhū, tonight, several glorious deities, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side, and said to me:

“Imañca, bhikkhave, rattiṁ sambahulā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho, bhikkhave, tā devatā maṁ etadavocuṁ:

1.2

‘Sir, formerly when we were human beings, renunciates came to our homes.

‘upasaṅkamiṁsu no, bhante, pubbe manussabhūtānaṁ pabbajitā agārāni.

1.3

We politely rose for them, but we didn’t bow.

Te mayaṁ, bhante, paccuṭṭhimha, no ca kho abhivādimha.

1.4

And so, having not fulfilled our duty, full of remorse and regret, we were reborn in a lesser realm.’

Tā mayaṁ, bhante, aparipuṇṇakammantā vippaṭisāriniyo paccānutāpiniyo hīnaṁ kāyaṁ upapannā’ti.

2.1

Then several other deities came to me and said:

Aparāpi maṁ, bhikkhave, sambahulā devatā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:

2.2

‘Sir, formerly when we were human beings, renunciates came to our homes.

‘upasaṅkamiṁsu no, bhante, pubbe manussabhūtānaṁ pabbajitā agārāni.

2.3

We politely rose for them and bowed, but we didn’t offer a seat.

Te mayaṁ, bhante, paccuṭṭhimha abhivādimha, no ca tesaṁ āsanaṁ adamha.

2.4

And so, having not fulfilled our duty, full of remorse and regret, we were reborn in a lesser realm.’

Tā mayaṁ, bhante, aparipuṇṇakammantā vippaṭisāriniyo paccānutāpiniyo hīnaṁ kāyaṁ upapannā’ti.

3.1

Then several other deities came to me and said:

Aparāpi maṁ, bhikkhave, sambahulā devatā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:

3.2

‘Sir, formerly when we were human beings, renunciates came to our homes.

‘upasaṅkamiṁsu no, bhante, pubbe manussabhūtānaṁ pabbajitā agārāni.

3.3

We politely rose for them, bowed, and offered a seat, but we didn’t share as best we could. …’

Te mayaṁ, bhante, paccuṭṭhimha abhivādimha āsanaṁ adamha, no ca kho yathāsatti yathābalaṁ saṁvibhajimha …pe…

3.4

‘… we didn’t sit nearby to listen to the teachings. …’

yathāsatti yathābalaṁ saṁvibhajimha, no ca kho upanisīdimha dhammassavanāya …pe…

3.5

‘… we didn’t lend an ear to the teachings. …’

upanisīdimha dhammassavanāya, no ca kho ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇimha …pe…

3.6

‘… we didn’t memorize the teachings. …’

ohitasotā ca dhammaṁ suṇimha, no ca kho sutvā dhammaṁ dhārayimha …pe…

3.7

‘… we didn’t examine the meaning of teachings we’d memorized. …’

sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhārayimha, no ca kho dhātānaṁ dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhimha …pe…

3.8

‘… having understood the meaning and the teaching, we didn’t practice accordingly.

dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhimha, no ca kho atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammaṁ paṭipajjimha.

3.9

And so, having not fulfilled our duty, full of remorse and regret, we were reborn in a lesser realm.’

Tā mayaṁ, bhante, aparipuṇṇakammantā vippaṭisāriniyo paccānutāpiniyo hīnaṁ kāyaṁ upapannā’ti.

4.1

Then several other deities came to me and said:

Aparāpi maṁ, bhikkhave, sambahulā devatā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:

4.2

‘Sir, formerly when we were human beings, renunciates came to our homes.

‘upasaṅkamiṁsu no, bhante, pubbe manussabhūtānaṁ pabbajitā agārāni.

4.3

We politely rose, bowed, and offered them a seat. We shared as best we could. We sat nearby to listen to the teachings, lent an ear, memorized them, and examined their meaning. Understanding the teaching and the meaning we practiced accordingly.

Te mayaṁ, bhante, paccuṭṭhimha abhivādimha, āsanaṁ adamha, yathāsatti yathābalaṁ saṁvibhajimha, upanisīdimha dhammassavanāya, ohitasotā ca dhammaṁ suṇimha, sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhārayimha, dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhimha, atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammaṁ paṭipajjimha.

4.4

And so, having fulfilled our duty, free of remorse and regret, we were reborn in a superior realm.’

Tā mayaṁ, bhante, paripuṇṇakammantā avippaṭisāriniyo apaccānutāpiniyo paṇītaṁ kāyaṁ upapannā’ti.

4.5

Here, bhikkhū, are these roots of trees, and here are these empty huts. Practice absorption, bhikkhū! Don’t be negligent! Don’t regret it later, like those former deities.”

Etāni, bhikkhave, rukkhamūlāni etāni suññāgārāni. Jhāyatha, bhikkhave, mā pamādattha, mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha seyyathāpi tā purimikā devatā”ti.

4.6

Navamaṁ.