SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 1 Connected Discourses With Deities – Devatāsaṁyutta > SN 1.20 With Samiddhi

Linked Discourses 1.20 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.20

2. The Garden of Delight – 2. Nandanavagga

SN 1.20 With Samiddhi – Samiddhisutta

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Hot Springs Monastery.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati tapodārāme.

Then Venerable Samiddhi rose at the crack of dawn and went to the hot springs to bathe.

Atha kho āyasmā samiddhi rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya yena tapodā tenupasaṅkami gattāni parisiñcituṁ.

When he had bathed and emerged from the water he stood in one robe drying himself.

Tapode gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsi gattāni pubbāpayamāno.

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:

Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ tapodaṁ obhāsetvā yena āyasmā samiddhi tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ ṭhitā āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Bhikkhu, you seek alms before you eat;

“Abhutvā bhikkhasi bhikkhu,

you wouldn’t seek alms after eating.

na hi bhutvāna bhikkhasi;

But you should eat first, then seek alms:

Bhutvāna bhikkhu bhikkhassu,

don’t let the time pass you by.”

mā taṁ kālo upaccagā”ti.

“I actually don’t know the time;

“Kālaṁ vohaṁ na jānāmi,

it’s hidden and unseen.

channo kālo na dissati;

That’s why I seek alms before eating,

Tasmā abhutvā bhikkhāmi,

so that the time may not pass me by!”

mā maṁ kālo upaccagā”ti.

Then that deity landed on the ground and said to Samiddhi,

Atha kho sā devatā pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhahitvā āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ etadavoca:

“You’ve gone forth while young, bhikkhu. You’re black-haired, blessed with youth, in the prime of life, and you’ve never flirted with sensual pleasures.

“daharo tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pabbajito susu kāḷakeso, bhadrena yobbanena samannāgato, paṭhamena vayasā, anikkīḷitāvī kāmesu.

Enjoy human sensual pleasures!

Bhuñja, bhikkhu, mānusake kāme;

Don’t give up what is visible in the present to chase after what takes effect over time.”

mā sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvī”ti.

“I’m not, good sir;

“Na khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvāmi.

I’m giving up what takes effect over time to chase after what is visible in the present.

Kālikañca khvāhaṁ, āvuso, hitvā sandiṭṭhikaṁ anudhāvāmi.

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.

Kālikā hi, āvuso, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā; ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo.

But this teaching is visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.”

Sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti.

“But in what way, bhikkhu, 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?

“Kathañca, bhikkhu, kālikā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo?

And how is this teaching visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves?”

Kathaṁ sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti?

“I’m junior, good sir, recently gone forth, newly come to this teaching and training.

“Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, navo acirapabbajito adhunāgato imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ.

I’m not able to explain this in detail.

Na tāhaṁ sakkomi vitthārena ācikkhituṁ.

But the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha is staying near Rājagaha in the Hot Springs Monatery.

Ayaṁ so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho rājagahe viharati tapodārāme.

You should go to him and ask about this matter.

Taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccha.

And you should remember it in line with the Buddha’s answer.”

Yathā te bhagavā byākaroti tathā naṁ dhāreyyāsī”ti.

“It’s not easy for us to approach the Buddha, as he is surrounded by other illustrious deities.

“Na kho, bhikkhu, sukaro so bhagavā amhehi upasaṅkamituṁ, aññāhi mahesakkhāhi devatāhi parivuto.

If you go to the Buddha and ask him about this matter, we’ll come along and listen to the teaching.”

Sace kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccheyyāsi, mayampi āgaccheyyāma dhammassavanāyā”ti.

“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:

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā samiddhi tassā devatāya paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā samiddhi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“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:

‘Abhutvā bhikkhasi bhikkhu,

na hi bhutvāna bhikkhasi;

Bhutvāna bhikkhu bhikkhassu,

mā taṁ kālo upaccagā’ti.

Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, taṁ devataṁ gāthāya paccabhāsiṁ:

‘Kālaṁ vohaṁ na jānāmi,

channo kālo na dissati;

Tasmā abhutvā bhikkhāmi,

mā maṁ kālo upaccagā’ti.

Atha 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.

Evaṁ 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.

Evaṁ 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?

Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ devataṁ etadavocaṁ:

‘ahaṁ kho, āvuso, navo acirapabbajito adhunāgato imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ, na tāhaṁ sakkomi vitthārena ācikkhituṁ.

Ayaṁ so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho rājagahe viharati tapodārāme.

Taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccha.

Yathā te bhagavā byākaroti tathā naṁ dhāreyyāsī’ti.

Evaṁ 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.

“Sir, if that deity spoke the truth, he’ll be close by.”

Sace, bhante, tassā devatāya saccaṁ vacanaṁ, idheva sā devatā avidūre”ti.

When he had spoken, that deity said to Samiddhi,

Evaṁ vutte, sā devatā āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ etadavoca:

“Ask, bhikkhu, ask! For I have arrived.”

“puccha, bhikkhu, puccha, bhikkhu, yamahaṁ anuppattā”ti.

Then the Buddha addressed the deity in verse:

Atha kho bhagavā taṁ devataṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

“Sentient beings who perceive the communicable,

“Akkheyyasaññino sattā,

become established in the communicable.

akkheyyasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā;

Not understanding the communicable,

Akkheyyaṁ apariññāya,

they fall under the yoke of Death.

yogamāyanti maccuno.

But having fully understood the communicable,

Akkheyyañca pariññāya,

they don’t identify as a communicator,

Akkhātāraṁ na maññati;

for they have nothing

Tañhi tassa na hotīti,

by which they might be described.

Yena naṁ vajjā na tassa atthi;

Tell me if you understand, spirit.”

Sace vijānāsi vadehi yakkhā”ti.

“I don’t understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.

“Na khvāhaṁ, bhante, imassa bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi.

Please teach me this matter so I can understand the detailed meaning.”

Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā tathā bhāsatu yathāhaṁ imassa bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ jāneyyan”ti.

“If you think that ‘I’m equal,

“Samo visesī uda vā nihīno,

special, or worse’, you’ll get into arguments.

Yo maññatī so vivadetha tena;

Unwavering in the face of the three discriminations,

Tīsu vidhāsu avikampamāno,

you’ll have no thought ‘I’m equal or special’.

Samo visesīti na tassa hoti;

Tell me if you understand, spirit.”

Sace vijānāsi vadehi yakkhā”ti.

“I don’t understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.

“Imassapi khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa na vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi.

Please teach me this matter so I can understand the detailed meaning.”

Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā tathā bhāsatu yathāhaṁ imassa bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ jāneyyan”ti.

“Judging is given up, conceit rejected;

“Pahāsi saṅkhaṁ na vimānamajjhagā,

craving for name and form is cut off right here.

Acchecchi taṇhaṁ idha nāmarūpe;

They’ve cut the ties, untroubled, with no need for hope.

Taṁ chinnaganthaṁ anighaṁ nirāsaṁ,

Though gods and humans search for them

Pariyesamānā nājjhagamuṁ;

in this world and the world beyond, they never find them,

Devā manussā idha vā huraṁ vā,

not in heaven nor in any abode.

Saggesu vā sabbanivesanesu.

Tell me if you understand, spirit.”

Sace vijānāsi vadehi yakkhā”ti.

“This is how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement:

“Imassa khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi—

You should never do anything bad

Pāpaṁ na kayirā vacasā manasā,

by speech or mind or body in all the world.

Kāyena vā kiñcana sabbaloke;

Having given up sensual pleasures, mindful and aware,

Kāme pahāya satimā sampajāno,

you shouldn’t keep doing what’s painful and pointless.”

Dukkhaṁ na sevetha anatthasaṁhitan”ti.

Nandanavaggo dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Nandanā nandati ceva,

Natthiputtasamena ca;

Khattiyo saṇamāno ca,

Niddātandī ca dukkaraṁ;