AN 3.127

Hatthakasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho hatthako devaputto abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā: “bhagavato purato ṭhassāmī”ti osīdatimeva saṁsīdatimeva, na sakkoti saṇṭhātuṁ. Seyyathāpi nāma sappi vā telaṁ vā vālukāya āsittaṁ osīdatimeva saṁsīdatimeva, na saṇṭhāti; evamevaṁ hatthako devaputto: “bhagavato purato ṭhassāmī”ti osīdatimeva saṁsīdatimeva, na sakkoti saṇṭhātuṁ.

With Hatthaka

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then, late at night, the glorious godling Hatthaka, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha. Thinking, “I will stand before the Buddha,” he sank and melted down, and wasn’t able to stay still. It’s like when ghee or oil is poured on sand, it sinks and melts down, and can’t remain stable.

Atha kho bhagavā hatthakaṁ devaputtaṁ etadavoca: “oḷārikaṁ, hatthaka, attabhāvaṁ abhinimmināhī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti, kho hatthako devaputto bhagavato paṭissutvā oḷārikaṁ attabhāvaṁ abhinimminitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitaṁ kho hatthakaṁ devaputtaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

Then the Buddha said to Hatthaka, “Hatthaka, manifest a solid incarnation.” “Yes, sir,” replied Hatthaka. He manifested a solid incarnation, bowed to the Buddha, and stood to one side. The Buddha said to him,

“Ye te, hatthaka, dhammā pubbe manussabhūtassa pavattino ahesuṁ, api nu te te dhammā etarahi pavattino”ti? “Ye ca me, bhante, dhammā pubbe manussabhūtassa pavattino ahesuṁ, te ca me dhammā etarahi pavattino; ye ca me, bhante, dhammā pubbe manussabhūtassa nappavattino ahesuṁ, te ca me dhammā etarahi pavattino. Seyyathāpi, bhante, bhagavā etarahi ākiṇṇo viharati bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi; evamevaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, ākiṇṇo viharāmi devaputtehi. Dūratopi, bhante, devaputtā āgacchanti hatthakassa devaputtassa santike ‘dhammaṁ sossāmā’ti. Tiṇṇāhaṁ, bhante, dhammānaṁ atitto appaṭivāno kālaṅkato. Katamesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ? Bhagavato ahaṁ, bhante, dassanassa atitto appaṭivāno kālaṅkato; saddhammasavanassāhaṁ, bhante, atitto appaṭivāno kālaṅkato; saṅghassāhaṁ, bhante, upaṭṭhānassa atitto appaṭivāno kālaṅkato. Imesaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ atitto appaṭivāno kālaṅkatoti.

“Hatthaka, I wonder whether you still promulgate now the teachings that you promulgated when you were a human being?” “I still promulgate the teachings that I promulgated as a human being. And I also promulgate teachings that I didn’t promulgate as a human being. Just as the Buddha these days lives crowded by monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen; by rulers and their chief ministers, and monastics of other religions and their disciples, so I live crowded by the godlings. The godlings come from far away, thinking, ‘We’ll hear the teaching in the presence of Hatthaka.’ Sir, I passed away without getting enough of three things. What three? Seeing the Buddha; hearing the true teaching; and serving the Saṅgha. I passed away without getting enough of these three things.

Nāhaṁ bhagavato dassanassa, Tittimajjhagā kudācanaṁ; Saṅghassa upaṭṭhānassa, Saddhammasavanassa ca.

I could never get enough of seeing the Buddha, serving the Saṅgha, or hearing the teaching.

Adhisīlaṁ sikkhamāno, saddhammasavane rato; Tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ atitto, hatthako avihaṁ gato”ti.

Training in the higher ethics, loving to hear the true teaching, Hatthaka has gone to the Aviha realm without getting enough of these three things.”