AN 3.35

Hatthakasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati gomagge siṁsapāvane paṇṇasanthare. Atha kho hatthako āḷavako jaṅghāvihāraṁ anucaṅkamamāno anuvicaramāno addasa bhagavantaṁ gomagge siṁsapāvane paṇṇasanthare nisinnaṁ. Disvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho hatthako āḷavako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kacci, bhante bhagavā, sukhamasayitthā”ti? “Evaṁ, kumāra, sukhamasayitthaṁ. Ye ca pana loke sukhaṁ senti, ahaṁ tesaṁ aññataro”ti.

With Hatthaka

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Āḷavī, on a mat of leaves by a cow-path in a rosewood grove. Then as Hatthaka of Āḷavī was going for a walk he saw the Buddha sitting on that mat of leaves. He went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said, “Sir, I trust the Buddha slept well?” “Yes, prince, I slept well. I am one of those who sleep at ease in the world.”

“Sītā, bhante, hemantikā ratti, antaraṭṭhako himapātasamayo, kharā gokaṇṭakahatā bhūmi, tanuko paṇṇasantharo, viraḷāni rukkhassa pattāni, sītāni kāsāyāni vatthāni, sīto ca verambho vāto vāyati. Atha ca pana bhagavā evamāha: ‘evaṁ, kumāra, sukhamasayitthaṁ. Ye ca pana loke sukhaṁ senti, ahaṁ tesaṁ aññataro’”ti.

“The winter nights are cold, sir, and it’s the week of mid-winter, when the snow falls. Rough is the ground trampled under the cows’ hooves, and thin is the mat of leaves. The leaves are sparse on the trees, the ocher robes are cold, and cold blows the north wind. And yet the Buddha says, ‘Yes, prince, I slept well. I am one of those who sleep at ease in the world.’”

“Tena hi, kumāra, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kumāra, idhassa gahapatissa vā gahapatiputtassa vā kūṭāgāraṁ ullittāvalittaṁ nivātaṁ phusitaggaḷaṁ pihitavātapānaṁ. Tatrassa pallaṅko gonakatthato paṭikatthato paṭalikatthato kadalimigapavarapaccattharaṇo sauttaracchado ubhato lohitakūpadhāno; telappadīpo cettha jhāyeyya; catasso ca pajāpatiyo manāpāmanāpena paccupaṭṭhitā assu. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kumāra, sukhaṁ vā so sayeyya no vā? Kathaṁ vā te ettha hotī”ti? “Sukhaṁ so, bhante, sayeyya. Ye ca pana loke sukhaṁ senti, so tesaṁ aññataro”ti.

“Well then, prince, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think? Take the case of a householder or his son, who lives in a bungalow, plastered inside and out, draft-free, with door fastened and window shuttered. His couch is spread with woolen covers—shag-piled, pure white, or embroidered with flowers—and spread with a fine deer hide. It has a canopy above and red pillows at both ends. An oil lamp is burning there, while his four wives attend to him in all manner of agreeable ways. What do you think, prince, would he sleep at ease, or not? Or how do you see this?” “He would sleep at ease, sir. Of those who sleep at ease in the world, he would be one.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kumāra, api nu tassa gahapatissa vā gahapatiputtassa vā uppajjeyyuṁ rāgajā pariḷāhā kāyikā vā cetasikā vā yehi so rāgajehi pariḷāhehi pariḍayhamāno dukkhaṁ sayeyyā”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”ti.

“What do you think, prince? Is it not possible that a fever born of greed—physical or mental—might arise in that householder or householder’s son, burning him so he sleeps badly?” “Yes, sir.”

“Yehi kho so, kumāra, gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā rāgajehi pariḷāhehi pariḍayhamāno dukkhaṁ sayeyya, so rāgo tathāgatassa pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo. Tasmāhaṁ sukhamasayitthaṁ.

“The greed that burns that householder or householder’s son, making them sleep badly, has been cut off at the root by the Realized One, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future. That’s why I sleep at ease.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kumāra, api nu tassa gahapatissa vā gahapatiputtassa vā uppajjeyyuṁ dosajā pariḷāhā …pe… mohajā pariḷāhā kāyikā vā cetasikā vā yehi so mohajehi pariḷāhehi pariḍayhamāno dukkhaṁ sayeyyā”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”ti.

What do you think, prince? Is it not possible that a fever born of hate … or a fever born of delusion—physical or mental—might arise in that householder or householder’s son, burning him so he sleeps badly?” “Yes, sir.”

“Ye hi kho so, kumāra, gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā mohajehi pariḷāhehi pariḍayhamāno dukkhaṁ sayeyya, so moho tathāgatassa pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo. Tasmāhaṁ sukhamasayitthanti.

“The delusion that burns that householder or householder’s son, making them sleep badly, has been cut off at the root by the Realized One, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future. That’s why I sleep at ease.

Sabbadā ve sukhaṁ seti, brāhmaṇo parinibbuto; Yo na limpati kāmesu, sītibhūto nirūpadhi.

A brahmin who is fully quenched always sleeps at ease. Sensual pleasures slip off them, they’re cooled, free of attachments.

Sabbā āsattiyo chetvā, vineyya hadaye daraṁ; Upasanto sukhaṁ seti, santiṁ pappuyya cetaso”ti.

Since they’ve cut off all clinging, and removed the stress from the heart, the peaceful sleep at ease, having found peace of mind.”