AN 6.69

Devatāsutta

Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “chayime, bhante, dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattanti. Katame cha? Satthugāravatā, dhammagāravatā, saṅghagāravatā, sikkhāgāravatā, sovacassatā, kalyāṇamittatā— ime kho, bhante, cha dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattantī”ti. Idamavoca sā devatā. Samanuñño satthā ahosi. Atha kho sā devatā “samanuñño me satthā”ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

A God

Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him: “Sir, these six things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant. What six? Respect for the Teacher, for the teaching, for the Saṅgha, for the training; being easy to admonish, and good friendship. These six things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant.” That is what that deity said, and the Teacher concurred. Then that deity, knowing that the Teacher concurred, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi: “imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho, bhikkhave, sā devatā maṁ etadavoca: ‘chayime, bhante, dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattanti. Katame cha? Satthugāravatā, dhammagāravatā, saṅghagāravatā, sikkhāgāravatā, sovacassatā, kalyāṇamittatā— ime kho, bhante, cha dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattantī’ti. Idamavoca, bhikkhave, sā devatā. Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.

Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Tonight, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side, and said to me: ‘Sir, these six things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant. What six? Respect for the Teacher, for the teaching, for the Saṅgha, for the training; being easy to admonish, and good friendship. These six things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant.’ That is what that deity said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there.”

Evaṁ vutte āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā etadavoca: “imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi. Idha, bhante, bhikkhu attanā ca satthugāravo hoti satthugāravatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na satthugāravā te ca satthugāravatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū satthugāravā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena. Attanā ca dhammagāravo hoti … saṅghagāravo hoti … sikkhāgāravo hoti … suvaco hoti … kalyāṇamitto hoti kalyāṇamittatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na kalyāṇamittā te ca kalyāṇamittatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū kalyāṇamittā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena. Imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

When he said this, Venerable Sāriputta said to the Buddha: “Sir, this is how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement. It’s when a mendicant personally respects the Teacher and praises such respect. And they encourage other mendicants who lack such respect to respect the Teacher. And they praise other mendicants who respect the Teacher at the right time, truthfully and correctly. They personally respect the teaching … They personally respect the Saṅgha … They personally respect the training … They are personally easy to admonish … They personally have good friends, and praise such friendship. And they encourage other mendicants who lack good friends to develop good friendship. And they praise other mendicants who have good friends at the right time, truthfully and correctly. That’s how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.”

“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, sāriputta, imassa mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsi. Idha, sāriputta, bhikkhu attanā ca satthugāravo hoti satthugāravatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na satthugāravā te ca satthugāravatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū satthugāravā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena. Attanā ca dhammagāravo hoti … saṅghagāravo hoti … sikkhāgāravo hoti … suvaco hoti … kalyāṇamitto hoti kalyāṇamittatāya ca vaṇṇavādī. Ye caññe bhikkhū na kalyāṇamittā te ca kalyāṇamittatāya samādapeti. Ye caññe bhikkhū kalyāṇamittā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena. Imassa kho, sāriputta, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti.

“Good, good, Sāriputta! It’s good that you understand the detailed meaning of what I’ve said in brief like this. It’s when a mendicant personally respects the Teacher … They personally respect the teaching … They personally respect the Saṅgha … They personally respect the training … They are personally easy to admonish … They personally have good friends, and praise such friendship. And they encourage other mendicants who lack good friends to develop good friendship. And they praise other mendicants who have good friends at the right time, truthfully and correctly. This is how to see the detailed meaning of what I said in brief.”