AN 8.23

Paṭhamahatthakasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “sattahi, bhikkhave, acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgataṁ hatthakaṁ āḷavakaṁ dhāretha. Katamehi sattahi? Saddho hi, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavako; sīlavā, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavako; hirīmā, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavako; ottappī, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavako; bahussuto, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavako; cāgavā, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavako; paññavā, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavako— imehi kho, bhikkhave, sattahi acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgataṁ hatthakaṁ āḷavakaṁ dhārethā”ti. Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato uṭṭhāyāsanā vihāraṁ pāvisi.

With Hatthaka (1st)

At one time the Buddha was staying near Āḷavī, at Āḷavī’s premier shrine. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, you should remember the householder Hatthaka of Āḷavī as someone who has seven amazing and incredible qualities. What seven? He’s faithful, ethical, conscientious, prudent, learned, generous, and wise. You should remember the householder Hatthaka of Āḷavī as someone who possesses these seven amazing and incredible qualities.” That is what the Buddha said. When he had spoken, the Holy One rose from his seat and entered his dwelling.

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena hatthakassa āḷavakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Atha kho hatthako āḷavako yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho hatthakaṁ āḷavakaṁ so bhikkhu etadavoca:

Then a certain mendicant robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of the householder Hatthaka of Āḷavī, where he sat down on the seat spread out. Then Hatthaka went up to that mendicant, bowed, and sat down to one side. The mendicant said to Hatthaka:

“Sattahi kho tvaṁ, āvuso, acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgato bhagavatā byākato. Katamehi sattahi? ‘Saddho, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavako; sīlavā …pe… hirīmā … ottappī … bahussuto … cāgavā … paññavā, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavako’ti. Imehi kho tvaṁ, āvuso, sattahi acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgato bhagavatā byākato”ti. “Kaccittha, bhante, na koci gihī ahosi odātavasano”ti? “Na hettha, āvuso, koci gihī ahosi odātavasano”ti. “Sādhu, bhante, yadettha na koci gihī ahosi odātavasano”ti.

“Respectable sir, the Buddha declared that you have seven amazing and incredible qualities. What seven? He said that you’re faithful, ethical, conscientious, prudent, learned, generous, and wise. The Buddha declared that you possess these seven amazing and incredible qualities.” “But sir, I trust that no white-clothed lay people were present?” “No, there weren’t any white-clothed lay people present.” “That’s good, sir.”

Atha kho so bhikkhu hatthakassa āḷavakassa nivesane piṇḍapātaṁ gahetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi. Atha kho so bhikkhu pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Idhāhaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena hatthakassa āḷavakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdiṁ. Atha kho, bhante, hatthako āḷavako yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, hatthakaṁ āḷavakaṁ etadavacaṁ: ‘sattahi kho tvaṁ, āvuso, acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgato bhagavatā byākato. Katamehi sattahi? Saddho, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavako; sīlavā …pe… hirīmā … ottappī … bahussuto … cāgavā … paññavā, bhikkhave, hatthako āḷavakoti. Imehi kho tvaṁ, āvuso, sattahi acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgato bhagavatā byākato’ti. Evaṁ vutte, bhante, hatthako maṁ etadavoca: ‘kaccittha, bhante, na koci gihī ahosi odātavasano’ti? ‘Na hettha, āvuso, koci gihī ahosi odātavasano’ti. ‘Sādhu, bhante, yadettha na koci gihī ahosi odātavasano’”ti.

Then that mendicant, after taking almsfood in Hatthaka of Āḷavī’s home, rose from his seat and left. Then after the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him of what he had discussed with the householder Hatthaka. The Buddha said:

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Appiccho so, bhikkhu, kulaputto. Santeyeva attani kusaladhamme na icchati parehi ñāyamāne. Tena hi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, imināpi aṭṭhamena acchariyena abbhutena dhammena samannāgataṁ hatthakaṁ āḷavakaṁ dhārehi, yadidaṁ appicchatāyā”ti.

“Good, good, mendicant! That gentleman has few wishes. He doesn’t want his own good qualities to be made known to others. Well then, mendicant, you should remember the householder Hatthaka of Āḷavī as someone who has this eighth amazing and incredible quality, that is, fewness of wishes.”