AN 8.44

Vāseṭṭhasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho vāseṭṭho upāsako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho vāseṭṭhaṁ upāsakaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgato, vāseṭṭha, uposatho upavuttho mahapphalo hoti …pe… aninditā saggamupenti ṭhānan”ti.

With Vāseṭṭha on the Sabbath

At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Then the layman Vāseṭṭha went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: “Vāseṭṭha, the observance of the sabbath with its eight factors is very fruitful and beneficial and brilliant and bountiful … blameless, they go to a heavenly place.”

Evaṁ vutte, vāseṭṭho upāsako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “piyā me, bhante, ñātisālohitā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, piyānampi me assa ñātisālohitānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sabbe cepi, bhante, khattiyā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, sabbesampissa khattiyānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sabbe cepi, bhante, brāhmaṇā …pe… vessā … suddā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, sabbesampissa suddānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā”ti.

When he said this, Vāseṭṭha said to the Buddha: “If my loved ones—relatives and kin—were to observe this sabbath with its eight factors, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness. If all the aristocrats, brahmins, peasants, and menials were to observe this sabbath with its eight factors, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness.”

“Evametaṁ, vāseṭṭha, evametaṁ, vāseṭṭha. Sabbe cepi, vāseṭṭha, khattiyā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, sabbesampissa khattiyānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sabbe cepi, vāseṭṭha, brāhmaṇā …pe… vessā … suddā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, sabbesampissa suddānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sadevako cepi, vāseṭṭha, loko samārako sabrahmako sassamaṇabrāhmaṇī pajā sadevamanussā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, sadevakassapissa lokassa samārakassa sabrahmakassa sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Ime cepi, vāseṭṭha, mahāsālā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavaseyyuṁ, imesampissa mahāsālānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya (…). Ko pana vādo manussabhūtassā”ti.

“That’s so true, Vāseṭṭha! That’s so true, Vāseṭṭha! If all the aristocrats, brahmins, peasants, and menials were to observe this sabbath with its eight factors, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness. If the whole world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—were to observe this sabbath with its eight factors, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness. If these great sal trees were to observe this sabbath with its eight factors, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness—if they were sentient. How much more then a human being!”