SN 1.20

Samiddhisutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati tapodārāme. Atha kho āyasmā samiddhi rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya yena tapodā tenupasaṅkami gattāni parisiñcituṁ. Tapode gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsi gattāni pubbāpayamāno. Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ tapodaṁ obhāsetvā yena āyasmā samiddhi tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ ṭhitā āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

With Samiddhi

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Hot Springs Monastery. Then Venerable Samiddhi rose at the crack of dawn and went to the hot springs to bathe. When he had bathed and emerged from the water he stood in one robe drying his limbs. Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire hot springs, went up to Samiddhi, and, standing in the air, addressed him in verse:

“Abhutvā bhikkhasi bhikkhu, na hi bhutvāna bhikkhasi; Bhutvāna bhikkhu bhikkhassu, mā taṁ kālo upaccagā”ti.

“Mendicant, you seek alms before you eat; you don’t seek alms after eating. But you should eat first, then seek alms: don’t let the time pass you by.”

“Kālaṁ vohaṁ na jānāmi, channo kālo na dissati; Tasmā abhutvā bhikkhāmi, mā maṁ kālo upaccagā”ti.

“I actually don’t know the time; it’s hidden and unseen. That’s why I seek alms before eating, so that the time may not pass me by!”

Atha kho sā devatā pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhahitvā āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ etadavoca: “daharo tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pabbajito susu kāḷakeso, bhadrena yobbanena samannāgato, paṭhamena vayasā, anikkīḷitāvī kāmesu. Bhuñja, bhikkhu, mānusake kāme; mā sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvī”ti.

Then that deity landed on the ground and said to Samiddhi, “You’ve gone forth while young, mendicant. With pristine black hair, you’re blessed with youth, in the prime of life, and you’ve never flirted with sensual pleasures. Enjoy human sensual pleasures! Don’t give up what is apparent in the present to chase after what takes effect over time.”

“Na khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvāmi. Kālikañca khvāhaṁ, āvuso, hitvā sandiṭṭhikaṁ anudhāvāmi. Kālikā hi, āvuso, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā; ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo. Sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti.

“I’m not, respectable sir. I’m giving up what takes effect over time to chase after what is apparent in the present. For the Buddha has said that sensual pleasures take effect over time, with much suffering and distress, and they’re all the more full of drawbacks. But this teaching is apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.”

“Kathañca, bhikkhu, kālikā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo? Kathaṁ sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti?

“But in what way, mendicant, has the Buddha said that sensual pleasures take effect over time, with much suffering and distress, and they’re all the more full of drawbacks? And how is this teaching apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves?”

“Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, navo acirapabbajito adhunāgato imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ. Na tāhaṁ sakkomi vitthārena ācikkhituṁ. Ayaṁ so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho rājagahe viharati tapodārāme. Taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccha. Yathā te bhagavā byākaroti tathā naṁ dhāreyyāsī”ti.

“I’m junior, respectable sir, recently gone forth, newly come to this teaching and training. I’m not able to explain this in detail. But he, that Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, is staying near Rājagaha in the Hot Springs Monastery. You should approach him and ask about this matter. And you should remember it in line with the Buddha’s answer.”

“Na kho, bhikkhu, sukaro so bhagavā amhehi upasaṅkamituṁ, aññāhi mahesakkhāhi devatāhi parivuto. Sace kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccheyyāsi, mayampi āgaccheyyāma dhammassavanāyā”ti. “Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā samiddhi tassā devatāya paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā samiddhi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Idhāhaṁ, bhante, rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya yena tapodā tenupasaṅkamiṁ gattāni parisiñcituṁ. Tapode gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsiṁ gattāni pubbāpayamāno. Atha kho, bhante, aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ tapodaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ ṭhitā imāya gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: ‘Abhutvā bhikkhasi bhikkhu, na hi bhutvāna bhikkhasi; Bhutvāna bhikkhu bhikkhassu, mā taṁ kālo upaccagā’ti. Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, taṁ devataṁ gāthāya paccabhāsiṁ: ‘Kālaṁ vohaṁ na jānāmi, channo kālo na dissati; Tasmā abhutvā bhikkhāmi, mā maṁ kālo upaccagā’ti. Atha kho, bhante, sā devatā pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhahitvā maṁ etadavoca: ‘daharo tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pabbajito susu kāḷakeso, bhadrena yobbanena samannāgato, paṭhamena vayasā, anikkīḷitāvī kāmesu. Bhuñja, bhikkhu, mānusake kāme; mā sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvī’ti. Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ devataṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘na khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sandiṭṭhikaṁ hitvā kālikaṁ anudhāvāmi; kālikañca khvāhaṁ, āvuso, hitvā sandiṭṭhikaṁ anudhāvāmi. Kālikā hi, āvuso, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā; ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo. Sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti. Evaṁ vutte, bhante, sā devatā maṁ etadavoca: ‘kathañca, bhikkhu, kālikā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā; ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo? Kathaṁ sandiṭṭhiko ayaṁ dhammo akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti? Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ devataṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘ahaṁ kho, āvuso, navo acirapabbajito adhunāgato imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ, na tāhaṁ sakkomi vitthārena ācikkhituṁ. Ayaṁ so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho rājagahe viharati tapodārāme. Taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccha. Yathā te bhagavā byākaroti tathā naṁ dhāreyyāsī’ti.

“It’s not easy for us to approach the Buddha, as he is surrounded by other illustrious deities. If you go to the Buddha and ask him about this matter, we’ll come along and listen to the teaching.” “Yes, reverend,” Venerable Samiddhi replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. Then he added:

Evaṁ vutte, bhante, sā devatā maṁ etadavoca: ‘na kho, bhikkhu, sukaro so bhagavā amhehi upasaṅkamituṁ, aññāhi mahesakkhāhi devatāhi parivuto. Sace kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, taṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ puccheyyāsi, mayampi āgaccheyyāma dhammassavanāyā’ti. Sace, bhante, tassā devatāya saccaṁ vacanaṁ, idheva sā devatā avidūre”ti.

“Sir, if that deity spoke the truth, he’ll be close by.”

Evaṁ vutte, sā devatā āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ etadavoca: “puccha, bhikkhu, puccha, bhikkhu, yamahaṁ anuppattā”ti.

When he had spoken, that deity said to Samiddhi, “Ask, mendicant, ask! For I have arrived.”

Atha kho bhagavā taṁ devataṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

Then the Buddha addressed the deity in verse:

“Akkheyyasaññino sattā, akkheyyasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā; Akkheyyaṁ apariññāya, yogamāyanti maccuno.

“Sentient beings who perceive the communicable, become established in the communicable. Not understanding the communicable, they fall under the yoke of Death.

Akkheyyañca pariññāya, Akkhātāraṁ na maññati; Tañhi tassa na hotīti, Yena naṁ vajjā na tassa atthi; Sace vijānāsi vadehi yakkhā”ti.

But having fully understood the communicable, they don’t conceive a communicator, for they have nothing by which they might be described. Tell me if you understand, spirit.”

“Na khvāhaṁ, bhante, imassa bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi. Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā tathā bhāsatu yathāhaṁ imassa bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ jāneyyan”ti.

“I don’t understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement. Please teach me this matter so I can understand the detailed meaning.”

“Samo visesī uda vā nihīno, Yo maññatī so vivadetha tena; Tīsu vidhāsu avikampamāno, Samo visesīti na tassa hoti; Sace vijānāsi vadehi yakkhā”ti.

“If you think that ‘I’m equal, special, or worse’, you’ll dispute about that. Unwavering in the face of the three discriminations, they have no thought, ‘I’m equal or special’. Tell me if you understand, spirit.”

“Imassapi khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa na vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi. Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā tathā bhāsatu yathāhaṁ imassa bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ jāneyyan”ti.

“I don’t understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement. Please teach me this matter so I can understand the detailed meaning.”

“Pahāsi saṅkhaṁ na vimānamajjhagā, Acchecchi taṇhaṁ idha nāmarūpe; Taṁ chinnaganthaṁ anighaṁ nirāsaṁ, Pariyesamānā nājjhagamuṁ; Devā manussā idha vā huraṁ vā, Saggesu vā sabbanivesanesu.

“They gave up judgment without falling into conceit; craving for name and form was cut off right here. They cut the ties, untroubled, with no need for hope. Though gods and humans search for them in this life or the next, they never find them, not in heaven nor in any abode.

Sace vijānāsi vadehi yakkhā”ti.

Tell me if you understand, spirit.”

“Imassa khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi—

“This is how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement:

Pāpaṁ na kayirā vacasā manasā, Kāyena vā kiñcana sabbaloke; Kāme pahāya satimā sampajāno, Dukkhaṁ na sevetha anatthasaṁhitan”ti.

You should never do anything bad by speech or mind or body in all the world. Having given up sensual pleasures, mindful and aware, you shouldn’t keep doing what’s painful and pointless.”