SN 9.2

Upaṭṭhānasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro bhikkhu kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe. Tena kho pana samayena so bhikkhu divāvihāragato supati. Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno anukampikā atthakāmā taṁ bhikkhuṁ saṁvejetukāmā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

Application

At one time one of the mendicants was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove. Now at that time that mendicant went for the day’s meditation, but fell asleep. The deity haunting that forest had sympathy for that mendicant, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that mendicant wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:

“Uṭṭhehi bhikkhu kiṁ sesi, ko attho supitena te; Āturassa hi kā niddā, sallaviddhassa ruppato.

“Get up, mendicant! Why lie down? What’s the point in sleeping? How can the afflicted slumber, inflicted by an arrow strike?

Yāya saddhāya pabbajito, agārasmānagāriyaṁ; Tameva saddhaṁ brūhehi, mā niddāya vasaṁ gamī”ti.

You should amplify the faith that led you to go forth from the lay life to homelessness. Don’t fall under the sway of slumber.”

“Aniccā addhuvā kāmā, yesu mandova mucchito; Baddhesu muttaṁ asitaṁ, kasmā pabbajitaṁ tape.

“Sensual pleasures are impermanent and unstable, but dullards still fall for them. Among those who are bound, they’re free and unattached: why bother a renunciate?

Chandarāgassa vinayā, avijjāsamatikkamā; Taṁ ñāṇaṁ paramodānaṁ, kasmā pabbajitaṁ tape.

By removing desire and greed, by going beyond ignorance, that knowledge has been perfectly cleansed: why bother a renunciate?

Chetvā avijjaṁ vijjāya, āsavānaṁ parikkhayā; Asokaṁ anupāyāsaṁ, kasmā pabbajitaṁ tape.

By breaking ignorance with knowledge, by the ending of defilements, they’re sorrowless, unstressed: why bother a renunciate?

Āraddhavīriyaṁ pahitattaṁ, Niccaṁ daḷhaparakkamaṁ; Nibbānaṁ abhikaṅkhantaṁ, Kasmā pabbajitaṁ tape”ti.

Energetic, resolute, always staunchly vigorous, aspiring to extinguishment: why bother a renunciate?”