Ud 2.5

Upāsakasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena aññataro icchānaṅgalako upāsako sāvatthiṁ anuppatto hoti kenacideva karaṇīyena. Atha kho so upāsako sāvatthiyaṁ taṁ karaṇīyaṁ tīretvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho taṁ upāsakaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “cirassaṁ kho tvaṁ, upāsaka, imaṁ pariyāyamakāsi yadidaṁ idhāgamanāyā”ti.

A Lay Follower

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a certain lay follower from Icchānaṅgalaka arrived at Sāvatthī on some business. Having concluded his business in Sāvatthī he went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said this to him: “It’s been a long time, lay follower, since you took the opportunity to come here.”

“Cirapaṭikāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamitukāmo, api cāhaṁ kehici kehici kiccakaraṇīyehi byāvaṭo. Evāhaṁ nāsakkhiṁ bhagavantaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamitun”ti.

“For a long time I’ve wanted to come and see the Buddha, but I wasn’t able, being prevented by my many duties and responsibilities.”

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Sukhaṁ vata tassa na hoti kiñci, Saṅkhātadhammassa bahussutassa; Sakiñcanaṁ passa vihaññamānaṁ, Jano janasmiṁ paṭibandharūpo”ti.

“One who has nothing is happy indeed, a learned person who has appraised the teaching. See how troubled are those with attachments, a person bound tight to people.”