Saṃyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him, “Good fellow, how did you cross the flood?” “Neither standing nor swimming, respectable sir, I crossed the flood.” “But in what way did you cross the flood neither standing nor swimming?” “When I stood, I sank under. When I swam, I was swept away. That’s how I crossed the flood neither standing nor swimming.”

“After a long time I see a brahmin fully quenched. Neither standing nor swimming, he’s crossed over clinging to the world.”

That is what that deity said, and the Teacher concurred. Then that deity, knowing that the Teacher concurred, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

At Sāvatthī. Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him,

“Good fellow, do you know the liberation, emancipation, and seclusion of sentient beings?”

“I do, good sir.”

“But how is it that you know the liberation, emancipation, and seclusion of sentient beings?”

“Due to the ending of relish for rebirth; due to the finishing of perception and consciousness; due to the cessation and stilling of feelings— that, respectable sir, is how I know the liberation, emancipation, and seclusion of sentient beings.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“This life, so very short, is led onward. One led on to old age has no shelter. Seeing this peril in death, do good deeds that bring you joy.”

“This life, so very short, is led onward. One led on to old age has no shelter. Seeing this peril in death, a seeker of peace would drop the world’s bait.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Time flies, nights pass by, the stages of life leave us one by one. Seeing this peril in death, do good deeds that bring you joy.”

“Time flies, nights pass by, the stages of life leave us one by one. Seeing this peril in death, a seeker of peace would drop the world’s bait.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Cut how many? Drop how many? Develop how many more? When a mendicant slips how many chains are they said to have crossed the flood?”

“Five to cut, five to drop, and five more to develop. When a mendicant slips five chains they’re said to have crossed the flood.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“How many sleep among the waking? How many wake among the sleeping? By how many do you gather dust? By how many are you cleansed?”

“Five sleep among the waking. Five wake among the sleeping. By five you gather dust. By five you’re cleansed.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Those have not deciphered the teachings may be led astray by the doctrines of others. Asleep, they have not woken up: it is time for them to wake!”

“Those who have well deciphered the teachings won’t be led astray by the doctrines of others. They have woken up, they rightly know, smoothly they walk in the rough.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Those who are very confused about the teachings may be led astray by the doctrines of others. Asleep, they have not woken up: it is time for them to wake!”

“Those who are unconfused about the teachings, won’t be led astray by the doctrines of others. They have woken up, they rightly know, smoothly they walk in the rough.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“One fond of conceit can’t be tamed, no sage is lacking immersion. Living negligent alone in the wilderness, they can’t cross beyond Death’s dominion.”

“Having given up conceit, serene within oneself, with a good heart, everywhere free; living diligent alone in the wilderness, they cross beyond Death’s dominion.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity addressed the Buddha in verse:

“Living in the wilderness, peaceful spiritual practitioners eat just one meal a day: so why is their complexion so clear?”

“They don’t grieve for the past, nor do they pray for the future; they feed on whatever comes that day, that’s why their complexion’s so clear.

Because they pray for the future, and grieve for the past, fools wither away, like a green reed mowed down.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, a certain deity of the company of the thirty-three was amusing themselves in the Garden of Delight, escorted by a band of nymphs, and supplied and provided with the five kinds of heavenly sensual stimulation. On that occasion she spoke this verse:

‘They don’t know pleasure who don’t see the Garden of Delight! It’s the abode of lordly gods, the glorious host of Thirty!’

When they had spoken, another deity replied with this verse:

‘Fool, don’t you understand the saying of the perfected ones: All conditions are impermanent, their nature is to rise and fall; having arisen, they cease; their settling is such bliss.’”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Children bring you delight! Cattle also bring you delight! For attachments are a man’s delight; without attachments there’s no delight.”

“Children bring you sorrow. Cattle also bring you sorrow. For attachments are a man’s sorrow; without attachments there are no sorrows.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“There’s no fondness like that for a child, no wealth equal to cattle, no light like that of the sun, and of streams the ocean is paramount.”

“There’s no fondness like that for oneself, no wealth equal to grain, no light like that of wisdom, and of streams the rain is paramount.”

“An aristocrat is the best of bipeds, an ox is the best of quadrupeds, a maiden is the best of wives, and a first-born the best of sons.”

“A Buddha is the best of bipeds, a thoroughbred, the best of quadrupeds, a good listener is the best of wives, and the best of sons is loyal.”

“In the still of high noon, when the birds have settled down, the mighty forest itself resounds— that strikes me as so scary!”

“In the still of high noon, when the birds have settled down, the mighty forest itself resounds— that strikes me as so delightful!”

“Sleepiness, sloth, and yawning, discontent, and grogginess after eating: because of this the noble path doesn’t shine for creatures here.”

“Sleepiness, sloth, and yawning, discontent, and grogginess after eating: when this is energetically fended off, the noble path is purified.”

“Hard to do, hard to endure, is the ascetic life for the inept, for it has many narrow passes where the fool founders.”

“How many days could an ascetic live without controlling the mind? They’d founder with each step, under the sway of thoughts.

A mendicant should collect their thoughts as a tortoise draws its limbs into its shell. Independent, not disturbing others, quenched: they wouldn’t blame anyone.”

“Can a person constrained by conscience be found in the world, who is cognizant of blame, like a fine horse of the whip?”

“Few are those constrained by conscience, who live always mindful. Having reached the end of suffering, smoothly they walk in the rough.”

“Don’t you have a little hut? Don’t you have a little nest? Don’t you have any networks? Aren’t you free of shackles?”

“Indeed I have no little hut. Indeed I have no little nest. Indeed I have no networks. Indeed I’m free from shackles.”

“What do you think I call your little hut? What do I call your little nest? What do I call your network? And what do I call your shackle?”

“You call mother a little hut; and wife a little nest. You call children a network, and you call my craving a shackle.”

“It’s good you have no little hut! It’s good you have no little nest! It’s good you have no networks! And good that you’re free from shackles.”

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:

“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.”

“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!”

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.”

“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.”

“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?”

“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.”

“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:

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

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

Then the Buddha addressed the deity in verse:

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

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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“They gave up judgment without falling into conceit; craving for name and form was cut off right here. They cut the ties, untroubled, <j>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.

Tell me if you understand, spirit.”

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

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

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Like they’re struck by a sword, like their head was on fire, a mendicant, mindful, should go forth, to give up sensual desire.”

“Like they’re struck by a sword, like their head was on fire, a mendicant, mindful, should go forth, to give up substantialist view.”

“It doesn’t impact one who doesn’t impact others. It impacts one because they impact others. That’s why it impacts one who impacts, who wrongs one who’s done no wrong.”

“Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong, a pure man who has not a blemish, the evil backfires on the fool, like fine dust thrown upwind.”

“Tangled within, tangled without: these people are tangled in tangles. I ask you this, Gotama: who can untangle this tangle?”

“A wise person grounded in ethics, developing the mind and wisdom, a keen and alert mendicant— they can untangle this tangle.

Those in whom greed, hate, and ignorance have faded away; the perfected ones with defilements ended— they have untangled the tangle.

And where name and form cease with no residue left behind; and impingement and perception of form: it’s here this tangle is cut.”

“Whatever you’ve shielded the mind from can’t cause you suffering. So you should shield the mind from everything, then you’re freed from all suffering.”

“You need not shield the mind from everything, nor has the mind gained self-control. The mind need only be shielded from where the bad things come.”

“When a mendicant is perfected, well-versed, with defilements ended, bearing the final body: would they say, ‘I speak’, or even ‘they speak to me’?”

“When a mendicant is perfected, well-versed, with defilements ended, bearing the final body: they would say, ‘I speak’, and also ‘they speak to me’. Skillful, understanding the world’s labels, they’d use these terms as mere expressions.”

“When a mendicant is perfected, well-versed, with defilements ended, bearing the final body: is such a mendicant drawing close to conceit if they’d say, ‘I speak’, or even ‘they speak to me’?”

“Someone who has given up conceit has no ties, the ties of conceit are all dissipated. Though that intelligent person <j>has passed beyond conceiving, they’d still say, ‘I speak’,

and also ‘they speak to me’. Skillful, understanding the world’s labels, they’d use these terms as mere expressions.”

“How many lamps are there that light up the world? We’ve come to ask the worthy sir: how are we to understand this?”

“There are four lamps in the world, a fifth is not found. The sun blazes by day, the moon radiates at night,

while a fire illuminates both by day and by night. But a Buddha is the best of blazes: this is the supreme radiance.”

“From where do streams recoil? Where does the cycle spin no more? Where does name and form cease with no residue left behind?”