Saṃyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

“A brahmin who is fully quenched always sleeps at ease. Sensual pleasures slip off them, they’re cooled, free of attachments.

Since they’ve cut off all clinging, and removed the stress from the heart, the peaceful sleep at ease, having found peace of mind.”

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now, at that time the nun Sukkā was teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly. Then a native spirit was so devoted to Sukkā that he went from street to street and from square to square, and on that occasion recited these verses:

“What’s up with these people in Rājagaha? They sleep like they’ve been drinking mead! They don’t attend on Sukkā as she’s teaching the state free of death.

But the wise— it’s as if they drink it up, so irresistible, delectable, and nutritious, like travelers enjoying a cool cloud.”

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time a certain lay follower gave food to the nun Sukkā. Then a native spirit was so devoted to Sukkā that he went from street to street and from square to square, and on that occasion recited these verses:

“O! He has made so much merit! That lay follower is so very wise. He just gave food to Sukkā, who is released from all ties.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time a certain lay follower gave a robe to the nun Cīrā. Then a native spirit was so devoted to Cīrā that he went from street to street and from square to square, and on that occasion recited these verses:

“O! He has made so much merit! That lay-follower is so very wise. He gave a robe to Cīrā, who is released from all yokes.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Āḷavī in the haunt of the native spirit Āḷavaka. Then the native spirit Āḷavaka went up to the Buddha, and said to him: “Get out, ascetic!” Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went out. “Get in, ascetic!” Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went in. And for a second time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha, “Get out, ascetic!” Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went out. “Get in, ascetic!” Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went in. And for a third time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha, “Get out, ascetic!” Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went out. “Get in, ascetic!” Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went in. And for a fourth time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha, “Get out, ascetic!” “No, respectable sir, I won’t get out. Do what you must.” “I will ask you a question, ascetic. If you don’t answer me, I’ll drive you insane, or explode your heart, or grab you by the feet and throw you to the far shore of the Ganges!” “I don’t see anyone in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans who could do that to me. But anyway, ask what you wish.”

“What’s a person’s best wealth? What brings happiness when practiced well? What’s the sweetest taste of all? The one they say has the best life: how do they live?”

“Faith here is a person’s best wealth. The teaching brings happiness when practiced well. Truth is the sweetest taste of all. The one they say has the best life lives by wisdom.”

“How do you cross the flood? How do you cross the deluge? How do you get over suffering? How do you get purified?”

“By faith you cross the flood, and by diligence the deluge. By energy you get past suffering, and you’re purified by wisdom.”

“How do you get wisdom? How do you earn wealth? How do you get a good reputation? How do you hold on to friends? How do the departed not grieve when passing from this world to the next?”

“One who is diligent and discerning gains wisdom by wanting to learn, having faith in the perfected ones, and the teaching for becoming extinguished.

Being responsible, acting appropriately, and working hard you earn wealth. Truthfulness wins you a good reputation. You hold on to friends by giving. That’s how the departed do not grieve when passing from this world to the next.

A faithful householder of discernment who possesses these four qualities does not grieve after passing away: truth, principle, steadfastness, and generosity.

Go ahead, ask others as well, there are many ascetics and brahmins. See whether anything better is found than truth, principle, generosity, and patience.”

“Why now would I question the many ascetics and brahmins? Today I understand what’s good for lives to come.

It was truly for my benefit that the Buddha came to stay at Āḷavī. Today I understand where a gift is very fruitful.

I myself will journey village to village, town to town, paying homage to the Buddha, and the clear rightness of the teaching!”

The Linked Discourses with Native Spirits are complete.

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, the titans marched against the gods. Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the godling Suvīra, ‘Dear Suvīra, the titans march against the gods! Go, and march against the titans!’ ‘Yes, lord,’ replied Suvīra. But he fell into negligence. For a second time Sakka addressed Suvīra, ‘Dear Suvīra, the titans march against the gods! Go, and march against the titans!’ ‘Yes, lord,’ replied Suvīra. But for a second time he fell into negligence. For a third time Sakka addressed Suvīra, ‘Dear Suvīra, the titans march against the gods! Go, and march against the titans!’ ‘Yes, lord,’ replied Suvīra. But for a third time he fell into negligence. Then Sakka addressed the godling Suvīra in verse:

‘Suvīra, go to that place where you can achieve happiness without working for it or trying hard— and take me with you!’

‘That a lazy man who does no work, and doesn’t do his duty, can fulfill all his desires: Sakka, render me this boon!’

‘Suvīra, go to that place where a lazy man who does no work prospers in unending happiness— and take me with you!’

‘O Sakka, first among gods, that we might find the happiness that’s sorrowless, unstressed: Sakka, render me this boon!’

‘If there exists anywhere a place where one can live happily without working, that surely would be extinguishment’s path! Go there, Suvīra, and take me with you!’

Since, mendicants, even that Sakka, lord of gods—while living off of the fruit of his good deeds, and ruling as sovereign lord over these gods of the thirty-three—will speak in praise of initiative and energy, you can excel at this, for you who have gone forth in such a well explained teaching and training can try hard, strive, and make an effort to attain the unattained, achieve the unachieved, and realize the unrealized.”

At Sāvatthī. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, the titans marched against the gods. Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the godling Susīma, ‘Dear Susīma, the titans march against the gods! Go, and march against the titans!’ ‘Yes, lord,’ replied Susīma. But he fell into negligence. For a second time … For a third time … Then Sakka addressed the godling Susīma in verse:

‘Susīma, go to that place where you can achieve happiness without working for it or trying hard— and take me with you!’

‘That a lazy man who does no work, and doesn’t do his duty, should fulfill all his desires: Sakka, render me this boon!’

‘Susīma, go to that place where a lazy man who does no work prospers in unending happiness— and take me with you!’

‘O Sakka, first among gods, that we might find the happiness that’s sorrowless, unstressed: Sakka, render me this boon!’

‘If there exists anywhere a place where one can live happily without working, that surely would be extinguishment’s path! Susīma, go to that place and take me with you!’

Since, mendicants, even that Sakka, lord of gods—while living off of the fruit of his good deeds, and ruling as sovereign lord over these gods of the thirty-three—will speak in praise of initiative and energy, you can excel at this, for you who have gone forth in such a well explained teaching and training can try hard, strive, and make an effort to attain the unattained, achieve the unachieved, and realize the unrealized.”

At Sāvatthī. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans. Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the thirty-three:

‘Good fellows, when the gods are fighting, if you get scared or terrified, just look up at my banner’s crest. Then your fear and terror will go away.

If you can’t see my banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of the Progenitor, king of gods. Then your fear and terror will go away.

If you can’t see his banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of Varuṇa, king of gods. Then your fear and terror will go away.

If you can’t see his banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of Īsāna, king of gods. Then your fear and terror will go away.’

However, when they look up at those banner’s crests their fear and terror might go away or it might not.

Why is that? Because Sakka is not free of greed, hate, and delusion. He is fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee.

But, mendicants, I say this: If you’ve gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut and you get scared or terrified, just recollect me: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ Then your fear and terror will go away.

If you can’t recollect me, then recollect the teaching: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’ Then your fear and terror will go away.

If you can’t recollect the teaching, then recollect the Saṅgha: ‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, direct, systematic, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individual persons. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’ Then your fear and terror will go away.

Why is that? Because the Realized One is free of greed, hate, and delusion. He is fearless, brave, bold, and stands his ground.” That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“In the wilderness, at a tree’s root, or an empty hut, O mendicants, recollect the Buddha, and no fear will come to you.

If you can’t recollect the Buddha— the eldest in the world, the captain of men— then recollect the teaching, emancipating, well taught.

If you can’t recollect the teaching— emancipating, well taught— then recollect the Saṅgha, the supreme field of merit.

Thus recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, mendicants, fear and terror and goosebumps will be no more.”

At Sāvatthī. “Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans. Then Vepacitti, lord of titans, addressed the titans, ‘My good fellows, if the titans defeat the gods in this battle, bind Sakka, the lord of gods, by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the citadel of the titans.’ Meanwhile, Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the thirty-three, ‘My good fellows, if the gods defeat the titans in this battle, bind Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the Hall of Clear Right of the gods.’ In that battle the gods won and the titans lost. So the gods of the thirty-three bound Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and brought him to Sakka’s presence in the Hall of Clear Right of the gods. And as Sakka was entering and leaving the hall, Vepacitti abused and insulted him with rude, harsh words. So Mātali the chariot handler addressed Sakka in verse:

‘O Maghavā, O Sakka, is it from fear or from weakness that you endure such harsh words in the presence of Vepacitti?’

‘It’s not out of fear or weakness that I’m patient with Vepacitti. For how can a sensible person like me get in a fight with a fool?’

‘Fools would vent even more if there’s no one to put a stop to them. So an attentive one should stop a fool with forceful punishment.’

‘I think that this is the only way to put a stop to a fool, when you know that the other is upset, be mindful and stay calm.’

‘In this mere endurance, Vāsava, I see a flaw. When a fool thinks, “He endures me out of fear,” the simpleton will go after you even harder, like a cow chasing someone who runs away.’

‘Let him think this if he wishes, or not— “He endures me out of fear.” For the highest goal, one’s own, naught better than patience is found.

When a strong person endures a weakling, they call that the ultimate patience, for a weakling must always be patient.

The strength of folly is really just weakness, they say. But no one can challenge a person who’s strong, guarded by the teaching.

When you get angry at an angry person you just make things worse for yourself. When you don’t get angry at an angry person you win a battle hard to win.

When you know that the other is angry, you act for the good of both yourself and the other if you’re mindful and stay calm.

People inexpert in the teaching consider one who heals both oneself and the other to be a fool.’

Since, mendicants, even that Sakka, lord of gods—while living off of the fruit of his good deeds, and ruling as sovereign lord over these gods of the thirty-three—will speak in praise of patience and gentleness, you can excel at this, for you who have gone forth in such a well explained teaching and training can develop patience and gentleness.”

At Sāvatthī. “Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans. Then Vepacitti, lord of titans, said to Sakka, lord of gods, ‘Lord of gods, let there be victory by fine words!’ ‘Vepacitti, let there be victory by fine words!’ Then the gods and the titans appointed a panel of judges, saying, ‘These will understand our good and bad statements.’ Then Vepacitti, lord of titans, said to Sakka, lord of gods, ‘Lord of gods, recite a verse!’ When he said this, Sakka said to him, ‘Vepacitti, you are the elder gods here. Recite a verse.’ So Vepacitti spoke this verse:

‘Fools would vent even more if there’s no one to put a stop to them. So an intelligent person should stop a fool with forceful punishment.’

The titans applauded Vepacitti’s verse, while the gods kept silent. Then Vepacitti said to Sakka, ‘Lord of gods, recite a verse!’ So Sakka spoke this verse:

‘I think that this is the only way to put a stop to a fool, when you know that the other is upset, be mindful and stay calm.’

The gods applauded Sakka’s verse, while the titans kept silent. Then Sakka said to Vepacitti, ‘Vepacitti, recite a verse!’ So Vepacitti spoke this verse:

‘In this mere endurance, Vāsava, I see a flaw. When a fool thinks, “He endures me out of fear,” the simpleton will go after you even harder, like a cow chasing someone who runs away.’

The titans applauded Vepacitti’s verse, while the gods kept silent. Then Vepacitti said to Sakka, ‘Lord of gods, recite a verse!’ So Sakka spoke this verse:

‘Let him think this if he wishes, or not— “He endures me out of fear.” For the highest goal, one’s own, naught better than patience is found.

When a strong person endures a weakling, they call that the ultimate patience, for a weakling must always be patient.

The strength of folly is really just weakness, they say. But no one can challenge a person who’s strong, guarded by the teaching.

When you get angry at an angry person you just make things worse for yourself. When you don’t get angry at an angry person you win a battle hard to win.

When you know that the other is angry, you act for the good of both yourself and the other if you’re mindful and stay calm.

People inexpert in the teaching consider one who heals both oneself and the other to be a fool.’

The gods applauded Sakka’s verses, while the titans kept silent. Then the panel of judges consisting of both gods and titans said this, ‘The verses spoken by Vepacitti evoke punishment and violence. That’s how you get fights, arguments, and quarrels. The verses spoken by Sakka don’t evoke punishment and violence. That’s how you stay free of fights, arguments, and quarrels. Sakka, lord of gods, wins victory by fine words!’ And that’s how Sakka came to win victory by fine words.”

At Sāvatthī. “Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans. In that battle the titans won and the gods lost. Defeated, the gods fled north with the titans in pursuit. Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed his chariot handler Mātali in verse:

‘Mātali, don’t ram the bird nests in the Red Silk-Cotton Woods with your draft-pole. I’d rather give up our lives to the titans than deprive these birds of their nests.’

‘Yes, lord,’ replied Mātali. And he turned the chariot back around, with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds. Then the titans thought, ‘Now Sakka’s chariot has turned back. The titans will have to fight the gods a second time!’ Terrified, they retreated right away to the citadel of the titans. And that’s how Sakka came to win victory by principle.”

At Sāvatthī. “Once upon a time, mendicants, as Sakka, lord of gods, was in private retreat this thought came to his mind, ‘I should never betray even a sworn enemy.’ And then Vepacitti, lord of titans, knowing Sakka’s train of thought, approached him. Sakka saw Vepacitti coming off in the distance, and said to him, ‘Stop, Vepacitti, you’re caught!’

‘Good fellow, don’t give up the idea you just had!’

‘Swear, Vepacitti, that you won’t betray me.’

‘Whatever bad things happen to a liar, or to someone who slanders the noble ones, or to someone who betrays a friend, or to someone who’s ungrateful, the same bad things impact anyone who betrays you, Sujā’s husband.’”

Near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove. Now at that time the Buddha had gone into retreat for the day’s meditation. Then Sakka, lord of gods, and Verocana, lord of titans, approached the Buddha and stationed themselves one by each door-post. Then Verocana spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“A man should make an effort until his goal is accomplished. A goal is splendid when accomplished— this is the word of Verocana!”

“A man should make an effort until his goal is accomplished. For the goal that’s splendid when accomplished, naught better than patience is found.”

“All beings are in need, as they deserve in each case. But even so, harnessed work is the highest thing of value for all living creatures. A goal is splendid when accomplished— this is the word of Verocana!”

“All beings are in need, as they deserve in each case. But rather than harnessed work being the highest thing of value for all living creatures, for the goal that’s splendid when accomplished, naught better than patience is found.”

At Sāvatthī. “Once upon a time, mendicants, several seers who were ethical, of good character, settled in leaf huts in a wilderness region. Then Sakka, lord of gods, and Vepacitti, lord of titans, went to those seers. Vepacitti put on his lined sandals, strapped on his sword, and, carrying a sunshade, entered the hermitage through the main gate. He walked right past those seers, keeping them at arm’s length. Sakka took off his lined sandals, gave his sword to others, and, putting down his sunshade, entered the hermitage through the same gate. He stood downwind of those seers, revering them with cupped palms. Then those seers addressed Sakka in verse:

‘When seers have been long initiated, the odor of their bodies goes with the gale. You’d better leave, O thousand-eyed! The odor of the seers is unclean, king of gods.’

‘When seers have been long initiated, let the odor of their bodies go with the gale. We yearn for this odor, sirs, like a colorful crown of flowers. The gods don’t see it as repulsive.’”

At Sāvatthī. “Once upon a time, mendicants, several seers who were ethical, of good character, settled in leaf huts on the ocean shore. Now at that time a battle was fought between the gods and the titans. Then the seers thought, ‘The gods are principled, the titans are unprincipled. We may be at risk from the titans. Why don’t we approach Sambara, lord of titans, and beg him for a pledge of safety?’ Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, those seers vanished from those leaf huts on the ocean shore and reappeared in Sambara’s presence. Then those seers addressed Sambara in verse:

‘The seers have come to Sambara to beg for a pledge of safety. For you can give them what you wish, whether danger or safety.’

‘There is no safety for seers, the hated associates of Sakka! Though you beg me for your safety, I’ll only give you fear!’