Saṃyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

“Desire is what binds the world. By the removing of desire it’s freed. With the giving up of desire, all bonds are severed.”

“In what has the world arisen? With what does it get intimate? By grasping what is the world troubled in what?”

“The world has arisen in six. It gets intimate with six. Derived from the six, the world’s troubled in six.”

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

“When what is slain do you sleep at ease? When what is slain is there no sorrow? What is the one thing, Gotama, whose killing you approve?”

“When anger’s slain you sleep at ease. When anger’s slain there is no sorrow. Anger has a poisonous root and a sweet tip, O deity. The noble ones praise its killing, for when it’s slain there is no sorrow.”

“What is a chariot known by? What is fire known by? What is a nation known by? What is a woman known by?”

“A chariot is known by a banner. Fire is known by smoke. A nation is known by its ruler. A woman is known by her husband.”

“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.”

“What’s the best of things that rise? And what’s the finest thing to fall? And what of the things that go forth? And who’s the finest speaker?”

“A seed’s the best of things that rise. Rain’s the finest thing to fall. Cattle, of things that go forth. And a child is the finest speaker.”

“Knowledge is best of things that rise. Ignorance the finest thing to fall. The Saṅgha, of things that go forth. And the Buddha is the finest speaker.”

“Why are so many people here afraid, when the path has been taught <j>with so many dimensions? I ask you, Gotama, whose wisdom is vast: Standing on what need one not fear the next world?”

“When speech and mind are directed right, and you don’t do anything bad with the body while dwelling at home with plenty of food and drink. Faithful, gentle, charitable, and bountiful: one who stands on these four principles, who stands on the teaching <j>need not fear the next world.”

“What ages, what does not age? What’s called a deviation? What’s a roadblock for skillful qualities? What is ending day and night? What’s the stain of celibacy? What’s the waterless bath?

How many holes are there in the world, where one’s wealth leaks out? We’ve come to ask the worthy sir: how are we to understand this?”

“The physical form of mortals gets old, but their name and clan don’t. Lust is called a deviation,

and greed is a roadblock for skillful qualities. Youth is ending day and night. Women are the stain of chastity, to which this generation clings. Fervor and chastity are the waterless bath.

There are six holes in the world, where one’s wealth leaks out: laziness and negligence, lack of initiative and lack of restraint, sleepiness and sloth. You should completely get rid of these holes!”

“What is authority in the world? What’s the best of valuables? What in the world is a rusty sword? Who is a pest in the world?

Who gets arrested when they take things away? And who is loved when they take things away? And who is approved by the astute when they come again and again?”

“Sway is authority in the world. A woman is the best of valuables. Anger in the world is a rusty sword. A bandit is a pest in the world.

A bandit gets arrested when they take things away. And an ascetic is loved when they take things away. An ascetic is approved by the astute when they come again and again.”

“What should one who wants what’s best <j>not give away? What should a mortal not forsake? What should be released when it’s good, but not when it’s bad?”

“A man shouldn’t give away himself. He shouldn’t forsake himself. Speech should be released when it’s good, but not when it’s bad.”

“What binds the provisions for a journey? What’s the vault of wealth? What drags a person around? What in the world is hard to give up? With what are ordinary beings bound, like birds in a snare?”

“Faith binds the provisions for a journey. Majesty is the vault of wealth. Desire drags a person around. Desire in the world is hard to give up. Ordinary beings are bound by desire, like birds in a snare.”

“What’s the lamp for the world? What in the world is wakeful? Who are one’s work colleagues? What is one’s walk of life?

What nurtures the idle and the tireless, like a mother her child? By what do the creatures who live off the earth sustain their life?”

“Wisdom is the lamp for the world. Mindfulness in the world is wakeful. Cattle are one’s work colleagues, and the furrow is one’s walk of life.

Rain nurtures the idle and the tireless, like a mother her child. The creatures who live off the earth sustain their life by rain.”

“Who in the world is free of strife? Whose life is not wasted? Who here completely understands desire? Who always lives as their own master?

To whom do mother, father, and brothers bow when they’re established? Who here, though low born, is bowed to even by aristocrats?”

“Ascetics are free of strife in the world. The life of ascetics is not wasted. Ascetics completely understand desire. Ascetics always live as their own master.

Mother, father, and brothers bow to ascetics when they’re established. Even though an ascetic is low born, they’re bowed to even by aristocrats.”

The Linked Discourses on Deities are complete.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then, late at night, the glorious godling Kassapa, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him, “The Buddha has revealed the mendicant, but not his instructions to a mendicant.” “Well then, Kassapa, clarify this matter yourself.”

“You should all train <j>to learn well-spoken words, to attend closely to ascetics, to sit alone in hidden places, and to settle the mind.”

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

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

“If a mendicant is a meditator, freed in mind, and if they desire the heart’s fulfillment— having known the arising and passing of the world, good-hearted, independent, that is their reward.”

At Sāvatthī. Then, late at night, the glorious godling Māgha, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and addressed the Buddha in verse:

“When what is slain do you sleep at ease? When what is slain is there no sorrow? What is the one thing whose killing you approve?”

“When anger’s slain you sleep at ease. When anger’s slain there is no sorrow. Anger has a poisonous root and a sweet tip, O Smiter of the Constrictor. The noble ones praise its killing, for when it’s slain there is no sorrow.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, the godling Maghada addressed the Buddha in verse:

“How many lamps are there that light up the world? We’ve come to ask the Buddha; 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.”

At Sāvatthī. Then, late at night, the glorious godling Dāmali, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“This is what should be done by a brahmin: unrelenting striving. Then, with the giving up of sensual pleasures, they won’t hope to be reborn.”

“The brahmin has nothing left to do,” said the Buddha to Dāmali, “for they’ve completed their task. So long as a personage fails to gain a footing in the river, they swim with every limb. But someone who has gained a footing <j>and stands on dry land need not swim, <j>for they have reached the far shore.

Dāmali, this is a simile for the brahmin, alert, a meditator who has ended defilements. Since they’ve reached the end of rebirth and death, they need not swim, <j>for they have reached the far shore.”

At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, the godling Kāmada said to the Buddha, “It’s too hard, Blessed One! It’s just too hard!”

“They do it even though it’s hard,” said the Buddha to Kāmada, “the stable trainees with ethics, and immersion. For one who has entered the homeless life, contentment brings happiness.”

“Such contentment, Blessed One, is hard to find.”

“They find it even though it’s hard,” said the Buddha to Kāmada, “those who love to settle the mind; whose minds love to meditate day and night.”

“But it’s hard, Blessed One, to immerse this mind in samādhi.”

“They become immersed in samādhi <j>even though it’s hard,” said the Buddha to Kāmada, “those who love calming the faculties. Having cut through the net of Death, the noble ones, Kāmada, go on their way.”

“But this path, Blessed One, is rough and hard to travel.”

“Though it’s rough, hard to travel, the noble ones, Kāmada, go on their way. The ignoble fall headfirst on a rough path. But the path of the noble ones is smooth, for the noble ones are smooth amid the rough.”

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

“The opening amid confinement was discovered by the Buddha of vast intelligence, who awakened to absorption, the sage, the solitary boss bull.”

“Even amid confinement they understand,” said the Buddha to Pañcālacaṇḍa, “the principle for attaining extinguishment. Those who have acquired mindfulness are perfectly serene in samādhi.”

At Sāvatthī. Then, late at night, the glorious godling Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:

“Cut the stream, striving! Cast aside sensual pleasures, brahmin. A sage who doesn’t give up sensual pleasures is not reborn in a unified state.

If one is to do what should be done, one should staunchly strive. For the life gone forth when laxly led just stirs up dust all the more.

A bad deed is better left undone, for it will plague you later on. A good deed is better done, one that does not plague you.

When kusa grass is wrongly grasped it only cuts the hand. So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken, drags you to hell.

Any lax act, any corrupt observance, or suspicious spiritual life, is not very fruitful.”

That is what the godling Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened. “Mendicants, tonight, the glorious godling Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side, and recited these verses in my presence.” The Buddha repeated the verses in full, adding:

“That is what the godling Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there. Mendicants, learn the verses of Tāyana! Memorize the verses of Tāyana! Remember the verses of Tāyana! These verses are beneficial and relate to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.”

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time the Moon God had been seized by Rāhu, lord of titans. Then the Moon God, recollecting the Buddha, at that time spoke this verse:

“Homage to you, Buddha, hero! You’re free in every way. I’ve wandered into confinement: be my refuge!”

Then the Buddha addressed Rāhu in verse concerning the Moon God:

“The Moon God has gone for refuge to the Realized One, the perfected one. The Buddhas have compassion for the world— so Rāhu, release the Moon!”

Then Rāhu, having released the Moon, rushed to see Vepacitti, lord of titans and stood to one side, shocked and awestruck. Vepacitti addressed him in verse:

“Why the rush? Rāhu, you released the Moon and came here looking like you’re in shock: why do you stand there so scared?”

“My head would have exploded in seven pieces, I would have found no happiness in life, if, when enchanted by the Buddha’s verse, I had not released the Moon.”

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time the Sun God had been seized by Rāhu, lord of titans. Then the Sun God, recollecting the Buddha, at that time spoke this verse:

“Homage to you, Buddha, hero! You’re free in every way. I’ve wandered into confinement: be my refuge!”

Then the Buddha addressed Rāhu in verse concerning the Sun God:

“The Sun God has gone for refuge to the Realized One, the perfected one. The Buddhas have compassion for the world— so Rāhu, release the Sun!

He is a beacon in the darkness, the dazzling sun, circle of awesome might. Rāhu, do not swallow him as he traverses the sky. Rāhu, release my offspring, the Sun!”

Then Rāhu, having released the Sun, rushed to see Vepacitti, lord of titans and stood to one side, shocked and awestruck. Vepacitti addressed him in verse:

“Why the rush? Rāhu, you released the Sun and came here looking like you’re in shock: why do you stand there so scared?”

“My head would have exploded in seven pieces, I would have found no joy in life, if, when enchanted by the Buddha’s verse, I had not released the Sun.”

At Sāvatthī. Then, late at night, the glorious godling Candimasa, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Like deer in a mosquito-free marsh, they will reach a safe place having entered the absorptions, unified, alert, and mindful.”

“Like fish when the net is cut, they will reach the far shore having entered the absorptions, diligent, with strife discarded.”

Standing to one side, the godling Vishnu spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Happy are the men who pay homage to the Holy One! They apply themselves to Gotama’s instructions, diligently training.”

“Those who practice absorption <j>in accord with the training”, said the Buddha to Vishnu, “in the way of teaching I’ve proclaimed, diligent while there is still time; they won’t fall under the sway of Death.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Then, late at night, the glorious godling Dīghalaṭṭhi, lighting up the entire Bamboo Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“If a mendicant is a meditator, freed in mind, and if they desire the heart’s fulfillment— having known the arising and passing of the world, good-hearted, independent, that is their reward.”

Standing to one side, the godling Nandana addressed the Buddha in verse:

“I ask you, Gotama, whose wisdom is vast, the Blessed One <j>of unhindered knowledge and vision. What sort do they call ethical? What sort do they call wise? What sort lives on after transcending suffering? What sort is worshiped by the deities?”

“Someone who is ethical, wise, evolved, becomes serene, loving absorption, mindful, who’s gotten rid of and given up all sorrows, with defilements ended, they bear their final body.

That sort they call ethical. That sort they call wise. That sort lives on after transcending suffering. That sort is worshiped by the deities.”