1.9. The Buddha teaches Sātāgira and Hemavata the Yakkhas

“Ajja pannaraso uposatho,

(iti sātāgiro yakkho)

Dibbā ratti upaṭṭhitā;

Anomanāmaṁ satthāraṁ,

Handa passāma gotamaṁ”.

“Kacci mano supaṇihito,

(iti hemavato yakkho)

Sabbabhūtesu tādino;

Kacci iṭṭhe aniṭṭhe ca,

Saṅkappassa vasīkatā”.

“Mano cassa supaṇihito,

(iti sātāgiro yakkho)

Sabbabhūtesu tādino;

Atho iṭṭhe aniṭṭhe ca,

Saṅkappassa vasīkatā”.

“Kacci adinnaṁ nādiyati,

(iti hemavato yakkho)

Kacci pāṇesu saññato;

Kacci ārā pamādamhā,

Kacci jhānaṁ na riñcati”.

“Na so adinnaṁ ādiyati,

(iti sātāgiro yakkho)

Atho pāṇesu saññato;

Atho ārā pamādamhā,

Buddho jhānaṁ na riñcati”.

“Kacci musā na bhaṇati,

(iti hemavato yakkho)

Kacci na khīṇabyappatho;

Kacci vebhūtiyaṁ nāha,

Kacci samphaṁ na bhāsati”.

“Musā ca so na bhaṇati,

(iti sātāgiro yakkho)

Atho na khīṇabyappatho;

Atho vebhūtiyaṁ nāha,

Mantā atthañca bhāsati”.

“Kacci na rajjati kāmesu,

(iti hemavato yakkho)

Kacci cittaṁ anāvilaṁ;

Kacci mohaṁ atikkanto,

Kacci dhammesu cakkhumā”.

“Na so rajjati kāmesu,

(iti sātāgiro yakkho)

Atho cittaṁ anāvilaṁ;

Sabbamohaṁ atikkanto,

Buddho dhammesu cakkhumā”.

“Kacci vijjāya sampanno,

(iti hemavato yakkho)

Kacci saṁsuddhacāraṇo;

Kaccissa āsavā khīṇā,

Kacci natthi punabbhavo”.

“Vijjāya ceva sampanno,

(iti sātāgiro yakkho)

Atho saṁsuddhacāraṇo;

Sabbassa āsavā khīṇā,

Natthi tassa punabbhavo”.

“Sampannaṁ munino cittaṁ,

Kammunā byappathena ca;

Vijjācaraṇasampannaṁ,

Dhammato naṁ pasaṁsati”.

“Sampannaṁ munino cittaṁ,

Kammunā byappathena ca;

Vijjācaraṇasampannaṁ,

Dhammato anumodasi.

Sampannaṁ munino cittaṁ,

Kammunā byappathena ca;

Vijjācaraṇasampannaṁ,

Handa passāma gotamaṁ”.

“Eṇijaṅghaṁ kisaṁ vīraṁ,

Appāhāraṁ alolupaṁ;

Muniṁ vanasmiṁ jhāyantaṁ,

Ehi passāma gotamaṁ.

Sīhaṁvekacaraṁ nāgaṁ,

Kāmesu anapekkhinaṁ;

Upasaṅkamma pucchāma,

Maccupāsappamocanaṁ.

Akkhātāraṁ pavattāraṁ,

Sabbadhammāna pāraguṁ;

Buddhaṁ verabhayātītaṁ,

Mayaṁ pucchāma gotamaṁ”.

“Kismiṁ loko samuppanno,

(iti hemavato yakkho)

Kismiṁ kubbati santhavaṁ;

Kissa loko upādāya,

Kismiṁ loko vihaññati”.

“Chasu loko samuppanno,

(hemavatāti bhagavā)

Chasu kubbati santhavaṁ;

Channameva upādāya,

Chasu loko vihaññati”.

“Katamaṁ taṁ upādānaṁ,

Yattha loko vihaññati;

Niyyānaṁ pucchito brūhi,

Kathaṁ dukkhā pamuccati”.

“Pañca kāmaguṇā loke,

Manochaṭṭhā paveditā;

Ettha chandaṁ virājetvā,

Evaṁ dukkhā pamuccati.

Etaṁ lokassa niyyānaṁ,

Akkhātaṁ vo yathātathaṁ;

Etaṁ vo ahamakkhāmi,

Evaṁ dukkhā pamuccati”.

“Ko sūdha tarati oghaṁ,

Kodha tarati aṇṇavaṁ;

Appatiṭṭhe anālambe,

Ko gambhīre na sīdati”.

“Sabbadā sīlasampanno,

Paññavā susamāhito;

Ajjhattacintī satimā,

Oghaṁ tarati duttaraṁ.

Virato kāmasaññāya,

Sabbasaṁyojanātigo;

Nandībhavaparikkhīṇo,

So gambhīre na sīdati”.

“Gambhīrapaññaṁ nipuṇatthadassiṁ,

Akiñcanaṁ kāmabhave asattaṁ;

Taṁ passatha sabbadhi vippamuttaṁ,

Dibbe pathe kamamānaṁ mahesiṁ.

Anomanāmaṁ nipuṇatthadassiṁ,

Paññādadaṁ kāmālaye asattaṁ;

Taṁ passatha sabbaviduṁ sumedhaṁ,

Ariye pathe kamamānaṁ mahesiṁ.

Sudiṭṭhaṁ vata no ajja,

Suppabhātaṁ suhuṭṭhitaṁ;

Yaṁ addasāma sambuddhaṁ,

Oghatiṇṇamanāsavaṁ.

Ime dasasatā yakkhā,

Iddhimanto yasassino;

Sabbe taṁ saraṇaṁ yanti,

Tvaṁ no satthā anuttaro.

Te mayaṁ vicarissāma,

Gāmā gāmaṁ nagā nagaṁ;

Namassamānā sambuddhaṁ,

Dhammassa ca sudhammatan”ti.

Hemavatasuttaṁ navamaṁ.

SC 1SC Verse 153Sātāgira
Today’s the lunar fifteenth day—
uposatha—a night divine arrived;
Let’s go to the Teacher Gotama,
him of high repute.

SC 2SC Verse 154Hemavata
Is the mind of such a one
towards all beings well-disposed?
Within his power are his thoughts
towards the wished, the unwished too?

SC 3SC Verse 155Sātāgira
Yes, the mind of such a one
towards all beings well-disposed.
Within his power are his thoughts
towards the wished and unwished too.

SC 4SC Verse 156Hemavata
Is he the one who does not steal?
To beings he’s restrained?
Is he far from indolence?
Does jhāna he neglect?

SC 5SC Verse 157Sātāgira
He is one who does not steal,
to beings he’s restained.
Buddha’s far from indolence;
jhāna he never neglects.

SC 6SC Verse 158Hemavata
Is he not one who falsely speaks?
Does he use harsh or violent words
or employ slanderous ones?
Or a user of meaningless speech?

SC 7SC Verse 159Sātāgira
He’s not one who falsely speaks,
nor uses harsh or violent words;
nor utters words of slander,
but wisdom speaks which benefits.

SC 8SC Verse 160Hemavata
Does he not desire, indulge,
In mind he’s unattached?
Has delusion overcome?
’Mong Dharmas has he Eyes?

SC 9SC Verse 161Sātāgira
He does not desire, indulge,
for his mind is unattached.
Delusions all he’s overcome—
’Mong Dharmas, Buddha’s Eyed.

SC 10SC Verse 162Hemavata
Has true knowledge he attained?
Is his conduct perfect, pure?
Are his inflows now extinct?
Is he not again to be?

SC 11SC Verse 163Sātāgira
Indeed true knowledge he’s attained
and his conduct’s perfect, pure,
for him all inflows are extinct,
so he’ll not again become.

SC 12SC Verse 164Accomplished is the Sage’s mind,
his actions and his ways of speech,
of true Knowledge and conduct he’s possessed—
rightly he is praised.

SC 13SC Verse 165Accomplished is the Sage’s mind,
his actions and his ways of speech,
of true Knowledge and conduct he’s possessed—
rightly you rejoice.

SC 14SC Verse 166Accomplished is the Sage’s mind,
his actions and his ways of speech,
of true Knowledge and conduct he’s possessed—
it’s good that we see Gotama.

SC 15SC Verse 167Who limbed like antelope and lean,
wise, with no greed and having little food,
Sage in the woods who meditates alone—
let us go see Gotama.

SC 16SC Verse 168The Great One like a lion who lives alone,
among all pleasures he’s expectation-free,
let us draw near that we may ask of him
how to escape from the snarefulness of death.

SC 17SC Verse 169O proclaimer of the Dharma, expounding it too,
one who’s beyond all dharmas’ Further Shore,
all fear and hatred you’ve utterly overcome
both of us then of Gotama inquire—

SC 18SC Verse 170Hemavata
What co-arises with the world?
With what’s it make acquaintance?
The world grasps after what indeed?
Why’s the world afflicted?

SC 19SC Verse 171Buddha
Six with the world do co-arise,
with six becomes acquainted,
the world’s attached to six indeed,
so, world’s by six afflicted.

SC 20SC Verse 172Hemavata
The grasping—what is it then
by which the world’s afflicted?
When asked about this, please do speak:
how to be free from dukkha?

SC 21SC Verse 173Buddha
The sensual pleasures five are taught
in the world with mind as six,
having let go of all desire for those,
be thus from dukkha free.

SC 22SC Verse 174This for the world’s the leading out,
its “as-it-is” declared to you,
and this to you I do declare:
be thus from dukkha free.

SC 23SC Verse 175Hemavata
Here, who goes across the flood,
who goes across the sea,
No standpoint or support,
who in the deep sinks not?

SC 24SC Verse 176Buddha
That person ever virtuous,
with wisdom, concentrated well,
with mind turned inward, mindful—
crosses the flood that’s hard to cross.

SC 25SC Verse 177Detached from thoughts of sense-desire,
all fetters overpassed,
delight-in-being quite destroyed—
who in the deep sinks not.

SC 26SC Verse 178Hemavata
Behold the Great Seer of wisdom deep,
of subtle meanings Seer, one owning nought,
unattached to sensual being, free in every way,
proceeding along the pathway of the gods.

SC 27SC Verse 179Behold the Great Seer of perfect repute,
of subtle meanings Seer, of wisdom the imparter,
unattached to the senses’ basis and greatly wise,
all-knower, treading the path of the Noble Ones.

SC 28SC Verse 180Well-viewed by us today indeed,
well-dawned upon us, well-arisen:
the Awaken One we’ve seen,
crossed the flood, from inflows free.

SC 29SC Verse 181These ten hundred Yakkhas here
of great power and renown,
all of them for refuge go—
You are our Teacher unexcelled!

SC 30SC Verse 182Both
Village to village we shall roam,
mount to mount revering him,
the Fully Awakened One, as well
the Dharmaness of Perfect Dharma.