2.5. To the Yakkha Sūciloma

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā gayāyaṁ viharati ṭaṅkitamañce sūcilomassa yakkhassa bhavane.

Tena kho pana samayena kharo ca yakkho sūcilomo ca yakkho bhagavato avidūre atikkamanti.

Atha kho kharo yakkho sūcilomaṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:

“eso samaṇo”ti.

“Neso samaṇo, samaṇako eso.

Yāvāhaṁ jānāmi yadi vā so samaṇo, yadi vā so samaṇako”ti.

Atha kho sūcilomo yakkho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato kāyaṁ upanāmesi.

Atha kho bhagavā kāyaṁ apanāmesi.

Atha kho sūcilomo yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“bhāyasi maṁ, samaṇā”ti?

“Na khvāhaṁ taṁ, āvuso, bhāyāmi;

api ca te samphasso pāpako”ti.

“Pañhaṁ taṁ, samaṇa, pucchissāmi.

Sace me na byākarissasi, cittaṁ vā te khipissāmi, hadayaṁ vā te phālessāmi, pādesu vā gahetvā pāragaṅgāya khipissāmī”ti.

“Na khvāhaṁ taṁ, āvuso, passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya yo me cittaṁ vā khipeyya hadayaṁ vā phāleyya pādesu vā gahetvā pāragaṅgāya khipeyya.

Api ca tvaṁ, āvuso, puccha yadākaṅkhasī”ti.

Atha kho sūcilomo yakkho bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Rāgo ca doso ca kutonidānā,

Aratī ratī lomahaṁso kutojā;

Kuto samuṭṭhāya manovitakkā,

Kumārakā dhaṅkamivossajanti”.

“Rāgo ca doso ca itonidānā,

Aratī ratī lomahaṁso itojā;

Ito samuṭṭhāya manovitakkā,

Kumārakā dhaṅkamivossajanti.

Snehajā attasambhūtā,

Nigrodhasseva khandhajā;

Puthū visattā kāmesu,

Māluvāva vitatāvane.

Ye naṁ pajānanti yatonidānaṁ,

Te naṁ vinodenti suṇohi yakkha;

Te duttaraṁ oghamimaṁ taranti,

Atiṇṇapubbaṁ apunabbhavāyā”ti.

Sūcilomasuttaṁ pañcamaṁ.

SC 1Thus have I heard:

SC 2At one time the Radiant One was dwelling in Gaya at the Stone Couch in the place of the yakkha Sūciloma. At that time the yakkhas Khara and Sūciloma paused nearby and the former said: “That is a monk”. “He’s not a monk, he’s just a ‘mere-monk’; but wait until I find out whether he’s a monk or a ‘mere-monk’.”

SC 3Then the yakkha Sūciloma approached the Radiant One and pressed his body against him, at which the Radiant One drew back. The yakkha then said to him, “Are you afraid of me, monk?” “Friend, I am not afraid of you, but your touch is evil.”

SC 4“Monk, I shall ask you a question and if you do not reply to me I shall overturn your mind, split your heart, and grasping you by the feet fling you to the other side of the Ganges.”

SC 5“Friend, I do not see anyone indeed who in this world with its devas, Māras and Brahmā-gods, together with its people—monks and brahmins, rulers and ordinary persons—who could overturn my mind, split my heart and grasping me by the feet fling me to the other side of the Ganges. Still, friend, you can ask whatever you wish.”

SC 6Then the yakkha Sūciloma addressed the Radiant One with this verse.

SC 7SC Verse 273Sūciloma
From whence the causes of both lust and hate,
from what are likes, dislikes and terror born,
what origin’s there for thoughts in mind,
as boys harass a (captive) crow?

SC 8SC Verse 274Buddha
From causes here come lusts and hate,
from here, likes, dislikes and terror’s born,
present origin’s there for the thoughts in mind,
as boys release a (captive) crow.

SC 9SC Verse 275Born of lubricity, arisen from self,
bearing branch-born roots as the banyan figs,
such are they in sensuality entwined,
as woods entangled by the stinky-vine.

SC 10SC Verse 276Listen, O yakkha, for those who know,
from where these causes come—all they dispel,
they cross this flood so hard to cross,
uncrossed before, to not become again.