The Discourse about Mucalinda

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre mucalindamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena nisinno hoti vimuttisukhapaṭisaṁvedī.

Tena kho pana samayena mahā akālamegho udapādi sattāhavaddalikā sītavātaduddinī.

Atha kho mucalindo nāgarājā sakabhavanā nikkhamitvā bhagavato kāyaṁ sattakkhattuṁ bhogehi parikkhipitvā uparimuddhani mahantaṁ phaṇaṁ vihacca aṭṭhāsi:

“mā bhagavantaṁ sītaṁ, mā bhagavantaṁ uṇhaṁ, mā bhagavantaṁ ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphasso”ti.

Atha kho bhagavā tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhāsi.

Atha kho mucalindo nāgarājā viddhaṁ vigatavalāhakaṁ devaṁ viditvā bhagavato kāyā bhoge viniveṭhetvā sakavaṇṇaṁ paṭisaṁharitvā māṇavakavaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā bhagavato purato aṭṭhāsi pañjaliko bhagavantaṁ namassamāno.

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

“Sukho viveko tuṭṭhassa,

sutadhammassa passato;

Abyāpajjaṁ sukhaṁ loke,

pāṇabhūtesu saṁyamo.

Sukhā virāgatā loke,

kāmānaṁ samatikkamo;

Asmimānassa yo vinayo,

etaṁ ve paramaṁ sukhan”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.

SC 1Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Uruvelā, on the bank of the river Nerañjarā, at the root of the Mucalinda tree, in the first period after attaining Awakening. Then at that time the Gracious One was sitting in one cross-legged posture for seven days experiencing the happiness of freedom.

SC 2Then at that time a great cloud arose out of season, bringing seven days of rainy weather, cold winds, and overcast days. Then the Nāga King Mucalinda, after leaving his domicile, and surrounding the Gracious One’s body seven times with his coils, stood with his great hood stretched out above his head, thinking:

SC 3“May the Gracious One not be cold, may the Gracious One not be hot, may the Gracious One not be affected by gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, the heat of the sun, and serpents.”

SC 4Then with the passing of those seven days, the Gracious One arose from that concentration. Then the Nāga King Mucalinda, having understood that the sky was now clear without a cloud, having unravelled his coils from the Gracious One’s body, and after withdrawing his own form, and creating the appearance of a young brāhmaṇa, stood in front of the Gracious One, revering the Gracious One with raised hands.

SC 5Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

SC 6“There is happiness and detachment for the one who is satisfied,
who has heard the Dhamma, and who sees,
There is happiness for him who is free from ill-will in the world,
who is restrained towards breathing beings.

SC 7“The state of dispassion in the world is happiness,
the complete transcending of sense desires,
But for he who has removed the conceit ‘I am’—
this is indeed the highest happiness.”