10.8. Sudatta.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati sītavane.

Tena kho pana samayena anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati rājagahaṁ anuppatto hoti kenacideva karaṇīyena.

Assosi kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati:

“buddho kira loke uppanno”ti.

Tāvadeva ca pana bhagavantaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamitukāmo hoti. Athassa anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa etadahosi:

“akālo kho ajja bhagavantaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.

Sve dānāhaṁ kālena bhagavantaṁ dassanāya gamissāmī”ti buddhagatāya satiyā nipajji.

Rattiyā sudaṁ tikkhattuṁ vuṭṭhāsi pabhātanti maññamāno.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena sivathikadvāraṁ tenupasaṅkami.

Amanussā dvāraṁ vivariṁsu.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa nagaramhā nikkhamantassa āloko antaradhāyi, andhakāro pāturahosi, bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso udapādi, tatova puna nivattitukāmo ahosi.

Atha kho sivako yakkho antarahito saddamanussāvesi:

“Sataṁ hatthī sataṁ assā,

Sataṁ assatarīrathā;

Sataṁ kaññāsahassāni,

Āmukkamaṇikuṇḍalā;

Ekassa padavītihārassa,

Kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.

Abhikkama gahapati,

abhikkama gahapati;

Abhikkamanaṁ te seyyo,

no paṭikkamanan”ti.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa andhakāro antaradhāyi, āloko pāturahosi, yaṁ ahosi bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso, so paṭippassambhi.

Dutiyampi kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa āloko antaradhāyi, andhakāro pāturahosi, bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso udapādi, tatova puna nivattitukāmo ahosi.

Dutiyampi kho sivako yakkho antarahito saddamanussāvesi:

“Sataṁ hatthī sataṁ assā,

…pe…

Kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.

Abhikkama gahapati,

abhikkama gahapati;

Abhikkamanaṁ te seyyo,

no paṭikkamanan”ti.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa andhakāro antaradhāyi, āloko pāturahosi, yaṁ ahosi bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso, so paṭippassambhi.

Tatiyampi kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa āloko antaradhāyi, andhakāro pāturahosi, bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso udapādi, tatova puna nivattitukāmo ahosi.

Tatiyampi kho sivako yakkho antarahito saddamanussāvesi:

“Sataṁ hatthī sataṁ assā,

…pe…

Kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.

Abhikkama gahapati,

abhikkama gahapati;

Abhikkamanaṁ te seyyo,

no paṭikkamanan”ti.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa andhakāro antaradhāyi, āloko pāturahosi, yaṁ ahosi bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso, so paṭippassambhi.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena sītavanaṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya abbhokāse caṅkamati.

Addasā kho bhagavā anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

Disvāna caṅkamā orohitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.

Nisajja kho bhagavā anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca:

“ehi, sudattā”ti.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati, nāmena maṁ bhagavā ālapatīti, haṭṭho udaggo tattheva bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“kacci, bhante, bhagavā sukhamasayitthā”ti?

“Sabbadā ve sukhaṁ seti,

brāhmaṇo parinibbuto;

Yo na limpati kāmesu,

sītibhūto nirūpadhi.

Sabbā āsattiyo chetvā,

vineyya hadaye daraṁ;

Upasanto sukhaṁ seti,

santiṁ pappuyya cetasā”ti.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Cool Grove.

Now at that time the householder Anāthapiṇḍika had arrived at Rājagaha on some business.

He heard

a rumor that a Buddha had arisen in the world.

Right away he wanted to go and see the Buddha, but he thought,

“It’s too late to go and see the Buddha today.

I’ll go and see him tomorrow.” He went to bed thinking of the Buddha.

During the night he got up three times thinking it was morning.

Then he approached the Sivaka Gate,

and non-human beings opened it for him.

But as he was leaving the city, light vanished and darkness appeared to him. He felt fear, terror, and goosebumps, and wanted to turn back.

Then the invisible spirit Sivaka called out:

“A hundred elephants, a hundred horses,

a hundred mule-drawn chariots,

a hundred thousand maidens

bedecked with jeweled earrings:

these are not worth a sixteenth part

of a single forward stride!

Forward, householder!

Forward, householder!

Going forward is better for you,

not turning back!”

Then darkness vanished and light appeared to Anāthapiṇḍika. His fear, terror, and goosebumps settled down.

But for a second time, light vanished and darkness appeared to him. …

For a second time the invisible spirit Sivaka called out …

“… Going forward is better for you,

not turning back!”

Then darkness vanished and light appeared to Anāthapiṇḍika. His fear, terror, and goosebumps settled down.

But for a third time, light vanished and darkness appeared to him. …

For a third time the invisible spirit Sivaka called out …

“… Going forward is better for you,

not turning back!”

Then darkness vanished and light appeared to Anāthapiṇḍika. His fear, terror, and goosebumps settled down.

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika went to the Cool Grove and approached the Buddha.

Now at that time the Buddha had risen at the crack of dawn and was walking mindfully in the open.

He saw Anāthapiṇḍika coming off in the distance.

So he stepped down from the walking path, sat down on the seat spread out,

and said to Anāthapiṇḍika,

“Come, Sudatta.”

Then Anāthapiṇḍika thought, “The Buddha calls me by name!” Smiling and elated, he bowed with his head at the Buddha’s feet and said to him,

“Sir, I trust the Buddha slept well?”

“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.”