Theravadan

Other Translations: Deutsch

From: Bhikkhu Sujato

Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.57 Numbered Discourses 7.57

6. Abyākatavagga 6. The Undeclared Points

Sīhasenāpatisutta General Sīha

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Atha kho sīho senāpati yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho sīho senāpati bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: Then General Sīha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“sakkā nu kho, bhante, sandiṭṭhikaṁ dānaphalaṁ paññāpetun”ti? “Sir, can you point out a fruit of giving that’s apparent in the present life?”

“Tena hi, sīha, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi, yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi. “Well then, Sīha, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, What do you think, Sīha?

idha dve purisā—Consider two people.

eko puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, eko puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato. One is faithless, stingy, miserly, and abusive. One is a faithful donor who loves charity.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, kaṁ nu kho arahanto paṭhamaṁ anukampantā anukampeyyuṁ: Which do you think the perfected ones will show sympathy for first?”

‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’”ti?

“Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kintaṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ anukampantā anukampissanti. “Why would the perfected ones first show sympathy for the person who is faithless, stingy, miserly, and abusive?

Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato taṁyeva arahanto paṭhamaṁ anukampantā anukampeyyuṁ”. They’d show sympathy first for the faithful donor who loves charity.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, kaṁ nu kho arahanto paṭhamaṁ upasaṅkamantā upasaṅkameyyuṁ: “Which do you think the perfected ones will first approach?”

‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’”ti?

“Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kintaṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ upasaṅkamantā upasaṅkamissanti.

Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato taṁyeva arahanto paṭhamaṁ upasaṅkamantā upasaṅkameyyuṁ”. “They’d first approach the faithful donor who loves charity.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, kassa nu kho arahanto paṭhamaṁ paṭiggaṇhantā paṭiggaṇheyyuṁ: “Which do you think the perfected ones will receive alms from first?”

‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’”ti?

“Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kintaṁ tassa arahanto paṭhamaṁ paṭiggaṇhantā paṭiggaṇhissanti.

Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato tasseva arahanto paṭhamaṁ paṭiggaṇhantā paṭiggaṇheyyuṁ”. “They’d receive alms first from the faithful donor who loves charity.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, kassa nu kho arahanto paṭhamaṁ dhammaṁ desentā deseyyuṁ: “Which do you think the perfected ones will teach the Dhamma to first?”

‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’”ti?

“Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kintaṁ tassa arahanto paṭhamaṁ dhammaṁ desentā desessanti.

Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato tasseva arahanto paṭhamaṁ dhammaṁ desentā deseyyuṁ”. “They’d first teach the Dhamma to the faithful donor who loves charity.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, kassa nu kho kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggaccheyya: “Which do you think would get a good reputation?”

‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’”ti?

“Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kintaṁ tassa kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchissati.

Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato tasseva kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggaccheyya”. “The faithful donor who loves charity would get a good reputation.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, ko nu kho yaṁyadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkameyya, yadi khattiyaparisaṁ yadi brāhmaṇaparisaṁ yadi gahapatiparisaṁ yadi samaṇaparisaṁ visārado upasaṅkameyya amaṅkubhūto: “Which do you think would enter any kind of assembly bold and assured, whether it’s an assembly of aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics?”

‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’”ti?

“Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kiṁ so yaṁyadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkamissati, yadi khattiyaparisaṁ yadi brāhmaṇaparisaṁ yadi gahapatiparisaṁ yadi samaṇaparisaṁ visārado upasaṅkamissati amaṅkubhūto. “How could the person who is faithless, stingy, miserly, and abusive enter any kind of assembly bold and assured, whether it’s an assembly of aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics?

Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato so yaṁyadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkameyya, yadi khattiyaparisaṁ yadi brāhmaṇaparisaṁ yadi gahapatiparisaṁ yadi samaṇaparisaṁ visārado upasaṅkameyya amaṅkubhūto”. The faithful donor who loves charity would enter any kind of assembly bold and assured, whether it’s an assembly of aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, ko nu kho kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjeyya: “When their body breaks up, after death, which do you think would be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm?”

‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’”ti?

“Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kiṁ so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjissati. “Why would the person who is faithless, stingy, miserly, and abusive be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm?

Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjeyya. The faithful donor who loves charity would, when their body breaks up, after death, be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.

Yānimāni, bhante, bhagavatā sandiṭṭhikāni dānaphalāni akkhātāni, nāhaṁ ettha bhagavato saddhāya gacchāmi. When it comes to these fruits of giving that are apparent in the present life, I don’t have to rely on faith in the Buddha,

Ahampi etāni jānāmi. for I know them too.

Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati, maṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ anukampantā anukampanti. I’m a giver, a donor, and the perfected ones show sympathy for me first.

Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati, maṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ upasaṅkamantā upasaṅkamanti. I’m a giver, and the perfected ones approach me first.

Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati, mayhaṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ paṭiggaṇhantā paṭiggaṇhanti. I’m a giver, and the perfected ones receive alms from me first.

Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati, mayhaṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ dhammaṁ desentā desenti. I’m a giver, and the perfected ones teach me Dhamma first.

Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati, mayhaṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato: I’m a giver, and I have this good reputation:

‘sīho senāpati dāyako kārako saṅghupaṭṭhāko’ti. ‘General Sīha gives, serves, and attends on the Saṅgha.’

Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati yaṁyadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkamāmi, yadi khattiyaparisaṁ …pe… yadi samaṇaparisaṁ visārado upasaṅkamāmi amaṅkubhūto. I’m a giver, I enter any kind of assembly bold and assured, whether it’s an assembly of aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics.

Yānimāni, bhante, bhagavatā sandiṭṭhikāni dānaphalāni akkhātāni, nāhaṁ ettha bhagavato saddhāya gacchāmi. When it comes to these fruits of giving that are apparent in the present life, I don’t have to rely on faith in the Buddha,

Ahampi etāni jānāmi. for I know them too.

Yañca kho maṁ, bhante, bhagavā evamāha: But when the Buddha says:

‘dāyako, sīha, dānapati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjatī’ti. ‘When a giver’s body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ I don’t know this,

Etāhaṁ na jānāmi, ettha ca panāhaṁ, bhagavato saddhāya gacchāmī”ti. so I have to rely on faith in the Buddha.”

“Evametaṁ, sīha, evametaṁ, sīha. “That’s so true, Sīha! That’s so true!

Dāyako, sīha, dānapati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjatī”ti. When a giver’s body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”

Catutthaṁ.