sutta » sn » sn1 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.35

Ujjhānasaññisutta

Faultfinders Disdain

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapiṇḍika’s Park.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.

Atha kho sambahulā ujjhānasaññikā devatāyo abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu.
Then, when the night had advanced, a number of “faultfinding” devatās, of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One and stood in the air.
Then, late at night, several glorious deities of the Disdainful Group, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, and stood in the air.

Vehāsaṁ ṭhitā kho ekā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
Then one devatā, standing in the air, recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:
Standing in the air, one deity recited this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Aññathā santamattānaṁ,
“If one shows oneself in one way
“Someone who pretends

aññathā yo pavedaye;
While actually being otherwise,
to be other than they really are,

Nikacca kitavasseva,
What one enjoys is obtained by theft
is like a cheating gambler

bhuttaṁ theyyena tassa taṁ.
Like the gains of a cheating gambler.
who enjoys what was gained by theft.

Yañhi kayirā tañhi vade,
“One should speak as one would act;
You should only say what you would do;

yaṁ na kayirā na taṁ vade;
Don’t speak as one wouldn’t act.
you shouldn’t say what you wouldn’t do.

Akarontaṁ bhāsamānaṁ,
Who does not practise what he preaches.
The wise will recognize

parijānanti paṇḍitā”ti.
The wise clearly discern the person ”
one who talks without doing.”

“Na yidaṁ bhāsitamattena,
“Not by mere speech
“Not just by speaking,

ekantasavanena vā;
nor solely by listening
nor solely by listening,

Anukkamitave sakkā,
Can one advance
are you able to progress

yāyaṁ paṭipadā daḷhā;
on this firm path of practice
on this hard path,

Yāya dhīrā pamuccanti,
By which the wise ones are released
by which wise ones practicing absorption

jhāyino mārabandhanā.
the meditators from the bondage of Mara
are released from Māra’s bonds.

Na ve dhīrā pakubbanti,
Not [by this] are the wise ones released
The wise certainly don’t act like that,

viditvā lokapariyāyaṁ;
For they have understood the way of the world.
for they understand the way of the world.

Aññāya nibbutā dhīrā,
By final knowledge the wise are quenched:
The wise are extinguished by understanding,

tiṇṇā loke visattikan”ti.
They have crossed over attachment to the world. ”
they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”

Atha kho tā devatāyo pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhahitvā bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:
Then those devatās, having alighted on the earth, prostrated themselves with their heads at the Blessed One’s feet and said to the Blessed One:
Then those deities landed on the ground, bowed with their heads at the Buddha’s feet and said,

“accayo no, bhante, accagamā yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ, yā mayaṁ bhagavantaṁ āsādetabbaṁ amaññimhā.
“A transgression overcame us, venerable sir, being so foolish, so stupid, so unskilful that we imagined we could assail the Blessed One.
“We have made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of us to imagine we could attack the Buddha!

Tāsaṁ no, bhante, bhagavā accayaṁ accayato paṭiggaṇhātu āyatiṁ saṁvarāyā”ti.
Let the Blessed One pardon us for our transgression seen as such for the sake of restraint in the future. ”
Please, sir, accept our mistake for what it is, so we will restrain ourselves in future.”

Atha kho bhagavā sitaṁ pātvākāsi.
Then the Blessed One displayed a smile.
At that, the Buddha smiled.

Atha kho tā devatāyo bhiyyoso mattāya ujjhāyantiyo vehāsaṁ abbhuggañchuṁ.
Those devatās, finding fault to an even greater extent, then rose up into the air.
Then those deities, becoming even more disdainful, flew up in the air.

Ekā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
One devatā recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:
One deity recited this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Accayaṁ desayantīnaṁ,
“To those who confess transgression,
“If you don’t give your pardon

yo ce na paṭigaṇhati;
If one does not grant pardon,
when a mistake is confessed,

Kopantaro dosagaru,
Angry at heart, intent on hate,
with hidden anger and heavy hate,

sa veraṁ paṭimuñcatī”ti.
One strongly harbours enmity.
you’re stuck in your enmity.”

“Accayo ce na vijjetha,
“If there was no transgression,
“If no mistake is found,

nocidhāpagataṁ siyā;
If here there was no going astray,
if no-one’s gone astray,

Verāni na ca sammeyyuṁ,
And if enmities were appeased,
and enmities are settled,

kenīdha kusalo siyā”ti.
Then one would be faultless here. ”
then who could have been unskillful?”

“Kassaccayā na vijjanti,
“For whom are there no transgressions?
“Who makes no mistakes?

kassa natthi apāgataṁ;
For whom is there no going astray?
Who doesn’t go astray?

Ko na sammohamāpādi,
Who has not fallen into confusion?
Who doesn’t fall into confusion?

ko ca dhīro sadā sato”ti.
And who is the wise one, ever mindful?”
Who is the wise one that’s ever mindful?”

“Tathāgatassa buddhassa,
“The Tathagata, the Enlightened One,
“The Realized One, the Buddha,

sabbabhūtānukampino;
Full of compassion for all beings:
compassionate for all beings:

Tassaccayā na vijjanti,
For him there are no transgressions,
that’s who makes no mistakes,

tassa natthi apāgataṁ;
For him there is no going astray;
and that’s who doesn’t go astray.

So na sammohamāpādi,
He has not fallen into confusion,
He doesn’t fall into confusion,

sova dhīro sadā satoti.
And he is the wise one, ever mindful.
for he’s the wise one, ever mindful.

Accayaṁ desayantīnaṁ,
“If one does not grant pardon
If you don’t give your pardon

yo ce na paṭigaṇhati;
To those who confess transgression,
when a mistake is confessed,

Kopantaro dosagaru,
Angry at heart, intent on hate,
with hidden anger and heavy hate,

sa veraṁ paṭimuñcati;
One strongly harbours enmity.
you’re stuck in your enmity.

Taṁ veraṁ nābhinandāmi,
In that enmity I do not delight,
I don’t approve of such enmity,

paṭiggaṇhāmi voccayan”ti.
Thus I pardon your transgression. ”
and so I pardon your mistake.”