sutta » sn » sn10 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 10.12

Āḷavakasutta

Alavaka With Āḷavaka

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
Thus have I heard.
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati āḷavakassa yakkhassa bhavane.
On one occasion, the Blessed One was dwelling at Alavi, the haunt of the yakkha Alavaka.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Āḷavī in the haunt of the native spirit Āḷavaka.

Atha kho āḷavako yakkho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then the yakkha Alavaka approached the Blessed One and said to him:
Then the native spirit Āḷavaka went up to the Buddha, and said to him:

“nikkhama, samaṇā”ti.
“Get out, ascetic!”
“Get out, ascetic!”

“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā nikkhami.
“All right, friend,” the Blessed One said, and he went out.
Saying, “All right, sir,” the Buddha went out.

“Pavisa, samaṇā”ti.
“Come in, ascetic.”
“Get in, ascetic!”

“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā pāvisi.
“All right, friend,” the Blessed One said, and he went in.
Saying, “All right, sir,” the Buddha went in.

Dutiyampi kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
A second time the yakkha Alavaka said to the Blessed One:
And for a second time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha,

“nikkhama, samaṇā”ti.
“Get out, ascetic!”
“Get out, ascetic!”

“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā nikkhami.
“All right, friend,” the Blessed One said, and he went out.
Saying, “All right, sir,” the Buddha went out.

“Pavisa, samaṇā”ti.
“Come in, ascetic.”
“Get in, ascetic!”

“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā pāvisi.
“All right, friend,” the Blessed One said, and he went in.
Saying, “All right, sir,” the Buddha went in.

Tatiyampi kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
A third time the yakkha Alavaka said to the Blessed One:
And for a third time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha,

“nikkhama, samaṇā”ti.
“Get out, ascetic!”
“Get out, ascetic!”

“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā nikkhami.
“All right, friend,” the Blessed One said, and he went out.
Saying, “All right, sir,” the Buddha went out.

“Pavisa, samaṇā”ti.
“Come in, ascetic.”
“Get in, ascetic!”

“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā pāvisi.
“All right, friend,” the Blessed One said, and he went in.
Saying, “All right, sir,” the Buddha went in.

Catutthampi kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
A fourth time the yakkha Alavaka said to the Blessed One:
And for a fourth time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha,

“nikkhama, samaṇā”ti.
“Get out, ascetic.”
“Get out, ascetic!”

“Na khvāhaṁ taṁ, āvuso, nikkhamissāmi.
“I won't go out, friend.
“No, sir, I won’t get out.

Yaṁ te karaṇīyaṁ taṁ karohī”ti.
Do whatever you have to do.”
Do what you must.”

“Pañhaṁ taṁ, samaṇa, pucchissāmi.
“I'll ask you a question, ascetic.
“I will ask you a question, ascetic.

Sace me na byākarissasi, cittaṁ vā te khipissāmi, hadayaṁ vā te phālessāmi, pādesu vā gahetvā pāragaṅgāya khipissāmī”ti.
If you won't answer me, I'll drive you insane or I'll split your heart or I'll grab you by the feet and hurl you across the Ganges.”
If you don’t answer me, I’ll drive you insane, or explode your heart, or grab you by the feet and throw you to the far shore of the Ganges!”

“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.
“I do not see anyone in this world, friend, with its devas, Mara, and Brahma, in this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, who could drive me insane or split my heart or grab me by the feet and hurl me across the Ganges.
“I don’t see anyone in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans who could do that to me.

Api ca tvaṁ, āvuso, puccha yadā kaṅkhasī”ti (…).
But ask whatever you want, friend.”
But anyway, ask what you wish.”

“Kiṁsūdha vittaṁ purisassa seṭṭhaṁ,
“What here is a man’s best treasure?
“What’s a person’s best wealth?

Kiṁsu suciṇṇaṁ sukhamāvahāti;
What practised well brings happiness?
What brings happiness when practiced well?

Kiṁsu have sādutaraṁ rasānaṁ,
What is really the sweetest of tastes?
What’s the sweetest taste of all?

Kathaṁjīviṁ jīvitamāhu seṭṭhan”ti.
How lives the one who they say lives best?”
The one they say has the best life: how do they live?”

“Saddhīdha vittaṁ purisassa seṭṭhaṁ,
“Faith Is here a man’s best treasure;
“Faith here is a person’s best wealth.

Dhammo suciṇṇo sukhamāvahāti;
Dhamma practised well brings happiness;
The teaching brings happiness when practiced well.

Saccaṁ have sādutaraṁ rasānaṁ,
Truth is really the sweetest of tastes;
Truth is the sweetest taste of all.

Paññājīviṁ jīvitamāhu seṭṭhan”ti.
One living by wisdom they say lives best.”
The one they say has the best life lives by wisdom.”

“Kathaṁsu tarati oghaṁ,
“How does one cross over the flood?
“How do you cross the flood?

kathaṁsu tarati aṇṇavaṁ;
How does one cross the rugged sea?
How do you cross the deluge?

Kathaṁsu dukkhamacceti,
How does one overcome suffering?
How do you get over suffering?

kathaṁsu parisujjhatī”ti.
How is one purified?”
How do you get purified?”

“Saddhāya tarati oghaṁ,
“By faith one crosses over the flood,
“By faith you cross the flood,

appamādena aṇṇavaṁ;
By diligence, the rugged sea.
and by diligence the deluge.

Vīriyena dukkhamacceti,
By energy one overcomes suffering,
By energy you get past suffering,

paññāya parisujjhatī”ti.
By wisdom one is purified.”
and you’re purified by wisdom.”

“Kathaṁsu labhate paññaṁ,
“How does one gain wisdom?
“How do you get wisdom?

kathaṁsu vindate dhanaṁ;
How does one find wealth?
How do you earn wealth?

Kathaṁsu kittiṁ pappoti,
How does one achieve acclaim?
How do you get a good reputation?

kathaṁ mittāni ganthati;
How bind friends to oneself?
How do you hold on to friends?

Asmā lokā paraṁ lokaṁ,
How does one not sorrow?”
How do the departed not grieve

kathaṁ pecca na socatī”ti.
When passing from this world to the next,
when passing from this world to the next?”

“Saddahāno arahataṁ,
If one is diligent and astute.
“One who is diligent and discerning

dhammaṁ nibbānapattiyā;
From desire to learn one gains wisdom
gains wisdom by wanting to learn,

Sussūsaṁ labhate paññaṁ,
Placing faith in the Dhamma of the arahants
having faith in the perfected ones,

appamatto vicakkhaṇo.
For the attainment of Nibbana,
and the teaching for becoming extinguished.

Patirūpakārī dhuravā,
“Doing what is proper, dutiful,
Being responsible, acting appropriately,

uṭṭhātā vindate dhanaṁ;
One with initiative finds wealth.
and working hard you earn wealth.

Saccena kittiṁ pappoti,
By truthfulness one wins acclaim;
Truthfulness wins you a good reputation.

dadaṁ mittāni ganthati;
Giving, one binds friends.
You hold on to friends by giving.

Asmā lokā paraṁ lokaṁ,
When passing from this world to the next.”
That’s how the departed do not grieve

evaṁ pecca na socati.
That is how one does not sorrow
when passing from this world to the next.

Yassete caturo dhammā,
In whom dwell these four qualities—
A faithful householder

saddhassa gharamesino;
The faithful seeker of the household life
who has these four qualities

Saccaṁ dhammo dhiti cāgo,
Truth, Dhamma, steadfastness, generosity—
does not grieve after passing away:

sa ve pecca na socati.
Does not sorrow when he passes on.
truth, principle, steadfastness, and generosity.

Iṅgha aññepi pucchassu,
“Come now, ask others as well,
Go ahead, ask others as well,

puthū samaṇabrāhmaṇe;
The many ascetics and brahmins,
there are many ascetics and brahmins.

Yadi saccā dhammā cāgā,
Than truth, self-control, generosity, and patience.
See whether anything better is found

khantyā bhiyyodha vijjatī”ti.
Whether there is found here anything better”
than truth, self-control, generosity, and patience.”

“Kathaṁ nu dāni puccheyyaṁ,
“Why now should I ask this question
“Why now would I question

puthū samaṇabrāhmaṇe;
Of the many ascetics and brahmins?
the many ascetics and brahmins?

Yohaṁ ajja pajānāmi,
“Today I have understood
Today I understand

yo attho samparāyiko.
The good pertaining to the future life.
what’s good for the next life.

Atthāya vata me buddho,
Indeed, for my sake the Buddha
It was truly for my benefit

vāsāyāḷavimāgamā;
Came to reside at Alavi,
that the Buddha came to stay at Āḷavī.

Yohaṁ ajja pajānāmi,
Today I have understood
Today I understand

yattha dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ.
Where a gift bears great fruit.
where a gift is very fruitful.

So ahaṁ vicarissāmi,
“I myself will travel about
I myself will journey

Gāmā gāmaṁ purā puraṁ;
From village to village, town to town,
village to village, town to town,

Namassamāno sambuddhaṁ,
Paying homage to the Enlightened One
paying homage to the Buddha,

Dhammassa ca sudhammatan”ti.
And to the excellence of the Dhamma.”
and the natural excellence of the teaching!”

Indakavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Indako sakka sūci ca,

Maṇibhaddo ca sānu ca;

Piyaṅkara punabbasu sudatto ca,

Dve sukkā cīraāḷavīti dvādasa.

Yakkhasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.
The Linked Discourses with Native Spirits are complete.