Anāthapiṇḍikovādasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 143

Anāthapiṇḍikovādasutta

Advice to Anāthapiṇḍika · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ vutte, anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati parodi, assūni pavattesi.
Atha kho āyasmā ānando anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca:
“olīyasi kho tvaṁ, gahapati, saṁsīdasi kho tvaṁ, gahapatī”ti?
“Nāhaṁ, bhante ānanda, olīyāmi, napi saṁsīdāmi;
api ca me dīgharattaṁ satthā payirupāsito manobhāvanīyā ca bhikkhū;
na ca me evarūpī dhammī kathā sutapubbā”ti.
“Na kho, gahapati, gihīnaṁ odātavasanānaṁ evarūpī dhammī kathā paṭibhāti;
pabbajitānaṁ kho, gahapati, evarūpī dhammī kathā paṭibhātī”ti.
“Tena hi, bhante sāriputta, gihīnampi odātavasanānaṁ evarūpī dhammī kathā paṭibhātu.
Santi hi, bhante, kulaputtā apparajakkhajātikā, assavanatā dhammassa parihāyanti;
bhavissanti dhammassa aññātāro”ti.

When he said this, Anāthapiṇḍika cried and burst out in tears. Venerable Ānanda said to him, “Are you failing, householder? Are you fading, householder?” “No, Honorable Ānanda. But for a long time I have paid homage to the Buddha and the esteemed mendicants. Yet I have never before heard such a Dhamma talk.” “Householder, such Dhamma talk does not strike when teaching white-clothed laypeople. Rather, it strikes when teaching those gone forth.” “Well then, Honorable Sāriputta, let such Dhamma talk strike when teaching white-clothed laypeople as well! There are gentlemen with little dust in their eyes. They’re in decline because they haven’t heard the teaching. There will be those who understand the teaching!”

Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca ānando anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ iminā ovādena ovaditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu.
Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati, acirapakkante āyasmante ca sāriputte āyasmante ca ānande, kālamakāsi tusitaṁ kāyaṁ upapajji.

And when the venerables Sāriputta and Ānanda had given the householder Anāthapiṇḍika this advice they rose from their seats and left. Not long after they had left, Anāthapiṇḍika passed away and was reborn in the host of joyful gods.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko devaputto abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho anāthapiṇḍiko devaputto bhagavantaṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:
“Idañhi taṁ jetavanaṁ,
isisaṅghanisevitaṁ;
Āvutthaṁ dhammarājena,
pītisañjananaṁ mama.
Kammaṁ vijjā ca dhammo ca,
sīlaṁ jīvitamuttamaṁ;
Etena maccā sujjhanti,
na gottena dhanena vā.
Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso,
sampassaṁ atthamattano;
Yoniso vicine dhammaṁ,
evaṁ tattha visujjhati.
Sāriputtova paññāya,
sīlena upasamena ca;
Yopi pāraṅgato bhikkhu,
etāvaparamo siyā”ti.

Then, late at night, the glorious godling Anāthapiṇḍika, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and addressed the Buddha in verse: “This is indeed that Jeta’s Grove, frequented by the Saṅgha of seers, where the King of Dhamma stayed: it brings me joy! Deeds, knowledge, and principle; ethical conduct, an excellent livelihood; by these are mortals purified, not by clan or wealth. That’s why an astute person, seeing what’s good for themselves, would examine the teaching rationally, that’s how they become purified in that. Sāriputta is full of wisdom, ethics, and peace. Even a mendicant who has crossed over might at best equal him.”

Idamavoca anāthapiṇḍiko devaputto.
Samanuñño satthā ahosi.
Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko devaputto:
“samanuñño me satthā”ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

That is what the godling Anāthapiṇḍika said, and the Teacher concurred. Then the godling Anāthapiṇḍika, knowing that the Teacher concurred, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:
“imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ aññataro devaputto abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho so devaputto maṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:
‘Idañhi taṁ jetavanaṁ,
isisaṅghanisevitaṁ;
Āvutthaṁ dhammarājena,
pītisañjananaṁ mama.
Kammaṁ vijjā ca dhammo ca,
sīlaṁ jīvitamuttamaṁ;
Etena maccā sujjhanti,
na gottena dhanena vā.
Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso,
sampassaṁ atthamattano;
Yoniso vicine dhammaṁ,
evaṁ tattha visujjhati.
Sāriputtova paññāya,
sīlena upasamena ca;
Yopi pāraṅgato bhikkhu,
etāvaparamo siyā’ti.
Idamavoca, bhikkhave, so devaputto.
‘Samanuñño me satthā’ti maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.

Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“so hi nūna so, bhante, anāthapiṇḍiko devaputto bhavissati.
Anāthapiṇḍiko, bhante, gahapati āyasmante sāriputte abhippasanno ahosī”ti.
“Sādhu sādhu, ānanda.
Yāvatakaṁ kho, ānanda, takkāya pattabbaṁ, anuppattaṁ taṁ tayā.
Anāthapiṇḍiko so, ānanda, devaputto”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamano āyasmā ānando bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Anāthapiṇḍikovādasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.

When he had spoken, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha: “Sir, that godling must surely have been Anāthapiṇḍika. For the householder Anāthapiṇḍika was devoted to Venerable Sāriputta.” “Good, good, Ānanda. You’ve reached the logical conclusion, as far as logic goes. For that was indeed the godling Anāthapiṇḍika.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Ānanda approved what the Buddha said.

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