With Prince Abhaya · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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‘Ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ vadehi: “bhāseyya nu kho, bhante, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā”ti? Sace te samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti: “bhāseyya, rājakumāra, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā”ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi: “atha kiñcarahi te, bhante, puthujjanena nānākaraṇaṁ? Puthujjanopi hi taṁ vācaṁ bhāseyya yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā”ti. Sace pana te samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti: “na, rājakumāra, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ bhāseyya yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā”ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi— atha kiñcarahi te, bhante, devadatto byākato:
“āpāyiko devadatto, nerayiko devadatto, kappaṭṭho devadatto, atekiccho devadatto”ti? Tāya ca pana te vācāya devadatto kupito ahosi anattamano’ti. Imaṁ kho te, rājakumāra, samaṇo gotamo ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno neva sakkhiti uggilituṁ na sakkhiti ogilituṁ. Seyyathāpi nāma purisassa ayosiṅghāṭakaṁ kaṇṭhe vilaggaṁ, so neva sakkuṇeyya uggilituṁ na sakkuṇeyya ogilituṁ; evameva kho te, rājakumāra, samaṇo gotamo imaṁ ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno neva sakkhiti uggilituṁ na sakkhiti ogilitun”ti.
Tena kho pana samayena daharo kumāro mando uttānaseyyako abhayassa rājakumārassa aṅke nisinno hoti. Atha kho bhagavā abhayaṁ rājakumāraṁ etadavoca: “Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra, sacāyaṁ kumāro tuyhaṁ vā pamādamanvāya dhātiyā vā pamādamanvāya kaṭṭhaṁ vā kaṭhalaṁ vā mukhe āhareyya, kinti naṁ kareyyāsī”ti? “Āhareyyassāhaṁ, bhante. Sace, bhante, na sakkuṇeyyaṁ ādikeneva āhattuṁ, vāmena hatthena sīsaṁ pariggahetvā dakkhiṇena hatthena vaṅkaṅguliṁ karitvā salohitampi āhareyyaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Atthi me, bhante, kumāre anukampā”ti.
Now at that time a little baby boy was sitting in Prince Abhaya’s lap. Then the Buddha said to Abhaya, “What do you think, prince? If—because of your negligence or his nursemaid’s negligence—your boy were to put a stick or stone in his mouth, what would you do to him?” “I’d try to take it out, sir. If that didn’t work, I’d cradle his head with my left hand and take it out using a hooked finger of my right hand, even if it drew blood. Why is that? Because I have sympathy for the boy, sir.”
“Evameva kho, rājakumāra, yaṁ tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti abhūtaṁ atacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā, na taṁ tathāgato vācaṁ bhāsati. Yampi tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā, tampi tathāgato vācaṁ na bhāsati. Yañca kho tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ atthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā, tatra kālaññū tathāgato hoti tassā vācāya veyyākaraṇāya. Yaṁ tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti abhūtaṁ atacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ piyā manāpā, na taṁ tathāgato vācaṁ bhāsati. Yampi tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ piyā manāpā tampi tathāgato vācaṁ na bhāsati.
“In the same way, prince, the Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be untrue, false, and pointless, and which is disliked by others. The Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be true and correct, but which is harmful and disliked by others. The Realized One knows the right time to speak so as to explain what he knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, but which is disliked by others. The Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be untrue, false, and pointless, but which is liked by others. The Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be true and correct, but which is harmful, even if it is liked by others.
Yañca tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ atthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ piyā manāpā, tatra kālaññū tathāgato hoti tassā vācāya veyyākaraṇāya. Taṁ kissa hetu? Atthi, rājakumāra, tathāgatassa sattesu anukampā”ti.
The Realized One knows the right time to speak so as to explain what he knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, and which is liked by others. Why is that? Because the Realized One has sympathy for sentient beings.”
“Yeme, bhante, khattiyapaṇḍitāpi brāhmaṇapaṇḍitāpi gahapatipaṇḍitāpi samaṇapaṇḍitāpi pañhaṁ abhisaṅkharitvā tathāgataṁ upasaṅkamitvā pucchanti, pubbeva nu kho, etaṁ, bhante, bhagavato cetaso parivitakkitaṁ hoti ‘ye maṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ pucchissanti tesāhaṁ evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākarissāmī’ti, udāhu ṭhānasovetaṁ tathāgataṁ paṭibhātī”ti?
“Sir, there are astute aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics who come to see you with a question already planned. Do you think beforehand that if they ask you like this, you’ll answer like that, or does the answer just strike you on the spot?”
“Tena hi, rājakumāra, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi, yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra, kusalo tvaṁ rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgānan”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante, kusalo ahaṁ rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgānan”ti. “Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra, ye taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘kiṁ nāmidaṁ rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgan’ti? Pubbeva nu kho te etaṁ cetaso parivitakkitaṁ assa ‘ye maṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ pucchissanti tesāhaṁ evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākarissāmī’ti, udāhu ṭhānasovetaṁ paṭibhāseyyā”ti? “Ahañhi, bhante, rathiko saññāto kusalo rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgānaṁ. Sabbāni me rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgāni suviditāni. Ṭhānasovetaṁ maṁ paṭibhāseyyā”ti.
“Well then, prince, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, prince? Are you skilled in the various parts of a chariot?” “I am, sir.” “What do you think, prince? When they come to you and ask: ‘What’s the name of this chariot part?’ Do you think beforehand that if they ask you like this, you’ll answer like that, or does the answer appear to you on the spot?” “Sir, I’m well-known as a charioteer skilled in a chariot’s parts. All the major and minor parts are well-known to me. The answer just appears to me on the spot.”
“Evameva kho, rājakumāra, ye te khattiyapaṇḍitāpi brāhmaṇapaṇḍitāpi gahapatipaṇḍitāpi samaṇapaṇḍitāpi pañhaṁ abhisaṅkharitvā tathāgataṁ upasaṅkamitvā pucchanti, ṭhānasovetaṁ tathāgataṁ paṭibhāti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Sā hi, rājakumāra, tathāgatassa dhammadhātu suppaṭividdhā yassā dhammadhātuyā suppaṭividdhattā ṭhānasovetaṁ tathāgataṁ paṭibhātī”ti.
“In the same way, when astute aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics come to see me with a question already planned, the answer just strikes me on the spot. Why is that? Because the Realized One has clearly penetrated the principle of the teachings, so that the answer just strikes him on the spot.”
Evaṁ vutte, abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante …pe… ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti. Abhayarājakumārasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ.
When he had spoken, Prince Abhaya said to the Buddha, “Excellent, sir! Excellent! … From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”
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