With Prince Abhaya · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.
Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro yena nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho abhayaṁ rājakumāraṁ nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto etadavoca:
Then Prince Abhaya went up to the Jain ascetic of the Ñātika clan, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Jain Ñātika said to him,
“ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, samaṇassa gotamassa vādaṁ āropehi. Evaṁ te kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchissati: ‘abhayena rājakumārena samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādo āropito’”ti. “Yathā kathaṁ panāhaṁ, bhante, samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādaṁ āropessāmī”ti? “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.
“Come, prince, refute the ascetic Gotama’s doctrine. Then you will get a good reputation: ‘Prince Abhaya refuted the doctrine of the ascetic Gotama, so mighty and powerful!’” “But sir, how am I to do this?” “Here, prince, go to the ascetic Gotama and say to him: ‘Sir, may the Realized One utter speech that is disliked by others?’ When he’s asked this, if he answers: ‘He may, prince,’ say this to him, ‘So what then, sir, is the difference between you and an ordinary person? For even an ordinary person may utter speech that is disliked by others.’
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.
But if he answers, ‘He may not, prince,’ say this to him: ‘So why then, sir, did you declare of Devadatta: “Devadatta is going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable”? Devadatta was angry and upset with what you said.’ When you put this dilemma to him, the Buddha won’t be able to either spit it out or swallow it down. He’ll be like a man with an iron cross stuck in his throat, unable to either spit it out or swallow it down.”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho abhayo rājakumāro nigaṇṭhassa nāṭaputtassa paṭissutvā uṭṭhāyāsanā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnassa kho abhayassa rājakumārassa sūriyaṁ ulloketvā etadahosi: “akālo kho ajja bhagavato vādaṁ āropetuṁ. Sve dānāhaṁ sake nivesane bhagavato vādaṁ āropessāmī”ti bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “adhivāsetu me, bhante, bhagavā svātanāya attacatuttho bhattan”ti. Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.
“Yes, sir,” replied Abhaya. He rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Jain Ñātika, keeping him on his right. Then he went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Then he looked up at the sun and thought, “It’s too late to refute the Buddha’s doctrine today. I shall refute his doctrine in my own home tomorrow.” He said to the Buddha, “Sir, would the Buddha, together with three other monks, please accept tomorrow’s meal from me?” The Buddha consented with silence.
Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavato adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena abhayassa rājakumārassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi. Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ bhuttāviṁ onītapattapāṇiṁ aññataraṁ nīcaṁ āsanaṁ gahetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Then, knowing that the Buddha had consented, Abhaya rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving. Then when the night had passed, the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to Abhaya’s home, and sat down on the seat spread out. Then Abhaya served and satisfied the Buddha with his own hands with delicious fresh and cooked foods. When the Buddha had eaten and washed his hand and bowl, Abhaya took a low seat, sat to one side,
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “bhāseyya nu kho, bhante, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā”ti? “Na khvettha, rājakumāra, ekaṁsenā”ti. “Ettha, bhante, anassuṁ nigaṇṭhā”ti. “Kiṁ pana tvaṁ, rājakumāra, evaṁ vadesi: ‘ettha, bhante, anassuṁ nigaṇṭhā’”ti? “Idhāhaṁ, bhante, yena nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho maṁ, bhante, nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto etadavoca: ‘ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, samaṇassa gotamassa vādaṁ āropehi. Evaṁ te kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchissati— abhayena rājakumārena samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādo āropito’ti. Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘yathā kathaṁ panāhaṁ, bhante, samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādaṁ āropessāmī’ti?
and said to him, “Sir, may the Realized One utter speech that is disliked by others?” “This matter is not categorical, prince.” “Then the Jains have lost in this, sir.” “But prince, why do you say that the Jains have lost in this?” Then Abhaya told the Buddha all that had happened.
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