53 (3) The Friend
187 “What is the friend of one on a journey?
What is the friend in one’s own home?
What is the friend of one in need?
What is the friend in the future life?”117
188 “A caravan is the friend of one on a journey; <81>
A mother is the friend in one’s own home;
A comrade when the need arises
Is one’s friend again and again.
The deeds of merit one has done—
That is the friend in the future life.”
54 (4) Support
189 “What is the support of human beings?
What is the best companion here?
The creatures who dwell on the earth—
By what do they sustain their life?”
190 “Sons are the support of human beings,
A wife the best companion;
The creatures who dwell on the earth
Sustain their life by rain.”118 <82>
55 (5) Produces (1)
191 “What is it that produces a person?
What does he have that runs around?
What enters upon saṃsāra?
What is his greatest fear?” <83>
192 “It is craving that produces a person;
His mind is what runs around;
A being enters upon saṃsāra;
Suffering is his greatest fear.”
56 (6) Produces (2)
193 “What is it that produces a person?
What does he have that runs around?
What enters upon saṃsāra?
From what is he not yet freed?”
194 “Craving is what produces a person;
His mind is what runs around;
A being enters upon saṃsāra;
He is not freed from suffering.” [38]
57 (7) Produces (3)
195 “What is it that produces a person?
What does he have that runs around?
What enters upon saṃsāra?
What determines his destiny?”
196 “Craving is what produces a person;
His mind is what runs around;
A being enters upon saṃsāra;
Kamma determines his destiny.”
58 (8) The Deviant Path
197 “What is declared the deviant path?
What undergoes destruction night and day? <84>
What is the stain of the holy life?
What is the bath without water?”
198 “Lust is declared the deviant path;
Life undergoes destruction night and day;
Women are the stain of the holy life:
Here menfolk are enmeshed.
Austerity and the holy life—
That is the bath without water.”119
59 (9) Partner
199 “What is a person’s partner?
What is it that instructs him?
Taking delight in what is a mortal
Released from all suffering?”
200 “Faith is a person’s partner,
And wisdom is what instructs him. <85>
Taking delight in Nibbāna, a mortal
Is released from all suffering.”
60 (10) Poetry
201 “What is the scaffolding of verses?
What constitutes their phrasing?
On what base do verses rest?
What is the abode of verses?”
202 “Metre is the scaffolding of verses;
Syllables constitute their phrasing;
Verses rest on a base of names;
The poet is the abode of verses.”120
[39] <86>
VII. WEIGHED DOWN
61 (1) Name
203 “What has weighed down everything?
What is most extensive?
What is the one thing that has
All under its control?”
204 “Name has weighed down everything;
Nothing is more extensive than name. <87>
Name is the one thing that has
All under its control.”121
62 (2) Mind
205 “By what is the world led around?
By what is it dragged here and there?
What is the one thing that has
All under its control?”
206 “The world is led around by mind;
By mind it’s dragged here and there.
Mind is the one thing that has
All under its control.”122
63 (3) Craving
207 “By what is the world led around?
By what is it dragged here and there? <88>
What is the one thing that has
All under its control?”
208 “The world is led around by craving;
By craving it‘s dragged here and there.
Craving is the one thing that has
All under its control.”
64 (4) Fetter
209 “By what is the world tightly fettered?
What is its means of travelling about?
What is it that one must forsake
In order to say, ‘Nibbāna’?”
210 “The world is tightly fettered by delight;
Thought is its means of travelling about.
Craving is what one must forsake
In order to say, ‘Nibbāna.’”123 <89>
65 (5) Bondage
211 “By what is the world held in bondage?
What is its means of travelling about?
What is it that one must forsake
To cut off all bondage?” [40]
212 “The world is held in bondage by delight;
Thought is its means of travelling about.
Craving is what one must forsake
To cut off all bondage.”
66 (6) Afflicted
213 “By what is the world afflicted?
By what is it enveloped?
By what dart has it been wounded?
With what is it always burning?”124 <90>
214 “The world is afflicted with death,
Enveloped by old age;
Wounded by the dart of craving,
It is always burning with desire.”
67 (7) Ensnared
215 “By what is the world ensnared?
By what is it enveloped?
By what is the world shut in?
On what is the world established?”
216 “The world is ensnared by craving;
It is enveloped by old age;
The world is shut in by death;
The world is established on suffering.”125 <91>
68 (8) Shut In
217 “By what is the world shut in?
On what is the world established?
By what is the world ensnared?
By what is it enveloped?”
218 “The world is shut in by death;
The world is established on suffering;
The world is ensnared by craving;
It is enveloped by old age.”
69 (9) Desire
219 “By what is the world bound?
By the removal of what is it freed?
What is it that one must forsake
To cut off all bondage?”
220 “By desire is the world bound;
By the removal of desire it is freed.
Desire is what one must forsake <92>
To cut off all bondage.” [41]
70 (10) World
221 “In what has the world arisen?
In what does it form intimacy?
By clinging to what is the world
Harassed in regard to what?”
222 “In six has the world arisen;
In six it forms intimacy;
By clinging to six the world
Is harassed in regard to six.”126
<93>
VIII. HAVING SLAIN
71 (1) Having Slain
At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that d
evatā addressed the Blessed One in verse:223 “Having slain what does one sleep soundly?
Having slain what does one not sorrow?
What is the one thing, O Gotama,
Whose killing you approve?”127
[The Blessed One:]224 “Having slain anger, one sleeps soundly;
Having slain anger, one does not sorrow;
The killing of anger, O devatā,
With its poisoned root and honeyed tip:
This is the killing the noble ones praise,
For having slain that, one does not sorrow.”128
72 (2) Chariot
225 “What is the token of a chariot?
What, the token of a fire?
What is the token of a country?
What, the token of a woman?”129 [42] <94>
226 “A standard is the token of a chariot;
Smoke, the token of a fire;
The king is a country’s token;
A husband, the token of a woman.”
73 (3) Treasure
227 “What here is a man’s best treasure?
What practised well brings happiness?
What is really the sweetest of tastes?
How lives the one whom they say lives best?”
228 “Faith is here a man’s best treasure;
Dhamma practised well brings happiness;
Truth is really the sweetest of tastes; <95>
One living by wisdom they say lives best.”130
74 (4) Rain
[A devatā:]229 “What is the best of things that rise up?
What excels among things that fall down?
What is the best of things that go forth?
Who is the most excellent of speakers?”
[Another devatā:]230 “A seed is the best of things that rise up;
Rain excels among things that fall down;
Cattle are the best of things that go forth;
A son is the most excellent of speakers.”131
[The Blessed One:]231 “Knowledge is the best of things that rise up;
Ignorance excels among things that fall down;
The Saṅgha is the best of things that go forth;
The most excellent of speakers is the Buddha.”132
75 (5) Afraid <96>
232 “Why are so many people here afraid
When the path has been taught with many bases?133
I ask you, O Gotama, broad of wisdom:
On what should one take a stand
To have no fear of the other world?”
233 “Having directed speech and mind rightly,
Doing no evil deeds with the body,
Dwelling at home with ample food and drink, [43]
Faithful, gentle, generous, amiable:
When one stands on these four things,
Standing firmly on the Dhamma,
One need not fear the other world.”134
76 (6) Does Not Decay
234 “What decays, what does not decay?
What is declared the deviant path? <97>
What is the impediment to [wholesome] states?
What undergoes destruction night and day?
What is the stain of the holy life?
What is the bath without water?
235 “How many fissures are there in the world
Wherein the mind does not stand firm?
We’ve come to ask the Blessed One this:
How are we to understand it?”
236 “The physical form of mortals decays,
Their name and clan does not decay.
Lust is declared the deviant path,
Greed the impediment to [wholesome] states.
237 “Life undergoes destruction night and day;
Women are the stain of the holy life:
Here’s where menfolk are enmeshed.
Austerity and the holy life—
That is the bath without water. <98>
238 “There are six fissures in the world
Wherein the mind does not stand firm:
Laziness and negligence,
Indolence, lack of self-control,
Drowsiness and lethargy—
Avoid these fissures completely.”135
77 (7) Sovereignty
239 “What is sovereignty in the world?
What ranks as the best of goods?
What in the world is a rusty sword?
What in the world is considered a plague?
240 “Whom do they arrest when he takes away?
And who, when he takes away, is dear?
In whom do the wise take delight
When he returns again and again?” <99>
241 “Mastery is sovereignty in the world;
A woman ranks as the best of goods;136
In the world anger is a rusty sword;
Thieves in the world are considered a plague.137
242 “They arrest a thief when he takes away,
But an ascetic who takes away is dear.
The wise take delight in an ascetic
When he returns again and again.” [44]
78 (8) Love
243 “What should he not give who loves the good?
What should a mortal not relinquish?
What should one release when it’s good,
But not release when it’s bad?”
244 “A person should not give himself away; <100>
He should not relinquish himself.138
One should release speech that is good,
But not speech that is bad.”
79 (9) Provisions for a Journey
245 “What secures provisions for a journey?
What is the abode of wealth?
What drags a person around?
What in the world is hard to discard?
By what are many beings bound
Like birds caught in a snare?”
246 “Faith secures provisions for a journey;
Fortune is the abode of wealth;
Desire drags a person around;
Desire is hard to discard in the world.
By desire many beings are bound <101>
Like birds caught in a snare.”
80 (10) Source of Light
247 “What is the source of light in the world?
What in the world is the wakeful one?
What are [the colleagues] of those living by work?
What is one’s course of movement?
248 “What nurtures both the slack and active
Just as a mother nurtures her child?
The creatures who dwell on the earth—
By what do they sustain their life?”
249 “Wisdom is the source of light in the world;
Mindfulness, in the world, is the wakeful one;
Cattle are [the colleagues] of those living by work; <102>
One’s course of movement is the furrow.139
250 “Rain nurtures both the slack and active
Just as a mother nurtures her child.
Those creatures who dwell on the earth
Sustain their life by rain.”
81 (11) Without Conflict
251 “Who here in the world are placid?
Whose mode of life is not squandered?
Who here fully understand desire?
Who enjoy perpetual freedom? [45]
252 “Whom do parents and brothers worship
When he stands firmly established?
Who is the one of humble birth
That even khattiyas here salute?” <103>
253 “Ascetics are placid in the world;
The ascetic life is not squandered;
Ascetics fully understand desire;
They enjoy perpetual freedom.
254 “Parents and brothers worship an ascetic
When he stands firmly established.140
Though an ascetic be of humble birth
Even khattiyas here salute him.”
[46] <104>
Chapter II
2 Devaputtas
aṃyutta Connected Discourses with Young Devas
I. THE FIRST SUBCHAPTER (SURIYA)
1 (1) Kassapa (1)
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then, when the night had advanced, the young deva Kassapa, of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One.141 Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, stood to one side, and said to the Blessed One:
The Connected Discourses of the Buddha Page 13