Saṃyutta Nikāya
I. Sagātha Vagga
9. Vana-Saṃyutta

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
I. Kindred Sayings with Verses
9. The Forest Suttas

Sutta 5

Ānanda Suttaṃ

Ānanda

Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by Sūriyagoḍa Sumangala Thera
Copyright The Pali Text Society. Public Domain.

 

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[254]

[5.1] THUS HAVE I HEARD: —

The venerable Ānanda was once staying among the Kosalese
in a certain forest tract.

Now at that time the venerable Ānanda
was excessively busy
imparting matters to the laity.^[1]

And a deva,
indigenous to that forest,
moved with compassion,
desiring his welfare,
and wishing to agitate him,
drew near and addressed him in the verse:

"Thou who hast plunged in leafy lair of trees,
Suffering Nibbāna in thy heart to sink,
Study, thou Gotamid, and dally not!
What will this babble-babble do for thee?"^[2]

Then the venerable Ānanda,
agaitated by that deva,
was greatly moved.

 

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^[1] According to the legend, this was just after the Master's parinibāna, shortly before Ānanda became Arahant. People knowing of his close attendance on his Master were ever asking him for details about the 'Great Decease,' mourning, and being admonished by him. He took the Buddha's bowl and robe about with him. Rebuke in the same verse is ascribed also to a Vajjian thera, Vajjiputta: Pss. of the Brethren, cxix.

^[2] B. makes biḷibiḷikā refer directly to the 'talkee-talkee' noise of the laymen's conversation. Cf. Dhammapāla's explanation op. cit. loc. cit.