Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
35. Saḷāyatana Saṃyutta
§ III: Paññāsaka Tatiya
3. Gahapati Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
35. Kindred Sayings the Sixfold Sphere of Sense
§ III: The 'Third Fifty' Suttas
3. The Chapter on the Householders
Sutta 133
Vera-Haccāni Suttaṃ
Verahaccāni
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1][olds][bodh] Thus have I heard:
Once the venerable Udāyin[1] was staying at Kāmaṇḍāya,
in the mango grove of the brahmin Todeyya.
Then a young fellow,
a resident pupil of the brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan,
came to visit the venerable Udāyin,
and on coming to him
greeted him courteously,
and after the exchange of greetings and compliments
sat down at one side.
As he thus sat,
the venerable Udāyin taught,
established,
roused,
and made that lad happy with a pious talk.
Then he, being thus taught,
established,
roused
and made happy
by the pious talk of the venerable Udāyin,
went to the [78] brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan,
and on coming to her said thus:
"I would have my lady know
that Udāyin, the recluse, is teaching a doctrine
that is lovely in its beginning,
lovely in its middle,
and lovely in its ending.
He sets forth the righteous life,
fully perfected and purified,
both in its spirit and in its form."
"Then, my lad,
in my name do you invite Udāyin, the recluse,
for to-morrow's meal."
"So be it, lady," replied the lad,
and in obedience to the lady's bidding
went back to the venerable Udāyin and said:
"Let the worthy Udāyin accept a teacher's fee from us,
to-morrow's food from the brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan."
And the venerable Udāyin accepted by his silence.
Then the venerable Udāyin,
when that night was past,
robed himself at early dawn,
and taking bowl and robe
went to the dwelling
of the brahmin lady of the Vetahaccani clan,
and sat down on a seat made ready.
Then the brahmin lady served the venerable Udāyin
with choice food,
both hard and soft,
with her own hands,
until he had eaten his fill.
Now when she saw[2] that the venerable Udāyin had finished
and withdrawn his hand from the bowl,
she put on her sandals,
sat down on a high seat,
veiling her head,[3] and thus addressed the venerable Udāyin:
"Preach me doctrine, O recluse."
"A time will come for that, sister," said he,
rose from his seat and went away.
§
Then a second time
that young fellow visited the venerable Udāyin,
and on coming to him
greeted him courteously,
and after the exchange of greetings and compliments
sat down at one side.
As he thus sat,
the venerable Udāyin taught,
established,
roused,
and made that lad happy with a pious talk.
Then a second time he, being thus taught,
established,
roused
and made happy
by the pious talk of the venerable Udāyin,
went to the brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan,
[79] and on coming to her said thus:
"I would have my lady know
that Udāyin, the recluse, is teaching a doctrine
that is lovely in its beginning,
lovely in its middle,
and lovely in its ending.
He sets forth the righteous life,
fully perfected and purified,
both in its spirit and in its form."
"You are speaking thus, my lad,
in praise of the recluse Udāyin.
But (on the former occasion) when I said:
'Preach me doctrine, O recluse,' he replied:
'A time will come for that, sister,'
rose from his seat and went to his lodging."
"But, my lady,
you put on your sandals,
sat down on a high seat,
veiled your head
and spoke thus:
'Preach me doctrine, O recluse.'
Now they honour the doctrine,
those worthy ones.
They respect the doctrine."
"Very well then, my lad.
Do you invite Udāyin, the recluse,
in my name
for to-morrow's meal."
"So be it, my lady," replied the lad
and in obedience to the lady's bidding
went back to the venerable Udāyin and said:
"Let the worthy Udāyin accept a teacher's fee from us,
to-morrow's food from the brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan."
And the venerable Udāyin accepted by his silence.
Then the venerable Udāyin,
when that night was past,
robed himself at early dawn,
and taking bowl and robe
went to the dwelling
of the brahmin lady of the Vetahaccani clan,
and sat down on a seat made ready.
Then the brahmin lady served the venerable Udāyin
with choice food,
both hard and soft,
with her own hands,
until he had eaten his fill.
Then the brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan,
when she saw that the venerable Udāyin had finished
and removed his hand from the bowl,
put off her sandals,
sat down on a low seat,
unveiled her head
and thus addressed the venerable Udāyin: -
"Pray, sir,
owing to the existence of what
do the Arahants point out weal and woe?
Owing to the existence of what
do they not do so?"
"When there is eye, sister,
the Arahants point out weal and woe.
When eye exists not, sister,
the Arahants do not point out weal and woe.
■
When there is ear, sister,
the Arahants point out weal and woe.
When ear exists not, sister,
the Arahants do not point out weal and woe.
■
When there is tongue, sister,
the Arahants point out weal and woe.
When tongue exists not, sister,
the Arahants do not point out weal and woe.
■
When there is body, sister,
the Arahants point out weal and woe.
When body exists not, sister,
the Arahants do not point out weal and woe.
■
When there is mind, sister,
the Arahants point out weal and woe.
When mind exists not, sister,
the Arahants do not point out weal and woe."
At these words the Brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan
said to the venerable Udāyin: -
"Excellent, sir!
Excellent, sir!
Even as one raises what is overthrown,
or shows forth what is hidden,
or points out the way
to him that wanders astray,
or holds up a light in the darkness
so that he who has eyes may see objects, -
even so in divers ways
has the Norm been set forth by the worthy Udāyin.
I myself, master Udāyin,
do go for refuge to that Exalted One,
to the Norm
and to the Order of Brethren.
Let the worthy Udāyin
regard me as a lay-disciple who,
from this day forth
so long as life shall last,
has so taken refuge."
[1] Cf. infra. §§ 166, 223. Three of this name are mentioned. Cf. Brethren, 288 n.; Dialog, iii, 109; M. i, 396, 447. For Todeyya see M. ii, 202.
[2] Supplying viditvā, or is it acc. absol. according to Trenckner (Pāli Miscellany, p. 67)?
[3] See Vinaya rules (Pātimokkha, Sekhiya) about listening to the Dhamma, here broken by the lady, in three respects.
