Āḷavakasutta — Reader

With Āḷavaka

Āḷavakasutta

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Āḷavī in the haunt of the native spirit Āḷavaka. Then the native spirit Āḷavaka went up to the Buddha, and said to him: “Get out, ascetic!”

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati āḷavakassa yakkhassa bhavane. Atha kho āḷavako yakkho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “nikkhama, samaṇā”ti.

Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went out. “Get in, ascetic!” Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went in. And for a second time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha,

“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā nikkhami. “Pavisa, samaṇā”ti. “Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā pāvisi. Dutiyampi kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Get out, ascetic!” Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went out. “Get in, ascetic!” Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went in.

“nikkhama, samaṇā”ti. “Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā nikkhami. “Pavisa, samaṇā”ti. “Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā pāvisi.

And for a third time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha, “Get out, ascetic!” Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went out. “Get in, ascetic!”

Tatiyampi kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “nikkhama, samaṇā”ti. “Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā nikkhami. “Pavisa, samaṇā”ti.

Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went in. And for a fourth time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha, “Get out, ascetic!” “No, respectable sir, I won’t get out.

“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā pāvisi. Catutthampi kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “nikkhama, samaṇā”ti. “Na khvāhaṁ taṁ, āvuso, nikkhamissāmi.

Do what you must.” “I will ask you a question, ascetic. If you don’t answer me, I’ll drive you insane, or explode your heart, or grab you by the feet and throw you to the far shore of the Ganges!” “I don’t see anyone in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans who could do that to me.

Yaṁ te karaṇīyaṁ taṁ karohī”ti. “Pañhaṁ taṁ, samaṇa, pucchissāmi. Sace me na byākarissasi, cittaṁ vā te khipissāmi, hadayaṁ vā te phālessāmi, pādesu vā gahetvā pāragaṅgāya khipissāmī”ti. “Na khvāhaṁ taṁ, āvuso, passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya, yo me cittaṁ vā khipeyya hadayaṁ vā phāleyya, pādesu vā gahetvā pāragaṅgāya khipeyya.

But anyway, ask what you wish.” “What’s a person’s best wealth? What brings happiness when practiced well? What’s the sweetest taste of all?

Api ca tvaṁ, āvuso, puccha yadā kaṅkhasī”ti (…). “Kiṁsūdha vittaṁ purisassa seṭṭhaṁ, Kiṁsu suciṇṇaṁ sukhamāvahāti; Kiṁsu have sādutaraṁ rasānaṁ,

The one they say has the best life: how do they live?” “Faith here is a person’s best wealth. The teaching brings happiness when practiced well. Truth is the sweetest taste of all.

Kathaṁjīviṁ jīvitamāhu seṭṭhan”ti. “Saddhīdha vittaṁ purisassa seṭṭhaṁ, Dhammo suciṇṇo sukhamāvahāti; Saccaṁ have sādutaraṁ rasānaṁ,

The one they say has the best life lives by wisdom.” “How do you cross the flood? How do you cross the deluge? How do you get over suffering?

Paññājīviṁ jīvitamāhu seṭṭhan”ti. “Kathaṁsu tarati oghaṁ, kathaṁsu tarati aṇṇavaṁ; Kathaṁsu dukkhamacceti,

How do you get purified?” “By faith you cross the flood, and by diligence the deluge. By energy you get past suffering,

kathaṁsu parisujjhatī”ti. “Saddhāya tarati oghaṁ, appamādena aṇṇavaṁ; Vīriyena dukkhamacceti,

and you’re purified by wisdom.” “How do you get wisdom? How do you earn wealth? How do you get a good reputation?

paññāya parisujjhatī”ti. “Kathaṁsu labhate paññaṁ, kathaṁsu vindate dhanaṁ; Kathaṁsu kittiṁ pappoti,

How do you hold on to friends? How do the departed not grieve when passing from this world to the next?” “One who is diligent and discerning

kathaṁ mittāni ganthati; Asmā lokā paraṁ lokaṁ, kathaṁ pecca na socatī”ti. “Saddahāno arahataṁ,

gains wisdom by wanting to learn, having faith in the perfected ones, and the teaching for becoming extinguished. Being responsible, acting appropriately,

dhammaṁ nibbānapattiyā; Sussūsaṁ labhate paññaṁ, appamatto vicakkhaṇo. Patirūpakārī dhuravā,

and working hard you earn wealth. Truthfulness wins you a good reputation. You hold on to friends by giving. That’s how the departed do not grieve

uṭṭhātā vindate dhanaṁ; Saccena kittiṁ pappoti, dadaṁ mittāni ganthati; Asmā lokā paraṁ lokaṁ,

when passing from this world to the next. A faithful householder of discernment who possesses these four qualities does not grieve after passing away:

evaṁ pecca na socati. Yassete caturo dhammā, saddhassa gharamesino; Saccaṁ dhammo dhiti cāgo,

truth, principle, steadfastness, and generosity. Go ahead, ask others as well, there are many ascetics and brahmins. See whether anything better is found

sa ve pecca na socati. Iṅgha aññepi pucchassu, puthū samaṇabrāhmaṇe; Yadi saccā dhammā cāgā,

than truth, principle, generosity, and patience.” “Why now would I question the many ascetics and brahmins? Today I understand

khantyā bhiyyodha vijjatī”ti. “Kathaṁ nu dāni puccheyyaṁ, puthū samaṇabrāhmaṇe; Yohaṁ ajja pajānāmi,

what’s good for lives to come. It was truly for my benefit that the Buddha came to stay at Āḷavī. Today I understand

yo attho samparāyiko. Atthāya vata me buddho, vāsāyāḷavimāgamā; Yohaṁ ajja pajānāmi,

where a gift is very fruitful. I myself will journey village to village, town to town, paying homage to the Buddha,

yattha dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ. So ahaṁ vicarissāmi, Gāmā gāmaṁ purā puraṁ; Namassamāno sambuddhaṁ,

and the clear rightness of the teaching!”

Dhammassa ca sudhammatan”ti. Indakavaggo paṭhamo. Tassuddānaṁ Indako sakka sūci ca,

The Linked Discourses with Native Spirits are complete.

Maṇibhaddo ca sānu ca; Piyaṅkara punabbasu sudatto ca, Dve sukkā cīraāḷavīti dvādasa. Yakkhasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.