Vepacittisutta — Reader

With Vepacitti

Vepacittisutta

At Sāvatthī. “Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans. Then Vepacitti, lord of titans, addressed the titans, ‘My good fellows, if the titans defeat the gods in this battle, bind Sakka, the lord of gods, by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the citadel of the titans.’

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. “Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo asure āmantesi: ‘sace, mārisā, devānaṁ asurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe asurā jineyyuṁ devā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha asurapuran’ti.

Meanwhile, Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the thirty-three, ‘My good fellows, if the gods defeat the titans in this battle, bind Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the Hall of Clear Right of the gods.’ In that battle the gods won and the titans lost.

Sakkopi kho, bhikkhave, devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse āmantesi: ‘sace, mārisā, devānaṁ asurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe devā jineyyuṁ asurā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha sudhammasabhan’ti. Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājiniṁsu.

So the gods of the thirty-three bound Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and brought him to Sakka’s presence in the Hall of Clear Right of the gods. And as Sakka was entering and leaving the hall, Vepacitti abused and insulted him with rude, harsh words.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā sakkassa devānamindassa santike ānesuṁ sudhammasabhaṁ. Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi baddho sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ sudhammasabhaṁ pavisantañca nikkhamantañca asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosati paribhāsati.

So Mātali the chariot handler addressed Sakka in verse: ‘O Maghavā, O Sakka, is it from fear or from weakness that you endure such harsh words

Atha kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi: ‘Bhayā nu maghavā sakka, dubbalyā no titikkhasi; Suṇanto pharusaṁ vācaṁ,

in the presence of Vepacitti?’ ‘It’s not out of fear or weakness that I’m patient with Vepacitti. For how can a sensible person like me

sammukhā vepacittino’ti. ‘Nāhaṁ bhayā na dubbalyā, khamāmi vepacittino; Kathañhi mādiso viññū,

get in a fight with a fool?’ ‘Fools would vent even more if there’s no one to put a stop to them. So an attentive one should stop

bālena paṭisaṁyuje’ti. ‘Bhiyyo bālā pabhijjeyyuṁ, no cassa paṭisedhako; Tasmā bhusena daṇḍena,

a fool with forceful punishment.’ ‘I think that this is the only way to put a stop to a fool, when you know that the other is upset,

dhīro bālaṁ nisedhaye’ti. ‘Etadeva ahaṁ maññe, bālassa paṭisedhanaṁ; Paraṁ saṅkupitaṁ ñatvā,

be mindful and stay calm.’ ‘In this mere endurance, Vāsava, I see a flaw. When a fool thinks,

yo sato upasammatī’ti. ‘Etadeva titikkhāya, vajjaṁ passāmi vāsava; Yadā naṁ maññati bālo,

“He endures me out of fear,” the simpleton will go after you even harder, like a cow chasing someone who runs away.’ ‘Let him think this if he wishes, or not—

bhayā myāyaṁ titikkhati; Ajjhāruhati dummedho, gova bhiyyo palāyinan’ti. ‘Kāmaṁ maññatu vā mā vā,

“He endures me out of fear.” For the highest goal, one’s own, naught better than patience is found. When a strong person

bhayā myāyaṁ titikkhati; Sadatthaparamā atthā, khantyā bhiyyo na vijjati. Yo have balavā santo,

endures a weakling, they call that the ultimate patience, for a weakling must always be patient. The strength of folly

dubbalassa titikkhati; Tamāhu paramaṁ khantiṁ, niccaṁ khamati dubbalo. Abalaṁ taṁ balaṁ āhu,

is really just weakness, they say. But no one can challenge a person who’s strong, guarded by the teaching. When you get angry at an angry person

yassa bālabalaṁ balaṁ; Balassa dhammaguttassa, paṭivattā na vijjati. Tasseva tena pāpiyo,

you just make things worse for yourself. When you don’t get angry at an angry person you win a battle hard to win. When you know that the other is angry,

yo kuddhaṁ paṭikujjhati; Kuddhaṁ appaṭikujjhanto, saṅgāmaṁ jeti dujjayaṁ. Ubhinnamatthaṁ carati,

you act for the good of both yourself and the other if you’re mindful and stay calm. People inexpert in the teaching

attano ca parassa ca; Paraṁ saṅkupitaṁ ñatvā, yo sato upasammati. Ubhinnaṁ tikicchantānaṁ,

consider one who heals both oneself and the other to be a fool.’ Since, mendicants, even that Sakka, lord of gods—while living off of the fruit of his good deeds, and ruling as sovereign lord over these gods of the thirty-three—will speak in praise of patience and gentleness,

attano ca parassa ca; Janā maññanti bāloti, ye dhammassa akovidā’ti. So hi nāma, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sakaṁ puññaphalaṁ upajīvamāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kārento khantisoraccassa vaṇṇavādī bhavissati.

you can excel at this, for you who have gone forth in such a well explained teaching and training can develop patience and gentleness.”

Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, sobhetha yaṁ tumhe evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā khamā ca bhaveyyātha soratā cā”ti.