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Sutta Nipāta 1.10 Sutta Nipāta 1.10Anthology of Discourses 1.10
Āḷavakasutta ĀḷavakaThis sutta is identical with SN 10:12.With Āḷavaka
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—I have heard thatSo I have heard.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati āḷavakassa yakkhassa bhavane. on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Āḷavī in the haunt of the Āḷavaka yakkha.At one time the Buddha was staying near Āḷavī in the haunt of the native spirit Āḷavaka.
Atha kho āḷavako yakkho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: Then the Āḷavaka yakkha went to the Blessed One and on arrival said to him:Then the native spirit Āḷavaka went up to the Buddha, and said to him:
“nikkhama, samaṇā”ti. “Get out, contemplative!”“Get out, ascetic!”
“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā nikkhami. [Saying,] “All right, my friend,” the Blessed One went out.Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went out.
“Pavisa, samaṇā”ti. “Come in, contemplative!”“Get in, ascetic!”
“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā pāvisi. “All right, my friend,” the Blessed One went in.Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went in.
Dutiyampi kho …pe… A second time.…For a second time …
tatiyampi kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: A third time, the Āḷavaka yakkha said to the Blessed One,And for a third time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha,
“nikkhama, samaṇā”ti. “Get out, contemplative!”“Get out, ascetic!”
“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā nikkhami. “All right, my friend,” the Blessed One went out.Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went out.
“Pavisa, samaṇā”ti. “Come in, contemplative!”“Get in, ascetic!”
“Sādhāvuso”ti bhagavā pāvisi. “All right, my friend,” the Blessed One went in.Saying, “All right, respectable sir,” the Buddha went in.
Catutthampi kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: Then a fourth time, the Āḷavaka yakkha said to the Blessed One,And for a fourth time the native spirit Āḷavaka said to the Buddha,
“nikkhama, samaṇā”ti. “Get out, contemplative!”“Get out, ascetic!”
“Na khvāhaṁ taṁ, āvuso, nikkhamissāmi. “I won’t go out, my friend.“No, respectable sir, I won’t get out.
Yaṁ te karaṇīyaṁ, taṁ karohī”ti. Do what you have to do.”Do what you must.”
“Pañhaṁ taṁ, samaṇa, pucchissāmi. “I will ask you a question, contemplative.“I will ask you a question, ascetic.
Sace me na byākarissasi, cittaṁ vā te khipissāmi, hadayaṁ vā te phālessāmi, pādesu vā gahetvā pāragaṅgāya khipissāmī”ti. If you can’t answer me, I will hurl out your mind or rip open your heart or, grabbing you by the feet, hurl you across the Ganges.”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!”
“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. “My friend, I see no one in the cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, in this generation with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & commonfolk, who could hurl out my mind or rip open my heart or, grabbing me by the feet, hurl me across 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.
Api ca tvaṁ, āvuso, puccha yadākaṅkhasī”ti. But nevertheless, ask me what you wish.”But anyway, ask what you wish.”
Atha kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: Then the Āḷavaka yakkha addressed the Blessed One with a verse:Then the native spirit Āḷavaka addressed the Buddha in verse:
“Kiṁ sūdha vittaṁ purisassa seṭṭhaṁ, “What is a person’s highest wealth here?“What’s a person’s best wealth?
Kiṁ su suciṇṇaṁ sukhamāvahāti; What, when well-practiced, brings bliss?What brings happiness when practiced well?
Kiṁ su have sādutaraṁ rasānaṁ, What is the most excellent of savors?What’s the sweetest taste of all?
Kathaṁjīviṁ jīvitamāhu seṭṭhaṁ”. Living in what way is one’s life called the best?”The one they say has the best life: how do they live?”
“Saddhīdha vittaṁ purisassa seṭṭhaṁ, “Conviction is a person’s highest wealth here.“Faith here is a person’s best wealth.
Dhammo suciṇṇo sukhamāvahāti; Dhamma, well-practiced, brings bliss.The teaching brings happiness when practiced well.
Saccaṁ have sādutaraṁ rasānaṁ, Truth is the most excellent of savors.1This appears to draw on the concept of “savor” (rasa) from Indian aesthetic theory.Truth is the sweetest taste of all.
Paññājīviṁ jīvitamāhu seṭṭhaṁ”. Living with discernment, one’s life is called best.”The one they say has the best life lives by wisdom.”
“Kathaṁ su tarati oghaṁ, “How does one cross over the flood?“How do you cross the flood?
kathaṁ su tarati aṇṇavaṁ; How over the sea?How do you cross the deluge?
Kathaṁ su dukkhamacceti, How does one overcome suffering & stress?How do you get over suffering?
kathaṁ su parisujjhati”. How is a person purified?”How do you get purified?”
“Saddhāya tarati oghaṁ, “Through conviction one crosses over the flood.“By faith you cross the flood,
appamādena aṇṇavaṁ; Through heedfulness, the sea.and by diligence the deluge.
Vīriyena dukkhamacceti, Through persistence one overcomes suffering & stress.By energy you get past suffering,
paññāya parisujjhati”. Through discernment a person is purified.”and you’re purified by wisdom.”
“Kathaṁ su labhate paññaṁ, “How does one gain discernment?“How do you get wisdom?
kathaṁ su vindate dhanaṁ; How does one find wealth?How do you earn wealth?
Kathaṁ su kittiṁ pappoti, How does one attain honor?How do you get a good reputation?
kathaṁ mittāni ganthati; How bind friends to oneself?How do you hold on to friends?
Asmā lokā paraṁ lokaṁ, Passing from this world to the next world,How do the departed not grieve
kathaṁ pecca na socati”. how does one not grieve?”when passing from this world to the next?”
“Saddahāno arahataṁ, “Convinced of the arahants’ Dhamma“One who is diligent and discerning
dhammaṁ nibbānapattiyā; for attaining unbinding,gains wisdom by wanting to learn,
Sussūsaṁ labhate paññaṁ, one listening well gains discernment,having faith in the perfected ones,
appamatto vicakkhaṇo. —heedful, investigating.and the teaching for becoming extinguished.
Patirūpakārī dhuravā, Doing what’s fitting, enduring burdens,Being responsible, acting appropriately,
uṭṭhātā vindate dhanaṁ; one with initiative finds wealth.and working hard you earn wealth.
Saccena kittiṁ pappoti, Through truth one attains honor.Truthfulness wins you a good reputation.
dadaṁ mittāni ganthati. Giving binds friends to oneself.You hold on to friends by giving.
Yassete caturo dhammā, Endowed with these four qualities,A faithful householder of discernment
saddhassa gharamesino; a householder of conviction,who possesses these four qualities
Saccaṁ dhammo dhiti cāgo, —truth, self-control, stamina, & generosity—does not grieve after passing away:
sa ve pecca na socati. on passing away, doesn’t grieve.truth, principle, steadfastness, and generosity.
Iṅgha aññepi pucchassu, Now, go ask others,Go ahead, ask others as well,
puthū samaṇabrāhmaṇe; common brahmans & contemplatives,there are many ascetics and brahmins.
Yadi saccā damā cāgā, if anything better than truth, self-control, & generositySee whether anything better is found
khantyā bhiyyodha vijjati”. than stamina here can be found.”than truth, principle, generosity, and patience.”
“Kathaṁ nu dāni puccheyyaṁ, “How could I go ask“Why now would I question
Puthū samaṇabrāhmaṇe; common brahmans & contemplatives?—the many ascetics and brahmins?
Yohaṁ ajja pajānāmi, now that today I discernToday I understand
Yo attho samparāyiko. what benefits the next life.what’s good for lives to come.
Atthāya vata me buddho, It was truly for my well-beingIt was truly for my benefit
Vāsāyāḷavimāgamā; that the Awakened One came to stay in Āḷavī.that the Buddha came to stay at Āḷavī.
Yohaṁ ajja pajānāmi, Today I discernToday I understand
Yattha dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ. where what is given bears great fruit.where a gift is very fruitful.
So ahaṁ vicarissāmi, I will wanderI myself will journey
Gāmā gāmaṁ purā puraṁ; from village to village, town to town,village to village, town to town,
Namassamāno sambuddhaṁ, paying homage to the One Self-Awakenedpaying homage to the Buddha,
Dhammassa ca sudhammatan”ti. & to the Dhamma’s true rightness.”and the clear rightness of the teaching!”
Āḷavakasuttaṁ dasamaṁ. The Discourse with Āḷavaka, the tenth.See also: MN 35; Sn 2:5.