The deity haunting that forest had compassion for that monk, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that monk wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:
“Vivekakāmosi vanaṃ paviṭṭho,
“You entered the woods desiring seclusion,
Atha te mano niccharatī bahiddhā;
yet your mind wanders off to outward things.
Jano janasmiṃ vinayassu chandaṃ,
As a person, you should dispel the desire for people.
Tato sukhī hohisi vītarāgo.
Then you’ll be happy, free of greed.
Aratiṃ pajahāsi sato,
rememberful, give up discontent;
Bhavāsi sataṃ taṃ sārayāmase;
let us remind you of the way of the good.
Pātālarajo hi duttaro,
The dusty abyss is so hard to cross;
Mā taṃ kāmarajo avāhari.
don’t let sensual dust drag you down.
Sakuṇo yathā paṃsukunthito,
Just as a bird strewn with dirt
Vidhunaṃ pātayati sitaṃ rajaṃ;
sheds that clingy dust with a shake;
Evaṃ bhikkhu padhānavā satimā,
so too, an energetic, rememberful monk
Vidhunaṃ pātayati sitaṃ rajan”ti.
sheds that clingy dust with a shake.”
Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṃvejito saṃvegamāpādīti.
Stirred up by that deity, that monk came to their senses.
The deity haunting that forest had compassion for that monk, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that monk wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:
“Uṭṭhehi bhikkhu kiṃ sesi,
“Get up, monk! Why lie down?
ko attho supitena te;
What’s the point in your sleeping?
Āturassa hi kā niddā,
What slumber can there be for those afflicted,
sallaviddhassa ruppato.
injured, pierced by an arrow?
Yāya saddhāya pabbajito,
You should amplify the faith
agārasmānagāriyaṃ;
that led you to go forth
Tameva saddhaṃ brūhehi,
from the home life to homelessness.
mā niddāya vasaṃ gamī”ti.
Don’t fall under the sway of slumber.”
“Aniccā addhuvā kāmā,
“Sensual pleasures are impermanent and unstable,
yesu mandova mucchito;
but idiots still fall for them.
Baddhesu muttaṃ asitaṃ,
Among those who are bound, they’re free and unattached:
Then the deity haunting that forest had compassion for Ānanda, wanting what’s best for him. So they approached him wanting to stir him up, and recited these verses:
Then a certain deity of the company of the Thirty-Three named Penelope had been Anuruddha’s partner in a former life. She went up to Anuruddha, and recited these verses:
“Tattha cittaṃ paṇidhehi,
“Set your heart there,
yattha te vusitaṃ pure;
where you used to live;
Tāvatiṃsesu devesu,
among the gods of the Thirty-Three,
sabbakāmasamiddhisu;
whose every desire is granted!
Purakkhato parivuto,
At the forefront of a retinue
devakaññāhi sobhasī”ti.
of divine maidens, you’ll shine!”
“Duggatā devakaññāyo,
“Divine maidens are in a sorry state,
sakkāyasmiṃ patiṭṭhitā;
stuck in self-identity.
Te cāpi duggatā sattā,
And those beings too are in a sorry state,
devakaññāhi patthitā”ti.
who are attached to divine maidens.”
“Na te sukhaṃ pajānanti,
“They don’t know pleasure
ye na passanti nandanaṃ;
who don’t see the Garden of Delight!
Āvāsaṃ naradevānaṃ,
It’s the abode of lordly gods,
tidasānaṃ yasassinan”ti.
the glorious host of Thirty!”
“Na tvaṃ bāle vijānāsi,
“Fool, don’t you understand
yathā arahataṃ vaco;
the saying of the perfected ones:
Aniccā sabbasaṅkhārā,
all conditions are impermanent,
uppādavayadhammino;
their nature is to rise and fall;
Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti,
having arisen, they cease;
tesaṃ vūpasamo sukho.
their stilling is true pleasure.
Natthi dāni punāvāso,
Penelope, weaver of the web,
devakāyasmi jālini;
now there are no future lives in the company of gods.
Then the deity haunting that forest had compassion for Nāgadatta, wanting what’s best for him. So they approached him wanting to stir him up, and recited these verses:
The deity haunting that forest had compassion for that monk, wanting what’s best for him. So, wanting to stir him up, they manifested in the appearance of the mistress of that family, approached the monk, and addressed him in verse:
“Nadītīresu saṇṭhāne,
“On the banks of the rivers and in the guest houses,
The deity haunting that forest had compassion for that monk, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that monk wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:
“Ekakova tvaṃ araññe viharasi,
“You dwell alone in the wilderness,
Apaviddhaṃva vanasmiṃ dārukaṃ;
like a cast-off log in the forest.
Tassa te bahukā pihayanti,
Lots of people are jealous of you,
Nerayikā viya saggagāminan”ti.
like beings in hell of those going to heaven.”
Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṃvejito saṃvegamāpādīti.
Stirred up by that deity, that monk came to their senses.
The deity haunting that forest had compassion for that monk, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that monk wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:
“Ayoniso manasikārā,
“Because of improper attention,
so vitakkehi khajjasi;
you’re consumed by your thoughts.
Ayoniso paṭinissajja,
When you’ve given up irrationality,
yoniso anucintaya.
make sure your thoughts are rational.
Satthāraṃ dhammamārabbha,
Thinking about the Teacher, The Dharma,
saṅghaṃ sīlāni attano;
the Saṅgha, and your own ethics,
Adhigacchasi pāmojjaṃ,
you’ll find gladness,
pītisukhamasaṃsayaṃ;
and rapture and pleasure as well, no doubt.
Tato pāmojjabahulo,
And when you’re full of joy,
dukkhassantaṃ karissasī”ti.
you’ll make an end to suffering.”
Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṃvejito saṃvegamāpādīti.
Stirred up by that deity, that monk came to their senses.
Now at that time several monks were staying in the Kosalan lands in a certain forest grove. They were restless, insolent, fickle, gossipy, loose-tongued, unrememberful, lacking lucid-discerning and undistractible-lucidity, with straying minds and undisciplined faculties.
Atha kho yā tasmiṃ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tesaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ anukampikā atthakāmā te bhikkhū saṃvejetukāmā yena te bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā te bhikkhū gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:
The deity haunting that forest had compassion for those monks, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached those monks wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:
“Sukhajīvino pure āsuṃ,
“The monks used to live happily,
bhikkhū gotamasāvakā;
as disciples of Gotama.
Anicchā piṇḍamesanā,
Desireless they sought alms;
anicchā sayanāsanaṃ;
desireless they used their lodgings.
Loke aniccataṃ ñatvā,
Knowing that the world was impermanent
dukkhassantaṃ akaṃsu te.
they made an end of suffering.
Dupposaṃ katvā attānaṃ,
But now they’ve made themselves hard to look after,
gāme gāmaṇikā viya;
like chiefs in a village.
Bhutvā bhutvā nipajjanti,
They eat and eat and then lie down,
parāgāresu mucchitā.
unconscious in the homes of others.
Saṃghassa añjaliṃ katvā,
Having raised my joined palms to the Saṅgha,
idhekacce vadāmahaṃ;
I speak here only about certain people.
Apaviddhā anāthā te,
They’re rejects, with no protector,
yathā petā tatheva te.
just like those who have passed away.
Ye kho pamattā viharanti,
I’m speaking about
te me sandhāya bhāsitaṃ;
those who live negligently.
Ye appamattā viharanti,
To those who live assiduously
namo tesaṃ karomahan”ti.
I pay homage.”
Atha kho te bhikkhū tāya devatāya saṃvejitā saṃvegamāpādunti.
Stirred up by that deity, those monks came to their senses.
The deity haunting that forest had compassion for that monk, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that monk wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:
“Yametaṃ vārijaṃ pupphaṃ,
“This water flower has not been given.
adinnaṃ upasiṅghasi;
When you sniff it,
Ekaṅgametaṃ theyyānaṃ,
this is one factor of theft.
gandhatthenosi mārisā”ti.
Good sir, you are a thief of scent!”
“Na harāmi na bhañjāmi,
“I do not take, nor do I break;
ārā siṅghāmi vārijaṃ;
I sniff the water flower from afar.
Atha kena nu vaṇṇena,
So based on what evidence
gandhatthenoti vuccati.
do you call me a thief of scent?
Yvāyaṃ bhisāni khanati,
Why don’t you accuse someone
puṇḍarīkāni bhañjati;
who does such vandalizing
Evaṃ ākiṇṇakammanto,
as digging up the roots,
kasmā eso na vuccatī”ti.
or breaking off the flowers?”
“Ākiṇṇaluddo puriso,
“I have nothing to say
dhāticelaṃva makkhito;
to a person who is a crude vandal,
Tasmiṃ me vacanaṃ natthi,
soiled like a used nappy.
tvañcārahāmi vattave.
You’re the one who deserves to be spoken to.
Anaṅgaṇassa posassa,
To the man with a spotless record
niccaṃ sucigavesino;
who is always seeking purity,
Vālaggamattaṃ pāpassa,
even a hair-tip of evil
abbhāmattaṃva khāyatī”ti.
seems as big as a cloud.”
“Addhā maṃ yakkha jānāsi,
“Indeed, O spirit, you understand me,
atho me anukampasi;
and you empathize with me.
Punapi yakkha vajjāsi,
Please speak to me again,
yadā passasi edisan”ti.
whenever you see something like this.”
“Neva taṃ upajīvāma,
“I’m no dependent of yours,
napi te bhatakāmhase;
nor am I your servant.
Tvameva bhikkhu jāneyya,
You yourself should know, monk,
yena gaccheyya suggatin”ti.
the way that leads to a good place.”
Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṃvejito saṃvegamāpādīti.
Stirred up by that deity, that monk came to their senses.
Vanasaṃyuttaṃ samattaṃ.
The Linked Discourses in the Forest are completed.
end of section [9..1.. - SN 9 vagga 1 Vana: In the Woods]❧