4. The Chapter on the Satullapa Group

1. The Discourse on the Virtuous

31. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then many deities of the Satullapa group, when the night was far advanced, with surpassing beauty, having illuminated almost the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"One should associate only with the virtuous, one should make intimacy with the virtuous;

Having understood the Good Teaching of the virtuous, one becomes better, not worse."

Then another deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"One should associate only with the virtuous, one should make intimacy with the virtuous;

Having understood the Good Teaching of the virtuous, wisdom is obtained, not from another."

Then another deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"One should associate only with the virtuous, one should make intimacy with the virtuous;

Having understood the Good Teaching of the virtuous, one does not grieve in the midst of sorrow."

Then another deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"One should associate only with the virtuous, one should make intimacy with the virtuous;

Having understood the Good Teaching of the virtuous, one shines in the midst of relatives."

Then another deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"One should associate only with the virtuous, one should make intimacy with the virtuous;

Having understood the Good Teaching of the virtuous, beings go to a good destination."

Then another deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"One should associate only with the virtuous, one should make intimacy with the virtuous;

Having understood the Good Teaching of the virtuous, beings abide constantly in happiness."

Then another deity said this to the Blessed One: "Whose statement, Blessed One, was well spoken?" All of yours was well spoken in a way, but listen to me too:

"One should associate only with the virtuous, one should make intimacy with the virtuous;

Having understood the Good Teaching of the virtuous, one is freed from all suffering."

This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, those deities paid respect to the Blessed One, circumambulated him keeping him on their right, and disappeared right there.

2. The Discourse on the Stingy

32. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then many deities of the Satullapa group, when the night was far advanced, with surpassing beauty, having illuminated almost the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Through stinginess and through negligence, thus a gift is not given;

By one desiring merit, a gift should be given by one who knows."

Then another deity spoke these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

"That very thing which the miser, being afraid, does not give, that very fear comes to the non-giver;

The hunger and thirst which the miser fears,

That very thing touches the fool, in this world and the next.

"Therefore, having removed stinginess, one should give a gift, having overcome the stain;

Merits are a support for beings in the world beyond."

Then another deity spoke these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

"They do not die among the dead, like fellow travellers on a road;

Those who give from little, this is an eternal principle.

"Some give from little, many with much do not give;

An offering given from little is measured equal to a thousand."

Then another deity spoke these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Giving what is hard to give, doing what is hard to do;

The bad do not imitate, the principle of the good is hard to follow.

"Therefore the destination from here is different for the good and the bad;

The bad go to hell, the good are destined for heaven."

Then another deity said this in the presence of the Blessed One: "Whose statement, Blessed One, was well spoken?"

"All of yours was well spoken in a way; but listen to me too:

"One who practises the Teaching, even one who practises gleaning,

Supporting a wife, giving from little;

A hundred thousand who sacrifice a thousand,

Are not worth even a fraction of one such as that."

Then another deity addressed the Blessed One in verse -

"Why is this sacrifice, vast and exalted,

Not worth what is given righteously?

How is it that a hundred thousand who sacrifice a thousand each,

Are not worth even a fraction of one such as that."

"Some give while established in unrighteousness,

Having cut off, having killed, and having caused sorrow;

That offering, with tearful faces, with punishment,

Is not worth what is given righteously.

"Thus a hundred thousand who sacrifice a thousand each,

Are not worth even a fraction of one such as that."

3. The Discourse on the Good

33. At Sāvatthī. Then many deities of the Satullapa group, when the night was far advanced, with surpassing beauty, having illuminated almost the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Good indeed, sir, is giving;

Through stinginess and through negligence, thus a gift is not given;

By one desiring merit, a gift should be given by one who knows."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Good indeed, sir, is giving;

But even from little, giving is good."

"Some give from little, many with much do not give;

An offering given from little is measured equal to a thousand."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Good indeed, sir, is giving; even from little, giving is good;

But giving with faith is also good."

"Giving and battle, they say, are the same;

Even few, being good, conquer many;

If one with faith gives even a little,

By that very deed he becomes happy in the hereafter."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Good indeed, sir, is giving; even from little, giving is good;

Giving with faith is also good; But giving of what is righteously acquired is also good."

"Whoever gives a gift of what is righteously acquired,

A person, of what is obtained through effort and energy;

Having passed beyond Yama's Vetaraṇī river,

That mortal attains divine states."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Good indeed, sir, is giving; even from little, giving is good;

Giving with faith is also good; giving from what is righteously acquired is also good;

but giving with discrimination is also good."

"Giving with discrimination is praised by the Fortunate One,

those who are worthy of offerings here in the world of the living;

gifts given to them are of great fruit,

like seeds sown in a good field."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Good indeed, sir, is giving; even from little, giving is good;

Giving with faith is also good; giving from what is righteously acquired is also good;

giving with discrimination is also good; but self-control towards living beings is also good."

"One who lives without harming living beings,

they do not do evil through fear of others' censure;

they praise the timid, not the hero there,

for the peaceful do not do evil out of fear."

Then another deity said this to the Blessed One: "Whose statement, Blessed One, was well spoken?"

"All of yours was well spoken in a way, but listen to me too:

"Giving with faith is praised in many ways,

but the state of the Teaching is better than giving;

for in the past and in times even more remote, the peaceful,

those with wisdom, attained Nibbāna itself."

4. The Discourse on They Are Not

34. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then many deities of the Satullapa group, when the night was far advanced, with surpassing beauty, having illuminated almost the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Sensual pleasures among humans are not permanent,

There are desirable things here to which one is bound;

In which being heedless, to the state of no return,

A person does not come from the realm of Death."

"Misery is born of desire, suffering is born of desire;

By the removal of desire, misery is removed;

By the removal of misery, suffering is removed."

"Those various things in the world are not sensual pleasures,

Lust for thoughts is a person's sensual pleasure;

The various things remain just so in the world,

But here the wise remove desire for them.

"One should give up wrath, one should abandon conceit,

One should overcome every mental fetter;

Sufferings do not befall one who does not cling

To mentality-materiality, one who owns nothing.

"He has abandoned reckoning, he did not arrive at conceit,

He has cut off craving here in mentality-materiality;

Him, with knots cut, free from trouble, desireless,

Seeking they did not find;

Gods and humans, here or beyond,

In the heavens or in all abodes."

"If indeed they did not see him thus liberated,

Gods and humans, here or beyond;

The highest among men, working for the welfare of people,

Those who venerate him are praiseworthy."

"Those monks too are praiseworthy,

Who venerate him thus liberated;

Having understood the Teaching, having abandoned sceptical doubt,

Those monks too become ones who have gone beyond attachment."

5. The Discourse on Intending to Find Fault

35. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then many deities intending on finding fault, when the night was far advanced, with surpassing beauty, having illuminated almost the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they stood in the sky. Standing in the sky, one deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"One who being otherwise, would declare himself otherwise;

Having deceived, like a cheat, that is enjoyed by him through theft.

"What one would do, that one should say; what one would not do, that one should not say;

One not doing but speaking - the wise fully understand him."

"Not by mere speaking, nor by one-sided hearing;

Can this firm practice be followed;

By which the wise are freed, meditators, from Māra's bondage.

"The wise indeed do not act thus, having understood the way of the world;

Having understood, the wise are quenched, having crossed over attachment in the world."

Then those deities, having alighted on the earth, having fallen at the Blessed One's feet with their heads, said this to the Blessed One: "A transgression overcame us, venerable sir, as ones who were foolish, as ones who were confused, as ones who were unwholesome, in that we thought the Blessed One was to be assailed. May the Blessed One accept our transgression as a transgression for the sake of restraint in the future." Then the Blessed One manifested a smile. Then those deities, grumbling even more exceedingly, rose up into the sky. One deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"When those confessing a transgression, if one does not accept it;

With anger within, burdened with hate, he binds enmity upon himself."

"If there were no transgression, and if there were no wrongdoing here;

And enmities would not be appeased, by what would one here be wholesome?"

"For whom are there no transgressions, for whom is there no wrongdoing;

Who does not fall into confusion, and who is wise, always mindful?"

"For the Truth-finder, the Buddha, compassionate towards all beings;

For him there are no transgressions, for him there is no wrongdoing;

He does not fall into confusion, he alone is wise, always mindful."

"When those confessing a transgression, if one does not accept it;

One with inner irritation, weighed down by hate, he binds enmity upon himself;

I do not delight in that enmity, I accept your confession."

6. The Discourse on Faith

36. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then many deities of the Satullapa group, when the night was far advanced, with surpassing beauty, having illuminated almost the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Faith is a person's companion,

If faithlessness does not remain;

Fame and renown are his from that,

And he goes to heaven, having left the body."

Then another deity spoke these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:

"One should give up wrath, one should abandon conceit,

One should overcome every mental fetter;

Sufferings do not befall one who does not cling

To mentality-materiality, one who owns nothing."

"Foolish, imprudent people engage in negligence;

But the wise one guards diligence as the foremost wealth.

"Do not engage in negligence, do not be intimate with delight in sensual pleasures;

For the diligent one, meditating, attains the highest happiness."

7. The Discourse on the Time

37. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Great Wood together with a large Community of monks, about five hundred monks, all of them Worthy Ones; and deities from ten world systems had for the most part gathered together to see the Blessed One and the Community of monks. Then this occurred to four deities belonging to the Pure Abodes - "This Blessed One is dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Great Wood together with a large Community of monks, about five hundred monks, all of them Worthy Ones; and deities from ten world systems had for the most part gathered together to see the Blessed One and the Community of monks. What if we too were to approach the Blessed One; having approached, we should each speak a verse in the presence of the Blessed One."

Then those deities - just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, even so - having vanished from among the Pure Abode gods, appeared before the Blessed One. Then those deities, having paid respect to the Blessed One, stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"A great assembly in the wilds, groups of gods have come together;

We have come to this Teaching assembly, to see the unconquered Community."

Then another deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"There the monks concentrated, they made their own minds straight;

Like a charioteer having taken the reins, the wise ones guard their faculties."

Then another deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Having cut the stake, having cut the bar, having uprooted the gate-post, they are without longing;

They walk about pure, spotless, well tamed by the one with vision, young elephants."

Then another deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

"Whoever have gone for refuge to the Buddha, they will not go to the plane of misery;

Having abandoned the human body, they will fill up the group of gods."

8. The Discourse on the Splinter

38. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Deer Park at Maddakucchi. Now at that time the Blessed One's foot had been cut by a splinter. Severe indeed were the feelings that occurred to the Blessed One, bodily feelings that were painful, sharp, severe, bitter, disagreeable, displeasing; these the Blessed One endured, mindful and fully aware, without being distressed. Then the Blessed One, having prepared the double robe folded in four, lay down in the lion's posture on his right side, overlapping foot upon foot, mindful and fully aware.

Then seven hundred deities of the Satullapa group, when the night was far advanced, with surpassing beauty, having illuminated almost the entire Maddakucchi, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One: "An elephant indeed, friend, is the ascetic Gotama; and with elephant-like nature he endures the arisen bodily feelings that are painful, sharp, severe, bitter, disagreeable, displeasing, mindful and fully aware, without being distressed."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One: "A lion indeed, friend, is the ascetic Gotama; and with lion-like nature he endures the arisen bodily feelings that are painful, sharp, severe, bitter, disagreeable, displeasing, mindful and fully aware, without being distressed."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One: "A thoroughbred indeed, friend, is the ascetic Gotama; and with thoroughbred-like nature he endures the arisen bodily feelings that are painful, sharp, severe, bitter, disagreeable, displeasing, mindful and fully aware, without being distressed."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One: "A leading bull indeed, friend, is the ascetic Gotama; and with leading bull-like nature he endures the arisen bodily feelings that are painful, sharp, severe, bitter, disagreeable, displeasing, mindful and fully aware, without being distressed."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One: "A beast of burden indeed, friend, is the ascetic Gotama; and with beast of burden-like nature he endures the arisen bodily feelings that are painful, sharp, severe, bitter, disagreeable, displeasing, mindful and fully aware, without being distressed."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One: "Tamed indeed, friend, is the ascetic Gotama; and with tamed nature he endures the arisen bodily feelings that are painful, sharp, severe, bitter, disagreeable, displeasing, mindful and fully aware, without being distressed."

Then another deity uttered this inspired utterance in the presence of the Blessed One: "See the concentration well developed and the mind well liberated, neither bent forward nor bent backward, nor restrained and checked by forceful suppression. Whoever would think that such a man-elephant, man-lion, man-thoroughbred, man-bull, man-beast of burden, man-tamed one should be overcome - what else could it be but blindness?"

"Brahmins who are masters of the five Vedas, practising austere asceticism for a hundred years evenly,

Yet their minds are not rightly liberated, of inferior nature, they do not go to the far shore.

"Afflicted by craving, bound by ascetic practices and morality, practising rough austerity for a hundred years,

Yet their minds are not rightly liberated, of inferior nature, they do not go to the far shore.

"For one who desires conceit there is no self-control here, there is no wisdom for one who is unconcentrated;

One dwelling alone in the forest, heedless, would not cross to the far shore of Death's realm."

"Having abandoned conceit, with a well-concentrated mind, of good mind, everywhere free;

One dwelling alone in the forest, heedful, he would cross to the far shore of Death's realm."

9. The First Discourse on Pajjunna's Daughter

39. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the Great Wood in the Pinnacled Hall. Then Kokanadā, the daughter of Pajjunna, when the night was far advanced, with surpassing beauty, having illuminated almost the entire Great Wood, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, that deity Kokanadā, the daughter of Pajjunna, spoke these verses in the presence of the Blessed One -

"Dwelling in the forest at Vesālī, the Enlightened by himself, the foremost of beings;

I am Kokanadā, I pay homage, Kokanadā, the daughter of Pajjunna.

"Previously it was only heard, the Teaching understood by the One with Vision;

Now I myself know as a witness, as the sage, the Fortunate One, teaches.

"Whatever imprudent ones go about disparaging the noble Teaching;

They go to the terrible Roruva hell, they experience suffering for a long time.

"But those who are endowed with patience and peace regarding the noble Teaching;

Having abandoned the human body, they will fill up the group of gods."

10. The Discourse on the Second Daughter of Pajjunna

40. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the Great Wood in the Pinnacled Hall. Then Cūḷakokanadā, the daughter of Pajjunna, when the night was far advanced, with surpassing beauty, having illuminated almost the entire Great Wood, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, that deity Cūḷakokanadā, the daughter of Pajjunna, spoke these verses in the presence of the Blessed One -

"Here has come one with beauty like lightning's radiance, Kokanadā, the daughter of Pajjunna;

Paying homage to the Buddha and the Teaching, she spoke these verses full of meaning.

"Though I could analyse that in many ways, such is the Teaching by method;

I shall speak the meaning in brief, as far as I have learnt it by mind.

"One should not do evil by speech or by mind,

Or by body, anything in the whole world;

Having abandoned sensual pleasures, mindful and fully aware,

One should not pursue suffering connected with harm."

The Satullapa Group Chapter is fourth.

Its summary:

With the good, the stingy, excellent, not peaceful, intending on finding fault;

Faith, time, splinter, both daughters of Pajjunna.

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4.

The Chapter on the Satullapa Group

1.

The Discourse on the Virtuous

2.

The Discourse on the Stingy

3.

The Discourse on the Good

4.

The Discourse on They Are Not

5.

The Discourse on Intending to Find Fault

6.

The Discourse on Faith

7.

The Discourse on the Time

8.

The Discourse on the Splinter

9.

The First Discourse on Pajjunna's Daughter

10.

The Discourse on the Second Daughter of Pajjunna

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Navigation & Search

1. The Book with Verses

Pali Canon

Root Texts

Commentaries

Sub Commentaries

Bookmarks

Hello ,How can i help you ?

4.

The Chapter on the Satullapa Group

1.

The Discourse on the Virtuous

2.

The Discourse on the Stingy

3.

The Discourse on the Good

4.

The Discourse on They Are Not

5.

The Discourse on Intending to Find Fault

6.

The Discourse on Faith

7.

The Discourse on the Time

8.

The Discourse on the Splinter

9.

The First Discourse on Pajjunna's Daughter

10.

The Discourse on the Second Daughter of Pajjunna

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