1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the hall with the peaked roof in the Great Wood. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus!"

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: 

"Venerable sir!" those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

"Bhikkhus, you should remember the householder Ugga of Vesālī as one who possesses eight astounding and amazing qualities."[n.1677] At AN1.253 he is declared the foremost among those who give what is agreeable. At AN5.44 he makes agreeable offerings to the Buddha. This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One rose from his seat and entered his dwelling.

"aṭṭhahi, bhikkhave, acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgataṁ uggaṁ gahapatiṁ vesālikaṁ dhārethā"ti. Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato uṭṭhāyāsanā vihāraṁ pāvisi.

2Then, in the morning, a certain bhikkhu dressed, took his bowl and robe, and went to the residence of the householder Ugga of Vesālī. When he arrived, he sat down on the seat that was prepared for him. Then the householder Ugga of Vesālī approached that bhikkhu, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The bhikkhu then said to him:

2Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena uggassa gahapatino vesālikassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Atha kho uggo gahapati vesāliko yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho uggaṁ gahapatiṁ vesālikaṁ so bhikkhu etadavoca: 

"Householder, the Blessed One declared that you possess eight astounding and amazing qualities. What are they?"

3"Aṭṭhahi kho tvaṁ, gahapati, acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgato bhagavatā byākato. Katame te, gahapati, aṭṭha acchariyā abbhutā dhammā, yehi tvaṁ samannāgato bhagavatā byākato"ti?

"I don’t know, Bhante, what eight astounding and amazing qualities the Blessed One declared that I possess. However, there are found in me eight astounding and amazing qualities. Listen and attend closely. I will speak."

"Na kho ahaṁ, bhante, jānāmi:  ‘katamehi aṭṭhahi acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgato bhagavatā byākato’ti. Api ca, bhante, ye me aṭṭha acchariyā abbhutā dhammā saṁvijjanti, taṁ suṇohi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī"ti.

"Yes, householder," the bhikkhu replied. The householder Ugga of Vesālī said this:

"Evaṁ, gahapatī"ti kho so bhikkhu uggassa gahapatino vesālikassa paccassosi. Uggo gahapati vesāliko etadavoca: 

(1) "When, Bhante, I first saw the Blessed One in the distance, as soon as I saw him my mind acquired confidence in him. This is the first astounding and amazing quality found in me.

"Yadāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ paṭhamaṁ dūratova addasaṁ; saha dassaneneva me, bhante, bhagavato cittaṁ pasīdi. Ayaṁ kho me, bhante, paṭhamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo saṁvijjati. (1)

4(2) "With a confident mind, I attended on the Blessed One. The Blessed One then gave me a progressive discourse, that is, a talk on giving, virtuous behavior, and heaven; he revealed the danger, degradation, and defilement of sensual pleasures and the benefit of renunciation. When the Blessed One knew that my mind was pliant, softened, rid of hindrances, uplifted, and confident, he revealed that Dhamma teaching special to the Buddhas: suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. Then, just as a clean cloth rid of dark spots would readily absorb dye, so too, while I sat in that same seat, the dust-free, stainless Dhamma-eye arose in me: ‘Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.’ I saw the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma, understood the Dhamma, fathomed the Dhamma, crossed over doubt, got rid of bewilderment, attained self-confidence, and became independent of others in the teaching of the Teacher. Right there I went for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, and undertook the training rules with celibacy as the fifth.[n.1678] Brahmacariyapañcamāni sikkhāpadāni. These are the usual five precepts, but with "abstinence from sexual activity" replacing "abstinence from sexual misconduct" as the third precept. This is the second astounding and amazing quality found in me.

4So kho ahaṁ, bhante, pasannacitto bhagavantaṁ payirupāsiṁ. Tassa me bhagavā anupubbiṁ kathaṁ kathesi, seyyathidaṁ – dānakathaṁ sīlakathaṁ saggakathaṁ; kāmānaṁ ādīnavaṁ okāraṁ saṅkilesaṁ, nekkhamme ānisaṁsaṁ pakāsesi. Yadā maṁ bhagavā aññāsi kallacittaṁ muducittaṁ vinīvaraṇacittaṁ udaggacittaṁ pasannacittaṁ, atha yā buddhānaṁ sāmukkaṁsikā dhammadesanā taṁ pakāsesi – dukkhaṁ, samudayaṁ, nirodhaṁ, maggaṁ. Seyyathāpi nāma suddhaṁ vatthaṁ apagatakāḷakaṁ sammadeva rajanaṁ paṭiggaṇheyya; evamevaṁ kho me tasmiṁyeva āsane virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi:  ‘Yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman’ti. So kho ahaṁ, bhante, diṭṭhadhammo pattadhammo viditadhammo pariyogāḷhadhammo tiṇṇavicikiccho vigatakathaṅkatho vesārajjappatto aparappaccayo satthusāsane tattheva buddhañca dhammañca saṅghañca saraṇaṁ agamāsiṁ, brahmacariyapañcamāni ca sikkhāpadāni samādiyiṁ. Ayaṁ kho me, bhante, dutiyo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo saṁvijjati. (2)

5(3) "I had four young wives. I then went to them and said: ‘Sisters, I have undertaken the training rules with celibacy as the fifth. If you want, you can enjoy wealth right here and do merits, or go back to your own family circle, or inform me if you want me to give you over to another man.’ My eldest wife then said to me: ‘Young sir, give me to such and such a man.’ I sent for that man, and with my left hand I took my wife, with my right hand I took the ceremonial vase, and I gave her to that man. But even while giving away my young wife, I don’t recall that any alteration took place in my mind. This is the third astounding and amazing quality found in me.

5Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, catasso komāriyo pajāpatiyo ahesuṁ. Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, yena tā pajāpatiyo tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā tā pajāpatiyo etadavacaṁ:  ‘mayā kho, bhaginiyo, brahmacariyapañcamāni sikkhāpadāni samādinnāni. Yā icchati sā idheva bhoge ca bhuñjatu puññāni ca karotu, sakāni vā ñātikulāni gacchatu. Hoti vā pana purisādhippāyo, kassa vo dammī’ti? Evaṁ vutte, sā, bhante, jeṭṭhā pajāpati maṁ etadavoca:  ‘itthannāmassa maṁ, ayyaputta, purisassa dehī’ti. Atha kho ahaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ pakkosāpetvā vāmena hatthena pajāpatiṁ gahetvā dakkhiṇena hatthena bhiṅgāraṁ gahetvā tassa purisassa oṇojesiṁ. Komāriṁ kho panāhaṁ, bhante, dāraṁ pariccajanto nābhijānāmi cittassa aññathattaṁ. Ayaṁ kho me, bhante, tatiyo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo saṁvijjati. (3)

6(4) "My family is wealthy but the wealth is shared unreservedly with virtuous people of good character. This is the fourth astounding and amazing quality found in me.

6Saṁvijjanti kho pana me, bhante, kule bhogā. Te ca kho appaṭivibhattā sīlavantehi kalyāṇadhammehi. Ayaṁ kho me, bhante, catuttho acchariyo abbhuto dhammo saṁvijjati. (4)

7(5) "Whenever I attend on a bhikkhu, I attend on him respectfully, not without respect. This is the fifth astounding and amazing quality found in me.

7Yaṁ kho panāhaṁ, bhante, bhikkhuṁ payirupāsāmi; sakkaccaṁyeva payirupāsāmi, no asakkaccaṁ. Ayaṁ kho me, bhante, pañcamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo saṁvijjati. (5)

8(6) "If that venerable one teaches me the Dhamma, I listen to it respectfully, not without respect. If he doesn’t teach me the Dhamma, then I teach him the Dhamma. This is the sixth astounding and amazing quality found in me.

8So ce, bhante, me āyasmā dhammaṁ deseti; sakkaccaṁyeva suṇomi, no asakkaccaṁ. No ce me so āyasmā dhammaṁ deseti, ahamassa dhammaṁ desemi. Ayaṁ kho me, bhante, chaṭṭho acchariyo abbhuto dhammo saṁvijjati. (6)

9(7) "It isn’t unusual for deities to come and report to me: ‘Householder, the Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One.’ I then say to those deities: ‘Whether you say so or not, the Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One.’ Still, I do not recall any mental exultation arising because deities come to me or because I converse with deities. This is the seventh astounding and amazing quality found in me.

9Anacchariyaṁ kho pana maṁ, bhante, devatā upasaṅkamitvā ārocenti:  ‘svākkhāto, gahapati, bhagavatā dhammo’ti. Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, tā devatā evaṁ vadāmi:  ‘vadeyyātha vā evaṁ kho tumhe devatā no vā vadeyyātha, atha kho svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo’ti. Na kho panāhaṁ, bhante, abhijānāmi tatonidānaṁ cittassa unnatiṁ:  ‘maṁ vā devatā upasaṅkamanti, ahaṁ vā devatāhi saddhiṁ sallapāmī’ti. Ayaṁ kho me, bhante, sattamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo saṁvijjati. (7)

10(8) "Of the five lower fetters taught by the Blessed One, I don’t see any that I haven’t abandoned.[n.1679] As at AN7.53 §7. With this he declares himself a non-returner. This is the eighth astounding and amazing quality found in me.

10Yānimāni, bhante, bhagavatā desitāni pañcorambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni, nāhaṁ tesaṁ kiñci attani appahīnaṁ samanupassāmi. Ayaṁ kho me, bhante, aṭṭhamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo saṁvijjati. (8)

11"These, Bhante, are eight astounding and amazing qualities found in me. But I don’t know what eight astounding and amazing qualities the Blessed One declared that I possess."

11Ime kho me, bhante, aṭṭha acchariyā abbhutā dhammā saṁvijjanti. Na ca kho ahaṁ jānāmi – katamehi cāhaṁ aṭṭhahi acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgato bhagavatā byākato"ti.

12Then that bhikkhu, having received almsfood at the residence of the householder Ugga of Vesālī, rose from his seat and departed. After his meal, on returning from his alms round, he approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported to him the entire conversation he had had with the householder Ugga of Vesālī.

12Atha kho so bhikkhu uggassa gahapatino vesālikassa nivesane piṇḍapātaṁ gahetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi. Atha kho so bhikkhu pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu yāvatako ahosi uggena gahapatinā vesālikena saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo, taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesi.

13The Blessed One said: "Good, good, bhikkhu! I had declared that the householder Ugga of Vesālī possesses the same eight astounding and amazing qualities that he rightly explained to you. You should remember the householder Ugga of Vesālī as one who possesses these eight astounding and amazing qualities."

13"Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Yathā taṁ uggo gahapati vesāliko sammā byākaramāno byākareyya, imeheva kho, bhikkhu, aṭṭhahi acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgato uggo gahapati vesāliko mayā byākato. Imehi ca pana, bhikkhu, aṭṭhahi acchariyehi abbhutehi dhammehi samannāgataṁ uggaṁ gahapatiṁ vesālikaṁ dhārehī"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.