1"Bhikkhus, last night, when the night had advanced, a number of deities of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta's Grove, approached me, paid homage to me, and stood to one side.

1"Imañca, bhikkhave, rattiṁ sambahulā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu.

(1) "Those deities then said: ‘In the past, Bhante, when we were human beings, monks approached our homes. We rose up for them but did not pay homage to them. Not having fulfilled our duty, full of regret and remorse, we were reborn in an inferior class of deities.’

Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho, bhikkhave, tā devatā maṁ etadavocuṁ:  ‘upasaṅkamiṁsu no, bhante, pubbe manussabhūtānaṁ pabbajitā agārāni. Te mayaṁ, bhante, paccuṭṭhimha, no ca kho abhivādimha. Tā mayaṁ, bhante, aparipuṇṇakammantā vippaṭisāriniyo paccānutāpiniyo hīnaṁ kāyaṁ upapannā’ti.

2(2) "Some other deities approached me and said: ‘In the past, Bhante, when we were human beings, monks approached our homes. We rose up for them and paid homage to them, but we did not offer them seats. Not having fulfilled our duty, full of regret and remorse, we were reborn in an inferior class of deities.’

2Aparāpi maṁ, bhikkhave, sambahulā devatā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:  ‘upasaṅkamiṁsu no, bhante, pubbe manussabhūtānaṁ pabbajitā agārāni. Te mayaṁ, bhante, paccuṭṭhimha abhivādimha, no ca tesaṁ āsanaṁ adamha. Tā mayaṁ, bhante, aparipuṇṇakammantā vippaṭisāriniyo paccānutāpiniyo hīnaṁ kāyaṁ upapannā’ti.

3(3) "Some other deities approached me and said: ‘In the past, Bhante, when we were human beings, monks approached our homes. We rose up for them, paid homage to them, and offered them seats, but we did not share things with them to the best of our ability and capacity … (4) … we shared things with them to the best of our ability and capacity, but we did not sit close by to listen to the Dhamma … (5) … we sat close by to listen to the Dhamma, but we did not listen to it with eager ears … (6) … we listened to it with eager ears, but having heard it, we did not retain the Dhamma in mind … (7) … having heard it, we retained the Dhamma in mind but we did not examine the meaning of the teachings that had been retained in mind … (8) … we examined the meaning of the teachings that had been retained in mind but we did not understand the meaning and the Dhamma and then practice in accordance with the Dhamma. Not having fulfilled our duty, full of regret and remorse, we were reborn in an inferior class of deities.’

3Aparāpi maṁ, bhikkhave, sambahulā devatā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:  ‘upasaṅkamiṁsu no, bhante, pubbe manussabhūtānaṁ pabbajitā agārāni. Te mayaṁ, bhante, paccuṭṭhimha abhivādimha āsanaṁ adamha, no ca kho yathāsatti yathābalaṁ saṁvibhajimha … pe … yathāsatti yathābalaṁ saṁvibhajimha, no ca kho upanisīdimha dhammassavanāya … pe … upanisīdimha dhammassavanāya, no ca kho ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇimha … pe … ohitasotā ca dhammaṁ suṇimha, no ca kho sutvā dhammaṁ dhārayimha … pe … sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhārayimha, no ca kho dhātānaṁ dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhimha … pe … dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhimha, no ca kho atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammaṁ paṭipajjimha. Tā mayaṁ, bhante, aparipuṇṇakammantā vippaṭisāriniyo paccānutāpiniyo hīnaṁ kāyaṁ upapannā’ti.

4(9) "Some other deities approached me and said: ‘In the past, Bhante, when we were human beings, monks approached our homes. i We rose up for them, ii paid homage to them, iii offered them seats, and iv shared things with them to the best of our ability and capacity. v We sat close by to listen to the Dhamma and vi listened to it with eager ears; vii having heard it, we retained the Dhamma in mind; viii we examined the meaning of the teachings that had been retained in mind; and ix we understood the meaning and the Dhamma and then practiced in accordance with the Dhamma. Having fulfilled our duty, free of regret and remorse, we were reborn in a superior class of deities.’

4Aparāpi maṁ, bhikkhave, sambahulā devatā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:  ‘upasaṅkamiṁsu no, bhante, pubbe manussabhūtānaṁ pabbajitā agārāni. Te mayaṁ, bhante, paccuṭṭhimha abhivādimha, āsanaṁ adamha, yathāsatti yathābalaṁ saṁvibhajimha, upanisīdimha dhammassavanāya, ohitasotā ca dhammaṁ suṇimha, sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhārayimha, dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhimha, atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammaṁ paṭipajjimha. Tā mayaṁ, bhante, paripuṇṇakammantā avippaṭisāriniyo apaccānutāpiniyo paṇītaṁ kāyaṁ upapannā’ti.

"These are the feet of trees, bhikkhus, these are empty huts. Meditate, bhikkhus, do not be heedless. Do not have cause to regret it later, like those prior deities."

Etāni, bhikkhave, rukkhamūlāni etāni suññāgārāni. Jhāyatha, bhikkhave, mā pamādattha, mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha seyyathāpi tā purimikā devatā"ti.

Navamaṁ.