SN11:14 Poor
- fdg sc © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus!" |
"Venerable sir!" those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this: 2"Bhikkhus, once in the past in this same Rājagaha there was a poor man, a pauper, an indigent. He undertook faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. Having done so, with the breakup of the body, after death, sn.i.232 he was reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world, in the company of the Tāvatiṁsa devas, where he outshone the other devas in regard to beauty and glory.[n.642] Spk says that this pauper was the leper Suppabuddha, whose story is told at Ud 48–50 and, more elaborately with several variations, in Spk. According to the Spk version, in an earlier life he had been a king of Baraṇasī who had spitefully reviled an aged paccekabuddha. As a kammic result he was reborn in hell and then, through the residue of the evil kamma, as a poor leper in Rājagaha. One day, on his begging rounds, he heard the Buddha preach and attained stream-entry. Shortly afterwards he was killed by a wild cow and was reborn in the Tāvatiṁsa heaven. |
"Thereupon the Tāvatiṁsa devas found fault with this, grumbled, and complained about it, saying: ‘It is wonderful indeed, sir! It is amazing indeed, sir! For formerly, when this young deva was a human being, he was a poor man, a pauper, an indigent. Yet with the breakup of the body, after death, he has been reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world, in the company of the Tāvatiṁsa devas, where he outshines the other devas in regard to beauty and glory.’ 3"Then, bhikkhus, Sakka, lord of the devas, addressed the Twsa devas, where he outshines the other devas in regard to beauty and glory.’ |
"Then, bhikkhus, instructing the Tāvatiṁsa devas,[n.643] Deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno. Spk does not gloss anunayamāno, but the same expression is at AN I 143,30, where anunayamāno is glossed by Mp II 123,19 (Be; the Ee and Se readings are corrupt) with anubodhayamāno, "making understand." The participle also occurs in the form anunenti at Thī 514, where it is glossed by Thī-a 267, 8–9 with saññāpentī, "convincing." Sakka, lord of the devas, on that occasion recited these verses: |
4v.910 "‘When one has faith in the Tathāgata,
5v.911 "‘When one has confidence in the Saṅgha
6v.912 "‘Therefore the person of intelligence,
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