VerahaccāniVerahaccānisutta

At one time Venerable Udāyī was staying near Kāmaṇḍā in the brahmin Todeyya’s mango grove.Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā udāyī kāmaṇḍāyaṁ viharati todeyyassa brāhmaṇassa ambavane.

Then a boy who was a pupil of the brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan went up to Udāyī and exchanged greetings with him.Atha kho verahaccānigottāya brāhmaṇiyā antevāsī māṇavako yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā udāyinā saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side.Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Udāyī educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired that young student with a Dhamma talk.Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho taṁ māṇavakaṁ āyasmā udāyī dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi.

Then that young student went to the brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan and said to her,Atha kho so māṇavako āyasmatā udāyinā dhammiyā kathāya sandassito samādapito samuttejito sampahaṁsito uṭṭhāyāsanā yena verahaccānigottā brāhmaṇī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā verahaccānigottaṁ brāhmaṇiṁ etadavoca: “Please, madam, you should know this.“yagghe, bhoti, jāneyyāsi. The ascetic Udāyī teaches Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And he reveals a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.”Samaṇo udāyī dhammaṁ deseti ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ, sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsetī”ti.

“Then, young student, invite him in my name for tomorrow’s meal.”“Tena hi tvaṁ, māṇavaka, mama vacanena samaṇaṁ udāyiṁ nimantehi svātanāya bhattenā”ti.

“Yes, madam,” he replied. He went to Udāyī and said,“Evaṁ, bhotī”ti kho so māṇavako verahaccānigottāya brāhmaṇiyā paṭissutvā yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca: “Would Worthy Udāyī please accept an offering of tomorrow’s meal from my tutor’s wife, the brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan?”“adhivāsetu kira, bhavaṁ udāyī amhākaṁ ācariyabhariyāya verahaccānigottāya brāhmaṇiyā svātanāya bhattan”ti. Udāyī consented with silence.Adhivāsesi kho āyasmā udāyī tuṇhībhāvena.

Then when the night had passed, Udāyī robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the brahmin lady’s home, and sat down on the seat spread out.Atha kho āyasmā udāyī tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena verahaccānigottāya brāhmaṇiyā nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Then the brahmin lady served and satisfied Udāyī with her own hands with delicious fresh and cooked foods.Atha kho verahaccānigottā brāhmaṇī āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi.

When Udāyī had eaten and washed his hand and bowl, she put on a pair of slippers, sat on a high seat, covered her head, and said to him,Atha kho verahaccānigottā brāhmaṇī āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ bhuttāviṁ onītapattapāṇiṁ pādukā ārohitvā ucce āsane nisīditvā sīsaṁ oguṇṭhitvā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca: “Ascetic, preach the Dhamma.”“bhaṇa, samaṇa, dhamman”ti.

“There will be an occasion for that, sister,” he replied, then rose from his seat and left.“Bhavissati, bhagini, samayo”ti vatvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkami.

For a second time that young student went to Venerable Udāyī …Dutiyampi kho so māṇavako yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā udāyinā saddhiṁ sammodi.

And for a second time that young student went to the brahmin lady of the Verahaccāni clan …Dutiyampi kho so māṇavako āyasmatā udāyinā dhammiyā kathāya sandassito samādapito samuttejito sampahaṁsito uṭṭhāyāsanā yena verahaccānigottā brāhmaṇī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā verahaccānigottaṁ brāhmaṇiṁ etadavoca:

She said to him, “You keep praising the ascetic Udāyī like this.“Evamevaṁ pana tvaṁ, māṇavaka, samaṇassa udāyissa vaṇṇaṁ bhāsasi. But when I asked him to preach the Dhamma he just said that there would be an occasion for that, and then he got up and left.”Samaṇo panudāyī ‘bhaṇa, samaṇa, dhamman’ti vutto samāno ‘bhavissati, bhagini, samayo’ti vatvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkanto”ti.

“Madam, that’s because you put on a pair of slippers, sat on a high seat, and covered your head before inviting him to teach.“Tathā hi pana tvaṁ, bhoti, pādukā ārohitvā ucce āsane nisīditvā sīsaṁ oguṇṭhitvā etadavoca: For the good sirs respect the teaching.”Dhammagaruno hi te bhavanto dhammagāravā”ti.

“Then, young student, invite him in my name for tomorrow’s meal.”“Tena hi tvaṁ, māṇavaka, mama vacanena samaṇaṁ udāyiṁ nimantehi svātanāya bhattenā”ti.

“Yes, madam,” he replied. …“Evaṁ, bhotī”ti kho so māṇavako verahaccānigottāya brāhmaṇiyā paṭissutvā yenāyasmā udāyī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca: Then the brahmin lady served and satisfied Udāyī with her own hands with delicious fresh and cooked foods.Atha kho verahaccānigottā brāhmaṇī āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi.

When Udāyī had eaten and washed his hand and bowl, she took off her slippers, sat on a low seat, uncovered her head, and said to him,Atha kho verahaccānigottā brāhmaṇī āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ bhuttāviṁ onītapattapāṇiṁ pādukā orohitvā nīce āsane nisīditvā sīsaṁ vivaritvā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca: “Sir, when what exists do the perfected ones assert that there is pleasure and pain? When what doesn’t exist do the perfected ones not declare that there is pleasure and pain?”“kismiṁ nu kho, bhante, sati arahanto sukhadukkhaṁ paññapenti, kismiṁ asati arahanto sukhadukkhaṁ na paññapentī”ti?

“Sister, when there’s an eye, the perfected ones assert that there is pleasure and pain. When there’s no eye, the perfected ones don’t declare that there is pleasure and pain.“Cakkhusmiṁ kho, bhagini, sati arahanto sukhadukkhaṁ paññapenti, cakkhusmiṁ asati arahanto sukhadukkhaṁ na paññapenti …pe… When there’s an ear … nose … tongue … body …jivhāya sati arahanto sukhadukkhaṁ paññapenti, jivhāya asati arahanto sukhadukkhaṁ na paññapenti …pe…. mind, the perfected ones assert that there is pleasure and pain. When there’s no mind, the perfected ones don’t declare that there is pleasure and pain.”Manasmiṁ sati arahanto sukhadukkhaṁ paññapenti, manasmiṁ asati arahanto sukhadukkhaṁ na paññapentī”ti.

When he said this, the brahmin lady said to Udāyī,Evaṁ vutte, verahaccānigottā brāhmaṇī āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca: “Excellent, sir! Excellent!“abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante. As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, Master Udāyī has made the teaching clear in many ways.Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ ayyena udāyinā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.Esāhaṁ, ayya udāyi, taṁ bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi, dhammañca, bhikkhusaṅghañca. From this day forth, may Master Udāyī remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”Upāsikaṁ maṁ ayyo udāyī dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.