Hemavata Sutta | Sn I-9
9. Hemavata Sutta
Discourse On the Demon Hemavata
153. (Satagira, the demon said:)
Friend Hemavata, today is the 15th day of the month a Sabbath day. The night sky is aglow with celestial radiance.
Let's go and pay homage to Gotama Buddha, the Great Teacher of no mean repute. (1)
154. (Hemavata the Demon asked:)
Friend Satagira, is your teacher the Buddha is endowed with tranquillity in respect of all sentient beings?
Is he able to exercise his thoughts as he wishes (i.e. with serenity) whether in the face of pleasant and desirable things or unpleasant and vexing thing? (2)
155. (Satagira replied:)
Friend Hemavata, our Teacher, the Buddha is endowed with tranquillity in respect of all sentient beings .
He is well able to exercise his thoughts as he wishes with complete serenity whether in the face of pleasant and desirable things or unpleasant and vexing things. (3)
156. (Hemavata asked:)
Friend Satagira, is the Buddha above stealing?
(4)
Is he self-controlled with regard to the life of sentient being?
Does he stand aloof from sensual desires?
Can he keep his concentration impeccable?
157. (Satagira replied:)
Friend Hemavata, our Teacher, the Buddha is above stealing.
He refrains from killing, of course.
He is serenely aloof from sensuality.
He keeps his concentration impeccable. (5)
158. (Hemavata asked:)
Friend Satagira, is the Buddha above telling a lie?
(6)
Is he free from malevolent speech?
Does he refrain from slander and small talk?
159. (Satagira replied:)
Friend Hemavata, our Teacher, the Buddha is above telling a lie.
He is free from malevolent speech.
He speaks wise and beneficial words only. (7)
160. (Hemavata asked:)
Friend Satagira, is the Buddha indifferent to sensual desires?
Is his mind unperturbed?
Has he overcome all delusions?
Has he got the Seeing Eye (that penetrates all things)? (8)
161. (Satagira replied:)
Friend Hemavata, our Teacher, the Buddha disdains sensuality.
His mind is truly unperturbed.
He has overcome all delusions.
He has penetrative Insight into all things. (9)
162. (Hemavata asked:)
Friend Satagira, is the Buddha endowed with the 3-fold Knowledge?
Is he possessed of the pure good practices?
Has he cleansed himself of all (intoxicating) passions?(moral corruptions?)
Has he halted the process of rebirth? (10)
163. (Satagira replied:)
Friend Hemavata, our Teacher Buddha
is endowed with the 3-fold Knowledge.
He is possessed of the pure good practices.
He has cleansed himself of all (intoxicating) passions (moral corruptions).
He has halted the process. of rebirth.. (11)
164. Friend Satagira, since the Buddha is endowed with tranquillity of mind, noble actions and benevolent words and possessed of the 3-fold Knowledge and the 15-fold good practices
- you are well justified in praising the Buddha. (12)
165. Friend Hemavata, yes, indeed, the Buddha is endowed with tranquillity of mind, noble actions and benevolent words, and he is possessed of the 3-fold Knowledge and the 15-fold good practices.
So you have every right to rejoice in hearing (my praise) about the Buddha. (13)
166. Yes, the Buddha is endowed with tranquillity of mind noble actions and benevolent words.
He is possessed of the 3-fold Knowledge and the 15-fold good practices.
Now let's go and pay homage to Gotama Buddha. (14)
167. (Come Friend, Satagira,) Let's pay our homage to Gotama Buddha, slim and graceful of body, exquisitely formed such as having slender knees like those of an antelope,
mighty conqueror (of internal and external enemies), frugal of, and unconcerned about food, who makes the forest His home, and who passes (most of) his time in meditative concentration. (15)
168. Unfettered and faring alone like the lion, with no rebirth in prospect; indifferent to sensual desires the Buddha is of such qualities.
Let's approach him and ask about the release from Death's sure (Nibbāna). (16)
169. Yes, Let's ask Gotama Buddha, who proclaims the Noble Truth and then gives a full exposition (regarding method and fruition),
who has the ultimate Knowledge of all things (concerning the mundane world and the supra-mundane), who has overcome (passed) the dangerous enemies (that scourge the world.) (17)
170. (Hemavata asked the Buddha:)
What causes have produced the world?
(18)
Whereby is the bond (between craving and wrong view) formed?
Whence does the World arise?
Whereby is the world afflicted?
171. (The Buddha spoke thus:)
Hemavata, it is the 6 sense-basis (Āyatanas) that have brought the world into being.
It is by the 6 sense-bases (Āyatanas) that the bond (between craving and wrong view) is formed.
It is from the 6 sense-bases that the world has arisen.
And it is the 6 sense-bases (Āyatanas) that afflict the world. (19)
172. What are the 6 (Dhammas) that the world clings to thereby bringing its own misery?
We ask of the Buddha to show us the way to escape from the world's woes. (20)
173. In this world, the 5 sense-objects with the mind as the 6th one it must be said, make up the 6 objects of (sensuous) clinging.
If one -can destroy the craving that arises for these 6 objects, one escapes from the world’s- woes (dukkha). (21)
174. This is the way to escape from (the woes of ) the world.
This is in accordance with the truth.
I have declared to you that the 4 Noble Truths are the only conditions that can bring liberation from all ill (dukkha), and this I will go on declaring all the time. (22)
175. Who (in this world) can cross the (4) floods (of Saṁsāra)?
Who (in this world) can cross the ocean (of Saṁsāra?)
In this deep ocean (of Saṁsāra) which seems bottomless and where there is no support whatever, who can remain afloat?
1 76. He who is always virtuous, possessed of insight, tranquil, who is in the habit of contemplating on one's inner depths (of mind and body), mindful and alert, can cross the (4) floods (of Saṁsāra) which are quite hard to cross. (24)
177. He who abstains from sensuous concepts, who has overcome all forms of fetters, who has abandoned fond craving for all (the 3 forms of) existence,
- can remain afloat in the deep ocean. (25)
178. Here is the Buddha, profound in wisdom, seeing through the subtle meaning of all (problematic) things,
from all impediments (such as rāga) detached from (2 types of) sensuous desires, having no attachment to any (of the 3 forms of) existence,
free from bondage, who walk the 8 Super-powers (or faculties) and solicitous about the real well-being of all sentient beings.
O, ye, do pay homage to the Buddha! (26)
179. Possessor of the most illustrious titles, seeing through the subtle meaning of all (abstruse) things, the giver of wisdom, free from desire for sensual matters,
the knower-of-all-things (the omniscient one) the truly wise, the One who walks the Noble Ariyas Path, solicitous about the real well-being of all sentient beings
-these attributes adorn the Buddha.
O, ye, do pay homage to the Buddha! (27)
180. Today is the most auspicious day indeed, because we have the great fortune to see the Buddha, who has crossed the (4) floods (of Saṁsāra) and who is free from all moral taints
(āsavas).
Great is the sight We see; great the daybreak; great our awakening! (28)
181. (O Buddha), We, the thousand ogres, high and mighty commanding a big retinue, take refuge in the Buddha who is our peerless (unrivalled) Teacher. (29)
182. We now shall roam about from village to village from mountain to mountain, singing words of praise and homage to the Omniscient Buddha and the well-uttered Teaching. (30)
End of the ninth Hemavata Sutta