10. Samiddhi Sutta
Discourse Concerning Bhikkhu Samiddhi
Nandana Vagga, Devata Samyutta, Sagatha Vagga Samyutta,
Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka

Discourse Concerning Bhikkhu Samiddhi

      20. Thus have I heard:

       At one time the Bhagava was residing at the Tapoda monastery in Rajagaha. During that time at the break of dawn one day the Venerable Samiddhi rose and went to the river Tapoda to bathe. Having had his bath there, he climbed out and stood wearing only a single robe to let the water on his body dry. At that pleasant time a ceratin female deva of exceeding beauty approached the bhikkhu illuminating the entire Tapoda river; then, standing in mid-air, she spoke to the Venerable Samiddhi in verse:

       "Bhikkhu! Without enjoying sense-pleasures, you go round for alms-food.
      Don't go round for alms-food without enjoying sense-pleasures.
      Bhikkhu, you should go round for alms-food (only) after having enjoyed sense pleasures.
      Don't let the opportune time pass you by."

       "O deva! I do not know the time when I shall die. That time being hidden is not apparent to me.
      That being so, I go round for alms-food without enjoying sense-pleasures.
      I cannot let the opportune time pass me by."¹

       Thereupon. the female deva, standing on the ground, spoke thus to the Venerable Samiddhi: " O bhikkhu! you became a bhikkhu quite young. Though you are a mere lad with luxuriant dark hair in the prime of youth and in the first period of life, you have not yet enjoyed sense-pleasures. Bhikkhu, do enjoy human pleasures (first). Don't yearn for future pleasures (of the deva world) forsaking present pleasures.²"

       "Friend! As a matter of fact, I am not yearning for future pleasures by forsaking present pleasures. Indeed, friend, rejecting future pleasures also, I seek the Lokuttara Dhamma³ which can be personally realized here and now.

       Friend, indeed the Bhagava has said: future pleasures (of the deva world) are full of woes, full of miseries; these (sense pleasures) are full of faults. This Lokuttara Dhamma is personally apperceivable here and now; it is not delayed in its results; it can stand investigation; it is worthy of being perpetually borne in mind: and its truths can be realized and experienced by the Ariyas individually by their own effort and practice."

       "O bhikkhu! How has the Bhagava pointed out that the future pleasures (of the deva world) are full of woe and full of misery?

       In what way are these (sense-pleasures) full of faults? How is this Lokuttara Dhamma personally appreciable here and now?

       How is it not delayed in its results?

       How can it stand investigation?

       How is it worthy of being perpetually borne in mind? And how can its truths be realised and experienced by the Ariyas individually by their own effort and practice?"

       "Friend! I am a newcomer.

       I have not been long in this bhikkhuhood.

       I have come under this Teaching⁴ only recently.

       I am not capable of explaining that Teaching at length. There is the Homage-Worthy and the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Bhagava, now residing at the Tapoda monastery in Rajagaha. Go to the Bhagava, ask him about this matter, and bear in mind what the Bhagava says.

       "O bhikkhu! The Bhagava is surrounded by other devas who are much more powerful than myself and it would not be easy for me to get near the Bhagava. Bhikkhu, if you were to approach the Bhagava and were to ask him about this matter, we also would come to listen to the dhamma."

       "Very well, friend", replied the Venerable Samiddhi to that deva and went to where the Bhagava was staying. Once there, he made obeisance to the Bhagava and sat at a suitable place. Having seated himself, he said to the Bhagava thus:

       "Venerable Sir, here in this city of Rajagaha, at the break of dawn one day, I rose and went to the river Tapoda to bathe. Having had my bath there, I climbed out and stood wearing only a single robe to let the water on my body dry. At that pleasant time a certain female deva of exceeding beauty approached me, illuminating the entire Tapoda river. There, standing in mid air she spoke to me in verse:

       O bhikkhu, without enjoying sense-pleasures you go round for alms-food.
       Don't go round for alms-food without enjoying sense-pleasures.
       Don't let the opportune time pass you by."

       Venerable Sir, when this was said I replied to that deva in verse:
       (O deva,) I do not know the time (when I shall die);
       That time, being hidden, is not apparent to me.
       That being so, I go round for alms-food, without enjoying sense-pleasures.
       I cannot let the opportune time pass me by."

       "Then, Venerable Sir, the female deva, standing on the ground, spoke this to me: O Bhikkhu, you became a bhikkhu quite young; though you are a mere lad with luxuriant dark hair in the prime of youth, and in the first period of life, you have not yet enjoyed sense-pleasures. Bhikkhu, do enjoy human pleasures (first); don't yearn for future pleasures (of the deva world ) forsaking present pleasures!

       "When this was said, Venerable Sir, I replied to that female deva thus: Friend! As a matter of fact. I am not yearning for future pleasures by forsaking the present pleasures. Indeed ,friend, rejecting future pleasures also, I seek the Lokuttara Dhamma which can be personally realised here and now. Friend! Indeed the Bhagava has said future pleasures (of the deva world) are full of woe, full of misery. These (sense-pleasures) are full of faults. This Lokuttara Dhamma is apperceivable here and now; it is not delayed in its results; it can stand investigation; it is worthy of being perpetually borne in mind; and its truths can be realised and experienced by the Ariyas individually by their own effort and practice."

       "Then, Venerable Sir, that deva said to me: ' O Bhikkhu! How has the Bhagava pointed out that the future pleasures (of the deva world) are full of woe and full of misery? In what way are these (sense-pleasures) full of faults? How is this Lokuttara Dhamma person ally apperceivable here and now? How is it not delayed in its results? How can it stand investigation? How is it worthy of being perpetually borne in mind? And how can its truths be realized and experienced by the Ariyas individually by their own effort and practice?"

       "And when this was said Venerable Sir, I told her:

       'Friend! I am a newcomer; I have not been long in this bhikkhuhood. I have come under this Teaching only recently. I am not capable of explaining that Teaching at length. There is the Homage-Worthy, the Perfectly Self Enlightened Bhagava, now residing at the Tapoda monastery in Rajagaha. Go to the Bhagava, ask him about this matter, and bear in mind what the Bhagava says."

       "Thereupon, Venerable Sir, the deva said to me: 'O Bhikkhu! the Bhagava is surrounded by other devas who are more powerful than myself and it would not be easy for me to get near the Bhagava. Bhikkhu, if you were to approach the Bhagava and were to ask him about this matter, we also would come to listen to the dhamma.

       "Venerable Sir, if that female deva spoke the truth she should be around now."

       When this was said, the female deva said to the Venerable Samiddhi: " Bhikkhu, ask! Bhikkhu, ask! I have arrived".

       Then the Bhagava spoke to that deva in verse:

       "The beings who perceive the complex of the mental and physical aggregates as individual entities (such as man, woman, animal) are firmly rooted (through attachment, etc.) in the concept of the five aggregates as individual entities and, not accurately understandings the five khandha aggregates, fall a prey to death. He who accurately understands the five khandha aggregates does not see any object which can be spoken of as an individual entity. It is because in him there is no reason (such as attachment) to speak of any individual entity. "If you know such a person in whom defilements are extinct (i.e., an arahat), deva, say it."

       "Venerable Sir, what the Bhagava has said in brief I do not understand the meaning in full. Venerable Sir,

       I beg of you to expound the dhamma so that I might understand the meaning in full of what the Bhagava has said in brief."

       He who considers himself as either equal to, or superior to, or inferior to some other person may dispute with any person on that ground.

       To one who is not troubled by those three conceits, there do not occur the notions of being equal to, or superior to, or inferior to anyone.

       If you know such a person in whom the defilements are extinct (i.e., arahat), deva, say it."

       "Venerable Sir, in this also what the Bhagava has said in brief I do not understand the meaning in full. Venerable Sir, I beg of you to expound the dhamma so that I might understand the meaning in full of what the Bhagava has said in brief."

       "One who can no longer be called a person with attachment, a person with hatred, a person with bewilderment.

       one who is without conceit,

       one who has cut off craving for this mind-matter complex, one who has cut off the (four) bonds, one who is free form suffering and is without longing---,

       The rebirth of such a one (after death and dissolution), when searched for by devas or human beings, cannot be found in this world or in another world or in the world of devas or in any abode of existence.

       "If you know such a person in whom the defilements are extinct (i.e., an arahat)⁶ deva, say it."

       "Venerable Sir, what the Bhagava has said in brief I understand fully in this way:

       "Throughout the world no evil whatsoever, bodily, verbally or mentally, should be committed.

       One should at all times be mindful;

       with mindfulness and clear comprehension one should avoid indulgence in sense-pleasures; (and also)

       one should not resort to practices of self-mortification which are of no benefit.⁷"

       ¹ . I cannot let the opportune time pass me by: By the opportune time is meant the best time for engaging in the practice of a bhikkhu, since youth is the best part of one's life to practise for Insight-Knowledge.

      ² . present pleasures: sanditthika: The celestial maiden uses the term sanditthika to refer to sense pleasures of the human world in the present life time.

      ³ . Lokuttara Dhamma which can be personally realised here and now: the term sanditthika is here used to indicate the lokuttara dhamma which can be personally realized here and now. This Lokuttara Dhamma is the dhamma of Magga, Phala and Nibbana.

      ⁴ . Teaching: dhammavinaya: lit., Doctrine and Discipline, also rendered Sasana.

      ⁵. Accurately understanding: parinna:

• (i) Understanding of the distinction between mind and matter and their features, essential properties, resulting phenomena and proximate causes is accurate understanding of what should be known (nata parinna).

• (ii) Understanding the true characteristics of mind and matter that they are transient, unsatisfactory and woeful, and lacking in substantiality, is accurate understanding through scrutiny (tirana-parinna)

• (iii) Abandoning all craving for the five aggregates is accurate understanding through abandonment (pahana parinna). In this context the abandonment is absolute, i.e., it is by Arahatta Magga.

      ⁶. This is an expansion according to the Commentary of the terse phrase in the Pali text 'It you know' sace vijanasi.' The Commentary also explains that knowing what an arahat is amounts to knowledge of the Lokuttara Dhamma, the Supramundane dhamma, i.e., Magga, Phala, Nibbana.

       ⁷. The last stanza indicates that the deva has attained sotapatti magga.

End of the Samiddhi Sutta,
the tenth in this vagga.

End of the Nandana Vagga,
the second in this Samyutta.