sn.1.35 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Faultfinders

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapiṇḍika’s Park. Then, when the night had advanced, a number of “faultfinding” devatās, of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One and stood in the air.

Then one devatā, standing in the air, recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

“If one shows oneself in one way
While actually being otherwise,
What one enjoys is obtained by theft
Like the gains of a cheating gambler.”

Another devatā:

“One should speak as one would act;
Don’t speak as one wouldn’t act.
The wise clearly discern the person
Who does not practise what he preaches.”

The Blessed One:

“Not by mere speech nor solely by listening
Can one advance on this firm path of practice
By which the wise ones, the meditators,
Are released from the bondage of Mara.

“Truly, the wise do not pretend,
For they have understood the way of the world.
By final knowledge the wise are quenched:
They have crossed over attachment to the world.”

Then those devatās, having alighted on the earth, prostrated themselves with their heads at the Blessed One’s feet and said to the Blessed One:“A transgression overcame us, venerable sir, being so foolish, so stupid, so unskilful that we imagined we could assail the Blessed One. Let the Blessed One pardon us for our transgression seen as such for the sake of restraint in the future.”

Then the Blessed One displayed a smile. Those devatās, finding fault to an even greater extent, then rose up into the air. One devatā recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

“If one does not grant pardon
To those who confess transgression,
Angry at heart, intent on hate,
One strongly harbours enmity.”

The Blessed One:

“If there was no transgression,
If here there was no going astray,
And if enmities were appeased,
Then one would be faultless here.”

A devatā:

“For whom are there no transgressions?
For whom is there no going astray?
Who has not fallen into confusion?
And who is the wise one, ever mindful?”

The Blessed One:

“The Tathagata, the Enlightened One,
Full of compassion for all beings:
For him there are no transgressions,
For him there is no going astray;
He has not fallen into confusion,
And he is the wise one, ever mindful.

“If one does not grant pardon
To those who confess transgression,
Angry at heart, intent on hate,
One strongly harbours enmity.
In that enmity I do not delight,
Thus I pardon your transgression.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

---

Disdain

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.
Then, late at night, several glorious deities of the Disdainful Group, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, and stood in the air.
Standing in the air, one deity recited this verse in the Buddha’s presence:
“Someone who pretends
to be other than they really are,
is like a cheating gambler
who enjoys what was gained by theft.
You should only say what you would do;
you shouldn’t say what you wouldn’t do.
The wise will recognize
one who talks without doing.”
“Not just by speaking,
nor solely by listening,
are you able to progress
on this hard path,
by which wise ones practicing absorption
are released from Māra’s bonds.
The wise certainly don’t act like that,
for they understand the way of the world.
The wise are extinguished by understanding,
they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”
Then those deities landed on the ground, bowed with their heads at the Buddha’s feet and said,
“We have made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of us to imagine we could attack the Buddha!
Please, sir, accept our mistake for what it is, so we will restrain ourselves in future.”
At that, the Buddha smiled.
Then those deities, becoming even more disdainful, flew up in the air.
One deity recited this verse in the Buddha’s presence:
“If you don’t give your pardon
when a mistake is confessed,
with hidden anger and heavy hate,
you’re stuck in your enmity.”
“If no mistake is found,
if no-one’s gone astray,
and enmities are settled,
then who could have been unskillful?”
“Who makes no mistakes?
Who doesn’t go astray?
Who doesn’t fall into confusion?
Who is the wise one that’s ever mindful?”
“The Realized One, the Buddha,
compassionate for all beings:
that’s who makes no mistakes,
and that’s who doesn’t go astray.
He doesn’t fall into confusion,
for he’s the wise one, ever mindful.
If you don’t give your pardon
when a mistake is confessed,
with hidden anger and heavy hate,
you’re stuck in your enmity.
I don’t approve of such enmity,
and so I pardon your mistake.”