Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.46

Numbered Discourses 8.46

5. Uposathavagga

5. Uposatha 

Anuruddhasutta

Anuruddha and the Agreeable Deities

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā anuruddho divāvihāraṁ gato hoti paṭisallīno. Atha kho sambahulā manāpakāyikā devatā yenāyasmā anuruddho tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ anuruddhaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho tā devatā āyasmantaṁ anuruddhaṁ etadavocuṁ:

Now at that time Venerable Anuruddha had gone into retreat for the day’s meditation. Then several deities of the Lovable Host went up to Venerable Anuruddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him:

“mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, manāpakāyikā nāma devatā tīsu ṭhānesu issariyaṁ kārema vasaṁ vattema. Mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, yādisakaṁ vaṇṇaṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ vaṇṇaṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma; yādisakaṁ saraṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ saraṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma; yādisakaṁ sukhaṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ sukhaṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma. Mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, manāpakāyikā nāma devatā imesu tīsu ṭhānesu issariyaṁ kārema vasaṁ vattemā”ti.

“Honorable Anuruddha, we are the deities called ‘Lovable’. We wield authority and control over three things. We can turn any color we want on the spot. We can get any voice that we want on the spot. We can get any pleasure that we want on the spot. We are the deities called ‘Lovable’. We wield authority and control over these three things.”

Atha kho āyasmato anuruddhassa etadahosi: “aho vatimā devatā sabbāva nīlā assu nīlavaṇṇā nīlavatthā nīlālaṅkārā”ti. Atha kho tā devatā āyasmato anuruddhassa cittamaññāya sabbāva nīlā ahesuṁ nīlavaṇṇā nīlavatthā nīlālaṅkārā.

Then Venerable Anuruddha thought, “If only these deities would all turn blue, of blue color, clad in blue, adorned with blue!” Then those deities, knowing Anuruddha’s thought, all turned blue.

Atha kho āyasmato anuruddhassa etadahosi: “aho vatimā devatā sabbāva pītā assu …pe…

Then Venerable Anuruddha thought, “If only these deities would all turn yellow …”

sabbāva lohitakā assu …

“If only these gods would all turn red …”

sabbāva odātā assu odātavaṇṇā odātavatthā odātālaṅkārā”ti. Atha kho tā devatā āyasmato anuruddhassa cittamaññāya sabbāva odātā ahesuṁ odātavaṇṇā odātavatthā odātālaṅkārā.

“If only these gods would all turn white …” Then those deities, knowing Anuruddha’s thought, all turned white.

Atha kho tā devatā ekā ca¹ gāyi ekā ca nacci ekā ca² accharaṁ vādesi. Seyyathāpi nāma pañcaṅgikassa tūriyassa³ suvinītassa suppaṭipatāḷitassa kusalehi susamannāhatassa saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca; evamevaṁ tāsaṁ devatānaṁ alaṅkārānaṁ saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho indriyāni okkhipi.

Then one of those deities sang, one danced, and one snapped her fingers. Suppose there was a quintet made up of skilled musicians who had practiced well and kept excellent rhythm. They’d sound graceful, tantalizing, sensuous, lovely, and intoxicating. In the same way the performance by those deities sounded graceful, tantalizing, sensuous, lovely, and intoxicating. But Venerable Anuruddha averted his senses.

Atha kho tā devatā “na khvayyo⁴ anuruddho sādiyatī”ti⁵ tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā anuruddho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then those deities, thinking “Master Anuruddha isn’t enjoying this,” vanished right there. Then in the late afternoon, Anuruddha came out of retreat and went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened, adding:

“Idhāhaṁ, bhante, divāvihāraṁ gato homi paṭisallīno. Atha kho, bhante, sambahulā manāpakāyikā devatā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho, bhante, tā devatā maṁ etadavocuṁ: ‘mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, manāpakāyikā nāma devatā tīsu ṭhānesu issariyaṁ kārema vasaṁ vattema. Mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, yādisakaṁ vaṇṇaṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ vaṇṇaṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma; yādisakaṁ saraṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ saraṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma; yādisakaṁ sukhaṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ sukhaṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma. Mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, manāpakāyikā nāma devatā imesu tīsu ṭhānesu issariyaṁ kārema vasaṁ vattemā’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘aho vatimā devatā sabbāva nīlā assu nīlavaṇṇā nīlavatthā nīlālaṅkārā’ti. Atha kho, bhante, tā devatā mama cittamaññāya sabbāva nīlā ahesuṁ nīlavaṇṇā nīlavatthā nīlālaṅkārā.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘aho vatimā devatā sabbāva pītā assu …pe… sabbāva lohitakā assu …pe… sabbāva odātā assu odātavaṇṇā odātavatthā odātālaṅkārā’ti. Atha kho, bhante, tā devatā mama cittamaññāya sabbāva odātā ahesuṁ odātavaṇṇā odātavatthā odātālaṅkārā.

Atha kho, bhante, tā devatā ekā ca gāyi ekā ca nacci ekā ca accharaṁ vādesi. Seyyathāpi nāma pañcaṅgikassa tūriyassa suvinītassa suppaṭipatāḷitassa kusalehi susamannāhatassa saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca; evamevaṁ tāsaṁ devatānaṁ alaṅkārānaṁ saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca. Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, indriyāni okkhipi.

Atha kho, bhante, tā devatā ‘na khvayyo anuruddho sādiyatī’ti tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu. Katihi nu kho, bhante, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manāpakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti?

“How many qualities do females have so that—when their body breaks up, after death—they are reborn in company with the Gods of the Lovable Host?”

“Aṭṭhahi kho, anuruddha, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manāpakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Katamehi aṭṭhahi?

“Anuruddha, when they have eight qualities females—when their body breaks up, after death—are reborn in company with the Gods of the Lovable Host. What eight?

Idha, anuruddha, mātugāmo yassa mātāpitaro bhattuno denti atthakāmā hitesino anukampakā anukampaṁ upādāya tassa hoti pubbuṭṭhāyinī pacchānipātinī kiṅkārapaṭissāvinī manāpacārinī piyavādinī.

Take the case of a female whose mother and father give her to a husband wanting what’s best for her, out of kindness and compassion. She would get up before him and go to bed after him, and be obliging, behaving nicely and speaking politely.

Ye te bhattu garuno⁶ honti—mātāti vā pitāti vā samaṇabrāhmaṇāti vā—te sakkaroti, garuṁ karoti, māneti, pūjeti, abbhāgate ca āsanodakena paṭipūjeti.

She honors, respects, esteems, and venerates those her husband respects, such as mother and father, and ascetics and brahmins. And when they arrive she serves them with a seat and water.

Ye te bhattu abbhantarā kammantā—uṇṇāti vā kappāsāti vā—tattha dakkhā hoti analasā tatrupāyāya⁷ vīmaṁsāya samannāgatā alaṁ kātuṁ alaṁ saṁvidhātuṁ.

She’s deft and tireless in her husband’s household duties, such as knitting and sewing. She understands how to go about things in order to complete and organize the work.

Yo so bhattu abbhantaro antojano—dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā—tesaṁ katañca katato jānāti akatañca akatato jānāti, gilānakānañca balābalaṁ jānāti khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyañcassa paccaṁsena⁸ saṁvibhajati.

She knows what work her husband’s domestic bondservants, employees, and workers have completed, and what they’ve left incomplete. She knows who is sick, and who is fit or unwell. She distributes to each a fair portion of fresh and cooked foods.

Yaṁ bhattu āharati dhanaṁ vā dhaññaṁ vā jātarūpaṁ vā taṁ ārakkhena guttiyā sampādeti, tattha ca hoti adhuttī athenī asoṇḍī avināsikā.

She ensures that any income her husband earns is guarded and protected, whether money, grain, silver, or gold. She doesn’t overspend, steal, waste, or lose it.

Upāsikā kho pana hoti buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā.

She’s a lay follower who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, his teaching, and the Saṅgha.

Sīlavatī kho pana hoti—pāṇātipātā paṭiviratā, adinnādānā paṭiviratā, kāmesumicchācārā paṭiviratā, musāvādā paṭiviratā, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭiviratā.

She’s ethical. She doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or use alcoholic drinks that cause negligence.

Cāgavatī kho pana hoti. Vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati muttacāgā⁹ payatapāṇinī vossaggaratā yācayogā dānasaṁvibhāgaratā.

She’s generous. She lives at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.

Imehi kho, anuruddha, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manāpakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatīti.

When they have these eight qualities females—when their body breaks up, after death—are reborn in company with the Gods of the Lovable Host.

Yo naṁ bharati sabbadā, niccaṁ ātāpi ussuko; Taṁ sabbakāmadaṁ posaṁ, bhattāraṁ nātimaññati.

She’d never look down on her husband, who’s always eager to work hard, always looking after her, and bringing whatever she wants.

Na cāpi sotthi bhattāraṁ, issāvādena rosaye; Bhattu ca garuno sabbe, paṭipūjeti paṇḍitā.

And a good woman never scolds her husband with jealous words. Being astute, she reveres those respected by her husband.

Uṭṭhāhikā¹⁰ analasā, saṅgahitaparijjanā; Bhattu manāpaṁ carati, sambhataṁ anurakkhati.

She gets up early, works tirelessly, and manages the domestic help. She’s lovable to her husband, and preserves his wealth.

Yā evaṁ vattati nārī, bhattu chandavasānugā; Manāpā nāma te¹¹ devā, yattha sā upapajjatī”ti.

A lady who fulfills these duties according to her husband’s desire, is reborn among the gods called ‘Lovable’.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.