Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.39

Numbered Discourses 3.39

4. Devadūtavagga

4. Messengers of the Gods

Sukhumālasutta

A Delicate Lifestyle

“Sukhumālo ahaṁ, bhikkhave, paramasukhumālo accantasukhumālo.

“My lifestyle was delicate, bhikkhus, most delicate, extremely delicate.

Mama sudaṁ, bhikkhave, pitu nivesane pokkharaṇiyo kāritā honti. Ekattha sudaṁ, bhikkhave, uppalaṁ¹ vappati, ekattha padumaṁ, ekattha puṇḍarīkaṁ, yāvadeva mamatthāya. Na kho panassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, akāsikaṁ candanaṁ dhāremi. Kāsikaṁ, bhikkhave, su me taṁ veṭhanaṁ hoti, kāsikā kañcukā, kāsikaṁ nivāsanaṁ, kāsiko uttarāsaṅgo. Rattindivaṁ² kho pana me su taṁ, bhikkhave, setacchattaṁ dhārīyati: ‘mā naṁ phusi sītaṁ vā uṇhaṁ vā tiṇaṁ vā rajo vā ussāvo vā’ti.

In my father’s home, lotus ponds were made just for me. In some, blue water lilies blossomed, while in others, there were pink or white lotuses, just for my benefit. I only used sandalwood from Kāsi, and my turbans, jackets, sarongs, and upper robes also came from Kāsi. And a white parasol was held over me night and day, with the thought: ‘Don’t let cold, heat, grass, dust, or damp bother him.’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, tayo pāsādā ahesuṁ—eko hemantiko, eko gimhiko, eko vassiko. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, vassike pāsāde vassike cattāro māse nippurisehi tūriyehi paricārayamāno³ na heṭṭhāpāsādaṁ orohāmi.

I had three stilt longhouses—one for the winter, one for the summer, and one for the rainy season. I stayed in a stilt longhouse without coming downstairs for the four months of the rainy season, where I was entertained by musicians—none of them men.

Yathā kho pana, bhikkhave, aññesaṁ nivesane⁴ dāsakammakaraporisassa kaṇājakaṁ bhojanaṁ dīyati bilaṅgadutiyaṁ, evamevassu me, bhikkhave, pitu nivesane dāsakammakaraporisassa sālimaṁsodano dīyati.

While the bondservants, workers, and staff in other houses are given rough gruel with pickles to eat, in my father’s home they are given fine rice with meat.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, evarūpāya iddhiyā samannāgatassa evarūpena ca sukhumālena etadahosi: ‘assutavā kho puthujjano attanā jarādhammo samāno jaraṁ anatīto paraṁ jiṇṇaṁ disvā aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati attānaṁyeva atisitvā, ahampi khomhi jarādhammo jaraṁ anatīto. Ahañceva⁵ kho pana jarādhammo samāno jaraṁ anatīto paraṁ jiṇṇaṁ disvā aṭṭīyeyyaṁ harāyeyyaṁ jiguccheyyaṁ na metaṁ assa patirūpan’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhato yo yobbane yobbanamado so sabbaso pahīyi.

Amid such prosperity and such a delicate lifestyle, I thought: ‘When an unlearned ordinary person—who is liable to grow old, not being exempt from old age—sees someone else who is old, they’re horrified, repelled, and disgusted, overlooking the fact that they themselves are in the same situation. But since I, too, am liable to grow old, it would not be appropriate for me to be horrified, embarrassed, and disgusted, when I see someone else who is old.’ Reflecting like this, I entirely gave up the vanity of youth.

Assutavā kho puthujjano attanā byādhidhammo samāno byādhiṁ anatīto paraṁ byādhitaṁ disvā aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati attānaṁyeva atisitvā: ‘ahampi khomhi byādhidhammo byādhiṁ anatīto, ahañceva kho pana byādhidhammo samāno byādhiṁ anatīto paraṁ byādhikaṁ disvā aṭṭīyeyyaṁ harāyeyyaṁ jiguccheyyaṁ, na metaṁ assa patirūpan’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhato yo ārogye ārogyamado so sabbaso pahīyi.

‘When an unlearned ordinary person—who is liable to get sick, not being exempt from sickness—sees someone else who is sick, they’re horrified, repelled, and disgusted, overlooking the fact that they themselves are in the same situation. But since I, too, am liable to get sick, it would not be appropriate for me to be horrified, embarrassed, and disgusted, when I see someone else who is sick.’ Reflecting like this, I entirely gave up the vanity of health.

Assutavā kho puthujjano attanā maraṇadhammo samāno maraṇaṁ anatīto paraṁ mataṁ disvā aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati attānaṁyeva atisitvā: ‘ahampi khomhi maraṇadhammo, maraṇaṁ anatīto, ahaṁ ceva kho pana maraṇadhammo samāno maraṇaṁ anatīto paraṁ mataṁ disvā aṭṭīyeyyaṁ harāyeyyaṁ jiguccheyyaṁ, na metaṁ assa patirūpan’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhato yo jīvite jīvitamado so sabbaso pahīyīti.

‘When an unlearned ordinary person—who is liable to die, not being exempt from death—sees someone else who is dead, they’re horrified, repelled, and disgusted, overlooking the fact that they themselves are in the same situation. But since I, too, am liable to die, it would not be appropriate for me to be horrified, embarrassed, and disgusted, when I see someone else who is dead.’ Reflecting like this, I entirely gave up the vanity of life.

Tayome, bhikkhave, madā. Katame tayo? Yobbanamado, ārogyamado, jīvitamado.

There are these three vanities. What three? The vanity of youth, of health, and of life.

Yobbanamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano kāyena duccaritaṁ carati, vācāya duccaritaṁ carati, manasā duccaritaṁ carati. So kāyena duccaritaṁ caritvā, vācāya duccaritaṁ caritvā, manasā duccaritaṁ caritvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.

Intoxicated with the vanity of youth, an unlearned ordinary person does bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

Ārogyamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano …pe…

Intoxicated with the vanity of health …

jīvitamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano kāyena duccaritaṁ carati, vācāya duccaritaṁ carati, manasā duccaritaṁ carati. So kāyena duccaritaṁ caritvā, vācāya duccaritaṁ caritvā, manasā duccaritaṁ caritvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.

Intoxicated with the vanity of life, an unlearned ordinary person does bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

Yobbanamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati. Ārogyamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… jīvitamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattatīti.

Intoxicated with the vanity of youth, health, or life, a bhikkhu resigns the training and returns to a lesser life.

Byādhidhammā jarādhammā, atho maraṇadhammino; Yathādhammā⁶ tathāsantā, jigucchanti puthujjanā.

For others, sickness is natural, and so are old age and death. Though this is how their nature is, ordinary people feel disgusted.

Ahañce taṁ jiguccheyyaṁ, evaṁdhammesu pāṇisu; Na metaṁ patirūpassa, mama evaṁ vihārino.

If I were to be disgusted with creatures whose nature is such, it would not be appropriate for me, since my life is just the same.

Sohaṁ evaṁ viharanto, ñatvā dhammaṁ nirūpadhiṁ; Ārogye yobbanasmiñca, jīvitasmiñca ye madā.

Living in such a way, I understood the reality without attachments. I mastered all vanities—of health, of youth,

Sabbe made abhibhosmi, Nekkhamme daṭṭhu khemataṁ; Tassa me ahu ussāho, Nibbānaṁ abhipassato.

and even of life—seeing renunciation as sanctuary. Zeal sprang up in me as I looked to Nibbana.

Nāhaṁ bhabbo etarahi, Kāmāni paṭisevituṁ; Anivatti bhavissāmi, Brahmacariyaparāyaṇo”ti.

Now I’m unable to indulge in sensual pleasures; there’s no turning back, I’m committed to the spiritual life.”

Navamaṁ.