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Homage to him, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One. The Connected Discourses The Section with Verses 1. The Connected Discourses with Devas 1. The Naḷa Chapter 1. The Discourse on Crossing the Flood Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then a certain deity, when the night was far advanced, with resplendent beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, she stood to one side. Standing to one side, that deity said to the Blessed One: "How, venerable sir, did you cross the flood?" "Without standing still, friend, without striving, I crossed the flood." "But how, venerable sir, without standing still, without striving, did you cross the flood?" "When I stood still, friend, then I sank. When I strove, friend, then I was swept away. Thus, friend, without standing still, without striving, I crossed the flood." "After a long time, indeed, I see a brahmin fully extinguished, without standing still, without striving, one who has crossed the entanglement in the world." – That deity said this. The Teacher approved. Then that deity, thinking, "My Teacher has approved," paid homage to the Blessed One, circumambulated him clockwise, and vanished right there. 2. The Discourse on Release At Sāvatthī. Then a certain deity, when the night was far advanced, with resplendent beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, she stood to one side. Standing to one side, that deity said to the Blessed One: "Do you know, venerable sir, the release, the liberation, the seclusion of beings?" "I do know, friend, the release, the liberation, the seclusion of beings." "But how, venerable sir, do you know the release, the liberation, the seclusion of beings?" "By the destruction of delight in existence..." the destruction of becoming, the destruction of perception and consciousness, the cessation and calming of feelings— thus, friend, I know the release, the liberation, the seclusion of beings.” 3. Upanīya Sutta 3. At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: “Life is led on, short is the lifespan; for one led on by old age, there are no protectors. Seeing this danger in death, one should do deeds of merit that bring happiness.” “Life is led on, short is the lifespan; for one led on by old age, there are no protectors. Seeing this danger in death, one should abandon worldly bait, seeking peace.” 4. Accenti Sutta 4. At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: “Times pass, nights cross over, the stages of life gradually abandon one. Seeing this danger in death, one should do deeds of merit that bring happiness.” “Times pass, nights cross over, the stages of life gradually abandon one. Seeing this danger in death, one should abandon worldly bait, seeking peace.” 5. Katichinda Sutta 5. At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: “How many should one cut, how many abandon, how many more should one develop? How many bonds has a bhikkhu transcended, to be called one who has crossed the flood?” “Five should one cut, five abandon, five more should one develop. Five bonds has a bhikkhu transcended, to be called one who has crossed the flood.” 6. Jāgara Sutta 6. At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: “How many are asleep among the vigilant? How many are vigilant among the sleeping? By how many does one accumulate dust? By how many is one purified?” “Five are asleep among the vigilant, five are vigilant among the sleeping. By five does one accumulate dust, by five is one purified.” 7. Appaṭividita Sutta 7. At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: Whose truths are not understood, They are led by others' views; Asleep, they do not awaken, It is time for them to awaken. Whose truths are well understood, They are not led by others' views; They, fully enlightened, rightly knowing, Walk evenly amidst unevenness. 8. The Discourse on the Well-Forgotten 8. At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: Whose truths are well-forgotten, They are led by others' views; Asleep, they do not awaken, It is time for them to awaken. Whose truths are not forgotten, They are not led by others' views; They, fully enlightened, rightly knowing, Walk evenly amidst unevenness. 9. The Discourse on One Desiring Conceit 9. At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: For one desiring conceit, there is no self-control here, Nor silence for one not composed; Dwelling alone in the forest, heedless, He will not cross the realm of Death. Having abandoned conceit, with a well-composed self, Pure-minded, everywhere liberated; Dwelling alone in the forest, heedful, He will cross the realm of Death. 10. The Discourse on the Forest 10. At Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity addressed the Blessed One with a verse: For those dwelling in the forest, Peaceful, living the holy life; Eating a single meal, By what does their complexion become clear? They do not grieve over the past, They do not long for the future; They sustain themselves with the present, By that their complexion becomes clear. By longing for the future, And grieving over the past; By this, fools wither, Like a green reed cut down. The First Chapter, The Reed. Its summary – Flood, Deliverance, Leading, They pass, How many cut, and; Awake, Not understood, Well-forgotten, Desiring conceit; Forest is called the tenth, By that the chapter is named. 2. The Chapter on Joy 1. The Discourse on Joy 11. Thus have I heard – on one At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Bhikkhus!" "Venerable Sir!" those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One spoke thus: "Formerly, bhikkhus, a certain deity of the Tāvatiṃsa group, surrounded by a host of nymphs in the Nandana grove, endowed and furnished with the five divine sense pleasures, being served, at that time uttered this verse: "They do not know happiness, who do not see Nandana; The abode of human-gods, of the glorious thirty-three." "When this was said, bhikkhus, another deity replied to that deity with a verse: "You, fool, do not know, the word of the Arahants; All formations are impermanent, of the nature to arise and cease; Having arisen, they cease, their cessation is happiness." 2. The Discourse on Rejoicing 12. Occasion at Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity uttered this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: "One with sons rejoices in sons, One with cattle rejoices in cattle; A person's rejoicing is in attachments, He who has no attachments does not rejoice." "One with sons grieves for sons, One with cattle grieves for cattle; A person's grieving is in attachments, He who has no attachments does not grieve." 3. The Discourse on Nothing Equal to a Son 13. Occasion at Sāvatthī. Standing to one side, that deity uttered this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: "There is no love like a son, no wealth like cattle; There is no light like the sun, lakes are supreme among waters." "There is no love like oneself, no wealth like grain; There is no light like wisdom, rain is indeed supreme among waters." 4. The Discourse on the Noble Warrior 14. "The noble warrior is supreme among bipeds, the ox... a quadruped. The maiden is best among wives, and the firstborn among sons.” “The Buddha is best among bipeds, the thoroughbred among quadrupeds; Obedience is best among wives, and the obedient among sons.” 5. The Saṇamāna Sutta “When it is midday, and the birds are settled, the great forest rustles, that fear appears to me.” “When it is midday, and the birds are settled, the great forest rustles, that delight appears to me.” 6. The Niddātandī Sutta “Sloth, torpor, yawning, discontent, and food-satiety— by these the noble path is not revealed here to a being.” “Having dispelled sloth, torpor, yawning, discontent, and food-satiety with energy, the noble path becomes purified.” 7. The Dukkara Sutta “Difficult and hard to endure is recluseship for the unskilled. Many are the obstacles there where the fool sinks down.” “How could one practice recluseship if the mind is not restrained? At every step one would sink down, following the sway of intentions.” “Like a tortoise withdrawing its limbs into its own shell, a bhikkhu, gathering his mental thoughts, unattached, not harming others, fully extinguished, would not blame anyone.” 8. The Hirī Sutta “Is there anyone in the world restrained by shame, who awakens to blame, like a good horse to the whip?” “Those who are restrained by shame, who always live mindfully, reach the end of suffering, they walk evenly on uneven ground.” 9. The Kuṭikā Sutta “Do you have no hut? Do you have no nest? Do you have no entanglements? Are you freed from bonds?” “Indeed, I have no hut; indeed, I have no nest; indeed, I have no entanglements; indeed, I am freed from bonds.” “What hut do I call you O, what shall I call your hut? What shall I call your nest? What shall I call your offspring? What shall I call your bond? You call the mother a hut, You call the wife a nest; You call the children offspring, You call craving my bond. Good for you, no hut exists, Good, no nest exists; Good, no offspring exist, Good, you are freed from the bond. 10. The Discourse on Samiddhi Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Rājagaha, in the Tapoda Park.