English
At one time, a certain bhikkhu was dwelling in Kosala in a certain forest grove. Then, the deity dwelling in that forest grove approached that bhikkhu; having approached, she spoke this verse in the presence of that bhikkhu: “When it is midday, When the birds are settled; The great forest resounds, That fear appears to me. “When it is midday, When the birds are settled; The great forest resounds, That delight appears to me.” 13. The Unrestrained Faculties Sutta At one time, many bhikkhus were dwelling in Kosala in a certain forest grove, agitated, arrogant, fickle, talkative, with scattered speech, unmindful, not fully aware, not concentrated, with distracted minds, with unrestrained faculties. Then, the deity dwelling in that forest grove, out of compassion for those bhikkhus, desiring their welfare, wishing to stir those bhikkhus to urgency, approached those bhikkhus; having approached, she addressed those bhikkhus with verses: “Happy-living were formerly The bhikkhus, disciples of Gotama; Without desire for alms-seeking, Without desire for lodging; Knowing the impermanence in the world, They made an end of suffering. “Making themselves difficult to support, Like village headmen in a village; Having eaten and eaten, they lie down, entangled in pleasures. Having made an añjali to the Saṅgha, I say this to some here: Abandoned, helpless are they, just like hungry ghosts are they. Those who dwell heedlessly, it is about them I speak; Those who dwell heedfully, to them I pay homage. Then those bhikkhus, moved by that deity, experienced a sense of urgency. 14. The Scent-Thief Sutta 234. At one time, a certain bhikkhu was dwelling in the Kosalas, in a certain forest thicket. At that time, that bhikkhu, having returned from his alms-round after his meal, entered a pond and sniffed a lotus. Then the deity dwelling in that forest thicket, out of compassion for that bhikkhu, desiring his welfare, wishing to stir him to urgency, approached that bhikkhu; having approached, she addressed that bhikkhu with a verse: This water-born flower you sniff, though not given; This is one aspect of theft, you are a scent-thief, good sir. I do not take, I do not break, I sniff the water-born from afar; Then by what reason am I called a scent-thief? He who digs up lotus roots, who breaks off white lotuses; Such a one with many deeds, why is he not called that? A man with many cruel deeds, smeared like a nurse's cloth; About him I have no word, but you I am fit to address. For a person without defilements, always seeking purity; An evil as small as a hair's tip, appears like a thundercloud. Indeed, O yakkha, you know me, and you have compassion for me; Speak again, O yakkha, when you see such a thing. We do not depend on you for life, nor are we your hired servants; You yourself, bhikkhu, should know by what path one goes to a good destination. Then that bhikkhu, moved by that deity, experienced a sense of urgency. The Forest Saṃyutta is finished. Its summary: Solitude and attendance, with Kassapa Gotama and many; Ānanda and Anuruddha, Nāgadatta and the lady of the house. Vajjiputta And Vesālī, by improper recitation; At midday, with senses clear, with a lotus flower, makes fourteen.