1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery.1.2Atha kho sambahulā sakkā upāsakā tadahuposathe yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho sakke upāsake bhagavā etadavoca:Then on the sabbath several Sakyan lay followers went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to them:

1.3“api nu tumhe, sakkā, aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavasathā”ti?“Sakyans, do you observe the sabbath with its eight factors?”

1.4“Appekadā mayaṁ, bhante, aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavasāma, appekadā na upavasāmā”ti.“Sir, sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t.”

1.5“Tesaṁ vo, sakkā, alābhā tesaṁ dulladdhaṁ, ye tumhe evaṁ sokasabhaye jīvite maraṇasabhaye jīvite appekadā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavasatha, appekadā na upavasatha.“That’s your loss, Sakyans, it’s your misfortune. In this life with its fear of sorrow and death, you sometimes keep the sabbath and you sometimes don’t.

2.1PTS 5.84Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, sakkā,What do you think, Sakyans?2.2idha puriso yena kenaci kammaṭṭhānena anāpajja akusalaṁ divasaṁ aḍḍhakahāpaṇaṁ nibbiseyya.Take a man who earns half a dollar for an honest day’s work.2.3Dakkho puriso uṭṭhānasampannoti alaṁvacanāyā”ti?Is this enough to call him a deft and industrious man?”

2.4“Evaṁ, bhante”.“Yes, sir.”

3.1“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, sakkā,“What do you think, Sakyans?3.2idha puriso yena kenaci kammaṭṭhānena anāpajja akusalaṁ divasaṁ kahāpaṇaṁ nibbiseyya.Take a man who earns a dollar for an honest day’s work.3.3Dakkho puriso uṭṭhānasampannoti alaṁvacanāyā”ti?Is this enough to call him a deft and industrious man?”

3.4“Evaṁ, bhante”.“Yes, sir.”

4.1“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, sakkā,“What do you think, Sakyans?4.2idha puriso yena kenaci kammaṭṭhānena anāpajja akusalaṁ divasaṁ dve kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …Take a man who, for an honest day’s work, earns two dollars …4.3tayo kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …three dollars …4.4cattāro kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …four dollars …4.5pañca kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …five dollars …4.6cha kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …six dollars …4.7satta kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …seven dollars …4.8aṭṭha kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …eight dollars …4.9nava kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …nine dollars …4.10dasa kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …ten dollars …4.11vīsa kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …twenty dollars …4.12tiṁsa kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …thirty dollars …4.13cattārīsaṁ kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …forty dollars …4.14paññāsaṁ kahāpaṇe nibbiseyya …fifty dollars …4.15kahāpaṇasataṁ nibbiseyya.a hundred dollars.4.16Dakkho puriso uṭṭhānasampannoti alaṁvacanāyā”ti?Is this enough to call him a deft and industrious man?”

4.17“Evaṁ, bhante”.“Yes, sir.”

5.1“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, sakkā,“What do you think, Sakyans?5.2api nu so puriso divase divase kahāpaṇasataṁ kahāpaṇasahassaṁ nibbisamāno laddhaṁ laddhaṁ nikkhipanto vassasatāyuko vassasatajīvī mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ adhigaccheyyā”ti?Suppose that man earned a hundred or a thousand dollars every day and saved it all up. If he lived for a hundred years, would he not accumulate a large mass of wealth?”

5.3“Evaṁ, bhante”.“Yes, sir.”

6.1“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, sakkā,“What do you think, Sakyans?6.2api nu so puriso bhogahetu bhoganidānaṁ bhogādhikaraṇaṁ ekaṁ vā rattiṁ ekaṁ vā divasaṁ upaḍḍhaṁ vā rattiṁ upaḍḍhaṁ vā divasaṁ ekantasukhappaṭisaṁvedī vihareyyā”ti?Would that man, on account of that wealth, experience absolute happiness for a single day or night, or even half a day or night?”

6.3“No hetaṁ, bhante”.“No, sir.”

6.4“Taṁ kissa hetu”?“Why is that?”

6.5“Kāmā hi, bhante, aniccā tucchā musā mosadhammā”ti.“Because sensual pleasures, sir, are impermanent, hollow, false, and deceptive.”

7.1PTS 5.85“Idha pana vo, sakkā, mama sāvako dasa vassāni appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto yathā mayānusiṭṭhaṁ tathā paṭipajjamāno satampi vassāni satampi vassasatāni satampi vassasahassāni ekantasukhappaṭisaṁvedī vihareyya.“But take one of my disciples who lives diligent, keen, and resolute for ten years, practicing in line with my instructions. They can experience absolute happiness for a hundred years, ten thousand years, or a hundred thousand years.7.2So ca khvassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā apaṇṇakaṁ vā sotāpanno.And they could become a once-returner or a non-returner, or, as a sure bet, a stream-enterer.7.3Tiṭṭhantu, sakkā, dasa vassāni.Let alone ten years,8.1Idha mama sāvako nava vassāni …take one of my disciples who lives diligent, keen, and resolute for nine years …8.2aṭṭha vassāni …eight years …8.3satta vassāni …seven years …8.4cha vassāni …six years …8.5pañca vassāni …five years …8.6cattāri vassāni …four years …8.7tīṇi vassāni …three years …8.8dve vassāni …two years …8.9ekaṁ vassaṁ appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto yathā mayānusiṭṭhaṁ tathā paṭipajjamāno satampi vassāni satampi vassasatāni satampi vassasahassāni ekantasukhappaṭisaṁvedī vihareyya, so ca khvassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā apaṇṇakaṁ vā sotāpanno.one year …8.10Tiṭṭhatu, sakkā, ekaṁ vassaṁ.9.1Idha mama sāvako dasa māse appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto yathā mayānusiṭṭhaṁ tathā paṭipajjamāno satampi vassāni satampi vassasatāni satampi vassasahassāni ekantasukhappaṭisaṁvedī vihareyya, so ca khvassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā apaṇṇakaṁ vā sotāpanno.ten months …9.2Tiṭṭhantu, sakkā, dasa māsā.10.1Idha mama sāvako nava māse …nine months …10.2aṭṭha māse …eight months …10.3satta māse …seven months …10.4cha māse …six months …10.5pañca māse …five months …10.6cattāro māse …four months …10.7tayo māse …three months …10.8dve māse …two months …10.9ekaṁ māsaṁ …one month …10.10aḍḍhamāsaṁ appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto yathā mayānusiṭṭhaṁ tathā paṭipajjamāno satampi vassāni satampi vassasatāni satampi vassasahassāni ekantasukhappaṭisaṁvedī vihareyya, so ca khvassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā apaṇṇakaṁ vā sotāpanno.a fortnight …10.11Tiṭṭhatu, sakkā, aḍḍhamāso.11.1Idha mama sāvako dasa rattindive appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto yathā mayānusiṭṭhaṁ tathā paṭipajjamāno satampi vassāni satampi vassasatāni satampi vassasahassāni ekantasukhappaṭisaṁvedī vihareyya, so ca khvassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā apaṇṇakaṁ vā sotāpanno.ten days …11.2Tiṭṭhantu, sakkā, dasa rattindivā.12.1PTS 5.86Idha mama sāvako nava rattindive …nine days …12.2aṭṭha rattindive …eight days …12.3satta rattindive …seven days …12.4cha rattindive …six days …12.5pañca rattindive …five days …12.6cattāro rattindive …four days …12.7tayo rattindive …three days …12.8dve rattindive …two days …

12.9ekaṁ rattindivaṁ appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto yathā mayānusiṭṭhaṁ tathā paṭipajjamāno satampi vassāni satampi vassasatāni satampi vassasahassāni ekantasukhappaṭisaṁvedī vihareyya, so ca khvassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā apaṇṇakaṁ vā sotāpanno.Let alone two days, take one of my disciples who lives diligent, keen, and resolute for one day, practicing in line with my instructions. They can experience absolute happiness for a hundred years, ten thousand years, or a hundred thousand years. And they could become a once-returner or a non-returner, or, as a sure bet, a stream-enterer.12.10Tesaṁ vo, sakkā, alābhā tesaṁ dulladdhaṁ, ye tumhe evaṁ sokasabhaye jīvite maraṇasabhaye jīvite appekadā aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavasatha, appekadā na upavasathā”ti.It’s your loss, Sakyans, it’s your misfortune. In this life with its fear of sorrow and death, you sometimes keep the sabbath and you sometimes don’t.”

12.11“Ete mayaṁ, bhante, ajjatagge aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṁ uposathaṁ upavasissāmā”ti.“Well, sir, from this day forth we will observe the sabbath with its eight factors.”

12.12Chaṭṭhaṁ.