0.3TāyanasuttaWith Tāyana
1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.
1.2Atha kho tāyano devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.Then, late at night, the glorious godling Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side,11.3Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho tāyano devaputto bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:
2.1“Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,“Cut the stream, striving!22.2kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;Cast aside sensual pleasures, brahmin.2.3Nappahāya munī kāme,A sage who doesn’t give up sensual pleasures2.4nekattamupapajjati.is not reborn in a unified state.3
3.1Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,If one is to do what should be done,3.2daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;one should staunchly strive.3.3Sithilo hi paribbājo,For the life gone forth when laxly led3.4bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.just stirs up dust all the more.
4.1Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,A bad deed is better left undone,4.2pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;for it will plague you later on.4.3Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,A good deed is better done,4.4yaṁ katvā nānutappati.one that does not plague you.
5.1Kuso yathā duggahito,When kusa grass is wrongly grasped5.2hatthamevānukantati;it only cuts the hand.5.3Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken,5.4nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.drags you to hell.
6.1Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,Any lax act,6.2saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;any corrupt observance,6.3Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,or suspicious spiritual life,6.4na taṁ hoti mahapphalan”ti.is not very fruitful.”
7.1Idamavoca tāyano devaputto;That is what the godling Tāyana said.7.2idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.
8.1Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.
8.2“imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ tāyano nāma devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.“Mendicants, tonight, the glorious godling Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side,8.3Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto mama santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:and recited these verses in my presence.” The Buddha repeated the verses in full, adding:
9.1‘Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,9.2kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;9.3Nappahāya munī kāme,9.4nekattamupapajjati.
10.1Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,10.2daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;10.3Sithilo hi paribbājo,10.4bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.
11.1Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,11.2pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;11.3Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,11.4yaṁ katvā nānutappati.
12.1Kuso yathā duggahito,12.2hatthamevānukantati;12.3Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,12.4nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.
13.1Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,13.2saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;13.3Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,13.4na taṁ hoti mahapphalan’ti.
14.1Idamavoca, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto, idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.“That is what the godling Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there.14.2Uggaṇhātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā;Mendicants, learn the verses of Tāyana!14.3pariyāpuṇātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā;Memorize the verses of Tāyana!14.4dhāretha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā.Remember the verses of Tāyana!14.5Atthasaṁhitā, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā ādibrahmacariyikā”ti.These verses are beneficial and relate to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.”