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SN 4.18PTS (1st ed) SN 1.1131 min read

Alms Food

Piṇḍasutta

Māra ensures that the Buddha fails to get alms, but the Buddha is happy to feed on joy.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 4.18Linked Discourses 4.18
  • 0.22. Dutiyavagga2. Rule

0.3PiṇḍasuttaAlms Food

1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā magadhesu viharati pañcasālāyaṁ brāhmaṇagāme.At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Magadhans near the brahmin village of Pañcasālā.1

1.2Tena kho pana samayena pañcasālāyaṁ brāhmaṇagāme kumārikānaṁ pāhunakāni bhavanti.Now at that time in Pañcasālā the young maidens were occupied with guests.21.3Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya pañcasālaṁ brāhmaṇagāmaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Pañcasālā for alms.

1.4Tena kho pana samayena pañcasāleyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā mārena pāpimatā anvāviṭṭhā bhavanti:Now at that time Māra had possessed the brahmins and householders of Pañcasālā, so that they thought,1.5“mā samaṇo gotamo piṇḍamalatthā”ti.“Don’t let the ascetic Gotama get any alms!”

2.1Atha kho bhagavā yathādhotena pattena pañcasālaṁ brāhmaṇagāmaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi tathādhotena pattena paṭikkami.Then the Buddha left the village with his bowl as clean-washed as it was when he entered for alms.

2.2Atha kho māro pāpimā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and said to him,2.3“api tvaṁ, samaṇa, piṇḍamalatthā”ti?“Well, ascetic, did you get any alms?”

2.4“Tathā nu tvaṁ, pāpima, akāsi yathāhaṁ piṇḍaṁ na labheyyan”ti.“Wicked One, did you make sure I didn’t get any alms?”

2.5“Tena hi, bhante, bhagavā dutiyampi pañcasālaṁ brāhmaṇagāmaṁ piṇḍāya pavisatu.“Well then, sir, let the Buddha enter Pañcasālā a second time for alms.2.6Tathāhaṁ karissāmi yathā bhagavā piṇḍaṁ lacchatī”ti.I’ll make sure you get alms.”3

3.1“Apuññaṁ pasavi māro,“Māra has produced wickedness3.2āsajja naṁ tathāgataṁ;in attacking the Realized One.3.3Kiṁ nu maññasi pāpima,Wicked One, do you imagine that3.4na me pāpaṁ vipaccati.your wickedness won’t bear fruit?

4.1Susukhaṁ vata jīvāma,Let us live so very happily,4.2yesaṁ no natthi kiñcanaṁ;we who have nothing.4.3Pītibhakkhā bhavissāma,We shall feed on rapture,4.4devā ābhassarā yathā”ti.like the gods of sublime luminosity.”

5.1Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ bhagavā, jānāti maṁ sugato”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The Buddha knows me! The Holy One knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.

Translator’s notes

  1. “Fivehall”.

    ↩ sn4.18:1.1
  2. Pāhunaka means “(honored) guest”. When such arrived they were to be looked after (Mil 5.1.2:11.2). It seems that there was an influx of travelers who were being attended by the youngsters. Māra took advantage of the situation to possess the adults, the implication being that they were already stretched thin. The commentary, alternatively, offers a story of a gift festival.

    The youngsters’ gender varies in manuscripts, sometimes feminine, sometimes masculine (i.e. universal). But the commentary favors the feminine.

    ↩ sn4.18:1.2
  3. He is of course lying.

    ↩ sn4.18:2.6