1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.1.3Tena kho pana samayena rājagahe suppabuddho nāma kuṭṭhī ahosi—At that time in Rājagaha there was a leper called Suppabuddha.1.4manussadaliddo, manussakapaṇo, manussavarāko.He was a poor person, destitute, and pitiful.1.5Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā mahatiyā parisāya parivuto dhammaṁ desento nisinno hoti.Now, at that time the Buddha was teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly.

2.1Addasā kho suppabuddho kuṭṭhī taṁ mahājanakāyaṁ dūratova sannipatitaṁ.Suppabuddha saw the crowd seated off in the distance2.2Disvānassa etadahosi:and thought,2.3“nissaṁsayaṁ kho ettha kiñci khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā bhājīyati.“Surely some fresh and cooked foods will be distributed there.2.4Yannūnāhaṁ yena so mahājanakāyo tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ.Why don’t I approach the crowd?2.5Appeva nāmettha kiñci khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā labheyyan”ti.Hopefully I’ll get something to eat.”

3.1Atha kho suppabuddho kuṭṭhī yena so mahājanakāyo tenupasaṅkami.So he approached the crowd3.2Addasā kho suppabuddho kuṭṭhī bhagavantaṁ mahatiyā parisāya parivutaṁ dhammaṁ desentaṁ nisinnaṁ.where he saw the Buddha teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly.3.3Disvānassa etadahosi:When he saw this he thought,3.4“na kho ettha kiñci khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā bhājīyati.“There’s no food being distributed here.3.5Samaṇo ayaṁ gotamo parisati dhammaṁ deseti.The ascetic Gotama is teaching Dhamma in an assembly.3.6Yannūnāhampi dhammaṁ suṇeyyan”ti.Why don’t I also listen to the teaching?”3.7Tattheva ekamantaṁ nisīdi:Right there he sat down to one side, thinking,3.8“ahampi dhammaṁ sossāmī”ti.“I also will listen to the teaching.”

4.1Atha kho bhagavā sabbāvantaṁ parisaṁ cetasā ceto paricca manasākāsiThen the Buddha focused on encompassing the minds of everyone in the assembly, thinking,4.2“ko nu kho idha bhabbo dhammaṁ viññātun”ti?“Who here is capable of understanding the teaching?”4.3Addasā kho bhagavā suppabuddhaṁ kuṭṭhiṁ tassaṁ parisāyaṁ nisinnaṁ.He saw Suppabuddha sitting in the assembly,¹4.4Disvānassa etadahosi:and thought,4.5“ayaṁ kho idha bhabbo dhammaṁ viññātun”ti.“He is capable of understanding the teaching.”4.6Suppabuddhaṁ kuṭṭhiṁ ārabbha anupubbiṁ kathaṁ kathesi, seyyathidaṁ—He gave a step by step talk especially for Suppabuddha4.7dānakathaṁ sīlakathaṁ saggakathaṁ; kāmānaṁ ādīnavaṁ okāraṁ saṅkilesaṁ; nekkhamme ānisaṁsaṁ pakāsesi.on giving, ethical conduct, and heaven. He revealed the drawbacks of sensual pleasures, so sordid and corrupt, and the benefit of renunciation.4.8Yadā bhagavā aññāsi suppabuddhaṁ kuṭṭhiṁ kallacittaṁ muducittaṁ vinīvaraṇacittaṁ udaggacittaṁ pasannacittaṁ, atha yā buddhānaṁ sāmukkaṁsikā dhammadesanā taṁ pakāsesi—When the Buddha knew that Suppabuddha’s mind was ready, pliable, rid of hindrances, elated, and confident he revealed the special teaching of the Buddhas:4.9dukkhaṁ, samudayaṁ, nirodhaṁ, maggaṁ.suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.4.10Seyyathāpi nāma suddhaṁ vatthaṁ apagatakāḷakaṁ sammadeva rajanaṁ paṭiggaṇheyya;Just as a clean cloth rid of stains would properly absorb dye,4.11evamevaṁ suppabuddhassa kuṭṭhissa tasmiṁyeva āsane virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi:in that very seat the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in Suppabuddha:4.12“yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman”ti.“Everything that is liable to arise is liable to cease.”

5.1Atha kho suppabuddho kuṭṭhī diṭṭhadhammo pattadhammo viditadhammo pariyogāḷhadhammo tiṇṇavicikiccho vigatakathaṅkatho vesārajjappatto aparappaccayo satthu sāsane uṭṭhāyāsanā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho suppabuddho kuṭṭhī bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Then Suppabuddha saw, attained, understood, and fathomed the Dhamma. He went beyond doubt, got rid of indecision, and became self-assured and independent of others regarding the Teacher’s instructions. He rose from his seat and went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said:

6.1“Abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante.“Excellent, sir! Excellent!6.2Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhagavatā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, the Buddha has made the teaching clear in many ways.6.3Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.6.4Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

7.1Atha kho suppabuddho kuṭṭhī bhagavatā dhammiyā kathāya sandassito samādapito samuttejito sampahaṁsito bhagavatā bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.After Suppabuddha had been educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired with a Dhamma talk by the Buddha, he got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.7.2Atha kho acirapakkantaṁ suppabuddhaṁ kuṭṭhiṁ gāvī taruṇavacchā adhipatitvā jīvitā voropesi.But soon after Suppabuddha had left, a cow with a baby calf charged at him and took his life.

8.1Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said,8.2Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:8.3“yo so, bhante, suppabuddho nāma kuṭṭhī bhagavatā dhammiyā kathāya sandassito samādapito samuttejito sampahaṁsito, so kālaṅkato.“The leper named Suppabuddha, after being educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired with a Dhamma talk by the Buddha, has passed away.8.4Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti?Where has he been reborn in his next life?”

9.1“Paṇḍito, bhikkhave, suppabuddho kuṭṭhī; paccapādi dhammassānudhammaṁ; na ca maṁ dhammādhikaraṇaṁ vihesesi.“Mendicants, Suppabuddha was astute. He practiced in line with the teaching, and did not trouble me about the teachings.9.2Suppabuddho, bhikkhave, kuṭṭhī tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo”ti.With the ending of three fetters, Suppabuddha is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.”

10.1Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha,10.2“ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo yena suppabuddho kuṭṭhī ahosi—“What is the cause, sir, what is the reason why Suppabuddha became a leper,10.3manussadaliddo, manussakapaṇo, manussavarāko”ti?a poor person, destitute, and pitiful?”

11.1“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, suppabuddho kuṭṭhī imasmiṁyeva rājagahe seṭṭhiputto ahosi.“Once upon a time, mendicants, Suppabuddha used to be a financier’s son right here in Rājagaha.11.2So uyyānabhūmiṁ niyyanto addasa tagarasikhiṁ paccekabuddhaṁ nagaraṁ piṇḍāya pavisantaṁ.On his way to visit a park, he saw Tagarasikhī, an independent Buddha, entering the city for alms.11.3Disvānassa etadahosi:When he saw this he thought,11.4‘kvāyaṁ kuṭṭhī kuṭṭhicīvarena vicaratī’ti?“Who is this leper wandering about with his leper’s robe?”11.5Niṭṭhubhitvā apasabyato karitvā pakkāmi.Before leaving, he spat on the ground and turned his left side to Tagarasikhī.²11.6So tassa kammassa vipākena bahūni vassasatāni bahūni vassasahassāni bahūni vassasatasahassāni niraye paccittha.As a result of that deed he burned in hell for many years, for many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of years.11.7Tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena imasmiṁyeva rājagahe kuṭṭhī ahosi manussadaliddo, manussakapaṇo, manussavarāko.And as a residual result of that same deed, he became a leper right here in Rājagaha, a poor person, destitute and pitiful.11.8So tathāgatappaveditaṁ dhammavinayaṁ āgamma saddhaṁ samādiyi sīlaṁ samādiyi sutaṁ samādiyi cāgaṁ samādiyi paññaṁ samādiyi.But owing to faith in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One, he undertook ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.11.9So tathāgatappaveditaṁ dhammavinayaṁ āgamma saddhaṁ samādiyitvā sīlaṁ samādiyitvā sutaṁ samādiyitvā cāgaṁ samādiyitvā paññaṁ samādiyitvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapanno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ sahabyataṁ.After undertaking these things, when his body broke up, after death, he was reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm, in the company of the gods of the thirty-three.11.10So tattha aññe deve atirocati vaṇṇena ceva yasasā cā”ti.There he outshines the other gods in beauty and glory.”

12.1Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

13.1“Cakkhumā visamānīva,∥“As a clear-eyed man would avoid rough paths,13.2vijjamāne parakkame;so long as strength is found;13.3Paṇḍito jīvalokasmiṁ,an astute person in the living world,13.4pāpāni parivajjaye”ti.would shun bad deeds.”

13.5Tatiyaṁ.