Evaṁ me sutaṁ—ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati gomagge siṁsapāvane paṇṇasanthare.
Thus have I heard—At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at |Āḷavi::name of a town and the surrounding country where the Buddha often stayed and taught. Geographically, Āḷavi was located between Sāvatthi and Vesāli [āḷavī]|, on a heap of leaves spread out on a cow track in a |Simsapa::Dalbergia tree; Indian Rosewood [siṃsapā]| grove.
Atha kho hatthako āḷavako jaṅghāvihāraṁ anucaṅkamamāno anuvicaramāno addasa bhagavantaṁ gomagge siṁsapāvane paṇṇasanthare nisinnaṁ. Disvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho hatthako āḷavako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kacci, bhante bhagavā, sukhamasayitthā”ti?
Then, Hatthaka of Āḷavi, while walking and wandering about, saw the Blessed One seated on a spread of leaves on a cow track in the Simsapa grove. Seeing him, he approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. As he sat there, Hatthaka of Āḷavi said to the Blessed One: “I hope, venerable sir, that the Blessed One slept comfortably?”
“Evaṁ, kumāra, sukhamasayitthaṁ. Ye ca pana loke sukhaṁ senti, ahaṁ tesaṁ aññataro”ti.
“Yes, young man, I slept comfortably. Among those in the world who sleep comfortably, I am one of them.”
“Sītā, bhante, hemantikā ratti, antaraṭṭhako himapātasamayo, kharā gokaṇṭakahatā bhūmi, tanuko paṇṇasantharo, viraḷāni rukkhassa pattāni, sītāni kāsāyāni vatthāni, sīto ca verambho vāto vāyati. Atha ca pana bhagavā evamāha: ‘evaṁ, kumāra, sukhamasayitthaṁ. Ye ca pana loke sukhaṁ senti, ahaṁ tesaṁ aññataro’”ti.
“But, venerable sir, the winter nights are |cold::chilly [sīta]|; it is |midwinter::coldest part of the winter; lit. between the eights [antaraṭṭhaka]|, the time of snowfall. The ground, trampled by the hooves of cattle, is rough; the spread of leaves is thin; few are the leaves on the trees, your ochre robes are light; and a chilly wind is blowing. Yet, the Blessed One says: ‘Yes, young man, I slept comfortably. Among those in the world who sleep comfortably, I am one of them.’”
“Tena hi, kumāra, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kumāra, idhassa gahapatissa vā gahapatiputtassa vā kūṭāgāraṁ ullittāvalittaṁ nivātaṁ phusitaggaḷaṁ pihitavātapānaṁ. Tatrassa pallaṅko gonakatthato paṭikatthato paṭalikatthato kadalimigapavarapaccattharaṇo sauttaracchado ubhato lohitakūpadhāno; telappadīpo cettha jhāyeyya; catasso ca pajāpatiyo manāpāmanāpena paccupaṭṭhitā assu. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kumāra, sukhaṁ vā so sayeyya no vā? Kathaṁ vā te ettha hotī”ti?
“Well then, young man, I will ask you a question. Answer as you see fit. What do you think, young man? A householder or a householder’s son might have a |mansion::building with the peaked roof [kūṭāgāra]|, plastered and painted, sheltered from the wind, with well-fitted doors and shuttered windows. There he might have a couch spread with rugs of long fleece, white wool, and patterned covers, with embroidered flowered cloths, spread with choice antelope hides, with a canopy above and red cushions at both ends. An oil lamp would be burning and his four wives would serve him in most agreeable ways. What do you think, young man, would he sleep comfortably or not? What is your view about this?”
“Sukhaṁ so, bhante, sayeyya. Ye ca pana loke sukhaṁ senti, so tesaṁ aññataro”ti.
“Venerable sir, that man would sleep comfortably. Among those in the world who sleep comfortably, he would be one of them.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kumāra, api nu tassa gahapatissa vā gahapatiputtassa vā uppajjeyyuṁ rāgajā pariḷāhā kāyikā vā cetasikā vā yehi so rāgajehi pariḷāhehi pariḍayhamāno dukkhaṁ sayeyyā”ti?
“What do you think, young man? Might there arise in that householder or householder’s son bodily or mental fevers |born of lust::produced by desire, passion [rāgajā]|—by which, being burned by those fevers born of lust, he would sleep with discomfort?”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Yehi kho so, kumāra, gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā rāgajehi pariḷāhehi pariḍayhamāno dukkhaṁ sayeyya, so rāgo tathāgatassa pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo. Tasmāhaṁ sukhamasayitthaṁ.
“There might arise in that householder or householder’s son fevers born of lust—by which, being burned by those fevers, he would sleep with discomfort. But the |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]| has abandoned such |lust::passion, infatuation, desire [rāga]|, |cut it off at the root::eradicated at the source [ucchinnamūla]|, made it like a palm stump, utterly obliterated it, and deprived it of the conditions for future arising. Therefore I have slept comfortably.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kumāra, api nu tassa gahapatissa vā gahapatiputtassa vā uppajjeyyuṁ dosajā pariḷāhā …pe… mohajā pariḷāhā kāyikā vā cetasikā vā yehi so mohajehi pariḷāhehi pariḍayhamāno dukkhaṁ sayeyyā”ti?
What do you think, young man? Might there arise in that householder or householder’s son bodily or mental fevers |born of aversion::born from hatred, produced by ill will [dosajā]|, or bodily or mental fevers |born of delusion::produced from illusion [mohajā]|—by which, being burned by those fevers born of aversion or delusion, he would sleep with discomfort?”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Ye hi kho so, kumāra, gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā mohajehi pariḷāhehi pariḍayhamāno dukkhaṁ sayeyya, so moho tathāgatassa pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo. Tasmāhaṁ sukhamasayitthanti.
“There might arise in that householder or householder’s son fevers born of aversion or delusion—by which, being burned by those fevers, he would sleep with discomfort. But the Tathāgata has abandoned such aversion and delusion, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, utterly obliterated it, and deprived it of the conditions for future arising. Therefore I have slept comfortably.
Sabbadā ve sukhaṁ seti,
brāhmaṇo parinibbuto;
Yo na limpati kāmesu,
sītibhūto nirūpadhi.
He ever sleeps with ease,
the sage who has attained |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]|;
Sensual pleasures do not |smear::stick to [limpati]| him,
having |become cool::calmed, liberated [sītibhūta]| and |free from attachment::free from grasping, not taking as mine, not appropriating [nirūpadhi]|.
Sabbā āsattiyo chetvā,
vineyya hadaye daraṁ;
Upasanto sukhaṁ seti,
santiṁ pappuyya cetaso”ti.
Having cut off every |attachment::clinging, dependence [āsatti]|,
having removed |fear::anguish, dread [dara]| from the |heart::core, kernel [hadaya]|;
|The composed::calmed, tranquil [upasanta]| one sleeps comfortably,
having attained peace of mind.”