The "Connected Discourses with Young Deities" features young celestial beings, often newly reborn from human lives, who come to the Buddha or his disciples to express their insights or seek further guidance. These suttas, rich with verse, delve into themes of kamma, rebirth, and the pursuit of wisdom, as the young devas reflect on their past actions and their current exalted state. Portrayed with a mix of awe and curiosity, these beings engage in poignant exchanges that underscore the continuity of the spiritual journey across realms. This collection offers a vivid exploration of how past deeds shape present existence, even among the divine.
Devaputtasaṁyutta - Connected Discourses with Young Deities
Paṭhama vagga - The First Chapter
The first chapter of the Connected Discourses with Young Deities, containing discourses 1–10.
The young deity Kassapa, on Buddha’s invitation, shares a verse on the instruction for a bhikkhu.
PTS 1.46The young deity Kassapa shares a verse on the instruction for a bhikkhu.
PTS 1.46The young deity Māgha asks the Buddha in a verse on what to cut off to sleep with ease and grieve no more. The Buddha advises to cut off anger.
PTS 1.47Anāthapiṇḍika vagga - The Chapter with Anāthapiṇḍika
The second chapter of the Connected Discourses with Young Deities, containing discourses 11–20.
The young deity Kakudha asks whether the Buddha delights or sorrows. The Buddha shows that delight and distress arise together, and that a bhikkhu free of both has crossed over entanglement in the world.
PTS 1.54A young deity recites a verse to the Buddha about the shortness of life and the importance of doing meritorious deeds.
PTS 1.54Household Anāthapiṇḍika, after passing away, appears as a young deity and recites verses to the Buddha on the value of thoroughly examining the Dhamma.
PTS 1.55Nānātitthiya vagga - The Chapter on Various Sectarians
The third chapter of the Connected Discourses with Young Deities, containing discourses 21–30.
The young deity Siva recites a verse to the Buddha about the importance of associating with the wise and the good.
PTS 1.56Can one reach the world’s end by traveling? Recalling a past life spent speeding across space, the deity Rohitassa learns from the Buddha that suffering ends not by traversing the physical cosmos, but by awakening within this conscious fathom-long body.
PTS 1.61A young deity observes that time flies by and speaks on performing meritorious deeds. The Buddha agrees with the observation but instead advises to drop the world's bait, and seek peace.
PTS 1.62A young deity asks how to escape the body, described as a defiled form with “nine openings” bound by greed. The Buddha explains that escape requires severing specific mental bonds - one must cut the “strap” of grudge and the “harness” of craving, and uproot all harmful desires.
PTS 1.63–1.64