The Buddha teaches that when the gods of the stormy thunderclouds wish to revel in their own enjoyment, the weather becomes stormy in accordance with their wish.
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo, yenekadā abbhaṁ hotī”ti?
“Santi, bhikkhu, abbhavalāhakā nāma devā. Tesaṁ yadā evaṁ hoti: ‘yannūna mayaṁ sakāya ratiyā vaseyyāmā’ti, tesaṁ taṁ cetopaṇidhimanvāya abbhaṁ hoti. Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhu, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yenekadā abbhaṁ hotī”ti.
Pañcapaññāsamaṁ.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha:
“ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo, yenekadā abbhaṁ hotī”ti?
“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why sometimes it becomes stormy?”
“Santi, bhikkhu, abbhavalāhakā nāma devā.
“Mendicant, there are what are called gods of the stormy thunderclouds.
Tesaṁ yadā evaṁ hoti:
Sometimes they think:
‘yannūna mayaṁ sakāya ratiyā vaseyyāmā’ti, tesaṁ taṁ cetopaṇidhimanvāya abbhaṁ hoti.
‘Why don’t we revel in our own kind of enjoyment?’ Then, in accordance with their wish, it becomes stormy.
Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhu, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yenekadā abbhaṁ hotī”ti.
This is the cause, this is the reason why sometimes it becomes stormy.”
Pañcapaññāsamaṁ.
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Last updated on July 27, 2026