Aṅguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
II. Sīhanāda Vagga
Sutta 19
Devatā Suttaɱ
The Gods
Translated from the Pali
by Sister Upalavanna
At that time The Blessed One was abiding in Sāvatthi.
'Bhikkhus, in the recent past, when the night was waning, many gods illuminated the whole of Jeta's grove with a resplendent light, approached me, stood on a side and said:
'Venerable sir, we approached some humans who had gone forth from the household in the past, they attended on us, did not worship us.
Venerable sir, they seem to be with incomplete activity, with repentance, carrying out duties later, born in a lower state.
Bhikkhus, even before that, when the night was waning, many gods illuminated the whole of Jeta's grove with a resplendent light, approached me, stood on a side and said:
'Venerable sir, we approached some humans who had gone forth from the household in the past they attended on us, worshipped us, gave us seats, did not communicate according to their ability, ... re ...
communicated according to their ability, ... re..
Did not sit to listen to the Teaching, ... re ...
sat to listen to the Teaching, did not listen to the Teaching attentively, ... re ...
listened to the Teaching attentively, did not bear the Teaching in the mind,
bore the Teaching in the mind, did not search meanings in the Teaching they heard, ... re ...
sought for meanings in the Teaching they had heard, did not live according to the Teaching after searching the meanings in the Teaching.
Venerable sir, they seem to be with incomplete activity, with repentance, carrying out duties later, born in a lower state.
Bhikkhus, even before that, when the night was waning, many gods illuminated the whole of Jeta's grove with a resplendent light, approached me, stood on a side and said:
'Venerable sir, we approached some humans who had gone forth from the household in the past, they attended on us, worshipped us, gave us seats, communicated with us according to their ability, sat to listen to the Teaching, listened to the Teaching attentively, bore the Teaching in the mind, lived according to the Teaching after searching the meanings in the Teaching.
Venerable sir, they seem to be with complete activity, without repentance, had carried out duties at the right time and are born in an exalted state.
Bhikkhus, concentrate, do not be negligent and repent later like those said gods.
