97. To Dhanañjāni (MN97)

Thus I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Sanctuary.

Now on that occasion the venerable Sāriputta was wandering in the Southern Hills with a large Sangha of bhikkhus. Then a certain bhikkhu who had spent the Rains at Rājagaha went to the venerable Sariputta in the Southern Hills, and after exchanging greetings with him he sat down at one side. When he had done so, the venerable Sāriputta asked him: “Is the Blessed One well and strong, friend?”

“The Blessed One is well and strong, friend.”

“Is the Sangha of bhikkhus well and strong, friend?”

“The Sangha of bhikkhus is well and strong, friend.”

“Friend, there is a divine named Dhanañjāni there at Rājagaha living at the Rice-keeper’s Gate. Is the divine named Dhanañjāni well and strong?”

“Dhanañjāni the divine is well and strong too, friend.”

“Is he diligent, friend?”

“How should he be diligent, friend? He plunders divine-caste householders in the name of the king, and he plunders the king in the name of divine-caste householders. His wife who had faith and came from a clan with faith, is dead and he has another wife without faith who comes from a clan without faith.”

“This is bad news that we hear, friend, it is bad news indeed to hear that Dhanañjāni the divine is no more diligent. Now suppose that sometime or other we were to meet him and have some conversation with him?”

Then when the venerable Sāriputta had stayed in the Southern Hills as long as he chose, he set out to go by stages to Rājagaha. Wandering by stages he at length arrived at Rājagaha, and there he went to live in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Sanctuary.

Then, when it was morning, the venerable Sāriputta dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, he went into Rājagaha for alms. Now at that time Dhanañjāni the divine was having his cowsheds outside the city washed out. So when the venerable Sāriputta had wandered for alms in Rājagaha and was returning from his alms-round after his meal, he went to Dhanañjāni the divine. The divine saw the venerable Sāriputta coming in the distance, and seeing him, he went to him and said:

“As soon as you have drunk some new milk, Master Sāriputta, it will be time for the meal.”

“Enough, divine. I have finished my meal today. I shall be at the tree’s root for the day’s abiding. Come there.”

“Yes, sir,” he replied.

And then, after he had eaten his morning meal, he went to the venerable Sāriputta and exchanged greetings with him, and when the courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down at one side. When he had done so, the venerable Sāriputta asked him: “Are you diligent, Dhanañjāni?”

“How can we be diligent, Master Sāriputta, when we have our parents’ to keep, our wife and children to keep, our slaves, servants and men to keep, our friends’ and companions’ business to see to, our relatives’ and kinsmens’ business to see to, our guests’ business to see to, our ancestors’ business to, the gods’ business to see to, the kings’ business to see to, and then this body to refresh and nourish as well?”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, say someone here behaved not according to Dhamma, behaved unrighteously, and then, because of such behaviour the warders of hell dragged him off to hell, would he get a hearing by pleading thus: ‘I behaved thus for the sake of my parents; so let not the warders of hell drag me off to hell’, or would his parents get a hearing for him by pleading thus: ‘He behaved thus for our sake; so let not the warders of hell drag him off to hell’?”

“No, Master Sāriputta; rather would the warders of hell fling him thus crying out into hell.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, say someone here behaved not according to Dhamma, behaved unrighteously… ‘I behaved thus for the sake of my wife and children… (complete as in para. 6)…

“… for the sake of slaves, servants and men to keep…

“… for the sake of friends and companions…

“… for the sake of relatives and kinsmen…

“… for the sake of guests…

“… for the sake of ancestors…

“… for the sake of gods…

“… for the sake of kings…

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, say someone here behaved not according to Dhamma, behaved unrighteously, and then, because of such behaviour the warders of hell dragged him off to hell, would he get a hearing by pleading thus: ‘I behaved thus for the sake of refreshing and nourishing this body; so let not the warders of hell drag me off to hell,’ or could others get a hearing for him by pleading thus: ‘He behaved thus for the sake of refreshing and nourishing his body; so let not the warders of hell drag him off to hell’?”

“No, Master Sāriputta; rather would the warders of hell fling him thus crying out into hell.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which is the better, one who for the sake of his parents behaves not according to Dhamma, behaves unrighteously; or one who for the sake of his parents behaves according to Dhamma, behaves righteously?”

“The one, Master Sāriputta, who for the sake of his parents behaves not according to Dhamma, behaves unrighteously, is not the better; the one who for the sake of his parents behaves according to Dhamma, behaves righteously, is the better.”

“Dhanañjāni, there are other kinds of work to be done for one’s own sake which are in accordance with Dhamma, by means of which one can keep one’s parents and at the same time both do no evil and enter the way of merit.

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which is the, better, one who for the sake of his wife and children…

“… for the sake of slaves, servants and men…

“… for the sake of friends and companions…

“… for the sake of relatives and kinsmen…

“… for the sake of guests…

“… for the sake of ancestors…

“… for the sake of the gods…

“… for the sake of the king…

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which is the better, one who for the sake of refreshing and nourishing this body behaves not according to the Dhamma, behaves unrighteously, or one who for the sake of refreshing and nourishing this body behaves according to the Dhamma, behaves righteously?”

“The one, Master Sāriputta, who for the sake of refreshing and nourishing this body behaves not according to Dhamma, behaves unrighteously is not the better; the one who for the sake of refreshing and nourishing this body behaves according to Dhamma, behaves righteously, is the better.”

“Dhanañjāni, there are other kinds of work to be done for one’s own sake which are in accordance with Dhamma, by means of which one can refresh and nourish this body and at the same time both do no evil and enter on the way of merit.”

Then Dhanañjāni the divine, delighted in the venerable Sāriputta’s words, and agreeing, he rose from his seat and departed.

Now on another occasion, Dhanañjāni the divine was afflicted, suffering and gravely ill. Then he told a man: “Come, good man, go to the Blessed One and pay homage in my name with your head at his feet, and say: ‘Dhanañjāni the divine is afflicted, suffering and gravely ill; he pays homage with his head at the Blessed One’s feet’; and go to the venerable Sāriputta and pay homage in my name with your head at his feet, and say: ‘Venerable Sir, Dhanañjāni the divine is afflicted, suffering and gravely ill; he pays homage with his head at the venerable Sariputta’s feet’, and say: ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the venerable Sāriputta would come to the house of Dhanañjāni the divine, out of pity.’

“Yes, venerable sir,” the man replied, and he went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. When he had done so, he said: “Venerable sir, Dhanañjāni the divine is afflicted, suffering and gravely ill; he pays homage with his head at the Blessed One’s feet.” And he went to the venerable Sāriputta, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. When he had done so, he said:

“Venerable sir, Dhanañjāni the divine is afflicted, suffering and gravely ill; he pays homage with his head at the venerable Sāriputta’s feet and he says: ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the venerable Sāriputta would come to the house of Dhanañjāni the divine out of pity.’”

The venerable Sāriputta consented in silence.

Then the venerable Sāriputta dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, he went to the house of Dhanañjāni the divine, and sat down on a seat made ready. When he had done so, he said: “I hope you are getting well, divine, I hope you are comfortable; I hope your painful feelings are departing and not increasing, and that their departure and not their increase, is apparent.”

“Master Sāriputta, I am not getting well, I am not comfortable. My painful feelings are increasing, not departing; their increase and not their departure, is apparent. Just as if a strong man were splitting my head with a sharp sword, so too, violent winds are racking my head. I am not getting well, I am not comfortable. My painful feelings are increasing, not departing; their increase and not their departure is apparent. Just as if a strong man were tightening a tough leather thong round my head as a headband, so too, there are violent pains in my head. I am not getting well… Just as if a clever butcher or butcher’s apprentice were carving up an ox’s belly with a sharp knife, so too, violent winds are carving up my belly. I am not getting well… Just as if two strong men had seized a weaker one by both arms and were roasting him over a pit of hot coals, so too, there is a violent burning in my body. I am not getting well, I am not comfortable; my painful feelings are increasing… ”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which is better, hell or the animal womb?”

“The animal womb is better than hell, Master Sāriputta.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which is better, the animal womb or the world of ghosts?”

“The realm of ghosts is better than the animal womb, Master Sāriputta.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which is better, the realm of ghosts or human beings? ”

“Human beings are better than the realm of ghosts, Master Sāriputta.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which is better, human beings or the gods of the Four Kings?”

“The gods of the Four Kings are better than human beings, Master Sāriputta.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which are better, the gods of the Four Kings or the gods of the Thirty-three?”

“The gods of the Thirty-three are better than the gods of the Four Kings, Master Sāriputta.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which are better, the gods of the Thirty-three or the gods that have Gone to Bliss?”

“The gods that have Gone to Bliss are better than the gods of the Thirty-three, Master Sāriputta.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which are better, the gods that have Gone to Bliss or the Contented gods?”

“The Contented gods are better than the gods that have Gone to the Bliss, Master Sāriputta.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which are better, the Contented gods or the gods that Delight in Creating?”

“The gods that Delight in Creating are better than the Contented gods, Master Sāriputta.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which are better, the Gods that Delight in Creating or the gods that Wield Power over others’ Creations?”

“The gods that Wield Power over others’ Creations are better than the gods that delight in Creating, Master Sāriputta.”

“How do you conceive this, Dhanañjāni, which are better, the gods that Wield Power over other’s Creations or the gods of the world of the Divinity (Brahmā)?”

“Does Master Sāriputta say ‘the World of the Divinity’? Does Master Sāriputta say ‘the World of the Divinity’ (Brahmā)?”

Then the venerable Sāriputta thought: “These divines are devoted to the World of the Divinity. Suppose I show Dhanañjāni the divine the path to the Divinity’s Retinue?” And he said: “Dhanañjāni, I shall show you the path to the Divinity’s Retinue. Listen and heed well what I shall say.”

“Yes sir,” he replied. The venerable Sāriputta said this:

“What is the Path to the World of the Divinity? Here a bhikkhu abides with his heart endued with loving-kindness extending over one quarter, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth, and so above, below, around and everywhere, and to all as to himself; he abides with his heart abundant with loving-kindness, exalted, measureless, without hostility or a affliction extending over the all-encompassing world.

“Again, he abides with… compassion… extending over the all-encompassing world.

“Again, he abides with… gladness.. extending over the all-encompassing world.

“Again, he abides with… equanimity… extending over the all-encompassing world.

“This is the path to the Divinity’s Retinue.”

“Then, Master Sāriputta, pay homage in my name with your head at the Blessed One’s feet and say: ‘Venerable sir, Dhanañjāni the divine is afflicted, suffering and gravely ill; he pays homage with his head at the Blessed One’s feet.’”

Then the venerable Sāriputta, having established Dhanañjāni the divine in the Divinity’s World which he himself had abandoned, rose from his seat and departed while there was still more to be done. And soon after he had left, Dhanañjāni the divine died and reappeared in the World of the Divinity.

Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus, Sāriputta, having established Dhanañjāni the divine in the World of the Divinity which he himself had abandoned, has risen from his seat and departed while there was still more to be done.”

Then the venerable Sāriputta went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. When he had done so, he said: “Venerable sir, Dhanañjāni the divine is afflicted, suffering and gravely ill; he pays homage with his head at the Blessed One’s feet.”

“How then, Sāriputta, did you, having established Dhanañjāni the divine in the Divinity’s World which you yourself have abandoned, rise from your seat and depart while there was still more to be done?”

“Venerable sir, I thought thus: ‘These divines are devoted to the Divinity’s World. Suppose I show Dhanañjāni the divine the path to the Divinity’s Retinue?’”

“Dhanañjāni the divine is dead, Sāriputta, and he has reappeared in the World of the Divinity.”

This is an excerpt from A Treasury of the Buddha's Words, a collection of suttas from the Majjhima Nikāya translated by Ven. Nyanamoli Thera and edited by Khantipalo Bhikkhu in 1977.

It was printed in Thailand by Mahāmakut Rājavidyālaya Press for free distribution.