The Negligent Divinity (SN6.6)

Linked Discourses 6.6

1. The Appeal

The Negligent Divinity

At Sāvatthī.

Now at that time the Buddha had gone into retreat for the day’s meditation.

Then the independent divinities Subrahmā and Suddhāvāsa went to the Buddha and stationed themselves one by each door-post. But Subrahmā said to Suddhāvāsa,¹

“Good fellow, it’s the wrong time to pay homage to the Buddha.

He has gone into retreat for the day’s meditation.

But such-and-such realm of divinity is successful and prosperous, while the divinity living there is negligent.

Come, let’s go to that realm of divinity and inspire awe in that divinity!”

“Yes, good fellow,” replied Suddhāvāsa.

Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, they vanished from in front of the Buddha and appeared in that realm of divinity.

That divinity saw those divinities coming off in the distance and said to them,

“Well now, good fellows, where have you come from?”

“Good fellow, we’ve come from the presence of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha.

Shouldn’t you go to attend on that Blessed One?”²

When they had spoken, that divinity refused to accept their advice. He multiplied himself a thousand times and said to Subrahmā,³

“Good fellow, can’t you see that I have such psychic power?”

“I see that, good fellow.”

“Since I have such psychic power and might, what other ascetic or brahmin should I go to and attend upon?”

Then Subrahmā multiplied himself two thousand times and said to that divinity,

“Good fellow, can’t you see that I have such psychic power?”

“I see that, good fellow.”

“That Buddha has even more psychic power and might than you or me.

Shouldn’t you go to attend on that Blessed One?”

Then that divinity addressed Subrahmā in verse:

“There are three hundreds of phoenixes, four of swans,⁴

and five of tigerhawks. To he who practiced absorption⁵

belongs this palace; it shines, Divinity,⁶

lighting up the northern quarter!”

“So what if your palace shines,

lighting up the northern quarter?

A clever person, seeing the strife in form,

its chronic trembling, takes no pleasure in it.”

Then after inspiring awe in that divinity, the independent divinities Subrahmā and Suddhāvāsa vanished right there.

And after some time that divinity went to attend on the Buddha.