Childless · SN 3.20

SN 3.20 · Childless (2nd)

SN 3.20 · Dutiyaaputtakasutta

Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha in the middle of the day … The Buddha said to him, “So, Great King, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo divā divassa yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divā divassā”ti?

“Sir, here in Sāvatthī a financier householder has passed away. Since he died childless, I have come after transferring his fortune to the royal compound. There was ten million in gold coin, not to mention the silver coin. And yet that financier ate meals of sour gruel with false black pepper. He wore clothes consisting of three patches of sunn hemp. He traveled around in a vehicle that was a dilapidated little cart, holding a leaf as parasol.”

“Idha, bhante, sāvatthiyaṁ seṭṭhi gahapati kālaṅkato. Tamahaṁ aputtakaṁ sāpateyyaṁ rājantepuraṁ atiharitvā āgacchāmi. Sataṁ, bhante, satasahassāni hiraññasseva, ko pana vādo rūpiyassa. Tassa kho pana, bhante, seṭṭhissa gahapatissa evarūpo bhattabhogo ahosi— kaṇājakaṁ bhuñjati bilaṅgadutiyaṁ. Evarūpo vatthabhogo ahosi— sāṇaṁ dhāreti tipakkhavasanaṁ. Evarūpo yānabhogo ahosi— jajjararathakena yāti paṇṇachattakena dhāriyamānenā”ti.

“That’s so true, Great King! That’s so true! Once upon a time, great king, that financier householder provided almsfood on behalf of an independent Buddha named Tagarasikhī. He instructed: ‘Give alms to that ascetic,’ before getting up from his seat and leaving. But after giving he regretted it: ‘It would have been better to feed the bondservants or workers with that almsfood.’ What’s more, he murdered his brother’s only child for the sake of his fortune.

“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja. Bhūtapubbaṁ so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati taggarasikhiṁ nāma paccekasambuddhaṁ piṇḍapātena paṭipādesi. ‘Detha samaṇassa piṇḍan’ti vatvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi. Datvā ca pana pacchā vippaṭisārī ahosi: ‘varametaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ dāsā vā kammakarā vā bhuñjeyyun’ti. Bhātu ca pana ekaputtakaṁ sāpateyyassa kāraṇā jīvitā voropesi.

Because that financier provided Tagarasikhī with almsfood, as a result of that deed he was reborn seven times in a good place, a heavenly realm. And as a residual result of that same deed he held the position of financier seven times right here in Sāvatthī. But because that financier regretted giving alms, as a result of that deed his mind didn’t tend to enjoy nice food, clothes, vehicles, or the five refined kinds of sensual stimulation. And because that financier murdered his brother’s only child for the sake of his fortune, as a result of that deed he burned in hell for many years, for many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of years. And as a residual result of that same deed, he is childless for the seventh time, his fortune ending up in the royal treasury. Now the old merit of that financier has been used up, and he hasn’t accumulated new merit. Today, Great King, that financier burns in the Great Hell of Screams.”

Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati taggarasikhiṁ paccekasambuddhaṁ piṇḍapātena paṭipādesi, tassa kammassa vipākena sattakkhattuṁ sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajji. Tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena imissāyeva sāvatthiyā sattakkhattuṁ seṭṭhittaṁ kāresi. Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati datvā pacchā vippaṭisārī ahosi: ‘varametaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ dāsā vā kammakarā vā bhuñjeyyun’ti, tassa kammassa vipākena nāssuḷārāya bhattabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārāya vatthabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārāya yānabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārānaṁ pañcannaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ bhogāya cittaṁ namati. Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati bhātu ca pana ekaputtakaṁ sāpateyyassa kāraṇā jīvitā voropesi, tassa kammassa vipākena bahūni vassāni bahūni vassasatāni bahūni vassasahassāni bahūni vassasatasahassāni niraye paccittha. Tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena idaṁ sattamaṁ aputtakaṁ sāpateyyaṁ rājakosaṁ paveseti. Tassa kho, mahārāja, seṭṭhissa gahapatissa purāṇañca puññaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ, navañca puññaṁ anupacitaṁ. Ajja pana, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruve niraye paccatī”ti.

“Really, sir, that financier has been reborn in the Great Hell of Screams?”

“Evaṁ, bhante, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruvaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno”ti.

“Yes he has, Great King.”

“Evaṁ, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruvaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno”ti.

That is what the Buddha said. …

Idamavoca …pe….

“Grain, money, silver, and gold,or whatever other possessions there are;bondservants, workers, servants,and those dependent for their livelihood:

“Dhaññaṁ dhanaṁ rajataṁ jātarūpaṁ,Pariggahaṁ vāpi yadatthi kiñci;Dāsā kammakarā pessā,Ye cassa anujīvino.

you must go on without taking these;all of them are left behind.But the deeds you doby body, speech, and mind—

Sabbaṁ nādāya gantabbaṁ,sabbaṁ nikkhippagāminaṁ;Yañca karoti kāyena,vācāya uda cetasā.

that’s what you can call your own.That’s what you take when you go.That’s what goes with you,like a shadow that never leaves.

Tañhi tassa sakaṁ hoti,taṁva ādāya gacchati;Taṁvassa anugaṁ hoti,chāyāva anapāyinī.

That’s why you should do good,investing in the future life.The good deeds of sentient beingssupport them in the next world.”

Tasmā kareyya kalyāṇaṁ,nicayaṁ samparāyikaṁ;Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.