Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)

THIS is the last of the series of mythological dialogues, and in some respects the most interesting of them all. Here we reach the culmination, in the last paragraph, in the conversion of Sakka. Though the various episodes leading up to this culmination are not all equal in literary skill to the charming story and striking verses of Five-crest, they have each of them historical value ; and they lead quite naturally up to the conversion at the end.

It seems odd to talk of the conversion of a god. But what do we understand by the term god ? He — it is often more correct to say she, or it — is an idea in men's minds. To the worshipper he seems immense, mysterious, unchanging, a unity. And he is, in a sense, a unity — a temporary unity of a complex of conceptions, each of them complex. To use the technical Buddhist terms a god is kha^ika, and sawkhara. In the same sense we can speak of a chemical compound as a unity ; but to understand that unity we must know of what it is compounded. Now what are the ideas of which the unity we know under the name of Sakka is made up ? Let us take them in the order of personal character, outward conditions, and titles.

Personal.

Sakka has not become free from the three deadly evils — lust, illwill, and stupidity (A. I, 144; S. I, 219).

He is not free from anxiety (S. I, 219).

He is still subject to death) and rebirth (A. I, 144). As examples of this it is mentioned that Sunetta had thirtyfive times been reborn as Sakka (A. IV, 105), a statement transferred to the Buddha (A. IV, 89) \

He comes down from heaven to confirm Uttara's teaching

1 We have had another instance (above, p. 73) of a detail in Sunetta's biography being taken over into the biography of the Buddha.

that one should bear in mind and compare one's own and others' failings and attainments (A. IV, 162).

One of the shortest of the Sawzyuttas is devoted to Sakka. It has twenty- five short Suttas. In the first and second, Sakka praises energy (viriya). In the third he denounces timidity. In the fourth he shows forbearance to his enemy \ In the fifth he advocates the conquest of anger by kindness ; in the sixth kindness to animals ; in the seventh he denounces trickery even towards enemies ; and in the ninth he preaches courtesy and honour to the wise (to Rishis). In eleven it is said he acquired his position as Sakka by having observed in a former birth seven lifelong habits — support of his parents, reverence to clan elders, gentleness of speech, dislike of calumny, generosity, truth, and freedom from anger. Twelve and thirteen repeat this and explain his titles. In fourteen Sakka explains how new gods who outshine the old ones do so because they have observed the Buddha's teaching2. In fifteen he says that the most beautiful spot is where Arahants dwell. In sixteen he praises gifts to the Order. In seventeen he praises the Buddha, but is told he has selected the wrong attributes for praise. In eighteen to twenty he says that, whereas brahmins and nobles worship him, he himself worships good men, and Arahants. Nos. 21, 22, 24 and 25 are against anger, and 23 is against deceit.

In one passage Sakka is represented as coming down from heaven to make an inquiry about Nirvana (S. I, 201), and in another as listening, in heaven, to Moggallana's exposition of the simplest duties of a good layman (S. IV, 269-280).