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

23. Then the Exalted One addressed the Pa/aligama disciples, and said : — ' Fivefold, O householders, is the loss of the wrong-doer through his want of rectitude. In the first place the wrong-doer, devoid of rectitude,D. ii. 86. THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE. 9 1 falls into great poverty through sloth ; in the next place his evil repute gets noised abroad ; thirdly, whatever society he enters — whether of nobles, brahmins, heads of houses, or men of a religious order — he enters shyly and confused ; fourthly, he is full of anxiety when he dies ; and lastly, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he is reborn into some unhappy state of suffering or woe l. This, O householders, is the fivefold loss of the evil-doer !

24. [86] ' Fivefold, O householders, is the gain of the well-doer through his practice of rectitude. In the first place the well-doer, strong in rectitude, acquires great wealth through his industry ; in the next place, good reports of him are spread abroad ; thirdly, whatever society he enters — whether of nobles, brahmins, heads of houses, or members of a religious order — he enters confident and self-possessed ; fourthly, he dies without anxiety ; and lastly, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he is reborn into some happy state in heaven. This, O householders, is the fivefold gain of the well-doer.'

25. When the Exalted One had thus taught the lay disciples at Pa/aligama, and incited them, and roused them, and gladdened them, far into the night with religious discourse, he dismissed them, saying : — ' The night is far spent, O householders. It is time for you to do what you deem most fit.' ' Even so, lord ! ' answered the disciples of Pa/aligama, and they rose from their seats, and bowing to the Exalted One, and keeping him on their right hand as they passed him, they departed thence.

And the Exalted One, not long after the disciples

1 Four such states are mentioned, apaya, duggati, vinipato, and nirayo, all of which are temporary states. The first three seem to be synonyms. The last is one of the four divisions into which the first is usually divided, and is often translated hell; but not being an eternal state, and not being dependent or consequent upon any judgement, it cannot be accurately so rendered. See p. 51.

p. 92

of Pa^aligama had departed thence, entered into his private chamber \

26. At that time Sunidha and Vassakara, the chief ministers of Magadha, were building a fortress at Pa/aligama to repel the Vajjians, [87] and there were a number of fairies who haunted in thousands the plots of ground there. Now, wherever ground is so occupied by powerful fairies, they bend the hearts of the most powerful kings and ministers to build dwelling-places there, [and fairies of middling and inferior power bend in a similar way the hearts of middling or inferior kings and ministers2.]

27. And the Blessed One, with great and clear vision, surpassing that of ordinary men, saw thousands of those fairies haunting Pa/aligama. And he rose up very early in the morning, and said to Ananda: — .' Who is it then, Ananda, who is building a fortress at Pa/aligama ?'

' Sunidha and Vassakara, lord, the chief ministers of Magadha, are building a fortress there to keep back the Vajjians.'

28. ' They act, Ananda, as if they had consulted with the Tavatiwsa angels.' [And telling him of what he had seen, and of the influence such fairies had, he added]: — ' And as far, Ananda, as Aryan people resort, as far as merchants travel, this will become the chief city, Pa/ali-putta, a centre for the interchange of all kinds of wares. [88] But three clangers will hang over Pa/ali-putta, that of fire, that of water, and that of dissension among friends V

1 Compare Vinaya III, 93.