The Discourse about the Leper Suppabuddha

5-3: Suppabuddhakuṭṭhisuttaṁ (43)
The Discourse about the Leper Suppabuddha

ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Rājagahe viharati,
at one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Rājagaha,

Veḷuvane Kalandakanivāpe.
in Bamboo Wood, at the Squirrels' Feeding Place.

Tena kho pana samayena Rājagahe Suppabuddho nāma kuṭṭhi ahosi,
Then at that time the leper known as Suppabuddha (Wide Awake) was in Rājagaha,

manussadaḷiddo manussakapaṇo manussavarāko.
a poor man, a wretched man, a miserable man.

mahatiyā parisāya parivuto Dhammaṁ desento nisinno hoti.
was sitting teaching Dhamma surrounded by a great assembly.

taṁ mahājanakāyaṁ dūrato va sannipatitaṁ.
while still far away that great crowd of people assembled together.

kiñci khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā bhājiyissati.
some comestibles and edibles will be distributed.

Yannūnāhaṁ yena so mahājanakāyo tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ,
Well now, I could go to that great crowd of people,

appeva nāmettha kiñci khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā labheyyanti”.
perhaps I will get some comestibles or edibles in this place.”

Atha kho Suppabuddho kuṭṭhi yena so mahājanakāyo tenupasaṅkami.
Then the leper Suppabuddha went to that great crowd of people.

Addasā kho Suppabuddho kuṭṭhi Bhagavantaṁ
The leper Suppabuddha saw the Gracious One

mahatiyā parisāya parivutaṁ Dhammaṁ desentaṁ nisinnaṁ.
sat teaching Dhamma surrounded by a great assembly.

“Na kho ettha kiñci khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā bhājiyati,
“Here there are no comestibles or edibles being distributed,

samaṇo ayaṁ Gotamo parisatiṁ Dhammaṁ deseti.
this ascetic Gotama is teaching Dhamma to the assembly.

Yannūnāham-pi Dhammaṁ suṇeyyanti,” tattheva ekamantaṁ nisīdi:
Perhaps I also could hear the Dhamma”, and he sat down right there (and then), (thinking):

“Aham-pi Dhammaṁ sossāmī” ti.
“I will also listen to the Dhamma.”

Atha kho Bhagavā sabbāvantaṁ parisaṁ cetasā cetoparicca manasākāsi
Then the Gracious One, applied his mind and encompassed fully the whole of that assembly with his mind, (thinking):

“Ko nu kho idha bhabbo Dhammaṁ viññātun?”-ti.
“Who here is able to understand the Dhamma?”

Addasā kho Bhagavā Suppabuddhaṁ kuṭṭhiṁ
The Gracious One saw the leper Suppabuddha

tassaṁ parisāyaṁ nisinnaṁ, disvānassa etad-ahosi:
sat in that assembly, and having seen (him), this occurred to him:

“Ayaṁ kho idha bhabbo Dhammaṁ viññātun”-ti,
“This one here is able to understand the Dhamma”,

Suppabuddhaṁ kuṭṭhiṁ ārabbha ānupubbīkathaṁ kathesi,
and having regard to the leper Suppabuddha he related a gradual talk,

seyyathīdaṁ: dānakathaṁ, sīlakathaṁ, saggakathaṁ,
that is to say: talk on giving, talk on virtue, talk on heaven,

kāmānaṁ ādīnavaṁ okāraṁ saṅkilesaṁ,
the danger, degradation, and defilement of sensual desires,

nekkhamme ca ānisaṁsaṁ - pakāsesi.
and the advantages in renunciation - (these) he explained.

Yadā Bhagavā aññāsi Suppabuddhaṁ kuṭṭhiṁ
When the Gracious One knew that the leper Suppabuddha

kallacittaṁ muducittaṁ vinīvaraṇacittaṁ udaggacittaṁ pasannacittaṁ,
was of ready mind, malleable mind, unhindered mind, uplifted mind, trusting mind,

atha yā Buddhānaṁ sāmukkaṁsikā Dhammadesanā taṁ pakāsesi:
then he explained the Dhamma teaching the Awakened Ones have discovered themselves:

dukkhaṁ samudayaṁ nirodhaṁ maggaṁ.
suffering, origination, cessation, path.

Seyyathā pi nāma suddhaṁ vatthaṁ apagatakālakaṁ
Just as it is known that a clean cloth without a stain

tasmiṁ yeva āsane virajaṁ vītamalaṁ Dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi:
on that very seat, the dust-free, stainless Vision-of-the-Dhamma arose:

“Yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ, sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman-ti.”
“Whatever has the nature of arising, all that has the nature of ceasing.”

Atha kho Suppabuddho kuṭṭhi diṭṭhadhammo pattadhammo
Then the leper Suppabuddha having seen the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma,

viditadhammo pariyogāḷhadhammo tiṇṇavicikiccho vigatakathaṁkatho
understood the Dhamma, penetrated the Dhamma, crossed over uncertainty, being without doubts,

vesārajjappatto aparappaccayo Satthusāsane,
attained full confidence, having become independent of others in the Teacher's teaching,

uṭṭhāyāsanā yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkami,
after rising from his seat went to the Gracious One,

upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down at one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho Suppabuddho kuṭṭhi Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
While he was sitting on one side the leper Suppabuddha said this to the Gracious One:

“Abhikkantaṁ bhante! Abhikkantaṁ bhante!
“Excellent, reverend Sir! Excellent reverend Sir!

Seyyathā pi bhante nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya,
Just as, reverend Sir, one might set upright what has been overturned,

paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya,
or open up what has been closed, or show a path to one who is lost,

andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhintī ti,
or bear an oil lamp in the darkness so that those with vision can see forms,

evam-eva Bhagavatā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.
just so has the Dhamma been explained by the Gracious One in countless ways.

Esāhaṁ bhante Bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi,
I go, reverend Sir, to the Gracious One for refuge,

dhammañ-ca Bhikkhusaṅghañ-ca.
and to the Dhamma, and to the Community of monks.

Upāsakaṁ maṁ Bhagavā dhāretu
Please bear it in mind, reverend Gotama, that I am a lay follower

ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”-ti.
who has gone for refuge from today forward for as long as I am furnished with life.”

Atha kho Suppabuddho kuṭṭhi Bhagavatā
^o Then the Gracious One instructed, roused,

Dhammiyā kathāya sandassito, samādapito, samuttejito, sampahaṁsito,
enthused, and cheered the leper Suppabuddha with a Dhamma talk,

Bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā,
and after greatly rejoicing and gladly receiving this word of the Gracious One,

uṭṭhāyāsanā, Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.
after rising from his seat, worshipping and circumambulating the Gracious One, he went away.

Atha kho Suppabuddhaṁ kuṭṭhiṁ acirapakkantaṁ
Then not long after the leper Suppabuddha had gone

gāvī taruṇavacchā adhipātetvā, jīvitā voropesi.
a cow with a young calf having attacked him, deprived him of life.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu,
Then many monks went to the Gracious One,

upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.
and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, they sat down on one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū Bhagavantaṁ etad-avocuṁ:
While sat on one side those monks said this to the Gracious One:

“Yo so bhante Suppabuddho nāma kuṭṭhi Bhagavatā Dhammiyā kathāya
^o “That leper called Suppabuddha, reverend Sir, who was instructed, roused, enthused, and cheered

sandassito, samādapito, samuttejito, sampahaṁsito - so kālakato.
by the Gracious One with a Dhamma talk - he has died.

Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo” ti?
What is his destination? What is his future state?”

“Paṇḍito bhikkhave Suppabuddho kuṭṭhi,
“A wise man, monks, was Suppabuddha,

paccapādi dhammassānudhammaṁ,
who practiced Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma,

na ca maṁ dhammādhikaraṇaṁ vihesesi.
and did not trouble me on account of the Dhamma.

Suppabuddho bhikkhave kuṭṭhi tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā,
The leper Suppabuddha, monks, through the destruction of three fetters,

sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato Sambodhiparāyano” ti.
is a stream-enterer, not subject to the fall, and is assured of arriving at Full Awakening.”

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
When that was said, a certain monk said this to the Gracious One:

“Ko nu kho bhante hetu, ko paccayo yena Suppabuddho kuṭṭhi ahosi
“What was the reason, reverend Sir, what was the cause, through which the leper Suppabuddha became

manussadaḷiddo manussakapaṇo manussavarāko?” ti.
a poor man, a wretched man, a miserable man?”

“Bhūtapubbaṁ bhikkhave Suppabuddho kuṭṭhi
“Formerly, monks, the leper Suppabuddha

imasmiṁ yeva Rājagahe seṭṭhiputto ahosi.
was a son of a wealthy merchant in this very Rājagaha.

So uyyānabhūmiṁ niyyanto addasa Tagarasikhiṁ Paccekabuddhaṁ
While going to his pleasure park he saw the Independent Buddha Tagarasikkhī

nagaraṁ piṇḍāya pavisantaṁ, disvānassa etad-ahosi:
entering the city for alms, and having seen (him), this occurred to him:

“Kvāyaṁ kuṭṭhi kuṭṭhicīvarena hi vicaratī?” ti
“Who is this leper roaming around with his leper's robe?”

Niṭṭhuhitvā apasabyato karitvā pakkāmi.
And having spat, and circumambulated him (disrespectfully) on the left side, he went away.

So tassa kammassa vipākena bahūni vassāni bahūni vassasatāni,
As a result of that deed of his for many years, for many hundreds of years,

bahūni vassasahassāni bahūni vassasatasahassāni niraye paccittha.
for many thousands of years, for many hundreds of thousands of years, he boiled in the nether regions.

Tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena
And as a result of the remaining part of that deed of his

imasmiṁ yeva Rājagahe kuṭṭhi ahosi,
he became a leper in this very Rājagaha,

manussadaḷiddo manussakapaṇo manussavarāko.
a poor man, a wretched man, a miserable man.

So Tathāgatappaveditaṁ Dhammavinayaṁ āgamma,
(But) he came to the Dhamma and Discipline taught by the Realised One,

saddhaṁ samādiyi, sīlaṁ samādiyi, sutaṁ samādiyi,
and obtained faith, obtained virtue, obtained learning,

cāgaṁ samādiyi, paññaṁ samādiyi.
obtained liberality, obtained wisdom.

So Tathāgatappaveditaṁ Dhammavinayaṁ āgamma,
After coming to the Dhamma and Discipline taught by the Realised One,

saddhaṁ samādiyitvā, sīlaṁ samādiyitvā, sutaṁ samādiyitvā,
and obtaining faith, obtaining virtue, obtaining learning,

cāgaṁ samādiyitvā, paññaṁ samidiyitvā,
obtaining liberality, obtaining wisdom,

kāyassa bhedā, paraṁ maraṇā, sugatiṁ Saggaṁ lokaṁ upapanno,
at the break up of the body, after death, he arose in a fortunate destiny, in the world of Heaven,

devānaṁ Tāvatiṁsānaṁ sahabyataṁ.
in the companionship of the Tāvatiṁsa devas.

So tattha aññe deve atirocati vaṇṇena ceva yasasā cā” ti.
And there he surely outshines the other devas with his beauty and repute.”

Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it,

tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“Cakkhumā visamāni va ~ vijjamāne parakkame,
“As a man with vision, while he is endeavouring, (would avoid) dangerous paths,

Paṇḍito jīvalokasmiṁ, ~ pāpāni parivajjaye” ti.
(So) a wise man in the world of the living, ~ should avoid bad deeds.”