SN 1:11- Nandana

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Såvatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anåthapindika’s Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus:
“Bhikkhus!”
“Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
“Once in the past, bhikkhus, a certain devatå of the Tåvatimsa host was revelling in Nandana Grove, supplied and endowed with the five cords of celestial sensual pleasure, accompanied by a retinue of celestial nymphs. On that occasion he spoke this verse:
20 ‘They do not know bliss
Who have not seen Nandana,
The abode of the glorious male devas
Belonging to the host of Thirty.
“When this was said, bhikkhus, a certain devatå replied to that devatå in verse:
21 ‘Don’t you know, you fool,
That maxim of the arahants?
Impermanent are all formations,
Subject to arising and vanishing.
Having arisen, they cease:
Their appeasement is blissful.’

SN 1.4-Time Flies By

At Såvatthi. Standing to one side, that devatå recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:
5 “Time flies by, the nights swiftly pass;
The stages of life successively desert us.
Discerning this danger in death, one should do deeds of merit that bring happiness.”

(The Blessed One:)
6 “Time flies by, the nights pass swiftly;
The stages of life successively desert us.
Discerning this danger in death, one should drop
The world’s bait in quest of peace.”

A Dhamma talk given at Wat Sri Boen Ruang-New years eve 2554(2011)

Reaching-Samyutta Nikaya 1.3

At Savatthi. Standing to one side, that devata recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

“Life is swept along, short is the life span,
No shelters exist for one who has reached old age.
Seeing clearly this danger in death,
One should do deeds of merit that bring happiness”.

[The Blessed One]
” Life is swept along, short is the life span,
No shelters exist for one who has reached old age.
Seeing clearly this danger in death,
A seeker of peace should drop the worlds bait”.

Here we see Lord Buddha make a vital distinction between what may be called popular or common Buddhism where the aim is to try and get a good rebirth, and the serious practice of the Eight Fold Path.

The popular or common path may lead to a good rebirth, but first of all, this is not guaranteed, and even if one is reborn in one of the higher realms this is impermanent, it will come to an end and your next rebirth may be in a lower realm.

The proper practice of the Eight Fold Path will lead to liberation, ultimate peace, Nibbana.

Of course I am not saying that we should not practice making merit.
Merit,or Punna has the benefit of purifying the mind as we begin to practice skillful actions such as generosity, virtue, compassion etc.

Crossing the flood-Samyutta Nikaya 1.1

Thus have I heard:
One one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s Park.
Then, when the night had adavanced, a certain devata of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, stood to one side, and said to him:
“How, dear sir, did you cross the flood?”
“By not halting friend, and by not straining I crossed the flood”
“But how is it, dear sir, that by not halting and by not straining, that you crossed the flood?”
“When I came to a standstill, friend, then I sank, but when I struggled, then I got swept away. It is in this way, friend, by not stopping, and by not straining I crossed the flood”

[The devata]
“After a long time at last I see
A brahmin who is fully quenched,
Who by not halting, not straining.
Has crossed over attachment to the world.”

Yamakavagga: Pairs-Dhp 1-6

1. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.

2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.

3. “He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred.

4. “He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred.

5. Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.

6. There are those who do not realize that one day we all must die. But those who do realize this settle their quarrels.

Yamakavagga: Pairs-Dhp I (1-20)

1. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.

2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.

3. “He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred.

4. “He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred.

5. Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.

6. There are those who do not realize that one day we all must die. But those who do realize this settle their quarrels.

7. Just as a storm throws down a weak tree, so does Mara overpower the man who lives for the pursuit of pleasures, who is uncontrolled in his senses, immoderate in eating, indolent, and dissipated.

8. Just as a storm cannot prevail against a rocky mountain, so Mara can never overpower the man who lives meditating on the impurities, who is controlled in his senses, moderate in eating, and filled with faith and earnest effort.

9. Whoever being depraved, devoid of self-control and truthfulness, should don the monk’s yellow robe, he surely is not worthy of the robe.

10. But whoever is purged of depravity, well-established in virtues and filled with self-control and truthfulness, he indeed is worthy of the yellow robe.

11. Those who mistake the unessential to be essential and the essential to be unessential, dwelling in wrong thoughts, never arrive at the essential.

12. Those who know the essential to be essential and the unessential to be unessential, dwelling in right thoughts, do arrive at the essential.

13. Just as rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, so passion penetrates an undeveloped mind.

14. Just as rain does not break through a well-thatched house, so passion never penetrates a well-developed mind.

15. The evil-doer grieves here and hereafter; he grieves in both the worlds. He laments and is afflicted, recollecting his own impure deeds.

16. The doer of good rejoices here and hereafter; he rejoices in both the worlds. He rejoices and exults, recollecting his own pure deeds.

17. The evil-doer suffers here and hereafter; he suffers in both the worlds. The thought, “Evil have I done,” torments him, and he suffers even more when gone to realms of woe.

18. The doer of good delights here and hereafter; he delights in both the worlds. The thought, “Good have I done,” delights him, and he delights even more when gone to realms of bliss.

19. Much though he recites the sacred texts, but acts not accordingly, that heedless man is like a cowherd who only counts the cows of others — he does not partake of the blessings of the holy life.

20. Little though he recites the sacred texts, but puts the Teaching into practice, forsaking lust, hatred, and delusion, with true wisdom and emancipated mind, clinging to nothing of this or any other world — he indeed partakes of the blessings of a holy life.

“Yamakavagga: Pairs” (Dhp I), translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita. Access to Insight, 19 September 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html . Retrieved on 1 September 2011.

Discourse to Alavaka (Alavaka Sutta[1])

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the abode of Alavaka, the Yakkha (demon), at Alavi. Then Alavaka approached the Blessed One and said: “Get out, recluse (samana).” — “Very well, friend,” so saying the Blessed One went out.

“Come in, recluse.” — “Very well, friend,” so saying the Blessed One entered.

“Get out, recluse,” said Alavaka to the Blessed One a second time. — “Very well, friend,” so saying the Blessed One went out.

“Come in, recluse.” — “Very well, friend,” so saying the Blessed One entered.

“Get out, recluse,” said Alavaka to the Blessed One a third time. — “Very well, friend,” so saying the Blessed One went out.

“Come in, recluse.” — “Very well, friend,” so saying the Blessed One entered.

“Get out recluse,” said Alavaka to the Blessed One a fourth time. — “No, O friend, I will not get out. Do what you will.”

“I will ask you a question, recluse. If you do not answer me, I will confound your mind (thoughts), or cleave your heart, or take you by your feet and fling you over to the further shore of the ocean (para gangaya).

“Well, friend, I do not see anyone in the world of Devas, Maras, Brahmas, or among the generation of recluses, brahmanas, deities, and humans, who could either confound my mind or cleave my heart, or take me by the feet and fling me over to the further shore of the ocean; nevertheless, friend, ask what you will.”

Then Alavaka addressed the Blessed One in verse:
1. What wealth here is best for man? What well practiced will happiness bring? What taste excels all other tastes? How lived is the life they say is best?

[The Buddha:]

2. Faith is the wealth here best for man;
Dhamma well practiced shall happiness bring;
Truth indeed all other tastes excels;
Life wisely lived they say is best.

[Alavaka:]

3. How does one the currents[1] cross?
How is ocean’s[2] existence crossed?
How is one’s suffering quelled?
How is one purified?

[The Buddha:]

4. By faith are currents crossed;
By diligence is the ocean crossed;
By effort is one’s suffering quelled;
By wisdom is one purified;

[Alavaka:]

5. How does one wisdom win?
How does one wealth obtain?
How does one come to fame?
How does one friendship win?
How does one without sorrow fare
When from this world to another he’s gone?

[The Buddha:]

6. The mindful and discerning one,
Who in the Dhamma plead his faith;
By his will to hear that Dhamma
Wins the wisdom of Nibbana.

7. Who is tactful and energetic,
And gains wealth by his own effort;
Fame will he acquire by truth,
And friendship by his giving.

8. He who has faith and is also truthful,
virtuous, firm, and fond of giving;
By virtue of these four conditions
Will never in the hereafter grieve.

9. Truth and Restraint,
Charity and Forbearance,
Are the great reformers of man;
If there be any better
Ask of other samanas and brahmanas.

[Alavaka:]

10. Why should I now try to ask
From other samanas and brahmanas
When this day I came to learn
What weal is here and hereafter?

11. This for my weal indeed
The Buddha to Alavi came;
A gift always bears a fruit;
This too I learned today.

12. From village to village and town to town
I shall now wander along
Praising that Supreme Buddha
And the Dhamma well preached by him.

Having thus spoken, Alavaka said to the Blessed One:

“Most excellent, O Gotama, is thy teaching, most excellent. Just as a man would set upright what is overturned, reveal what is concealed, point out the way to one gone astray, bring an oil lamp into the darkness so that those with eyes could see objects; even so the Dhamma (doctrine) has been declared in many a manner by the Venerable Gotama. I take refuge in the Venerable Gotama (the Buddha), in the Dhamma and in the Sangha (the Order). May the Venerable Gotama accept me as a disciple who has taken refuge, from this day forth while life lasts.”
Notes

1.
Sn. p. 31.
2.
“Current” stands for the Pali word “ogha” which is fourfold — sense pleasures, becoming, wrong views and ignorance (kama-ogha, bhava-o., ditthi-o., avijja-o).
3.
“Ocean” stands for the Pali word “annavam” which is metaphorically used to signify repeated existence, or samsara.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/piyadassi/protection.html .

The Forest- Samyutta Nikaya

At Savatthi, standing to one side, that Devata recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

Those who dwell deep in the forest,
Peaceful, leading the Holy life,
Eating but a single meal a day,
Why is their complexion so serene?

( The Blessed One )
” They do not sorrow over the past,
Nor do they hanker for the future.
They maintain themselves with what is present,
Hence their complexion is so serene.

Through hankering for the future,
Through sorrowing over the past,
Fools dry up and wither away,
Like a green reed cut down.”