The Worship of the Saṅgha (or Sakka’s Worship (3))
As above down to:
“Then, bhikkhus, Sakka, lord of the devas, descending from the Vejayanta Palace, raised his joined hands in reverential salutation and worshipped the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Then Matali the charioteer addressed Sakka, lord of the devas, in verse:
“‘It is these that should worship you—
The humans stuck in a putrid body,
Those submerged inside a corpse,
Afflicted with hunger and thirst.
Why then do you envy them,
These who dwell homeless, Vasava?
Tell us about the seers’ conduct;
Let us hear what you have to say.’
Sakka:
“‘This is why I envy them,
Those who dwell homeless, Matali:
Whatever village they depart from,
They leave it without concern.
“‘They do not keep their goods in storage,
Neither in a pot nor in a box.
Seeking what has been prepared by others,
By this they live, firm in vows:
Those wise ones who give good counsel,
Maintaining silence, of even faring.
“‘While devas fight with asuras
And people fight with one another,
Among those who fight, they do not fight;
Among the violent, they are quenched;
Among those who grasp, they do not grasp:
These are the ones whom I worship, Matali.’
Matali:
“‘Those whom you worship, my lord Sakka,
Are indeed the best in the world.
I too will worship them—
Those whom you worship, Vasava.’
The Blessed One:
“Having given this explanation,
Having worshipped the Bhikkhu Saṅgha,
The deva-king Maghava, Suja’s husband,
The chief, climbed into his chariot.”
- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Editor: Blake Walsh
Who Sakka Worships
Near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove.
“Once upon a time, mendicants, Sakka, lord of gods, addressed his charioteer Mātali,
‘My dear Mātali, harness the chariot with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds. We will go to a park and see the scenery.’
‘Yes, lord,’ replied Mātali. He harnessed the chariot and informed Sakka,
‘Good sir, the chariot with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds has been harnessed.
Please go at your convenience.’
Then Sakka descended from the Palace of Victory, raised his joined palms, and revered the mendicant Saṅgha.
So Mātali the charioteer addressed Sakka in verse:
‘It’s these who should worship you,
namely the humans stuck in their putrid bodies,
sunk in a corpse,
stricken by hunger and thirst.
Why then do you envy those
who are homeless, Vāsava?
Relate the hermits’ way of life,
let us hear what you say.’
‘This is why I envy the
homeless, Mātali.
When they leave a village,
they proceed without concern.
They hoard no goods in storerooms,
nor in pots or baskets.
They seek food prepared by others,
and, true to their vows, live on that.
The wise whose words are full of wisdom,
live peacefully and quietly.
Gods fight with demons,
and mortals fight each other, Mātali.
Not fighting among those who fight,
extinguished among those who are armed,
not grasping among those who grasp:
they’re who I worship, Mātali.’
‘Those who you worship
seem to be the best in the world, Sakka.
I too will worship
those who you worship, Vāsava.’
After saying this, Maghavā the chief,
king of gods, Sujā’s husband,
having worshipped the mendicant Saṅgha,
climbed into his chariot.”
