(3) Alavaka Sutta

Next sutta is Alavaka sutta.^[1] There was a time when Bhayavat lived at alavi near the area of Yakkha alavaka. It so happened one day that Yakkha alavaka went to a place where Bhagavat lived and going there he summoned Bhagavat and requested him to come out. Bhagavat the other hand asked Yakkha alavaka to enter his humble residence and saying so he went back into the hut but on the second time Yakkha alavaka again called Bhagavat and asked him to come out the hut of. For the fourth time he asked Bhatavat to come out. But on the fourth request Bhagavat refused to come out and told him that he could do whatever he liked Bhagavat once again politely requested him to enter his hut. Yakkha alavaka for the third time again asked Bhagavat to come out but he received the same answer, the same invitation by Bhagavat to enter his hut but yakkha alavaka instead of entering Yakkha alavaka then told Gautama that he demanded an answer from Gautama again about his questions and if he failed to answer the question he threatened him to scatter all his thoughts or pierce his heart or catch him by his feet and throw him on the other side of the Ganga and impart such other tortures on him.

On listening to this Gautama seemed heardly moved or distrubed instead maintaining his cool and calm he replied back to the Yakkha alavaka that in this world or in the world of God hardly did he knew any men, samana, Brahmana or anyone else who possessed the power or the capability of scattering his thought or piercing his heart or catching him by his feet and throwing him accross the Ganga. Yet then Gautama with all his wisdom and sincerity agreed to answer the questions that Yakkha alavaka wanted to enquire from Bhagavat.

The first question that yakkha alavaka addressed to Bhagavata was that-For a man what is the property that can be considered best in this world? What good deeds brings about happiness? What things can be considered as the sweetest? What kind of leading a life is considered to be the best living? Bhagavat while answering this question says, in this world faith is the best property for a man, it is Dhamma if truly followed can bring about complete happiness and the sweetest thing of this life is truth and the best living is the living which is done through understanding.

Alavaka’s next questions comprises of as how can one cross the stream and maintain his existence? How can one cross the sea? How can one conquer pain and purifiy himself? It is faith says Bhagavata through which one can cross the stream and it is by the strength of mind that one can cross the sea. In the same way purification can come from understanding that pain can be conquered by exertion.

Alavaka’s next question was how can one obtain understanding. What were the ways of acquiring wealth? acquiring fame? How can one create a good binding with one’s friend and how can one overcome the pain of passing away from this world? Bhagavat in answer to all these questions says that it is the only way of getting all these things is by aquiring nibbana and believing and keeping faith in ‘Dhamma’. Because understanding can only come once desired to be here and by being and discerning.

Next he says that by leading a proper life and utilizing oneself in the proper way wealth can be acquired along with fame and charitability can bind one with his friends.

To overcome the grievences of living this world if a house-holder follows Dhamma, truth, justice firmness and liberty then one will not face grief.

Gautama next asked alavaka to question other samanas and Brahmanas around this world if there is any thing greater than truth, self restrain, liberality and forbearance.

Alavaka says on reply that his question have been answered quite well and he desired no farther answer as he understood what was good for his future and he also added that he realised the fact that it was for his own good that Buddha had came to live there and have best wooed with such great knowlodge and the promised to travel from village to village and town to town worshipping the great Lord Buddha and obeying dhamma for the rest of his life.

The Alavaka Sutta consists of the eight questions that were asked by Alavaka yakkha to Buddha, and on answering these questions Buddha had enlightened Alavaka’s parents which they taught to Alavaka in his youth, which however he had not remembered but in order that they might not be forgotten these were written down in a gold leaf with red paint to be stored with reverence.

Buddha’s answers were strikingly similar to that of the answers given by Buddha Kassapa which furthur vividly appears in Suttanipata and Samyutta Nikaya. It is a deep perspect about enjoying the real happiness.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The sacred Books of the east. The Dhammapada, vol-x, F.Max Muller. Page-29.