1At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Then, late at night, several glorious deities of the Disdainful Group, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, and stood in the air.

Standing in the air, one deity recited this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

2“Someone who pretends
to be other than they really are,
is like a cheating gambler
who enjoys what was gained by theft.

You should only say what you would do;
you shouldn’t say what you wouldn’t do.
The wise will recognize
one who talks without doing.”

4“Not just by speaking,
nor solely by listening,
are you able to progress
on this hard path,
by which wise ones practicing absorption
are released from Māra’s bonds.

5The wise certainly don’t act like that,
for they understand the ways of the world.
The wise are extinguished by understanding,
they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”

6Then those deities landed on the ground, bowed with their heads at the Buddha’s feet and said: “We have made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of us to imagine we could attack the Buddha! Please, sir, accept our mistake for what it is, so we will restrain ourselves in future.”

At that, the Buddha smiled.

Then those deities, becoming even more disdainful, flew up in the air. One deity recited this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

7“If you don’t give your pardon
when a mistake is confessed,
with hidden anger and heavy hate,
you’re stuck in your enmity.”

8“If no mistake is found,
if no-one’s gone astray,
and enmities are settled,
then who could have been unskillful?”

9“Who makes no mistakes?
Who doesn’t go astray?
Who doesn’t fall into confusion?
Who is the wise one that’s ever mindful?”

10“The Realized One, the Buddha,
compassionate for all beings:
that’s who makes no mistakes,
and that’s who doesn’t go astray.
He doesn’t fall into confusion,
for he’s the wise one, ever mindful.

11.If you don’t give your pardon
when a mistake is confessed,
with hidden anger and heavy hate,
you’re stuck in your enmity.
I don’t approve of such enmity,
and so I pardon your mistake.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Atha kho sambahulā ujjhanasaññikā devatāyo abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu.

Vehāsaṁ ṭhitā kho ekā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi: 

2"Aññathā santamattānaṁ,
aññathā yo pavedaye;
Nikacca kitavasseva,
bhuttaṁ theyyena tassa taṁ.

3Yañhi kayirā tañhi vade,
yaṁ na kayirā na taṁ vade;
Akarontaṁ bhāsamānaṁ,
parijānanti paṇḍitā"ti.

4"Na yidaṁ bhāsitamattena,
ekantāsavānena vā;
Anukkamitave sakkā,
yāyaṁ paṭipadā daḷhā;
Yāya dhīrā pamuccanti,
jhāyino mārabandhanā.

5Na ve dhīrā pakubbanti,
viditvā lokapariyāyaṁ;
Aññāya nibbutā dhīrā,
tiṇṇā loke visattikan"ti.

6Atha kho tā devatāyo pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhahitvā bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: "Accayo no, bhante, accagamā yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ, yā mayaṁ bhagavantaṁ āsādetabbaṁ amaññimhā. Tāsaṁ no, bhante, bhagavā accayaṁ accayato paṭiggaṇhātu āyatiṁ saṁvarāyā"ti.

Atha kho bhagavā sitaṁ pātvākāsi.

Atha kho tā devatāyo bhiyyoso mattāya ujjhāyantiyo vehāsaṁ abbhuggañchuṁ. Ekā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi: 

7"Accayaṁ desayantīnaṁ,
yo ce na paṭigaṇhati;
Kopantaro dosagaru,
sa veraṁ paṭimuñcatī"ti.

8"Accayo ce na vijjetha,
nocidhāpagataṁ siyā;
Verāni na ca sammeyyuṁ,
kenīdha kusalo siyā"ti.

9"Kassaccayā na vijjanti,
kassa natthi apāgataṁ;
Ko na sammohamāpādi,
ko ca dhīro sadā sato"ti.

10"Tathāgatassa buddhassa,
sabbabhūtānukampino;
Tassaccayā na vijjanti,
tassa natthi apāgataṁ;
So na sammohamāpādi,
sova dhīro sadā satoti.

11Accayaṁ desayantīnaṁ,
yo ce na paṭigaṇhati;
Kopantaro dosagaru,
sa veraṁ paṭimuñcati;
Taṁ veraṁ nābhinandāmi,
paṭiggaṇhāmi voccayan"ti.