So I have heard. Evaṁ me sutaṁ—At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. At that time Venerables Sāriputta and Moggallāna were staying near the pigeons’ alcove. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahāmoggallāno kapotakandarāyaṁ viharanti. Now at that time Venerable Sāriputta was sitting outdoors in the moonlight, his head freshly shaven, having entered a certain state of immersion. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto juṇhāya rattiyā navoropitehi kesehi abbhokāse nisinno hoti aññataraṁ samādhiṁ samāpajjitvā.

Now at that time two native spirits who were friends were on their way from the north to the south on some business. Tena kho pana samayena dve yakkhā sahāyakā uttarāya disāya dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ gacchanti kenacideva karaṇīyena. They saw Sāriputta meditating there. Addasaṁsu kho te yakkhā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ juṇhāya rattiyā navoropitehi kesehi abbhokāse nisinnaṁ. One of the spirits said to the other, Disvāna eko yakkho dutiyaṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca: “I feel inspired, friend, to give this ascetic a blow on the head!” “paṭibhāti maṁ, samma, imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun”ti. The other spirit replied, Evaṁ vutte, so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca: “Enough, friend, don’t hit the ascetic! “alaṁ, samma, mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi. That is an eminent ascetic, powerful and mighty!” Uḷāro so, samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo”ti.

For a second time the first spirit said to the other, Dutiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca: “I feel inspired, friend, to give this ascetic a blow on the head!” “paṭibhāti maṁ, samma, imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun”ti. For a second time, the other spirit replied, Dutiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca: “Enough, friend, don’t hit the ascetic! “alaṁ, samma, mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi. That is an eminent ascetic, powerful and mighty!” Uḷāro so, samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo”ti. For a third time the first spirit said to the other, Tatiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca: “I feel inspired, friend, to give this ascetic a blow on the head!” “paṭibhāti maṁ, samma, imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun”ti. For a third time, the other spirit replied, Tatiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca: “Enough, friend, don’t hit the ascetic! “alaṁ, samma, mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi. That is an eminent ascetic, powerful and mighty!” Uḷāro so, samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo”ti.

Ignoring his friend, the first spirit struck Sāriputta. Atha kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ anādiyitvā āyasmato sāriputtattherassa sīse pahāraṁ adāsi. The blow was so strong it would have felled a bull elephant seven or seven and a half cubits tall, or split apart a great mountain peak. Tāva mahā pahāro ahosi, api tena pahārena sattaratanaṁ vā aḍḍhaṭṭhamaratanaṁ vā nāgaṁ osādeyya, mahantaṁ vā pabbatakūṭaṁ padāleyya. But then the spirit, crying out, “I burn, I burn!” fell into the Great Hell right there. Atha ca pana so yakkho “ḍayhāmi ḍayhāmī”ti vatvā tattheva mahānirayaṁ apatāsi.

With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, Venerable Moggallāna saw that spirit striking Venerable Sāriputta. Addasā kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena tena yakkhena āyasmato sāriputtattherassa sīse pahāraṁ dīyamānaṁ. He approached him and said, Disvā yena āyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: “I hope you’re keeping well, reverend; I hope you’re all right. I hope that you are not in pain.” “kacci te, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci na kiñci dukkhan”ti? “I am keeping well, Reverend Moggallāna; “Khamanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna, yāpanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna; but my head does hurt a little.” api ca me sīsaṁ thokaṁ dukkhan”ti.

“It’s incredible, Reverend Sāriputta, it’s amazing! “Acchariyaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, abbhutaṁ, āvuso sāriputta. How mighty and powerful is Venerable Sāriputta! Yāva mahiddhiko āyasmā sāriputto mahānubhāvo. Just now, a native spirit struck you on the head. Idha te, āvuso sāriputta, aññataro yakkho sīse pahāraṁ adāsi. The blow was so strong it would have felled a bull elephant seven or seven and a half cubits tall, or split apart a great mountain peak. Tāva mahā pahāro ahosi, api tena pahārena sattaratanaṁ vā aḍḍhaṭṭhamaratanaṁ vā nāgaṁ osādeyya, mahantaṁ vā pabbatakūṭaṁ padāleyya, atha ca panāyasmā sāriputto evamāha: Yet you say, ‘I am keeping well, Reverend Moggallāna; ‘khamanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna, yāpanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna; but my head does hurt a little.’” api ca me sīsaṁ thokaṁ dukkhan’”ti.

“It’s incredible, Reverend Moggallāna, it’s amazing! “Acchariyaṁ, āvuso moggallāna, abbhutaṁ, āvuso moggallāna. How mighty and powerful is Venerable Moggallāna, in that he can even see a native spirit! Yāva mahiddhiko āyasmā mahāmoggallāno mahānubhāvo yatra hi nāma yakkhampi passissati. Whereas I can’t even see a mud-goblin right now.” Mayaṁ panetarahi paṁsupisācakampi na passāmā”ti.

With clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, the Buddha heard that discussion between those two spiritual giants. Assosi kho bhagavā dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya tesaṁ ubhinnaṁ mahānāgānaṁ imaṁ evarūpaṁ kathāsallāpaṁ.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment: Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

“One whose mind is like a rock, “Yassa selūpamaṁ cittaṁ, steady, never trembling, ṭhitaṁ nānupakampati; free of desire for desirable things, Virattaṁ rajanīyesu, not getting annoyed when things are annoying: kopaneyye na kuppati; from where will suffering strike one Yassevaṁ bhāvitaṁ cittaṁ, whose mind is developed like this?” kuto taṁ dukkhamessatī”ti.

Catutthaṁ.