“Then again when I was of great retinue and psychic power, a great spirit named Dhamma, I had sympathy for the whole world.
Establishing the populace in the ten ways of skillful deeds, I wandered from village to town, with friends and associates.
A wicked, miserly spirit promoting the ten wicked ways was also wandering the earth with friends and associates.
The righteous and unrighteous, we were each other’s foe. Slamming chariot poles, we collided together.
A dreadful quarrel ensued between the good and the ill, a great war loomed aiming to push the other off the road.
If I had been upset with him, if I had broken my asceticism, I could have reduced him to dust, together with his companions.
Nevertheless, for the sake of guarding my ethics, I quelled my heart. I left the road with my folk, giving it to the wicked one.
As soon as I stepped down off the path, and I had quelled my mind, the earth opened up for that wicked spirit.”
The Deity Dhamma’s Conduct
Cp 18 · Dhammadevaputtacariya
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Collection & context
- CariyāpiṭakaThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
- Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
- The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0
This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.
Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.
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