Dhammapada 3.6.p6

3.6.p6

Sakalaṃ mettasuttaṃ kathetvā, ‘‘bhikkhave, imaṃ tumhe bahi vihārassa vanasaṇḍato paṭṭhāya sajjhāyantā antovihāraṃ paviseyyāthā’’ti uyyojesi. Te satthāraṃ vanditvā nikkhamitvā anupubbena taṃ ṭhānaṃ patvā bahivihāre gaṇasajjhāyaṃ katvā sajjhāyamānā vanasaṇḍaṃ pavisiṃsu. Sakalavanasaṇḍe devatā mettacittaṃ paṭilabhitvā tesaṃ paccuggamanaṃ katvā pattacīvarapaṭiggahaṇaṃ āpucchiṃsu, hatthapādasambāhanaṃ āpucchiṃsu, tesaṃ tattha tattha ārakkhaṃ saṃvidahiṃsu, pakkadhūpanatelaṃ viya sannisinnā ahesuṃ. Katthaci amanussasaddo nāma nāhosi. Tesaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ cittaṃ ekaggaṃ ahosi. Te rattiṭṭhānadivāṭṭhānesu nisinnā vipassanāya cittaṃ otāretvā attani khayavayaṃ paṭṭhapetvā, ‘‘ayaṃ attabhāvo nāma bhijjanakaṭṭhena athāvaraṭṭhena kulālabhājanasadiso’’ti vipassanaṃ vaḍḍhayiṃsu. Sammāsambuddho gandhakuṭiyā nisinnova tesaṃ vipassanāya āraddhabhāvaṃ ñatvā te bhikkhū āmantetvā, ‘‘evameva, bhikkhave, ayaṃ attabhāvo nāma bhijjanakaṭṭhena athāvaraṭṭhena kulālabhājanasadiso evā’’ti vatvā obhāsaṃ pharitvā yojanasate ṭhitopi abhimukhe nisinno viya chabbaṇṇaraṃsiyo vissajjetvā dissamānena rūpena imaṃ gāthamāha –

They paid obeisance to the Teacher, started out, and in due course arrived at that forest-grove. Reciting the Sutta in unison without the hermitage, they entered the forest-grove. Thereupon the spirits residing throughout the forest-grove conceived friendly feelings in their hearts for the monks, came forth to meet them, asked the monks to let them take their bowls and robes, offered to rub their hands and feet, posted strong guards on all sides, and sat down together with them. Not a demon's voice was heard. The hearts of those monks became tranquil. Sitting in their night-quarters and day-quarters they strove to attain Insight. Fixing in their minds the thought of the decay and death inherent in their bodies and reflecting upon the thought, "By reason of its fragile and unstable nature this body is like a potter's vessel," they developed Spiritual Insight.

The Supremely Enlightened, even as he sat in the Perfumed Chamber, knowing that those monks had begun to develop Spiritual Insight, addressed them, "It is even so, monks. This body, by reason of its fragile and unstable nature, is precisely like a potter's vessel." So saying, he sent forth a luminous image of himself, and although a hundred leagues away, appearing to be seated face to face with them, present in visible form, diffusing six-colored rays of light, pronounced the following Stanza,