SA 593（五九三） 须达生天

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada, having died, was reborn in Tuṣita Heaven as a Tuṣita god. He thought, “I should not stay here for long. I should go see the World-Honored One.” Having thought this, in the time it takes for a strong man to bend and stretch his arm, he disappeared from Tuṣita Heaven and appeared before the Buddha. He bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet and sat to one side. The Tuṣita god’s body emitted a bright light that illuminated Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.

At that time, the Tuṣita god spoke a verse:

In this Jetavana Grove, the sages and monks dwell. The
kings also dwell here, increasing my joyful mind. Deeply believing
in pure precepts and wisdom as supreme life, I purify
sentient beings with this, not by clan, wealth, or possessions
The greatly wise Śāriputra, always mindful and silent, dwells in
seclusion, cultivating detachment, the first and best friend in establishing the path.

Having spoken this verse, he immediately disappeared.

Then, the World-Honored One, having passed the night, entered the assembly, spread out his sitting mat, sat in front of the assembly, and addressed the monks: "Last night, a son of heaven, of extremely beautiful appearance, came to where I was, bowed his head at my feet, and sat to one side. He spoke a verse, saying:

In this Jetavana Grove, the sages and monks dwell, and
the kings also dwell here, increasing my joyful mind. Deeply
believing in the pure precepts, wisdom is the supreme life
By this, the pure beings, not by clan, wealth, or
possessions, the greatly wise Shariputra, always mindful and silent, dwelling
in seclusion, cultivating detachment, the first and excellent friend in
establishing the practice.

At that time, Venerable Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One! According to what the World-Honored One has said, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada was born in that heaven and came to see the World-Honored One. However, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada greatly respected Venerable Śāriputra."

The Buddha told Ānanda: "So it is, so it is. Ānanda! The elder Anāthapiṇḍada was born in that heaven and came to see me."

At that time, the World-Honored One, for the sake of Venerable Śāriputra, spoke a verse, saying:

The wisdom of all worldly beings, except for the Tathāgata, is
sixteen times less than the wisdom of Śāriputra. The wisdom of
Śāriputra is equal to that of all devas and humans, but
it is sixteen times less than the wisdom of the Tathāgata.

Having spoken this sūtra, the Buddha finished. The bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and upheld them.