Kevatta Sutta

Kevatta Sutta (or Kevaddha) is a discourse of the Digha Nikaya of the Pali Canon. The scripture takes its name from the householder Kevatta, who invites the Buddha to display various miraculous powers in order to show his spiritual superiority.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu states:

This discourse (also known as the Kevaddha Sutta) discusses the role of miracles and conversations with heavenly beings as a possible basis for faith and belief. While not denying the reality of such experiences, the Buddha points out that—of all possible miracles—only the miracle of instruction in the proper training of the mind is reliable. As for heavenly beings, they are subject to greed, anger, and delusion, and so the information they give—especially with regard to the miracle of instruction—is not necessarily trustworthy. Thus the only valid basis for faith is the instruction that, when followed, brings about the end of one’s own mental defilements.

The tale concluding the discourse is one of the finest examples of the early Buddhist sense of humor.

Translations

• To Kevaṭṭa, Dhammatalks.org
• With Kevaddha, translation by Bhikkhu Sujato