Section outline
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Lesson 1.3.7 Hirīsuttaṃ - By Sense of Shame
The verses contained in the Hirīsuttaṃ were a reply by the Buddha as to devatā who regularly visited him at night wanting guidance regarding certain riddles or questions. Such stanzas are collected in the first part of the Saṃyuttanikāyo called Sagāthāvaggo, in this lesson from the Nandanavaggo. Hirī means ‘shame, modesty, bashfulness’ and along with ottappa, meaning ‘dread, shrinking back from doing any wrong’; both represent two rare qualities highly applauded by the Buddha. The Introduction also relates a further incident where one devatā praises the pleasure park of the gods, nandanavana, as the highest bliss in the universe to be experienced. But another deva responds by calling him a ‘foolish one’ and uttering well known verses to any meditator: “Aniccā sabbasaṅkhārā, uppādavayadhammino; Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti, tesaṃ vūpasamo sukho.”