“Lord of gods, do you recall ever feeling such joy and happiness before?”

“I do, sir.”

“But how?”

“Once upon a time, sir, a battle was fought between the gods and the demons. In that battle the gods won and the demons lost. It occurred to me as victor, ‘Now the gods shall enjoy both the nectar of the gods and the nectar of the demons.’ But sir, that joy and happiness is in the sphere of the rod and the sword. It doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. But the joy and happiness I feel listening to the Buddha’s teaching is not in the sphere of the rod and the sword. It does lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.”

“But lord of gods, what reason do you see for speaking of such joy and happiness?”

“I see six reasons to speak of such joy and happiness, sir.

While staying right here,
remaining in the godly form,
I have gained an extended life:
know this, dear sir.

This is the first reason.

When I fall from the heavenly host,
leaving behind the non-human life,
I shall consciously go to a new womb,
wherever my mind delights.

This is the second reason.

Living happily under the guidance
of the one of unclouded wisdom,
I shall practice according to method,
aware and mindful.

This is the third reason.

And if awakening should arise
as I practice according to the method,
I shall live as one who understands,
and my end shall come right there.

This is the fourth reason.

When I fall from the human realm,
leaving behind the human life,
I shall become a god again,
in the supreme heaven realm.

This is the fifth reason.

They are the finest of gods,
the glorious Akaniṭṭhas.
So long as my final life goes on,
there my home will be.

This is the sixth reason.

Seeing these six reasons I speak of such joy and happiness.

My wishes unfulfilled,
doubting and undecided,
I wandered for such a long time,
in search of the Realized One.

I imagined that ascetics
living in seclusion
must surely be awakened,
so I went to sit near them.

‘How is there success?
How is there failure?’
But they couldn’t answer such questions
about the path and practice.

And when they found out that I
was Sakka, come from the gods,
they questioned me instead about
the deed that brought me to this state.

I taught them the Dhamma
as I had learned it among men.
They were delighted with that, saying:
‘We’ve seen Vāsava!’

Now since I’ve seen the Buddha,
who helps us overcome doubt,
today, free of fear,
I pay homage to the awakened one.

Destroyer of the dart of craving,
the Buddha is unrivaled.
I bow to the great hero,
the Buddha, Kinsman of the Sun.

Just as Brahmā is worshipped
by the gods, dear sir,
today we shall worship you—
come, let us bow to you!

You alone are the Awakened!
You are the Teacher supreme!
In the world with its gods,
there is no-one like you.”

Then Sakka addressed the fairy Pañcasikha, “Dear Pañcasikha, you were very helpful to me, since you first charmed the Buddha, after which I went to see him. I shall appoint you to your father’s position—you shall be king of the fairies. And I give you Bhaddā Suriyavaccasā, who you love so much.”

Then Sakka, touching the ground with his hand, was inspired to exclaim three times:

“Homage to that Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Homage to that Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Homage to that Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!”

And while this discourse was being spoken, the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in Sakka, lord of gods: “Everything that has a beginning has an end.” And also for another 80,000 deities.

Such were the questions Sakka was invited to ask, and which were answered by the Buddha. And that’s why the name of this discussion is “Sakka’s Questions”.