When the deva has rained and the grass is tall, And the forest's a shimmering cloud of blossoms, I'll sit on a stump in the heart of the hills; — And to me that will seem as soft as cotton.

Translator's note

This is a portion of a poem attributed to Talaputa, a famous performer before joining the Buddha's sangha and undertaking the training of his mind for liberation. Some people have said that the Theravada tradition shows little recognition of nature, but these and many other verses in the Theragatha reveal a poignant appreciation of nature's beauty. The forests and hills were favorite resorts of the Buddha and his followers, and the wilderness was considered the most suitable setting for silent meditation.

As the Buddha was so fond of saying:

Here, monks, are the roots of trees; here are empty places. Meditate! Don't be lazy! Don't be ones who are later remorseful. This is my instruction to you.

Copyright © 2005 Andrew Olendzki. The text of this page (“Talaputa Thera: Rain of the Deva”, by Andrew Olendzki) is licensed under a Buddhist Publication Society free-distribution licence. From Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013. You may copy, reformat, reprint, republish, and redistribute this work in any medium whatsoever, provided that: (1) you only make such copies, etc. available free of charge; (2) you clearly indicate that any derivatives of this work (including translations) are derived from this source document; and (3) you include the full text of this license in any copies or derivatives of this work. Otherwise, all rights reserved. This presentation is a derivative of that source document: it has been restyled and its links rewritten. The translation itself is unaltered.