[567] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then, when the night was far advanced, the young deva (devaputta) Hatthaka, of surpassingly beautiful complexion, illuminating the whole of Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, thinking, "I shall stand before the Blessed One," he sank down, he sank away, and was unable to stand firm. Just as ghee or oil, when poured upon sand, sinks down, sinks away, and does not remain, even so the young deva Hatthaka, thinking, "I shall stand before the Blessed One," sank down, sank away, and was unable to stand firm.
Then the Blessed One said to the young deva Hatthaka: "Hatthaka, create a gross bodily form."
"Yes, venerable sir," the young deva Hatthaka replied to the Blessed One, and having created a gross bodily form, he paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. As he stood to one side, the Blessed One said to the young deva Hatthaka: "Hatthaka, those dhammas that occurred to you formerly, when you were a human being — do those dhammas occur to you even now?"
"Venerable sir, those dhammas that occurred to me formerly, when I was a human being — those dhammas occur to me even now; and dhammas that did not occur to me formerly, when I was a human being — those dhammas also occur to me now. Just as, venerable sir, the Blessed One now dwells thronged about by bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, laymen, laywomen, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and disciples of sectarians, even so, venerable sir, I dwell thronged about by young devas. Even from afar, venerable sir, the young devas come, thinking, 'We shall hear the Dhamma in the presence of the young deva Hatthaka.' Of three things, venerable sir, I died unsated and without ever turning away. Of which three? Venerable sir, I died unsated with seeing the Blessed One, without ever turning away; venerable sir, I died unsated with hearing the good Dhamma (saddhamma), without ever turning away; venerable sir, I died unsated with attending upon the Saṅgha, without ever turning away. Of these three things, venerable sir, I died unsated and without ever turning away."
"Surely there could never be satiety
in seeing the Blessed One,
in attending upon the Saṅgha,
and in hearing the good Dhamma.
Training in the higher virtue,
delighting in hearing the good Dhamma,
unsated with the three things,
Hatthaka has gone to Avihā."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.