← Saṃyutta NikāyaSN11.4Connected Discourses 11.4SuttaCentral (Bhikkhu Sujato translation)Select any verse to keep it — saved passages go to your Dhamma Deck, the same one the app uses.Linked Discourses 11.4Chapter OneWith VepacittiAt Sāvatthī.“Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans.Then Vepacitti, lord of titans, addressed the titans,‘My good fellows, if the titans defeat the gods in this battle, bind Sakka, the lord of gods, by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the citadel of the titans.’Meanwhile, Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the thirty-three,‘My good fellows, if the gods defeat the titans in this battle, bind Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the Hall of Justice of the gods.’In that battle the gods won and the titans lost.So the gods of the thirty-three bound Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and brought him to Sakka’s presence in the Hall of Justice of the gods.And as Sakka was entering and leaving the hall, Vepacitti abused and insulted him with rude, harsh words.So Mātali the charioteer addressed Sakka in verse,‘O Maghavā, O Sakka,is it from fear or from weaknessthat you put up with such harsh wordsin the presence of Vepacitti?’‘It’s not out of fear or weaknessthat I’m patient with Vepacitti.For how can a sensible person like meget in a fight with a fool?’‘Fools would vent even moreif there’s no-one to put a stop to them.So a wise one should stopa fool with forceful punishment.’‘I think that this is the only wayto put a stop to a fool,when you know that the other is upset,be mindful and stay calm.’‘I see this fault, Vāsava,in just being patient.When a fool thinks,“He puts up with me out of fear,”the simpleton will go after you even harder,like a cow chasing someone who runs away.’‘Let him think this if he wishes, or not—“He puts up with me out of fear.”Of goals culminating in one’s own good,none better than patience is found.When a strong personputs up with a weakling,they call that the ultimate patience,for a weakling must always be patient.The strength of follyis really just weakness, they say.But no-one can challenge a personwho’s strong, guarded by the teaching.When you get angry at an angry personyou just make things worse for yourself.When you don’t get angry at an angry personyou win a battle hard to win.When you know that the other is angry,you act for the good of bothyourself and the otherif you’re mindful and stay calm.People unfamiliar with the teachingconsider one who heals bothoneself and the otherto be a fool.’So, mendicants, even Sakka, lord of gods—while living off of the fruit of his good and bad deeds, and ruling as sovereign lord over these gods of the thirty-three—will speak in praise of patience and sweetness.But since you have gone forth in such a well explained teaching and training, it would be truly beautiful for you to be patient and gentle!”