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Venāgapura Sutta

Taught at Venāgapura. The brahmins of that village visit the Buddha, and their leader Vacchagotta expresses his admiration of the Buddha’s translucent colour in various similes, suggesting that it may be due to the luxurious beds on which the Buddha is able to sleep.

The Buddha, however, answers that the costly beds mentioned by Vacchagotta are not for recluses like himself, but that he has three different “couches,” each of which gives him great comfort of body and mind: the broad celestial couch (dibbaṃ uccāsayana-mahāsayanaṃ), the sublime couch (brahmaṃ uccāsayana-mahāsayanaṃ), and the Noble One’s couch (ariyaṃ uccāsayana-mahāsayanaṃ).

He explains the nature of these couches — the four jhānas, the four divine abidings, and the knowledge of liberation. The Venāgapura brahmins thereupon accept the Buddha as their teacher. A.i.180 ff.