At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Then, late at night, the glorious godling Hatthaka, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha. Thinking,
“I will stand before the Buddha,” he sank and melted down, and wasn’t able to stay still.
It’s like when ghee or oil is poured on sand, it sinks and melts down, and can’t remain stable.
Then the Buddha said to Hatthaka,
“Hatthaka, manifest a solid life-form.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Hatthaka. He manifested a solid life-form, bowed to the Buddha, and stood to one side.
The Buddha said to him,
“Hatthaka, I wonder whether you still promulgate now the teachings that you promulgated when you were a human being?”
“I still promulgate the teachings that I promulgated as a human being.
And I also promulgate teachings that I didn’t promulgate as a human being.
Just as the Buddha these days lives crowded by monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen; by rulers and their chief ministers, and monastics of other religions and their disciples,
so I live crowded by the godlings.
The godlings come from far away, thinking, ‘We’ll hear the teaching in the presence of Hatthaka.’
Sir, I passed away without getting enough of three things.
What three?
Seeing the Buddha;
hearing the true teaching;
and serving the Saṅgha.
I passed away without getting enough of these three things.
I could never get enough
of seeing the Buddha,
serving the Saṅgha,
or hearing the teaching.
Training in the higher ethics,
loving to hear the true teaching,
Hatthaka has gone to the Aviha realm
without getting enough of these three things.”