Tena samayena buddho bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye. Tena kho pana samayena āḷavakā bhikkhū navakammaṁ karontā rukkhaṁ chindantipi chedāpentipi. Aññataropi āḷavako bhikkhu rukkhaṁ chindati. Tasmiṁ rukkhe adhivatthā devatā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca— “mā, bhante, attano bhavanaṁ kattukāmo mayhaṁ bhavanaṁ chindī”ti. So bhikkhu anādiyanto chindiyeva, tassā ca devatāya dārakassa bāhuṁ ākoṭesi. Atha kho tassā devatāya etadahosi— “yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ idheva jīvitā voropeyyan”ti. Atha kho tassā devatāya etadahosi— “na kho metaṁ patirūpaṁ yāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ idheva jīvitā voropeyyaṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ bhagavato etamatthaṁ āroceyyan”ti. Atha kho sā devatā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesi. “Sādhu sādhu, devate. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, devate, taṁ bhikkhuṁ jīvitā na voropesi. Sacajja tvaṁ, devate, taṁ bhikkhuṁ jīvitā voropeyyāsi, bahuñca tvaṁ, devate, apuññaṁ pasaveyyāsi. Gaccha tvaṁ, devate, amukasmiṁ okāse rukkho vivitto tasmiṁ upagacchā”ti. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā rukkhaṁ chindissantipi chedāpessantipi ekindriyaṁ