narrator Now I’ll tell of the Leaving Home, how he, the mighty seer, went forth, how he was questioned and described the reason for his Leaving Home.
The crowded life lived in a house exhales an atmosphere of dust: but leaving home is open wide — seeing this, he chose Leaving Home.
By doing so did he reject all bodily evil acts, rejected too, wrong ways of speech, his livelihood he purified. ₄₁₀ He went to Rājagaha town, hill-guarded fort of Magadhans;
there he, the Buddha, walked for alms, with many a mark of excellence. King Bimbisāra from within his palace saw him passing by, and when he saw such excellence in all his marks,
bimbisāra “Look, sirs”, he said, How stately is that man, handsome, how pure, how perfect is his gait; with eyes downcast, mindful, he looks only a plough-yoke’s length ahead. He’s surely not of humble birth! Send forth royal messengers at once upon the path the bhikkhu takes.”
messenger The messengers were sent at once and followed closely in his wake: “Now which way will the bhikkhu go? Where has he chosen his abode? He wanders on from house to house guarding sense-doors with real restraint. Fully aware and mindfully, his alms bowl soon was full.
His almsround is now done. The Sage is setting out and leaving town, taking the road to Paṇḍava— he must be living on its hill.” narrator Now when he came to his abode the messengers went up to him; though one of them turned back again to give the King reply:
messenger The bhikkhu, sire, is like a lion, or like a tiger, like a bull and seated in a mountain- cave on the eastern slope of Paṇḍava!
narrator The Warrior hears the runner’s tale, then summoning up a coach of state, he drove in haste from out the town, out to the hill of Paṇḍava. He drove as far as he could go, and then descended from the coach; the little distance that remained, he went on foot, drew near the Sage.
The King sat down, and he exchanged greetings, and asked about his health. When this exchange of courtesy was done, the king then spoke to him these words:
bimbisāra You are indeed quite young, a youth, a man in life’s first phase, you have the good looks of a man of high-born warrior-noble stock, one fit to grace a first-rate force, to lead the troops of elephants, wealth can I give you to enjoy; please tell me of your birth.
buddha Straight over there, O king, the Himalayas can be seen, there, with wealth and energy, living among the Kosalans
are the Ādicca of solar race,² in that, the clan of Sakyas. From that family I’ve left home not desiring pleasures of sense.
Having seen dangers in sense-desires, renunciation seen as secure, I shall go on to strive for there does my mind delight ₄₂₇ (Snp 408–427)
3.2 The Striving of Gotama Padhāna Sutta
buddha As I strove to subdue myself beside the broad Nerañjarā, absorbed unflinchingly to gain the surcease of bondage here, Namucī came and spoke to me with words all garbed in pity thus:
māra O you are thin and you are pale, and you are in death’s presence too: a thousand parts are pledged to death but life still holds one part of you. Live, sir! Life’s the better way; you may gain merit if you live, come live the life of purity, pour libations on the holy fires and thus a world of merit gain. What can you do by struggling now? The path of struggling too is rough, and difficult and hard to bear.
narrator Now Māra, as he spoke these lines drew near until he stood close by. The Blessed One replied to him as he stood thus:
buddha O Evil One, O Cousin of the Negligent, you have come here for your own ends. Now, merit I need not at all. Let Māra talk of merit then, to those that stand in need of it. For I have faith and energy, and I have understanding, too. So while I thus subdue myself, why do you speak to me of life?
There is this wind that blows, can dry even the rivers’ running streams; so while I thus subdue myself, why should it not dry up my blood? And, as the blood dries up, then bile and phlegm run dry, the wasting flesh becalms the mind: I shall have more of mindfulness and wisdom too, I shall have greater concentration.
For living thus I come to know the limits to which feeling goes. My mind looks not to sense-desires: Now see a being’s purity. Your squadron’s first is Sense-desires your second’s Sexual Discontent, Hunger and Thirst compose the third, and Craving is the fourth in rank, the fifth is Sloth and Accidy, while Fear is called the sixth in line, Sceptical doubt is seventh, the eighth is Sliminess, Hardheartedness;
Gain with Honour, Praise besides, and ill-won Notoriety, Self-praise and Denigrating others-- These are your squadrons, Namucī, the Black One’s fighting troops. None but the brave will conquer them to gain bliss by the victory.
As though I’m weaving muñja-grass, proclaiming no retreat: shame upon life defeated here —better to die in battle now than choose to live on in defeat. Ascetics and brahmins there are found that have surrendered here, and they are seen no more: they do not know the paths the pilgrim travels by.
So, seeing Māra’s squadrons now arrayed all round, with elephants, I sally forth to fight, that I may not be driven from my post. Your serried squadrons, which the world with all its gods cannot defeat, Now I’ll break with wisdom sharp, as with a stone a raw clay pot.
With all mind’s thoughts within the range, with well-established mindfulness, I’ll travel on from state to state many disciples leading out.
They, both diligent and resolute carry on my Sāsana, and though you like it not, they’ll go to where they do not grieve.
māra Though step by step for seven years I’ve followed on the Blessed One, the Fully Enlightened One, possessed of mindfulness, he gave to me no chance. A crow there was who walked around a stone that seemed a lump of fat; “Shall I find something soft in this? And is there something tasty here?” He finding nothing tasty there, made off: and we from Gotama depart in disappointment, too, like to the crow that tried the stone.
narrator Then full of sorrow he let slip the lute from underneath his arm, then that dejected demon disappeared just there. ₄₅₂ (Snp 428–452)
3.3 The Well-spoken Subhāsita Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Radiant One dwelt at Sāvatthī, in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. The Radiant One spoke thus: “Bhikkhus”. “Venerable Sir”, those bhikkhus replied.
“Speech having four qualities is well-spoken, not ill-spoken, and blameless, not blameworthy, among the wise.What four? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu speaks only what is well-spoken, not what is ill-spoken; what is Dharma, not what is not-Dharma; what is kindly, not what is unkind; what is the truth, not what is false. This speech is well-spoken, not ill-spoken, and blameless, not blameworthy among the wise.”
This is what the Radiant One said, then he spoke further. Now peaceful Ones say: first speak the well-spoken, and second, speak Dharma but not its opposite, what’s kind do speak, third, not the unkind, while fourth, speak the truth but never the false.
Then the venerable Vaṅgīsa rose with robe over one shoulder and lotussed hands towards the Radiant One saying to him: “Sir, it has come to me!” “Let it come to you, Vaṅgīsa.”
The venerable Vaṅgīsa then praised the Radiant One in his presence with these appropriate verses: Only that speech should be spoken from which harm does not come to oneself, nor torment brings upon others—this truly is speech that’s well-spoken. Speak only those words that are kind, the speech that is gladly received, so whatever one speaks to others, conveying no evil, is kind.
Truth indeed, is deathless speech— this is the ancient Dharma. On truth, its study and practice both, they say are the Peaceful firm. Whatever words the Buddha speaks, Nirvāṇa’s safety to attain, bringing dukkha to an end, such words they are the worthiest. ₄₅₇ (Snp 453–457)
Notes
This small Sutta is important for Dharma-practice. It is easier to make unwholesome karma by way of the mouth than it is through bodily action—words just slip off the tongue so easily.Think how many words one speaks every day! So the Buddha here defines what is subhāsita, well-spoken. He does this twice, first in prose and then in a summary verse, a mnemonic aid in a world where teachings were not recorded even by writing.
To ensure that this teaching stuck in the mind, Venerable Vaṅgīsa, famous for his ability to speak inspired and spontaneous verse, then, with the Buddha’s approval, elaborates upon these four types of good speech. This occasion does not bring forth his best verses.
This Sutta also occurs in SN 8.5 (Vaṅgīsa-saṁyutta) though there it has no occasion, nor the Buddha’s prose and verse.
Verse 456 mentions “the ancient Dharma”.The word translated here as “ancient” is sanantano which pts Dictionary defines as “primeval, of old, for ever, eternal”. When used as an adjective with dharma, the meaning is that this Dharma is true: “Whether Tathāgatas (or Buddhas) arise or Tathāgatas do not arise, there is this state of causality that always exists, this established order of dharmas, this natural lawfulness of Dharma, that is to say: All conditioned things are impermanent … all conditioned things are dukkha … all dharmas are not-self … ”
This is the ancient Dharma true of all worlds, of all beings, at all times, whether or not it is known to these beings. For the above quotation see AN 3.134. The Hindu understanding of the Sanskrit sanatana-dharma emphasizes time—that this Dharma is eternal and includes among other matters the society ordered into castes. This view is defended in the Bhagavad-gīta.
3.4 To Sundarika-Bhāradvāja on Offerings Sundarika-Bhāradvāja Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Radiant One was dwelling among the Kosalans. At that time the brahmin Sundarika-Bhāradvāja performed on the bank of the Sundarika river the fire sacrifice and offered the fire-ritual. Having completed the sacrifice and ritual the brahmin rose from his seat and surveyed the four directions, thinking, “Who will partake of the remains of this sacrifice?” It happened then that the brahmin saw the Radiant One seated at the foot of a tree not far away, but with his head covered. Seeing him, the brahmin grasped the sacrificial remains in his left hand and a water-vessel in his right and approached the Radiant One who, hearing his approach, uncovered his head.
Then the brahmin thought: “This venerable one is shaven-headed, a mere shaveling” and desired to turn back. But it occurred to him: “Though shaven-headed there are some brahmins here like this. It would be good to inquire about his ‘birth’.” Then Sundarika-Bhāradvāja the brahmin approached the Radiant One and having done so, said this: “Of what ‘birth’ is the venerable one?” Then the Radiant One addressed these verses to the brahmin:
buddha No brahmin am I, nor son of royalty, nor of merchant stock, nor any other (caste), for I know very well ordin ary people’s line so wisely, having nothing, I fare through the world. My robe is my dwelling, I live in no house, My head is shaven, I am fully quenched; Not clinging to any students here, It is not appropriate, brahmin, to ask me of my clan.
sundarika But brahmins, sir, of brahmins always ask “Are you as well a brahmin, friend?” tamed by Truth, endowed with self-restraint, one gone to Knowledge’s end and the Good Life living: a timely offering one should give to such— a brahmin seeking merit to such a one should sacrifice.
Let go of sensuality, and homeless faring—those with minds well-restrained and as a shuttle straight a timely offering one should give to such— a brahmin seeking merit to such a one should sacrifice.
Free from lustfulness, sense-faculties controlled, as the moon freed from old Rāhu’s grasp: a timely offering one should give to such— a brahmin seeking merit to such a one should sacrifice.
They who wander the world completely unattached ever-mindful of mine-making, always letting go: a timely offering one should give to such— a brahmin seeking merit to such a one should sacrifice. Whoever fares victorious, let go of sensuality, who is a Knower of the end of birth and death, become quite Cool as a cool-water lake; such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
Who’s equal with equals, unequals far away, a Tathāgata—of wisdom infinite, one who is unsmeared either here or hereafter: such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake. In whom does not dwell deceit or conceit, who’s greed-free, unselfish, having no desire, who anger has lost, exceeding Cool of self, that Brahmin who’s removed impurity of grief: such a Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
Whoever has removed the dwellings of the mind, in whom there exists no clinging any more, no grasping at anything here or hereafter: such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
With a mind composed and crossed the flood, a Knower of Dharma by the highest vision, cleansed of pollutions, bearer of a last body: such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
No pollutions for existence, neither harsh words, not smouldering are they, to non-existence gone, one gone to Knowledge, completely released: such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
One gone beyond ties, no ties still exist, among conceited men, one of no conceit, comprehending dukkha with its range and base: such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
A seer of solitude and not depending on desire, escaped from the views by other people known, in whom are no conditions found at all: such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
Who’s understood completely the dharmas high and low, not smouldering are they, to non-existence gone, by clinging’s exhaustion freed and so at peace: such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
Who’s a seer of exhaustion of birth and fetters all and who has dispelled the sensual trail complete-- purified, faultless, untainted and flawless: such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
One not seeing self by means of self within, firm and straightforward as well contemplative, free from lust, harsh-heartedness and from all doubts: such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
In whom no conditions for delusion can be found, a seer with wisdom among all the dharmas, one who’s the bearer of the ultimate body, attained to the blissful unexcelled Awakening to this extent there s purity among the powerful: such Tathāgata’s worthy of sacrificial cake.
sundarika In the past I sacrificed, now let my sacrifice be true, for now I have met such a one of wisdom’s qualities; you’re Brahmā manifest indeed, accept from me O Radiant, may the Radiant One eat my sacrificial cake.
buddha Chanting sacred verses for comestibles— that’s not done by me, for those who rightly see, brahmin, it accords not with Dharma. Chanting sacred verses thus is rejected by the Buddhas, such is the Dharma, brahmin, such is their practice.
A Great Seer with Final Knowledge, conflicts stilled, one who has exhausted taints, is wholly free— make offerings of food and drink to such a one: the certain field for one who merit seeks.
sundarika Good indeed, sir, that I should know of this. But having gained your teachings (now I ask): Who should eat the gift of such as I, whom I’m seeking at this time of sacrifice?
buddha Whose anger’s disappeared, who has unclouded mind, who’s free from lustfulness, whose sloth is thrust aside, guide for what’s beyond the bounds, Knower of birth-and-death, Sage with sagely virtues, arrived at the sacrifice, with super pride removed, revere with lotussed hands, honour with food and drink, thus prosper rightful gifts.
sundarika The Buddha, sir, is worthy of sacrificial cake, a field for merits, recipient of all the world, what’s given to you bears great fruit.
When this was said, the brahmin Sundarika-Bhāradvāja said to the Radiant One: “Magnificent, master Gotama! The Dharma has been clarified by Master Gotama in many ways, as though he was righting what was overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes can see forms. I go for Refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dharma, and to the Bhikkhu-Saṅgha that I may receive the Leaving home from the venerable Gotama with ordination.”
Then the brahmin SundarikaBhāradvāja received this. Not long after his ordination the venerable, living in solitude, secluded, diligent and zealous by realizing from himself with Direct Knowledge here and now entered upon and abided in that supreme goal of the Good Life for the sake of which clansmen rightly leave home for homelessness. He Knew directly: birth is destroyed, the Good Life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being. And the venerable Sundarika-Bhāradvāja became one of the arahants. (Snp 458–491)
3.5 To Māgha on Giving Māgha Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Radiant one dwelt at Rājagaha on the Vulture Peak Mountain. Then the young brahmin Māgha went to the Radiant One and exchanged greetings with him. When this courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down to one side and spoke thus to the Radiant One: “Master Gotama, I am certainly a donor, one who is generous and glad to comply with others’ requests. From wealth sought rightly, obtained rightly, acquired in accordance with Dharma, I give to one, two, ten, twenty, a hundred or even more—so do I, Master Gotama giving and bestowing in this way accrue much merit?”
“Certainly young brahmin, giving and bestowing in this way you accrue much merit. If anyone is a donor, one who is generous and glad to comply with others’ requests from wealth sought rightly, obtained rightly, acquired in accordance with dharma and given to one, two, ten, twenty, a hundred or even to more, that one accrues much merit.”
Then the brahmin youth Māgha addressed these verses to the Radiant One:
māgha I ask the world-knower Gotama who wanders homeless clad in kāsāya cloth: One glad to comply with others’ requests, a generous giver, one living at home, a seeker of merit, desirer of merit, who to other as sacrifice gives food and drink — how would such offerings be purified by this?
buddha One glad to comply with others’ requests, a generous giver, one living at home, a seeker of merit, desirer of merit, who to others as sacrifice gives food and drink achieves his results through those worthy of gifts.
māgha One glad to comply with others’ requests, a generous giver, one living at home, a seeker of merit, desirer of merit, who to others as sacrifice gives good and drink-- Sir, who are the gift-worthy, please speak about that.
buddha Those truly who fare unattached in the world, own nothing, perfected, they’re self-controlled, to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
Who all the fetters and bonds have cut off, tamed are they, freed, with no troubles or hopes, to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
Who from all fetters are released, tamed and freed, with no troubles or hopes, to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
Passion and hatred, delusion—let go, exhausted the inflows, lived the God Life, to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
In who lurks neither deceit nor conceit, greed-free, unselfish, trouble-free too, to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
Those free of greed, unselfish, without desire, with inflows exhausted, the Good Life completed, to them would a brahmin on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
They who to cravings have not succumbed, the flood overcrossed they unselfishly fare, to them would a brahmin on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
But those with no cravings at all in the world for being this, being that,now or afterwards, to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
They who fare homeless, sense-pleasures let go, themselves well-restrained, as shuttle flies straight, to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
Those passion-free, their faculties restrained, as the Moon from the grip of Rāhu released, to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
Those who are calm, passion gone, anger-free, who here have given up all places to go, to them would a brahmin on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
Who’ve birth and death abandoned—nothing left and all unsettling doubts have overcome, to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow
With themselves as an island they fare in the world, own nothing and everywhere utterly freed to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
Those who Know here as really it is— “This is the last, no more being to come”-- to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.
The mindful in holy words learned, who in jhāna delight, won to Awakening, the refuge of many, to them would a brahmin, on merit intent, sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow. māgha My question truly was not in vain for the Radiant has spoken of gift-worthy ones. This indeed you Know as it really is, for certainly this Dharma’s Known to you.
One glad to comply with others’ requests, a generous giver, one living at home, a seeker of merit, desirer of merit, who to others as sacrifice gives food and drink, tell me, O Radiant, the success of such sacrifice.
buddha Do you sacrifice! But during this sacrificial act, make your mind happy all of the time; for the sacrificiant, this sacrifice is the base, established in this one is rid of all faults.
One with passions gone would other faults restrain, developing boundless mettā-mind, in this, continuously diligent by day and by night, suffusing all directions boundlessly.
māgha Who can be cleansed, released and Awakened? With what does the self to the Brahma-world go? O Sage, when asked reply to me—one who doesn’t know— for the Radiant I’ve seen with my eyes as Brahmā today and it’s true that you’re the same as Brahmā for us. In the Brahma-world, how does one arise, O Refulgent One?
buddha The sacrificiant who achieves triple success in sacrifice, achieves their results through such gift-worthy ones; so perfected in sacrifice and complying with others’ requests, that one arises, I say, within the Brahma-world.
When this was said the young brahmin Māgha said to the Radiant One: “Magnificent, Master Gotama! The Dharma has been clarified by Master Gotama in many ways, as though he was righting what was overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes can see forms. I go for Refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dharma and to the Saṅgha. May Master Gotama remember me as a layman who from today has Gone for Refuge for life. (Snp 492–515)
3.6 Sabhiya’s Questions Sabhiya Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Radiant One dwelt at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Feeding-ground. Now at that time a deva gave a question to Sabhiya the Wanderer, who had been his relative in a past life, saying, “Sabhiya, if any ascetic or brahmin can answer this question, you should live the Holy Life with them.”
When Sabhiya the Wanderer had learned that question from the deva, he approached various respected ascetics and brahmins and asked them the question. These included teachers with large followings and many devotees, well-known and famous, well-regarded by many people as having crossed over, such as Pūraṇa Kassapa, Makkhali Gosālo, Ajita Kesakambala, Pakudha Kaccāna, Sañcaya Belaṭṭhaputta, and Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta. But when they were asked this question, they were not able to answer, and they showed unreasonable anger and annoyance. Then they asked Sabhiya questions in return.
Then it occurred to Sabhiya, “These teachers are not able to answer my question, and instead they ask me about something else. Perhaps I should return to the lesser life and enjoy sensual pleasures.” Then he thought, “There is also this Ascetic Gotama, who is a teacher with a large following and many devotees, well-known and famous, well-regarded by many people as having crossed over. Why don’t I go and ask him this question?”
But then it occurred to him, “The respected ascetics and brahmins who I asked previously—Pūraṇa Kassapa, Makkhali Gosālo, Ajita Kesakambala, Pakudha Kaccāna, Sañcaya Belaṭṭhaputta, and Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta—were not able to answer me, and they are old, elderly, great figures, come to the last stage of life, seniors, long gone forth. How could this Ascetic Gotama answer my question, since he is young, and only recently gone forth?”
Then he thought, “An ascetic should not be despised or held in contempt just because they are young. The Ascetic Gotama is young, but he is of great psychic power and might. Why don’t I go to him and ask this question?” The Wanderer Sabhiya then set out for Rājagaha. Wandering by stages he arrived at Rājagaha and went to the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel’s Feeding Place. He approached the Buddha, exchanged courteous and amiable greetings with him, and sat down to one side. Then he addressed the Buddha with the following verses.
sabhiya I have come filled with doubts, Wishing to ask a question; When I ask them, please put them to rest, By explaining each and every matter to me.
buddha Sabhiya, you have come from afar, Wishing to ask a question; When you ask them, I will put them to rest, By explaining each and every matter to you. Ask me, Sabhiya, your question, Whatever you wish, I will put to rest Each and every question.
Then it occurred to Sabhiya the Wanderer: “How amazing! How incredible! With those other ascetics and brahmins I couldn’t get so much as an opportunity, while this Ascetic Gotama makes the opportunity himself!” Pleased and joyful, uplifted with rapture and happiness, he asked the Buddha this question.
sabhiya Attaining what is one called a “bhikkhu”? How is one “gentle”? And how “tamed”? Why is one called “awakened”? Please answer me this question, Lord.
buddha By the path they walked themselves, Nirvāṇa is realized and doubt is left behind; Existence and non-existence have been abandoned, Complete, having ended rebirth: they are a “bhikkhu”.
Mindful and equanimous everywhere, They do not harm anyone in the world; An ascetic crossed over, without distress, And with no vanity: they are “gentle”.
With faculties developed For the whole world, inside and out; They have understood this world and the next, And complete their time fulfilled: they are “tamed”.
Having thoroughly investigated the ages Of transmigration through both deaths and births, Free of passion and defilements, pure, Arrived at the end of rebirth: such is called “awakened”.
Then Sabhiya the Wanderer rejoiced, thankful for the Buddha’s answer. Pleased and joyful, uplifted with rapture and happiness, he asked the Buddha a further question.
sabhiya Attaining what is one called a “brahmin”? How is one an “ascetic”? And how “washed”? Why is one called “dragon”? Please answer me this question, Lord.
buddha Having shaken off all bad deeds, Stainless, well-stilled, and steadfast; Gone beyond transmigration, consummate, Unattached: such is called a “brahmin”.
Settled, with good and bad abandoned, Dustless, knowing this world and the next; Transcending birth and death, True to themselves: such is called an “ascetic”.
Having washed off all bad deeds, For the whole world, inside and out; They have no wish for the human Or divine existences: that is called “washed”.
Doing no harm at all in the world, Not tied to any fetters; Unattached everywhere, and free, True to themselves: such is called a “dragon”.
Then Sabhiya the Wanderer rejoiced, thankful for the Buddha’s answer. Pleased and joyful, uplifted with rapture and happiness, he asked the Buddha a further question.
sabhiya Who do the Buddhas say is the “victor on the field”? How is one “skilled”? And what is a “wise man”? Why is one called a “sage”? Please answer me this question, Lord.
buddha Having thoroughly investigated the fields, Heavenly, human, even the Brahmā-fields, One is freed from the root binding one to all fields, True to themselves: such is called “victor on the field”.
Having thoroughly investigated the storehouses, Heavenly, human, even the Brahmā-stores, One is freed from the root binding one to all storehouses, True to themselves: such is called “skilled”.
Having investigated the sense fields Both inside and out, one is of pure wisdom; Transcending black and white, True to themselves: such is called “wise”.
Knowing good and bad principles, Inside and out in all the world; Worthy of worship by gods and humans, Gone beyond the tie and the net, they are a sage.
Then Sabhiya the Wanderer rejoiced, thankful for the Buddha’s answer. Pleased and joyful, uplifted with rapture and happiness, he asked the Buddha a further question.
sabhiya Attaining what is one called “knowledgable”? How is one “informed”? And how “energetic”? Why is one called “thoroughbred”? Please answer me this question, Lord.
buddha Having thoroughly investigated the knowledges, Whether those of ascetics or of brahmins, One is free of desire for all feelings, Gone beyond all feelings, they are “knowledgable”.
Understanding the proliferation Of mental and physical phenomena, Inside and out, the root of disease; One is freed from the root binding one to all diseases, True to themselves: such is called “informed”.
Abstaining from all bad deeds, The energetic one escapes the suffering of hell; Energetic, resolute, True to themselves: such is called “hero”.
One who has cut the bonds, Inside and out, the root of attachment; One is freed from the root binding one to all attachments, True to themselves: such is called “informed”.
Then Sabhiya the Wanderer rejoiced, thankful for the Buddha’s answer. Pleased and joyful, uplifted with rapture and happiness, he asked the Buddha a further question.
sabhiya Attaining what is one called “scholar”? How is one “noble”? And how “well conducted”? Why is one called “wanderer”? Please answer me this question, Lord.
buddha Having learned all phenomena in the world with direct knowledge, Whatever is blameworthy or blameless; One who is a winner, doubtless, free, Untroubled in every respect, is a “scholar”.
Having cut off corruptions and attachments, Knowing, one does not go to another womb. Dispelling the three defiled perceptions, He comes back for no age, that is who they call “noble”.
One who is accomplished in good conduct, Always skilful in understanding principles; Not attached anywhere, with mind freed, And bearing no grudges, is “well conducted”.
Whatever deeds are to result in suffering, Above, below, across, or in-between Having gone forth one lives to fully understand Illusions, conceit, as well as greed and hatred; Terminating mental and physical phenomena, That, they say, is an accomplished wanderer.
Then Sabhiya the Wanderer rejoiced, thankful for the Buddha’s answer. Pleased and joyful, uplifted with rapture and happiness, he stood up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, and, raising his folded palms to the Buddha, spoke these suitable verses of praise in his presence.
sabhiya One of vast wisdom, you have dispelled the dark flood, The three and sixty doctrines of the ascetics, Which are false refuges, Dependent on perceptions and conventions.
You’ve made an end, crossed over suffering, I hold you as an arahant, Fully awakened, with corruptions ended; Brilliant, thoughtful, with expansive wisdom, You have brought me across, finisher of suffering.
Understanding my anxiety, You carried me over my doubts. Homage to you! Sage accomplished in the ways of silence, You are gentle, not callous, Kinsman of the Sun.
The anxieties I had before, You have answered them, seer; For sure you are a sage, fully awakened, You have no hindrances.
All of your griefs Are demolished and destroyed; You are cooled, tamed, Firm and strong in truth.
Dragon of dragons, great hero, While you are speaking, The gods all rejoice, Both Nāradas and Pabbatas.
Homage to you, thoroughbred among men! Homage to you, best of men! In all the world with its gods, There is no-one like you.
You are the Buddha, you are the Teacher, You are the sage who overcame Māra; You have cut all underlying tendencies, Crossed over, you bring this generation across.
You have transcended all attachments, And destroyed your corruptions; You are a lion, without grasping, With fears and terrors abandoned.
As a drop of dew Does not smear a lotus, Neither good nor bad smears you. Stretch out your feet, my hero, Sabhiya bows to his teacher!
And then Sabhiya the wanderer, fell at the Buddha’s feet and said to him: “Amazing, venerable sir, incredible, venerable sir! It is as if someone were to turn upright what had been overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to light a lamp in the darkness, so that those with eyes could see. In the same way the Buddha has made the Dhamma clear in many ways. I go to the Buddha for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the monastic Saṅgha. Bhante, I ask for the going forth and ordination in the Lord’s presence.”
“Sabhiya, anyone who was previously a follower of another sect and who asks for going forth and ordination in this Dhamma and Vinaya should stay on probation for four months. When four months have passed, the monastics, if they are satisfied, may give the going forth and ordination into the status of a bhikkhu. However, I also consider individual cases differently.” “Venerable sir, in that case I will remain on probation for four years, and after four years if the monastics are satisfied they may give me the going forth and ordination into the status of a bhikkhu.” Then Sabhiya theWanderer received the going forth and ordination in the Buddha’s presence. … And he became one of the arahants. (Snp 516–553)
3.7 To Sela and his Praise of the Buddha Sela Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Radiant One was journeying through the lands of the Aṅguttarāpans, accompanied by a large Saṅgha of bhikkhus, twelve hundred and fifty of them and arrived at a town called Āpaṇa. The ascetic Keṇiya of the Dreadlocked Hair heard this: “The Samaṇa Gotama, son of the Sakiyans who left home among the Sakyan people has been journeying among the Aṅguttarāpans accompanied by a large Saṅgha of bhikkhus, twelve hundred and fifty of them, and he has arrived in Āpaṇa.
Now an excellent report has spread to this effect: “The Radiant One is an Arahant, fully Awakened, perfect in true knowledge and conduct, whose going is auspicious, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of people to be famed, Teacher of devas and humanity, Awakened and Radiant. He declares this world with its devas, Māras, princes and people which he has realized by direct knowledge himself. He teaches Dharma good at the beginning, the middle and the end, complete with purpose and meaning, revealing the good life, that which is completely fulfilled and wholly purified.”
Now, it is good to see such Arahants. Then Keṇiya of the Dreadlocked Hair went to see the Radiant One and exchanged greetings with him and when that courteous and amiable talk was finished he sat down to one side. The Radiant One instructed, urged, roused and encouraged him with Dharma-talk after which Keṇiya said, “Let Master Gotama together with the Saṅgha of bhikkhus consent to accept tomorrow’s meal from me.” The Radiant One replied to him, “The Saṅgha of bhikkhus Keṇiya, is large, of twelve hundred and fifty. And you have confidence also in the brahmins.”
This request was repeated a second and a third time by Keṇiya, and only on the third occasion did the Buddha accept by remaining silent. Then Keṇiya, knowing that the Buddha had accepted, paid respects, rose from his seat and went to his own hermitage. He addressed his friends and colleagues, family and relatives, saying “Listen, my good friends and colleagues, family and relatives! I have invited the ascetic Gotama for the meal tomorrow, together with the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Would you assist me with the various duties?” “Yes, sir,” agreed Keṇiya’s friends and colleagues, family and relatives. And some dug out the ovens, some chopped wood, some washed the dishes, some put out the water pot, while others prepared the seats.
And in the evening, Keṇiya set up a pavilion. Now at that time the brahmin Sela was visting Āpaṇa. He was an expert in the three Vedas, with the etymologies, the rituals, the phonology and word analysis, and fifthly the legendary histories. He was a linguist, a grammarian, a cosmologist, and an expert in the marks of a Superman. He taught the Vedic texts to three hundred young students. Now at that time Keṇiya of the Dreadlocked Hair had confidence in the brahmin Sela. Then Sela accompanied by his three hundred students were out for a walk, and they came to the hermitage of Keṇiya.
Sela saw the activity in the hermitage and said to Keṇiya, “Master Keṇiya, are your son or daughter being married, or are you preparing a great sacrifice, or have you invited Seniya Bimbisāra, king of Magadha, tomorrow together with his army?” “No, Sela, there is no marriage, nor has the king been invited. However I am preparing a great sacrifice. There is this ascetic Gotama, who has gone forth from the Sakyan clan, and he has arrived at Āpaṇa together with a great Saṅgha of bhikkhus.
Now an excellent report has spread to this effect: ‘The Radiant One is an Arahant, fully Awakened, perfect in true knowledge and conduct, whose going is auspicious, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of people to be famed, Teacher of devas and humanity, Awakened and Radiant.’ I have invited him for the meal tomorrow together with the Saṅgha of bhikkhus.”
“Keṇiya, did you say ‘Awakened’?” “Yes, Sela, I said ‘Awakened’!” “Keṇiya, did you say ‘Awakened’?” “Yes, Sela, I said ‘Awakened’!”
Then it occurred to the brahmin Sela: “It is hard to even hear the word ‘Awakened’ in the world today. There has come down in our sacred scriptures the thirty-two marks of a Superman, possessing which a Superman has two destinies, no other. If he dwells at home he will be a king, a just emperor, a just king, conqueror of the four directions, who has stabilized the realm, and possesses the seven treasures. And these are his seven treasures: the Wheel treasure, the elephant treasure, the horse treasure, the jewel treasure, the woman treasure, the householder treasure, and seventh, the adviser treasure. He has more than a thousand sons who are valiant, heroic, crushers of the armies of foes. Having conquered this earth to the shores of the seas he rules justly, without weapons or violence.
But if he goes forth from the home life into homelessness, then he becomes an arahant, a fully awakened Buddha, one who draws back the veil from the world.” “So where now, Master Keṇiya, is that Master Gotama living, the arahant, the fully awakened Buddha?” When he said this, Keṇiya of the Dreadlocked hair took the brahmin Sela by the right arm and said, “There, where that line of blue forest is, master Sela.” Then Sela with his three hundred students approached the Buddha. Sela addressed his students, saying, “Come quietly, sirs! Place each step one after the other! For the Buddhas are hard to approach, like lions living alone. And when I am conversing with the ascetic Gotama, don’t interrupt our discussion, but wait until we have finished.”
And then Sela approached the Buddha, engaged in polite greetings and conversation, and sat down to one side. He scrutinized the Buddha’s body for the thirty-two marks of a Superman. He saw most of them, except for two, regarding which he had doubts: whether the private parts were sheathed, and the tongue was long. The Buddha knew that Sela saw most of the thirty-two marks, but doubted two. So he performed an act of psychic power such that Sela could see that his private parts were sheathed. Then he put out his tongue and licked both his ears, and both his nostrils, and covered his whole forehead with his tongue.
Then it occurred to Sela: “The ascetic Gotama does indeed possess all of the thirty-two marks of a Superman. But I do not know whether he is awakened or not. I have heard it said by elder and respected brahmins, the teachers of teachers, that whoever is an arahant, a fully awakened Buddha, will reveal themselves when their own praise is spoken. Why don’t I praise the ascetic Gotama in his presence with suitable verses?” Then the brahmin Sela spoke the following.
sela O you of perfect form and beauty rare, proportioned well and lovely to behold, in colour like fine gold, with shining teeth, You are the Exalted, the Energetic One.
Whose body shows forth all the minor marks distinguishing a well-proportioned man, while all upon your body can be seen the signs peculiar to the Superman.
You with eyes so clear, so fair your countenance, and you so tall, so straight, majestical amidst the order of the samaṇas do blazon forth as does the sun on high.
O you a bhikkhu good to gaze upon, having a skin resembling finest gold, what is this life of samaṇas to you, having a presence so supremely fair?
You deserve to be a King who turns the wheel, riding in state a chariot of war, lord of the earth from end to end four square, a Conqueror of Jambudīpa chief.
Nobles and wealth lords your vassals be You Sovran Lord of lords, You King of men, take then your power, O Gotama, and reign.
buddha I am a king, Sela, The unexcelled King of Dhamma; By Dhamma I roll forth the Wheel, The Wheel that cannot be turned back.
sela You say you are awakened, The unexcelled King of Dhamma; “By Dhamma I roll forth the Wheel”, So you say, Gotama.
Who then is your general, The student who follows the teacher; Who keeps the Wheel of Dhamma rolling after you?
buddha By me is the Wheel rolled forth, The unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma, Sāriputta keeps the Wheel of Dhamma rolling after me.
What should be Known is Known; What should be developed has been developed; What should be abandoned I have abandoned: That, brahmin, is why I am awakened.
Dispell doubts in me, Have confidence, brahmin; This sight is hard to find, For Buddhas arise only rarely.
That which is hard to find in the world, Manifesting only rarely; I, brahmin, am awakened, The unexcelled surgeon.
I am supreme, I am incomparable, Crusher of Māra’s armies; Having subjugated all my enemies, I rejoice, afraid of nothing.
sela Good sirs, listen up As the seer speaks, The surgeon, the great hero, Roars like a lion in the forest.
He is supreme, he is incomparable, Crusher of Māra’s armies; Who seeing him would not be inspired, Unless their nature was dark?
What I wished for has arrived, What I didn’t wish for has departed; Right now I will go forth, In the presence of the one of excellent wisdom.
pupils If this is your pleasure, sir, We too will go forth In the teaching of the fully awakened Buddha, In the presence of the one of excellent wisdom
narrator Then these three hundred brahmins Asked, with palms folded: “We would live the Holy Life In the presence of the Buddha.”
buddha The Holy Life is well-explained, Apparent here and now, realizable in this very life, Wherein the going forth is not fruitless, For one who trains themselves diligently.
Then the brahmin Sela and his following gained the going forth and ordination in the Buddha’s presence. When the night had passed, Keṇiya of the Dreadlocked Hair, having prepared much fine food in his hermitage, had the time announced to the Buddha: “It is time, Master Gotama, the meal is ready.” In the morning, the Buddha dressed, took his bowl and robe, went to Keṇiya’s hermitage, and sat on the prepared seat together with the Saṅgha of bhikkhus.
Then Keṇiya served and satisfied the Saṅgha of bhikkhus with the Buddha at its head with fine food. Then when the Buddha had finished eating and had taken his hand from his bowl, Keṇiya sat at one side on a low seat, where the Buddha expressed his appreciation with the following verses.
buddha The fire-oblation is the foremost of sacrifices; The Sāvitrī is the foremost of poetic styles; A king is the foremost of humans; The ocean is the foremost of rivers.
The moon is the foremost of heavenly bodies; The sun the foremost of fires; But for those wishing to do good, An offering to the Saṅgha is foremost.
When the Buddha had expressed his appreciation to Keṇiya with these verses, he got up from his seat and left.
Then venerable Sela and his following, living in solitude, secluded, diligent and zealous by realizing for themselves with Direct Knowledge here and now entered upon and abided in that supreme goal of the Holy Life for the sake of which clansmen rightly leave home for homelessness. They Knew directly: birth is destroyed, the Holy Life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.
And the venerable Sela and his following became arahants. Then Sela and his following approached the Buddha, arranged their robes over one shoulder, extended their folded palms, and spoke the following verses:
sela Eight days have passed, All-seeing Sage, since for refuge we have gone. In seven nights, O Radiant One, in your teaching we’ve been tamed.
The Buddha you are, the Teacher you are, the Sage overcomer of Māra, so sheared of all evil tendencies, gone across and taken all others.
All attachments have been surmounted, all inflows are removed, as a lion ungrasping, abandoned fear and dread.
Here stand three hundred bhikkhus, with hands held out as lotuses: stretch forth your feet, O Hero great, that these now unblemished ones may bow at their Teacher’s feet. (Snp 554–579)
3.8 Dart of Death Salla Sutta
Here’s the life of mortals, wretched and brief, its end unknown, to dukkha joined. There’s no means that those who’re born will never die. Reached decay, then death: the law for beings all.
As with what’s ripe there’s always fear of falling, so for mortals born there’s always fear of death. Just as a potter’s vessels made of clay all end by being broken, so death’s the end of life.
The young, those great in age, the fools, as well the wise all go under the sway of death, for death’s their goal. Those overcome by death, to another world bound: father can’t protect his son, nor relatives their kin.
While relatives are watching, they weep and they lament; See mortals one by one, led as an ox to slaughter. As the world’s afflicted by death and by decay, so the wise grieve not, knowing world’s nature well.
Their path you do not know whereby they come, they go, neither end you see, useless your lament. While lamenting, The confused harm themselves; If any benefit could be found, Would not the wise do it to?
Not by weeping and wailing, Can peace of mind be reached. It just creates more suffering, And distresses the body. You become thin and discolored, Harming yourself with your self; And the departed are not protected by this, Lamentation is pointless!
When grief is not abandoned, A person falls into even more suffering; Wailing over the dead, They are overpowered by grief.
See how others fare, People passing on according to their deeds; Creatures tremble, As they fall under the sway of Death.
Whatever you think it is, It becomes something else. Such is separation, See the way of the world.
Even if a person were to live A hundred years or more, They would still be divided from their family, Abandoning this life.
That is why having heard the arahant, And dispelled lamentation; When you see the dead and departed, You don’t think you can get them back.
Just as one would extinguish A burning building with water; So too a steadfast, wise one, a skilful, clever person, Would quickly blow away Grief when it arises, As wind, a tuft of cotton.
One who is seeking happiness should draw out the painful dart— lamentations and longings— the grief that is within.
Dart withdrawn and unattached, the mind attains to peace, passed beyond all grief, griefless, fires put out. ₅₉₉ (Snp 580–599)
3.9 To Vāseṭṭha on Who is a Brahmin Vāseṭṭha Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Radiant One was dwelling at Icchānaṅgala. Now at that time a number of notable and prosperous brahmins were staying at lcchānangala, that is to say the brahmins Caṅkī, Tārukkha, Pokkharasāti, Jāṇussoni and Todeyya, as well as other notable and prosperous brahmins. Then, as the young brahmins Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvaia were walking and wandering for exercise this subject of discussion arose between them.
“How is one a brahmin?” The young brahmin Bhāradvaja said, “When one is well-born on both sides, of pure maternal and paternal descent through seven generations in the past, then one is a brahmin”. But Vāseṭṭha the young brahmin said, “When one is virtuous and fulfils one’s vows, then one is a brahmin”. Bhāradvaja could not convince Vāseṭṭha while the latter failed to convince the former. Then Vāseṭṭha said to Bhāradvaja, “Sir, the samaṇa Gotama son of the Sakyas who left home from the Sakyan clan is living at Icchānaṅgala, in the forest near Icchānaṅgala.
Now the good reputation of Master Gotama has spread in this way: ‘That Radiant One is accomplished, completely Awakened, possessed of True Knowledge and conduct, wellgone for himself and others, knower of the worlds, unexcelled trainer of those who can be tamed, teacher of devas and humanity, Awake and Radiant.’ Come, Bhāradvaja, let us go to the samaṇa Gotama and ask him about this. As he replies, so will we bear his words in mind.”
“Yes, sir”, Bharadvaja replied. So the two young brahmins approached the Radiant One and exchanged greetings with him. When this courteous and amiable talk was concluded, they sat down to one side, and the young brahmin Vāseṭṭha addressed the Radiant One in verse:
vāseṭṭha Of Pokkharasāti the pupil I am, while student of Tārukkha is he; both of us have acknowledged mastery in the threefold Veda lore.
We have attained totality over all the Vedic masters teach; as philologists, grammarians, and we chant as our masters do.
The subject of “birth”, O Gotama, is contention’s cause with us: he, a Bhāradvāja, does declare “birth” is due to brahmin caste, while I say its by karma caused: know its thus, O One-with-Eyes.
Sir, to ask about this we have come, to you acclaimed as Wide Awake, each of us unable is the other to convince.
As they raise their lotussed hands towards the moon waxed full, so to you, by this world revered, we pay homage too.
So now of Gotama the Eye uprisen in the world, we ask: Is one by “birth” a brahmin, or a brahmin karma-caused? Explain to us who do not know how we should “brahmin” recognize?
buddha I shall analyse for you, in order due and as they are, the types of “birth” ’mong living things, for many are the sorts of birth.
First, there’s grasses and the trees, though of themselves they nothing know, each species possessing its own marks, for many are the sorts of birth.
Next come beetles, butterflies, and so on to the termites, ants, each species possessing its own marks, for many are the sorts of birth.
Then, know of those four-footed kinds, both the tiny and the huge, each species possessing its own marks for many are the sorts of birth.
Know those whose bellies are their feet, that is, the long-backed group of snakes, each species possessing its own marks, for many are the sorts of birth.
Know too the many kinds of fish, living in their watery world, each species possessing its own marks, for many are the sorts of birth.
Then know the varied winged ones, the birds that range the open skies, each species possessing its own marks, for many are the sorts of birth.
While in those births are differences, each having their own distinctive marks, among humanity such differences of species—no such marks are found.
Neither in hair, nor in the head, not in the ears or eyes, neither found in mouth or nose, not in lips or brows.
Neither in neck, nor shoulders found, not in belly or the back, neither in buttocks nor the breast, not in groin or sexual parts.
Neither in hands nor in the feet, not in fingers or the nails, neither in knees nor in the thighs, not in their “colour”, not in sound, here is no distinctive mark as in the many other sorts of birth.
In human bodies as they are, such differences cannot be found: the only human differences are those in names alone.
’Mong humankind whoever lives by raising cattle on a farm, O Vāseṭṭha you should know as farmer not as Brahmin then.
’Mong humankind whoever lives by trading wares here and there, O Vāseṭṭha you should know as merchant not as Brahmin then.
’Mong humankind whoever lives by work of many arts and crafts, O Vāseṭṭha you should know as craftsman not as Brahmin then.
’Mong humankind whoever lives by serving other’ needs and wants, O Vāseṭṭha you should know as servant not as Brahmin then.
’Mong humankind whoever lives by taking things that are not given, O Vāseṭṭha you should know as a thief not Brahmin then.
’Mong humankind whoever lives by the skill of archery, O Vāseṭṭha you should know as soldier not as Brahmin then.
’Mong humankind whoever lives by performing priestly rites, O Vāseṭṭha you should know as a priest not Brahmin then.
’Mong humankind whoever lives through enjoying towns and lands, O Vāseṭṭha you should know as rajah not as Brahmin then.
Him I call not a brahmin, though born from brahmin mother’s line, if with sense of ownership, he’s just supercilious: owning nothing and unattached — one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Who fetters all has severed, who trembles not at all, gone beyond ties, free from bonds— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Having cut strap and reins, the rope and bridle too, and tipped the shafts, as one Awake— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Who angerless endures abuse, beating and imprisonment, with patience-power, an arméd might— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Who’s angerless and dutiful, of virtue full and free of lust, who’s tamed, to final body come— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Like water drop on lotus leaf, or mustard seed on needle point, whoso clings not to sense desires, one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Here who comes to Know exhaustion of all dukkha, laid down the burden, free from bonds— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Skilled in the Path, what’s not the path, in wisdom deep, sagacious one, having attained the highest aim— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Not intimate with those gone forth, nor with those who dwell at home, without a shelter, wishes few— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Who has renounced all force towards all being weak and strong, who causes not to kill, nor kills — one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Among the hostile, friendly, among the violent, cool, detached amid the passionate— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
From whoever lust and hate, conceit, contempt have dropped away, as mustard seed from needle-point— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Who utters speech instructive, true and gentle too, who gives offence to none — one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Who in the world will never take what is not given, long or short, the great or small, the fair or foul— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
In whom there are not longings found for this world or the next, longingless and free from bonds— on such I say’s a Brahmin then.
In whom is no dependence found, with Final Knowledge, free from doubt, duly wont to the Deathless deeps— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Here who’s gone beyond both bonds: to goodness and to evil too, one who’s sorrowless, stainless, pure— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Vanished is all love of being, like the moon—unblemished, pure, that one serene and undisturbed— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Who’s overpassed this difficult path, delusion’s bond, the wandering-on, who’s crossed beyond, contemplative, craving not, no questions left, no clinging’s fuel, so Cool become— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Who has abandoned sense desires, as homeless one renouncing all, desire for being all consumed— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Who has abandoned craving here as homeless one renouncing all, craving for being all consumed— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Abandoned all the human bonds and gone beyond the bonds of god unbound one is from every bond — one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Abandoned boredom and delight, become quite cool and assetless A hero, All-worlds conqueror, one such I say’s a Brahmin then
Whoever knows of being’ death, their being born in every way, unshackled, faring well, Awake— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Whose destination is unknown to humans, spirits or to gods, pollutions faded, Arahat— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
For whom there is not ownership before or after or midway, owning nothing and unattached— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
One noble, most excellent, heroic too, the great sage and the one who conquers all, who’s faultless, washes, one Awake— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Who knows their former births and sees the states of bliss and woe and then who wins the waste of births— one such I say’s a Brahmin then.
Whatever’s accepted and “name” and “clan” is just a worldly designation — by conventions handed down accepted everywhere.
But those asleep, unquestioning, who take up views, who do not Know, unknowingly they’ve long declared: one’s a brahmin just by “birth”.
One’s not a brahmin caused by “birth”, nor caused by “birth” a non-brahmin; a brahmin’s one by karma caused, by karma caused a non-brahmin.
By karma caused a farmer is, one’s a craftsman karma-caused, by karma caused a merchant is, one’s a servant karma-caused.
By karma caused a robber is, one’s a soldier karma-caused, by karma caused a priest becomes, one’s a ruler karma-caused.
Thus according as it is people wise do karma see; Seers of causal relatedness, skilled in karma, its results.
Karma makes the world go on, people by karma, circle round; sentient beings are bound to karma,⁴ as a cart is pulled by a horse.
By ardour and the Good Life leading, with restraint and taming too: by this a Brahmin one becomes, one’s by this a Brahmin best.
Possessed of Triple Knowledges, at Peace, rebirth come to an end⁵-- know Vāseṭṭha, such a one is Brahmā and Sakra for those who Know.
When this was said the young brahmins Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvāja exclaimed to the Radiant One: “Magnificent, Master Gotama! The Dharma has been clarified by Master Gotama in many ways, as though he was lighting what was overthrown revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes can see forms. We go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dharma and to the Saṅgha. May Master Gotama remember us as upāsakas who from today have Gone for Refuge for life. (Snp 600–662)
Notes on the Vāseṭṭha Sutta
As the Buddha has defined what he means by the word “outcaste”, vasala, in the Sutta of that name (Snp 1.7), so here he discourses with two young brahmins on what makes one a true brahmin. Both outcaste and brahmin are defined according to Dharma, what one should avoid in the first case and what one should do in the second. In the society of the Buddha’s days (still found in present Indian attitudes), the brahmins reckoned themselves the highest among all the castes having been born of a brahmin mother and father whose families were “pure” brahminical stock back through seven generations on both sides. It was enough to have such parents and families to be born as a brahmin, they reckoned.
Moreover, according to legend the brahmins came from the head, the uppermost part of primeval man, while other castes originated from the lower parts of that body, the outcastes being merely the dust upon that first man’s feet. Such grounds for superiority, with exclusive knowledge of Vedic rites and mysteries, endowed many brahmin men with a very inflated idea of their own importance. (Women of brahmin families, though in very early times also possessing knowledge of the Three (or four) Vedas together with ritual and correct transmission through chanting, lost this eminence, and came to be regarded by brahmin men as just mothers of their sons).
The verses of this Sutta can divided into a number of sections, each one with distinct bearing upon the questions: What makes one a brahmin, “birth” as explained above, or karma—the results of intentional actions, speech and body. These sections are as follows: 1. Vāseṭṭha’s laudatory and questioning verses (600–605). 2. The Buddha’s analysis of living things (606–617). 3. His definition of who is not a brahmin (618–625). 4. His verses upon who is a true Brahmin (626–653). 5. His concluding verses upon “caused by karma” (654–662).
Vāseṭṭha’s laudatory and questioning verses
The verses open with Vāseṭṭha telling the Buddha who were their respective teachers, as well as their own attainments, a sort of verbal curriculum vitae. With this they are communicating their attainments as brahmins, thereby informing him of the sort of people he will be addressing. However, this is done with a great deal of politeness by inserting such laudatory titles as “One-with-Eyes”, “Wide Awake” and so on. They raise their lotussed hands, probably to their foreheads but at least to their hearts, marking their respect for the teacher they are questioning.
The Buddha’s analysis of living things
In these verses most of them have the refrain “each species possessing its own marks/for many are the sorts of birth”, except for the first one which as only the latter line. It is important to remember that the word “birth” had (and has) a very special meaning in India. Asking another person (not uncommon even in modern India) about his or her “birth”, is the equivalent to enquiring about the caste of their family. This is required before one eats or drinks with other unknown people and of course if marriage is contemplated. High caste persons (those from brahmin or noble families) can lose their status through “pollution” by eating or drinking with, or having with those of low caste according to brahminical laws.The Buddha points out in the first few of these verses (606–612), that among the groups he describes there are many sorts of birth.
These verses are to highlight specific differentiation as opposed to what is found among human beings as made clear in verses 613–617. In other words, all human beings whatever their caste, colour, race or language , are the same, with the same organs and characteristics. In the last verse in this section the Buddha notes that differences are merely nominal. In India this refers to “birth” or caste, in the rest of the world to class, family, wealth, education etc. Such matters are only conventional, not of the essence. The Buddha is thus revealed as the first person ever to reject racism in any form. All human beings are basically the same in that they can all practise the Dharma and experience the Awakened State.
People are only “high” or “low” according to Dharma by their behaviour. Elsewhere, the Buddha noted that one is noble by thought, speech and action, not by worldly ennoblement. The word for noble in Pāli/Sanskrit is ariya/ārya conventionally meaning a high caste person, from the clans of self-styled āryans invading India from around 1500 bce onwards. But the Buddha’s interpretation of this word emphasized the nobility of mind, speech and body actions. Such nobility has no boundaries of race, caste, class or language. Notice that in verse 616 the Buddha denies that there are essential differences in “colour”. This is vaṇṇa in Pāli, varna in Sanskrit, and has the general meaning in India of superior birth or inferior. High-caste people are supposed to have light colours of skin, while workers and outcasts are dark in complexion.
However this myth does not always work out as many brahmins in the south of the country are very nearly black! Paired with “colour” is “sound”, meaning a polished way of speech or an uneducated one. It is possible to distinguish the caste a person belongs to by listening to their speech. Some words will point out a brahmin background, others will only be used by outcastes. The last verse in this section makes it clear that the only differences among human beings are merely nominal. A man is only by tradition a brahmin or an outcaste, there are no essential differences.
The Buddha’s definition of who is not a brahmin
Verses 618–625 define by a nominally brahmin-caste man’s work how he could not be a brahmin, that is, he does not live up to the high standard set by the Buddha to qualify for the title of “brahmin”. As the Buddha did not accept that one could be spiritually advanced merely by being born of brahmin-caste parents, so neither was one even nominally a brahmin when one’s livelihood had nothing to do with caste labels. Nominal brahmins in the Buddha’s days had departed from their ancient religious ideals and had become over time farmers, craftsmen, even rulers. They should not be counted even as nominal brahmins and certainly not as Brahmins, those who are spiritually advanced. In this book I have used “brahmin” (lower-case) to mean one of brahmin parents and caste. Capitalized “Brahmin” refers to one who is purified by Dharma practice. In English we can, while not altering the spelling, change its meaning by using either a capital or lower-case letter. Note that this is not possible in Indian scripts, which have no such distinction.
Verse 624 could surprise many brahmins who perform rituals and ceremonies and are paid for this, as the Buddha denies that one can be a Brahmin just by carrying out traditional pujas and so on. Such a person is only a priest. Priests of this sort may recite the rituals in Sanskrit but not even know the meaning of what they chant. They have learnt by heart the sounds but not the meaning. Often these ceremonies may be marked by gabbling the words at high speed. Unfortunately such behaviour can be found also among some Buddhist monks, equally bored and ignorant of their traditions.
The Buddha’s verses upon who is a true Brahmin
These (626–653) are found also and nearly identical in the Pāli Dhammapada in the Brāhmaṇavagga. All have the refrain, “one such I say’s a Brahmin then”. This ideal brahmin, who would be either completely Awake or far along the Dharma-path to Awakening, illustrates the Buddha’s interpretation of a truly honourable and marvellously spiritual person. These verses serve in India to remind ordinary brahmins how they should behave, a high ideal indeed! A few notes follow upon sundry matters in these verses: 626: The Buddha contrasts ordinary ideas of birth—“born from brahmin mother’s line” with the real Brahmin of “owning nothing and unattached.”
627: No fetters, no ties, no bonds equals no anxiety, no trembling, nothing to fear. 628: Freedom from being yoked and so a Buddha. 629: Abuse, torture, imprisonment all endured without anger developing patience as one’s “weapon”. 630: Basics for becoming a true Brahmin, truly Awake. 631: Water on a lotus-leaf or flower forms into beads like mercury and runs off, it never spreads out because of the saponitic surface of the whole plant. Likewise, a mustard seed drops off a needle point.
632: “Exhaustion of all dukkha” means the causes (karma, etc) producing dukkha in the past have been exhausted by good made in the present. “Laid down the burden” is freedom from all attachment to the notion “my body” and my mind” and every other sort of possessiveness.
633: if one practises Dharma one should learn what is the Path and what is not. Then one should practise accordingly. The “highest aim” is then not impossible. 634: A verse specially for meditative bhikkhus, munis, or other solitary practitioners. (Solitary practice should only be undertaken with the advice and approval of one’s Dharma teacher)
635: Force used against other beings, human or other, as well as its use internally against oneself, can never achieve the good results of lasting peace. Politicians who advocate violent means to “resolve” other’s violence and religious fanatics who, driven by wrong views, preach and practise violence against the followers of sects or religions differing from their own—all of them are blinded by delusion and never learn even a little from the facts of human history. No good comes of violence and even less may be expected as a result of killing.
636: Specially suitable for one of strong passions! Because one’s character is fiery this does not mean that one cannot practice, in fact the energies of the passions can be turned round into wisdom and compassion. 637: Mustard seeds which are small still cannot remain upon a needlepoint, so for the practitioner there is no room for lust, hate, conceit, etc. 638: There are fortunately still people like this in our turbulent world. When reading this verse, I think with gratitude of Ven. Paññavaḍḍho ācariya, my very kind and wise teacher many years ago.
639: Dharma is the way of giving, generosity and letting-go, quite different to the world’s way of greed, taking, hoarding and selfishness. 640: Longings for this world’s joys and properties are common while longings for the next world are found among the followers of most religions. The latter feel they are superior to those who merely long for worldly pleasure and power but their “spiritual” longing is still an attachment. They must be longingless and free from bonds”.
641: Until Awakening occurs there is always doubt. “Final knowledge” (abhiññā/abhijñā) once experienced dissolves away all doubt.The profound knowledge of deathlessness is another way of saying this. 642: Some are bound by their tendencies to evil and cause themselves and others much dukkha. But others are attached to their goodness and sometimes feel themselves superior, looking down upon those who seem to them not virtuous. This is also a bondage.
643: Love of being means attachment to existence, not being able to let go of life, even at the time of death. It certainly means, or implies, more saṁsāric existence, on and on, round and round turns the saṁsāra wheel.
644: “Wandering-on” is my old translation of saṁsāra which means literally “wandering and wandering”. The path through saṁsāra is always difficult because it is guided by delusion, with greed and hatred too. This is also the fuel which keeps these three fires burning. When these fires go out (where do they go to? Do fires “go” anywhere when extinguished?) there is the Cool Peace of Nirvāṇa.
645: “Homeless one renouncing all”: this could be as a bhikkhu or bhikkhunis in monastic community, or as a muni living a solitary life. (On munis see Snp 1.12, 4.9, 4.10, and verses 707–729). “Renounce” means letting go from the heart, not a forced “renunciation” which will only create inner conflicts, tension and dukkha generally. If practised correctly then all desires subside by themselves.
646: Craving is consumed by itself with good Dharma practice. It does not require any force to be used.
647: We all know something of human limitations and attachments, our bonds in this world. But then we have to know thoroughly “the bonds of gods”—spiritual bondage such as to the delights that occur through meditation practice, even bliss. It often happens to those who devote their live to spiritual practice that they become ensnared by these extra-human experiences, especially if they follow a teaching that preaches heaven as salvation. From a Buddhist perspective this is confusion: “heaven(s)” mean the deva-worlds, some sensual and some of refined spirituality but all of them as existences in the round of birth and death.
“Salvation” is something different from the deva-realms, as these verses point out. 648: “Without assets”: this translation of an-upadhi is Ven. Ñāṇamoli’s term. Upadhi is a Pāli word with a great range of meaning but generally refers to what is grasped at, what one is attached to. Later Commentators have expanded these varieties of upadhi, as any Buddhist Dictionary will make clear. Think generally of “assets” as what one assumes that one owns such as mind and body. One is an “All-worlds conqueror” not by the use of force, armies and wars, but rather by being free of any attachment to all of the possible states of existence.
649: This advice is continued from the last verse. Faring well means practising the Dharma. To fare is one of only two English words which can convey the meaning of the Pāli verb: carati, both to go on a journey, and to practise a spiritual path. The other word is “to course”.
650: Those Awake, do not “go” anywhere at death, while the ordinary unenlightened persons do go—to some other existence.The state of Awakened Ones cannot be explained in words, as no language exists that has words for what is beyond all words, even all holy ones.
651: “Ownership before or after or midway”: this has three possible meanings. First, it has the meaning of unattachment while practising generosity, dāna; one has no regrets about giving either while planning it, or while actually giving or after having given. Second, “before” means past lives, “after” refers to future, while “midway” is this present life. Third refers to the Awakened person of whom it can be said: “owning nothing, and unattached”— time does not apply since its limitations have been transcended.
652: A list of praiseworthy qualities of those Awake. References to “heroes” and “conquerors” means those who continue to practise Dharma even in difficult situations, and who “conquer” or overcome all obstructions. “Washes” refer to one purified of all mental-emotional troubles though the Pāli word nhātakaṁ originally meant the ritual purificatory bathing in rivers by brahmins.
653: This first line on “former births” is one of many references in the Pāli Suttas to lives before this one. Of course they have gone, they are past and we cannot practise in them. But they did exist and helped to shape our present existence. Those westerners who try not to take this into account and who obviously have no experience of previous existences, distort the Buddha’s teach-ings. “The waste of births” can also be translated as “exhaustion”, their cessation because karma no longer exists to cause them to appear.
The Buddha’s concluding verses upon “caused by karma”.
The last nine of these verses in this Sutta bring together the various strands of Dharma taught here. In the first of these verses (654) the Buddha emphasizes how names and families are only conventional descriptions having no ultimate meaning, they are the only to the extent that they are accepted within their own language, culture and convention. As these factors change so will the meaning of names. The Buddha’s Awakening showed him that the accepted conventions were sometimes untruthful, even evil and then did not accord with Dharma. This is why in verse 655 he refers to “those asleep, unquestioning” who take words and names as ultimate truth.
“Taking up views” is a technical term for those who seize upon beliefs as true, whose beliefs (views) cannot be verified and upon a deeper level who blindly follow the basic view of “I am”. From that flow all other views. In numerous places in the Sutta the Buddha has shown the evil results of the belief in “I am”, ranging from mild conflicts, round to persecutions, wars and “racial cleansing”. People, blind like this, not surprisingly by tradition uphold such views as “one’s a brahmin just by birth.” Verse 656 puts the Buddhist view: that it is karma not “birth” that is responsible for one’s status. Were it governed by “birth” there is nothing could be changed—just grin and bear it. This is in fact the Hindu position (particularly in the Bhagavadgīta) that those of low castes should just accept their station in life and work unquestioningly for high caste people. But the Buddha taught that there are four types of people: one who goes from dark to dark, one from dark to light, one from light to dark, one from light to light (AN 4.85).
This has nothing to do with “birth”, whether understood in the brahminical sense, or in “western” society. There are many historical examples in both of those who started their lives in poor families but by diligence ended up in the light, while plenty of cases can be found of those from families of high repute who yet degenerated due to their internal tendencies to greed, hatred and delusion, as well as to external conditions. The next verse, 657, may raise questions, even eyebrows, even voices. We learn from the verse that farmers, craftsmen, merchants and servants have those occupations due to karma, not due to their societal status or “birth”. This seems to be only a very short skip to the Hindu caste position of determined occupation due to past karma. This will not seem unpleasant if one’s present fortunate birth is karmacaused. One has plenty of comforts and easy access to education and so on.
But this takes on a quite different aspect if the present birth is among the poverty-stricken and down-trodden. I suggest that the Buddha lists these commons occupations of his times (to which we would add a host of types of work found in our days) to point out that people choose their preferred work (if they have that choice) on the basis of vāsanā: This term refers to the repetitive karma in a past life(s). To examples from my own life: I enjoyed learning from books and (when found) good teachers though my interests quite excluded sports and sciences. This vāsanā, tendency or predilection was part of my character from childhood. So was another tendency to interest in Ethiopia. None of my family had been there, yet throughout my teens and twenties I met continually people who had lived in the country—such as a girlfriend who had met the emperor Haile Selassie—and strengthened this interest. But then the great vāsanā became apparent.
As a British soldier in the Suez Canal Zone doing my National Service, I read the book Buddhism by Christmas Humphreys (still in print!) during the course of one day, all 240 pages of it, and at the end knew without a doubt that I was a Buddhist. So perhaps the Buddha intended to suggest that people’s occupation to some extent depends upon these tendencies which draw people towards not only being farmers, craftsmen, merchants, and servants but also (658) to being robbers, soldiers, priests, and rulers. It is no coincidence that these four are found in one Verse.
Verses 659–670: Karma as a process, a very complex one, does really work in the mind and can by advanced practitioners be seen and known. This means that it is not a theory or mere belief. One of the six True Knowledges possessed by the Buddha was the Knowledge of others’ karma and results, and since his time many famous Teachers have had this ability. “Seers of causal relatedness” refers to those who see Dependent Origination for themselves. “People by karma circle round” means that they continue to go round the Wheel of birth and death, while “beings are by karma bound” means that the vast majority of them have no choice about where they will go in their next existence. That has already been decided by the predominant sorts of karmas that they have “made”.
The only beings to have any choice in this are those upon the path—streamwinners or Bodhisattvas. The surety about this is reinforced by the simile: the well-secured linchpin that holds the chariot’s wheel to the axle. New karma in a different direction can sometimes block out, though probably not dissolve, karma completely. To encourage the young brahmins so that they did not feel that their futures were deterministically limited the Buddha spoke the next verse showing them what they had to practise. “Ardour” (tapo) was a word well-known to brahmins. To them it meant, and still means, some sort of austerity, sometimes very severe self-torture aimed at purification according to Hindus but disapproved of by the Buddha. In the Buddha’s Dharma tapo means making an effort, even if this is difficult and involves renunciation.
It should not involve the harm of oneself. “Good Life” (brahmacariya) is a life based on Dharma of moral conduct (sīla), meditation (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā, prajñā). It may or may not involve celibacy and the adoption of a monastic life, or a solitary one (muni). With this and with “restraint and taming” one becomes a true Brahmin, that is, Awakened. To elaborate upon this, verse 662 mentions the triple true knowledges (vijjā, vidyā) which meant quite different things to brahmins and to Buddhists. Brahmins understood tevijjā to mean complete knowledge of the Three Vedas, their most ancient “scriptures”. (As they were learnt by heart and chanted, not written down, they should really be called “chanters”).
Buddhists understood these words to mean: 1. Memory of one’s previous births (lives); 2. The divine eye—ability to see distant events, people, etc.; 3. The exhaustion of the inflows (āsava), the inflows of kāma (sensual desire), the inflow for continued existence, and the inflow of (holding) views. Sometimes a fourth inflow is added: the inflow of ignorance. “Possessed of Triple Knowledges”, which are not “possessed” in the normal sense, as there is by that time no one to possess them, goes along with “Peace”; not merely the peace experienced by a good meditator, but Awakening’s Peace. “Repeated being”—desire for more existence— is exhausted with no desire either for it or against it. The last part of the verse compares a person with these attainments to Brahmā and Sakra. As the two important Hindu devas would be revered by their followers, so should an Awakened one be treated. This is rather an interesting end to these verses, an end specially spoken by the Buddha to inspire them as brahmins to practise the Dharma.
3.10 To Kokāliya on the Results of Slander Kokāliya Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Radiant One was dwelling at Jeta’s Grove in the park of Anāthapiṇḍika near Sāvatthī. Now at that time the bhikkhu Kokāliya approached the Radiant One, and having done so saluted him and sat down to one side. Seated there Kokāliya bhikkhu said this to the Radiant One: “Sir, Sāriputta and Moggallāna are of evil desires, under the influence of evil desires.” When this was said the Radiant One spoke to the bhikkhu Kokāliya: “Don’t say this Kokāliya, don’t say so! Clear yourmind towards Sāriputta and Moggallāna for they are very friendly.” A second time Kokāliya repeated his allegation and the Radiant One replied in the same way. An even a third time Kokāliya spoke his accusation and the Radiant One replied.
After this the bhikkhu Kokāliya rose from his seat, saluted the Radiant One and circumambulating him, keeping him on the right, departed. Only a short time after he left, Kokāliya’s whole body broke out in boils the size of mustard seeds, then grew to the size of greengram, then to chickpeas, then to jujube seeds, then to jujube fruits, then to myrobalan fruits, then to young bael fruits, then to mature bael fruits, and when they had reached this size all over his body, blood and pus was discharged and Kokāliya died. After death, he appeared in the Paduma Hell as a result of hardening his heart against Sāriputta and Moggallāna. Then as the night passed, Brahmā Sahampati of great radiance illuming the whole of Jetavana, came to the Radiant One and after saluting him stood to one side and said this: “Venerable, the bhikkhu Kokāliya has died and appeared subsequently in the Paduma Hell as a result of hardening his heart against Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”
When this was said, a certain bhikkhu spoke to the Radiant One thus: “How long, venerable, is life in the Paduma Hell?” “Bhikkhu, life in the Paduma hell is surely long, not easy to reckon in terms of years, of hundreds of years, of thousand of years, in tens of hundreds of thousands of years.” “But can a simile be made, sir?”
“It can, bhikkhu. Suppose that there was a Kosalan cartload of twenty measures of sesame seed, and that from this a man might take a single seed every century. That Kosalan cartload of twenty measures of sesame seeds would be more quickly used up in that way than would a lifetime in the Paduma Hell. Moreover, bhikkhu, there are twenty lifetimes in the Abbuda Hell to equal one in Nirabbuda Hell … twenty in Nirabbuda to equal one Ababa … twenty in Ababa to equal one Aṭaṭa … twenty in Aṭaṭa to equal one Ahaha … twenty in Ahaha equal to one Kumuda … one Sogandhika … one Uppālaka … one Puṇḍarīka … one Paduma. It is in Paduma that Kokāliya bhikkhu has arisen for hardening his heart against Sāriputta and Moggallāna.
The Radiant One spoke thus and having said this spoke further (these verses).
For every person come to birth, an axe is born within their mouths, with which these fools do chop themselves when uttering evil speech. ₆₆₃
Who praises one deserving blame, or blames that one deserving praise, ill-luck does tear by means of mouth and from such ill no happiness finds. ₆₆₄
Trifling the unlucky throw, by dice destroying wealth, even all one’s own, even oneself as well; compared to that greater “throw”— the thinking ill of Sugatas.
Having maligned the Noble Ones with voice and mind directing ill, one then arrives at (self-made) hell, of millions of aeons (slow to end). ₆₆₆
With one denying truth there goes to hell that one who having done, says “I did not”. Humans having made such karmas base, equal are they in the other world. ₆₆₇
Whoso offends the inoffensive one, who’s innocent and blameless, both, upon that fool does evil fall, as fine dust flung against the wind. ₆₆₈
That person prone to coveting will speak of others in dispraise— one faithless and ill-mannered too, jealous, set on slandering. ₆₆₉
One foul mouthed, of baseless talk, ignoble, treacherous, evil, doing wrong deeds, luckless, ill-begotten human scum— Speak little here! Or else hell-dweller be! ₆₇₀
Dirt do you scatter for your own happiness whenever you revile those who are good, faring through the world many evils you have done, in the long night falling down a precipice. ₆₇₁
No one’s karma is destroyed, truly as Master it returns; so the foolish misery bring upon themselves in future time. ₆₇₂
Bashed by bars of iron, iron spikes’ edges bite, and the food appropriately is like white-hot balls of iron. ₆₇₃
And softly speak no speakers there, they hasten not to help nor to safety lead, they enter all-directions fire, on burning ember-mats they lie. ₆₇₄
Tangled they are in fiery nets, and pounded there with hammers of iron, and led, immersed, through darkness blind, spreading in all directions. ₆₇₅
And enter they in iron cauldrons afire, in which for long they’re stowed; rising up and sinking down, bubbling in masses of fire. ₆₇₆
There the evil-doers cook in a mixed stew of blood and pus; to whatever direction they turn, there they fester at the touch. ₆₇₇
Then the evil-doers cook in worm-infested waters; and cannot flee for there are sides, vast vessels with all surfaces concavities. ₆₇₈
There looms the sharp-edged Swordleaf scrub— they enter and their limbs are slashed; and there with hooks their tongues are seized, pulled to and fro, they’re beaten up. ₆₇₉
They draw near Vetaraṇī Creek, biting and bladed, hard to cross; there headlong down the foolish fall— these evil-doers evil done. ₆₈₀
Then while they wail, the mottled flocks of ebon ravens them devour; jackals, hounds, great vultures, hawks, and crows rend them and ravage there. ₆₈₁
Misery unmitigated, this mode of life, which evil-doers get to see, therefore let one in life’s remainder be not careless, one who does what should be done. ₆₈₂
Those who know reckon the term of these in the Paduma Hell in loads of sesame, five myriad lakhs of seeds and then, twelve hundred lakhs beside. ₆₈₃
Thus are Hell’s many ills here told, and terms that must be spent there too; towards, therefore, those praiseworthy, the friendly, pure—guard both words and thoughts. ₆₈₄ (Snp 663–684)
Some reflections on “Hell”
There are a few Pāli texts on this subject, but the present Sutta is the only one found in the Sutta Nipāta. The subject of the hell-realms is rare when compared to the vast recorded teachings of the Buddha. Mention of it occurs always in the context of some serious wrongdoing, for peccadilloes do not result in the experience of hell.
Another point to consider is that as “all conditioned things are impermanent” (sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā), hell certainly is conditioned by the causes that have led to its suffering, so it is impermanent, as are all other forms of existence. In this it differs from the hell of theistic religions which they sometimes have proclaimed as eternal. Buddhist teachings could not agree that impermanent cause, even the slaughter of millions of men, could have permanent results, so even such monsters as Hitler, Stalin, and Ma-tse-tun could not suffer hell forever. However, all texts are agreed that it continues for a very long time.
“Hell” is not a translation of niraya favoured by some because of the eternalistic overtone, which does not apply to the Buddhist meaning, and so prefer “purgatory”. I have used “hell” as it is a direct and brief term fitting well into verse, and applicable to both the great sufferings experienced by evil-doers. The wrong-doer in this Sutta is a bhikkhu called Kokāliya (in the Sutta Nipāta), or Kokālika (in other Pāli texts). In any case his name means “one from the town of Kokāli”. His story, the essence of which is his slander of the Buddha’s chief disciples, Sāriputta and Moggallāna, in the presence of the Buddha, saying that these two enlightened monks were of “evil desires, and they are influenced by evil desires”. Presumably he repeated this allegation to others as well.
According to the texts this resulted in a plague of boils all over his body. We could speculate whether modern medicine could or could not find a cure for these, but the Pāli commentators presumably would deny that any cure was possible as the affliction was brought about by evil karma. Then Kokāliya died of his illness and the text relates that he went immediately in hell. As this frightful experience is usually connected with great anger and violence, though in this case it seems to be motivated by envy, and because this touches upon a doctrine of the heavy results of doing evil to the Nobles ones (ariya), it should be examined in brief.
This teaching, found in its fullest development in the Pāli Commentaries, assigns degrees of painful karmic results according to the attainment of the recipients. Thus, injuring a Buddha causes in the wrongdoer the worst and longest sufferings while attacking ordinary persons, including monks and nuns will not have such bad consequences, with all shades of karma results between. This is a questionable doctrine as explained below and may lead us to doubt whether we should accept this Sutta as the Buddha-word or not. The Buddha’s teaching on Karma is clear and straightforward. A decision in the mind is mental karma, a decision to speak and one has made vocal karma and if this is followed by deliberate action this is called bodily karma, the last two are of course guided by mind.
These three actions or karmas may be motivated by greed, hatred and delusion, in which case they are called “unwholesome karma”, the results of which will be painful, or by non-greed (= generosity), non-hatred (loving-kindness and compassion), or by non-delusion (= wisdom), in which case such karma is called “wholesome”, and the results of it to be experienced sooner or later will be pleasant. The initial decision to think, say and do is taken in the mind and the following results are experienced as happiness or suffering in both mind and body. This Sutta concerns unwholesome karma with painful results. Then, there is also this teaching, albeit rather uncommon in the Pāli Suttas, that good karma made towards Enlightened persons has much greater results for the doer, than good expressed towards ordinary people, who of course may include beggars or other poverty stricken or ill people.
Such emphasis, found in the Pāli Commentaries and much in evidence in Buddhist countries, means that those who are supposed to be enlightened or on their way to Enlightenment receive very generous donations, while care of the poor, the diseased, the criminal and the mad receive little, as the doer’s merit will be insignificant because these people are not puññavanta—those possessing merit. This cannot be correct! Suppose a good-hearted person wishes to alleviate the sufferings of those poor people, doing this out of loving-kindness and compassion, one cannot say that his or her merit will be little.
Why Because this person is compassionate, with good intentions. In the case of Kokāliya he is said to have uttered envious and untruthful words about the two enlightened disciples in the Buddha’s presence. Result; a frightful disease followed by a long stay in exceedingly uncomfortable surroundings. Had he uttered the same words about an ordinary fellow-monk or lay-supporter, presumably his karmic result would have been quite insignificant. Does this sound like the rational teaching of karma and its results? No, because there is an unexplained and probably inexplicable cause or condition involving the noble attainments of the great disciples, which condition has seriously lengthened his terrible karmic results. It is proper to mention here that the other side of this doctrine, doing good towards noble disciples, such as great generosity by donors, has also a deleterious result.
As they are reputed to be Awakened, such Teachers attract lay-donors who wish to make merit, sure that their gifts will bring them good results in the future. These Teachers are then showered by gifts which have no place in their lives, and which may be difficult for them to dispose of. Summing up this point; the doctrine of variable results of karma according to the recipient’s spiritual status is at least questionable though widely believed in. It may be objected that the Dharma’s working are not mechanistic or totally rational. This is true for the Dharma in some aspects transcends rationalism, as for example the presence of supernormal powers in some living teachers or the bodily relics in the ashes of some great teacher’s cremation. Hell’s depictions in many religious traditions have remarkable similarities. Such murals and paintings on cloth and in books are usually explained as efforts to evoke fear of retribution among evildoers. Whether such pictures are successful or not the writer does not know, though controlling the impulses to evil by invoking fear cannot be the best way of teaching people Dharma.
But he does know that the teacher Acharn Singthong, in N.E. Thailand, controlled an outbreak of rustling water-buffalo in the locality by such means. This Teacher, highly respected by the villagers, gave to them on a Full Moon night a sermon lasting about three hours on the hell-realms. The audience of monks, nuns and laypeople, were spellbound and no one even changed position on the hard boards of the floor of Wat Pa Geow’s hall. One could have heard a pin drop. Buffalo-rustling ceased immediately. Perhaps it is true then that some people will only practise the Dharma after being scared of the results of evil-doing. As a matter related to this Sutta it should be remembered that without the operation of the senses and the assembling of knowledge by mind there are no worlds, indeed, no existences.
So when people raise the question, “Hells? Where are they?” the answer is that they exist where all worlds exist, including the one that we are aware of now, in the mind. One does not have to go anywhere to reach hell, just make the appropriate karma and hell is here. It can continue to be here (where else would it be?) when an evildoer dies. Just as we make our own karmas to produce and continue with human life, so it is with other possibilities for existence, including hell. “The mind goes before all dharmas” as the famous first verse of the Dhammapada says. Moving on now to examine the Sutta’s structure, its composite nature soon becomes obvious. Kokāliya’s story and some of the verses here (Snp 663–666) have been popular and are preserved also at SN 6.10 and at AN 10.89.
This seems to be the earliest version around which other material has been added. For instance, Snp 667–668 are also Dhp 306 & 125, while the remaining verses, Snp 669–684, are an addition found only in Snp. These sixteen verses may be the work of one author who has written them in an unusual metre.
Particular points raised in the Sutta
In the introductory prose there is an example of a verbal convention in the Buddha’s days: that of repeating a question or statement three times and receiving an answer also thrice repeated. In this case Kokāliya repeats his allegations against the chief disciples three times while the Buddha warns him not to accuse them as they are “very friendly”. Indians in those days, not only Buddhists, according to the Pāli Suttas seemed to regard this thrice-repeated, statement or question as bringing to a head or finally resolving the matter in hand.
This could be illustrated in this way: • Statement/accusation • Reply/warning • ×3 = karmic result for speaker.
Another example, Sela questioning Keṇiya (Snp 3.7): • Did you say “Buddha?” • Yes, I said “Buddha” • ×3 = result: Sela and disciples went to the Buddha and were awakened.
Many more may be found in other Sutta collections. After Kokāliya has spoken three times against the pair of chief disciples and been reprimanded for this by the Buddha, he is recorded to have done a rather astonishing thing. Not only does he pay his respects to the Buddha (by lotussing his hands and bowing down probably from the standing position), but also as a greater mark of respect still he departs keeping the Buddha on his right side, that is, circumambulating him in a clockwise direction.
Of course we shall never know if this is merely a commonly repeated phrase in Pāli, or whether the miscreant Kokāliya actually did so. Though he could have done this out of mockery of the usual conventions of reverence, it could also be that his enmity was not at all directed at the Buddha, but an obsession directed to the chief disciples. Kokāliya’s death through increasingly large “boils” needs a note upon the seeds and fruit they are compared to. Mustard seeds are very small, less than a thirty-secondth of an inch across.
Green-grain is one of a family of similar pulses which can be used for making dahl. Chickpeas are also a familiar ingredient of Indian cookery to this day but being covered with boils of this size—up to one half-inch diameter, would already be very serious. Jujube fruit kernels would be larger assuming that this means what is now known as “Chinese dates” are in fact Zizyphus jujuba and the whole fruit larger still. Myrobalan (Terminalia species from India) produces an astringent fruit widely used in Ayurveda, and by Buddhist monks, the green fruit exceeding at least two jujubes. Bael (bilva in Pāli) is a tree in the Citrus family producing a good-tasting digestive flesh which is reached only by cracking a hard shell. Fruits vary in size from small ones easily held in one hand to “two-handers”.
One shudders to think of “boils” of this size. Another matter worth noting is the use of Brahmā Sahampati as messenger of Kokāliya’s fate. He serves to reinforce the Buddha’s authority as the supposed utterer of this Sutta. He is pictured as appearing to the Buddha in the last hours of the night and telling him what had happened to Kokāliya. After his disappearance the Buddha then relays this information to the bhikkhus and explains, in answer to a question, about the length of life in the Paduma Hell. This is then explained, supposedly by the Buddha, in a complex piece of Buddhist arithmetic, all of which may be summed up by a more convenient expression in English as “a very, very long time”. The combination of Brahmā Sahampati’s appearance and the Buddha’s “mathematical” calculations and the subsequent verses upon the horrors of hell may give us pause for thought when it comes to this Sutta’s authenticity.
Various translators introduce into these verses the term “warders of hell” for which there is no word in the Pāli text.These are perhaps assumed to exist and if this is so—certainly later Buddhist texts assume that such “warders” exist—then it raises a question. The inhabitants of the various states of existence including this human one, have appeared there (or here) due to the karma that they have created—so much is clear. But what are we to understand about “warders” who are said to intensify the sufferings of the inmates, as though they were commercially frying fish and chips, flipping them over and stirring them round in boiling oil? Are these supposed “warders” present because they too have made much evil karma? But why should they have power over other inmates? One assumption is that they indeed have made such karma. Another, more subtle explanation is that the perception of “warders” by the inmates like the rest of the hellish landscape, is mind-made by the latter. This properly solves the presence of hellish “devils” as depicted not only in Buddhist art but in Christian murals also. From verse 669 to the Sutta’s conclusion I have based my translation upon E.M. Hare’s verses and occasionally used whole lines of his, as he has often struck an appropriately colourful or gory note.
3.11 The Sages Asita and Nālaka and the Buddha’s advice Nālaka Sutta
Prologue—Telling the story
narrator In midday meditation the sage Asita saw brilliantly arrayed the thrice-ten deva troop, happy and joyful waving flags the while, with Sakka their superior all highly elated. ₆₈₅ Then when he had seen the devas so delighted respectfully he greeted them and questioned them like this:
asita
Why is this deva-Saṅgha so exceedingly joyful they’ve brought along banners for brandishing about? ₆₈₆ Even when the devas battled anti-gods with a win for deva-hosts, and loss for demon-hordes, then was no such celebration— so what have devas seen? What wonder have they heard? Why devas are delighted? ₆₈₇ They whistle and they sing, clap hands and strum sitars; with dancing and with music, so they celebrate. O you deva-dwellers on Meru’s airy peaks, I beg you, good sirs, soon dispel my doubts. ₆₈₈ devas A Bodhisattva has been born in the Sakyans’ city, in lands along Lumbini. Precious gem beyond compare, for the weal and welfare of those in the human realm. That’s why we’re delighted and completely overjoyed.⁷