33. Mahāgopālaka Sutta

The Greater Discourse on the Cowherd

1.[220] Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”—“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this:

2.“Bhikkhus, when a cowherd possesses eleven factors, he is incapable of keeping and rearing a herd of cattle. What eleven? Here a cowherd has no knowledge of form, he is unskilled in characteristics, he fails to pick out flies’ eggs, he fails to dress wounds, he fails to smoke out the sheds, he does not know the ford, he does not know what it is to have drunk, he does not know the road, he is unskilled in pastures, he milks dry, and he shows no extra veneration to those bulls who are fathers and leaders of the herd. When a cowherd possesses these eleven factors, he is incapable of keeping and rearing a herd of cattle.

3.“So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu possesses eleven qualities, he is incapable of growth, increase, and fulfilment in this Dhamma and Discipline. What eleven? Here a bhikkhu has no knowledge of form, he is unskilled in characteristics, he fails to pick out flies’ eggs, he fails to dress wounds, he fails to smoke out the sheds, he does not know the ford, he does not know what it is to have drunk, he does not know the road, he is unskilled in pastures, he milks dry, and he shows no extra veneration to those elder bhikkhus of long-standing who have long gone forth, the fathers and leaders of the Sangha.

4.“How has a bhikkhu no knowledge of form? Here a bhikkhu does not understand as it actually is thus: ‘All material form of whatever kind consists of the four great elements and the material form derived from the four great elements.’ That is how a bhikkhu has no knowledge of form.

5.“How is a bhikkhu unskilled in characteristics? Here a bhikkhu does not understand as it actually is thus: ‘A fool is characterised by his actions; a wise man is characterised by his actions.’ That is how a bhikkhu is unskilled in characteristics.364 See MN 129.2, 27.

6.“How does a bhikkhu fail to pick out flies’ eggs? Here, when a thought of sensual desire has arisen, a bhikkhu tolerates it; he does not abandon it, remove it, do away with it, and annihilate it. When a thought of ill will has arisen…When a thought of cruelty has arisen…When evil unwholesome states have arisen, a bhikkhu tolerates them; [221] he does not abandon them, remove them, do away with them, and annihilate them. That is how a bhikkhu fails to pick out flies’ eggs.

7.“How does a bhikkhu fail to dress wounds? Here, on seeing a form with the eye, a bhikkhu grasps at its signs and features. Even though, when he leaves the eye faculty unguarded, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and grief might invade him, he does not practise the way of its restraint, he does not guard the eye faculty, he does not undertake the restraint of the eye faculty. On hearing a sound with the ear…On smelling an odour with the nose…On tasting a flavour with the tongue…On touching a tangible with the body…On cognizing a mind-object with the mind, he grasps at its signs and features. Even though, when he leaves the mind faculty unguarded, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and grief might invade him, he does not practise the way of its restraint, he does not guard the mind faculty, he does not undertake the restraint of the mind faculty. That is how a bhikkhu fails to dress wounds.

8.“How does a bhikkhu fail to smoke out the sheds? Here a bhikkhu does not teach others in detail the Dhamma as he has learned it and mastered it. That is how a bhikkhu fails to smoke out the sheds.

9.“How does a bhikkhu not know the ford? Here a bhikkhu does not go from time to time to those bhikkhus who have learned much, who are well versed in the tradition, who maintain the Dhamma, the Discipline, and the Codes,365 The Codes (mātikā) are probably the rules of the Pātimokkha abstracted from their explanatory matrix, as well as lists of the primary doctrinal categories used for expounding the Dhamma. For more on the mātikās see Watanabe, Philosophy and its Development in the Nikāyas and Abhidhamma, pp. 42–45. and he does not enquire and ask questions of them thus: ‘How is this, venerable sir? What is the meaning of this?’ These venerable ones do not reveal to him what has not been revealed, do not clarify what is not clear, or remove his doubts about the numerous things that give rise to doubt. That is how a bhikkhu does not know the ford.

10.“How does a bhikkhu not know what it is to have drunk? Here, when the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata is being taught, a bhikkhu does not gain inspiration in the meaning, does not gain inspiration in the Dhamma, does not gain gladness connected with the Dhamma.366 See n.89. That is how a bhikkhu does not know what it is to have drunk.

11.“How does a bhikkhu not know the road? Here a bhikkhu does not understand the Noble Eightfold Path as it actually is. That is how a bhikkhu does not know the road.

12.“How is a bhikkhu unskilled in pastures? Here a bhikkhu does not understand the four foundations of mindfulness as they actually are. That is how [222] a bhikkhu is unskilled in pastures.367 At SN 47:6/v.148 the four foundations of mindfulness are called the proper pasture (gocara) of a bhikkhu, in the sense of being the proper sphere of his activity.

13.“How does a bhikkhu milk dry? Here, when faithful householders invite a bhikkhu to take as much as he likes of robes, almsfood, resting places, and medicinal requisites, the bhikkhu does not know moderation in accepting. That is how a bhikkhu milks dry.

14.“How does a bhikkhu show no extra veneration to those elder bhikkhus of long-standing who have long gone forth, the fathers and leaders of the Sangha? Here a bhikkhu does not maintain bodily acts of loving-kindness both openly and privately towards those elder bhikkhus; he does not maintain verbal acts of loving-kindness towards them both openly and privately; he does not maintain mental acts of loving-kindness towards them both openly and privately. That is how a bhikkhu shows no extra veneration to those elder bhikkhus of long-standing who have long gone forth, the fathers and leaders of the Sangha.

“When a bhikkhu possesses these eleven qualities, he is incapable of growth, increase, and fulfilment in this Dhamma and Discipline.

15.“Bhikkhus, when a cowherd possesses eleven factors, he is capable of keeping and rearing a herd of cattle. What eleven? Here a cowherd has knowledge of form, he is skilled in characteristics, he picks out flies’ eggs, he dresses wounds, he smokes out the sheds, he knows the ford, he knows what it is to have drunk, he knows the road, he is skilled in pastures, he does not milk dry, and he shows extra veneration to those bulls who are fathers and leaders of the herd. When a cowherd possesses these eleven factors, he is capable of keeping and rearing a herd of cattle.

16.“So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu possesses these eleven qualities, he is capable of growth, increase, and fulfilment in this Dhamma and Discipline. What eleven? Here a bhikkhu has knowledge of form, he is skilled in characteristics, he picks out flies’ eggs, he dresses wounds, he smokes out the sheds, he knows the ford, he knows what it is to have drunk, he knows the road, he is skilled in pastures, he does not milk dry, and he shows extra veneration to those elder bhikkhus of long-standing who have long since gone forth, the fathers and leaders of the Sangha.

17.“How does a bhikkhu have knowledge of form? Here a bhikkhu understands as it actually is thus: ‘All material form of whatever kind consists of the four [223] great elements and the material form derived from the four great elements.’ That is how a bhikkhu has knowledge of form.

18.“How is a bhikkhu skilled in characteristics? Here a bhikkhu understands as it actually is thus: ‘A fool is characterised by his actions; a wise man is characterised by his actions.’ That is how a bhikkhu is skilled in characteristics.

19.“How does a bhikkhu pick out flies’ eggs? Here, when a thought of sensual desire has arisen, a bhikkhu does not tolerate it; he abandons it, removes it, does away with it, and annihilates it. When a thought of ill will has arisen…When a thought of cruelty has arisen…When evil unwholesome states have arisen, a bhikkhu does not tolerate them; he abandons them, removes them, does away with them, and annihilates them. That is how a bhikkhu picks out flies’ eggs.

20.“How does a bhikkhu dress wounds? Here, on seeing a form with the eye, a bhikkhu does not grasp at its signs and features. Since if he left the eye faculty unguarded, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and grief might invade him, he practises the way of its restraint, he guards the eye faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty. On hearing a sound with the ear…On smelling an odour with the nose…On tasting a flavour with the tongue…On touching a tangible with the body…On cognizing a mind-object with the mind, a bhikkhu does not grasp at its signs and features. Since, if he left the mind faculty unguarded, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and grief might invade him, he practises the way of its restraint, he guards the mind faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the mind faculty. That is how a bhikkhu dresses wounds.

21.“How does a bhikkhu smoke out the sheds? Here a bhikkhu teaches others in detail the Dhamma as he has learned it and mastered it. That is how a bhikkhu smokes out the sheds.

22.“How does a bhikkhu know the ford? Here a bhikkhu goes from time to time to such bhikkhus who have learned much, who are well versed in the tradition, who maintain the Dhamma, the Discipline, and the Codes, and he enquires and asks questions of them thus: ‘How is this, venerable sir? What is the meaning of this?’ These venerable ones reveal to him what has not been revealed, clarify what is not clear, and remove his doubts about the numerous things that give rise to doubt. That is how a bhikkhu knows the ford.

23.“How does [224] a bhikkhu know what it is to have drunk? Here, when the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata is being taught, a bhikkhu gains inspiration in the meaning, gains inspiration in the Dhamma, gains gladness connected with the Dhamma. That is how a bhikkhu knows what it is to have drunk.

24.“How does a bhikkhu know the road? Here a bhikkhu understands the Noble Eightfold Path as it actually is. That is how a bhikkhu understands the road.

25.“How is a bhikkhu skilled in pastures? Here a bhikkhu understands the four foundations of mindfulness as they actually are. That is how a bhikkhu is skilled in pastures.

26.“How does a bhikkhu not milk dry? Here, when faithful householders invite a bhikkhu to take as much as he likes of robes, almsfood, resting places, and medicinal requisites, the bhikkhu knows moderation in accepting. That is how a bhikkhu does not milk dry.

27.“How does a bhikkhu show extra veneration to those elder bhikkhus of long-standing who have long gone forth, the fathers and leaders of the Sangha? Here a bhikkhu maintains bodily acts of loving-kindness both openly and privately towards those elder bhikkhus; he maintains verbal acts of loving-kindness towards them both openly and privately; he maintains mental acts of loving-kindness towards them both openly and privately. That is how a bhikkhu shows extra veneration to those elder bhikkhus of long-standing who have long gone forth, the fathers and leaders of the Sangha.

“When a bhikkhu possesses these eleven qualities, he is capable of growth, increase, and fulfilment in this Dhamma and Discipline.”

That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.