Connected Discourses with Similes

1. The Roof Peak

1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park…. [263] There the Blessed One said this:

2“Bhikkhus, just as all the rafters of a peaked house lead to the roof peak and converge upon the root peak, and all are removed when the roof peak is removed, so too all unwholesome states are rooted in ignorance and converge upon ignorance, and all are uprooted when ignorance is uprooted.³⁵⁹ The simile of the peaked house, common in the Nikāyas, recurs in SN at 22:102 (III 156,3-5), 45:141, 46:7, 48:52. Spk glosses “diligent” as “constantly yoked with mindfulness” (appamattā ti satiyā avippavāse ṭhitā hutvā). Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell diligently.’ Thus should you train yourselves.”

2. The Fingernail

1At Sāvatthī. Then the Blessed One took up a little bit of soil in his fingernail and addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus, what do you think, which is more: the little bit of soil that I have taken up in my fingernail or the great earth?”

2“Venerable sir, the great earth is more. The little bit of soil that the Blessed One has taken up in his fingernail is trifling. Compared to the great earth, it is not calculable, does not bear comparison, does not amount even to a fraction.”

3“So too, bhikkhus, those beings who are reborn among human beings are few. But those beings are more numerous who are reborn elsewhere than among human beings.³⁶⁰ This theme is treated in greater detail at 56:102-31. Spk says that the devas are included here along with humans, so that the statement should be understood to mean that few are reborn among humans and devas. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell diligently. ’ Thus should you train yourselves.”

3. Families

1At Sāvatthī. [264] “Bhikkhus, just as it is easy for burglars to assail those families that have many women and few men, so too it is easy for nonhuman beings to assail a bhikkhu who has not developed and cultivated the liberation of mind by lovingkindness.³⁶¹ The simile is also at Vin II 256,16-18 and AN IV 278,22-25, but with a different application. Corehi kumbhatthenakehi is lit. “pot-thief bandits.” Spk explains: Having entered the houses of others, having surveyed the scene by the light of a lamp, desiring to steal the belongings of others, they make a lamp in a jar (ghaṭe) and enter. Even mud-sprites (paṁsupisācakā) assail those devoid of development of lovingkindness, how much more then powerful nonhumans? Amanussa, lit. “nonhuman,” usually denotes a malevolent spirit or demon.

2“Just as it is difficult for burglars to assail those families that have few women and many men, so too it is difficult for nonhuman beings to assail a bhikkhu who has developed and cultivated the liberation of mind by lovingkindness.

3“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will develop and cultivate the liberation of mind by lovingkindness, make it our vehicle, make it our basis, stabilize it, exercise ourselves in it, and fully perfect it.’ Thus should you train yourselves.”

4. Pots of Food

1At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, if someone were to give away a hundred pots of food³⁶² Be and Se: okkhāsataṁ; Ee: ukkhāsataṁ. Spk: = mahāmukhaukkhalīnaṁ sataṁ. Spk-pṭ: = mahāmukhānaṁ mahantakoḷumbānaṁ sataṁ. The reference is to large pots used to boil a great quantity of rice. AN IV 394-96 makes the same point somewhat differently, and adds that developing the perception of impermanence even for a fingersnap is still more fruitful than developing a mind of lovingkindness. as charity in the morning, a hundred pots of food as charity at noon, and a hundred pots of food as charity in the evening, and if someone else were to develop a mind of lovingkindness even for the time it takes to pull a cow’s udder, either in the morning, at noon, or in the evening, this would be more fruitful than the former.³⁶³ Spk: Gadduhanamattan ti goduhanamattaṁ (lit. “the extent of a cow’s milking”), that is, the extent of time needed to take one pull on a cow’s teat. Or else (gadduhanamattaṁ =) gandhaūhanamattaṁ (lit. “the extent of a scent-sniff”), that is, the extent of time needed to take a single sniff of a piece of incense picked up with two fingers. If, for even such a short time, one is able to develop a mind of lovingkindness, pervading all beings in immeasurable world systems with a wish for their welfare, this is more fruitful even than that alms given three times in a single day.

2“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will develop and cultivate the liberation of mind by lovingkindness, make it our vehicle, make it our basis, stabilize it, exercise ourselves in it, and fully perfect it.’ Thus should you train yourselves.” [265]

5. The Spear

1At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, suppose there was a sharp-pointed spear, and a man would come along thinking: ‘I will bend back this sharp-pointed spear with my hand or fist, twist it out of shape, and twirl it around.’³⁶⁴ Spk explains the three verbs thus: paṭileṇeti, having struck the top, bending it like a cotton wick, one makes it fuse together as if it were a strand of resin; paṭikoṭṭeti, having struck it in the middle and bent it back, or having struck it along the blade, one makes the two blades fuse together; paṭivaṭṭeti, turning it around as if making a cotton wick (?), one twirls it around for a long time, unravels it, and again twirls it around. What do you think bhikkhus, would it be possible for that man to do so?”

2“No, venerable sir. For what reason? Because it is not easy to bend back that sharp-pointed spear with one’s hand or fist, to twist it out of shape, or to twirl it around. That man would only experience fatigue and vexation.”

3“So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu has developed and cultivated the liberation of mind by lovingkindness, made it a vehicle, made it a basis, stabilized it, exercised himself in it, and fully perfected it, if a nonhuman being thinks he can overthrow his mind, that nonhuman being would only experience fatigue and vexation.

4“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will develop and cultivate the liberation of mind by lovingkindness, make it our vehicle, make it our basis, stabilize it, exercise ourselves in it, and fully perfect it.’ Thus should you train yourselves.”

6. The Archers

1At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, suppose there were four firm-bowed archers, [266] trained, dexterous, experienced, standing in each of the four directions.³⁶⁵ This sutta also appears in the introduction to Ja No. 476, which turns upon the same theme. In this story the Bodhisatta, in his incarnation as the swift goose Javanahaṁsa, performs the remarkable feat to be described just below. Spk explains the stock description of the archers thus: Firm-bowed archers (daḷhadhammā dhanuggahā): archers with firm bows (daḷhadhanuno issāsā). A “firm bow” is called the strength of two thousand. “The strength of two thousand” means that a weight of metal, such as bronze or lead, etc. (used for the arrowhead), bound to the string when the bow is lifted (for the shot), is released from the earth when the bow is grasped by its handle and drawn back the full length of the arrow. Trained (Se and Ee: sikkhitā; Be: susikkhitā, “well trained”): they have studied the craft in their teacher’s circle for ten or twelve years. Dexterous (katahatthā): one who has simply studied a craft is not yet dexterous, but these are dexterous, having achieved mastery over it. Experienced (katūpāsanā): they have displayed their craft in the king’s court, etc.
Then a man would come along, thinking: ‘I will catch the arrows shot by these four archers in each of the four directions before they reach the ground and then I will bring them back.’ What do you think, bhikkhus, would this be enough to say: ‘That man is a speedster endowed with supreme speed’?”

2“Venerable sir, even if he could catch the arrow shot by one archer before it reached the ground and could bring it back, that would be enough to say: ‘That man is a speedster endowed with supreme speed.’ There is no need to speak about the arrows shot by all four archers!”

3“Bhikkhus, as swift as that man is, still swifter are the sun and moon. As swift as that man is, and as swift as are the sun and moon, and as swift as are the deities that run before the sun and moon, the vital formations³⁶⁶ Āyusaṅkhārā. Spk: This is said with reference to the physical life faculty (rūpajīvitindriya); for this perishes even faster than that. But it is not possible to describe the breakup of formless phenomena (i.e., of mental states, because according to the Abhidhamma they break up sixteen times faster than material phenomena). perish even more swiftly than that. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell diligently.’ Thus should you train yourselves.”

7. The Drum Peg

1At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, once in the past the Dasārahas had a kettle drum called the Summoner.³⁶⁷ Spk: The Dasārahas were a khattiya clan, so called because they took a tenth portion from a hundred (satato dasabhāgaṁ gaṇhiṁsu—reference not clear). The Summoner (ānaka) was the name of a drum, made from the claw of a giant crab. It gave off a sound that could be heard for twelve yojanas all around and was therefore used to summon the people to assembly on festival days. When the Summoner became cracked, the Dasārahas inserted another peg. [267] Eventually the time came when the Summoner’s original drumhead had disappeared and only a collection of pegs remained.

2“So too, bhikkhus, the same thing will happen with the bhikkhus in the future. When those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata that are deep, deep in meaning, supramundane, dealing with emptiness, are being recited,³⁶⁸ Spk: Deep (gambhīra) by way of the text (pāḷivasena), like the Salla Sutta (Sn III, 8; Se: Sallekha Sutta = MN No. 8); deep in meaning (gambhīrattha), like the Mahāvedalla Sutta (MN No. 43); supramundane (lokuttara), i.e., pointing to the supramundane goal; dealing with emptiness (suññatāpaṭisaṁyutta ), explaining mere phenomena devoid of a being (sattasuññata-dhammamattam eva pakāsakā), like the Saṅkhittasaṁyutta (?). This passage recurs at 55:53, in commenting on which Spk cites as examples texts that sometimes differ from those cited here. See V, n. 366.
they will not be eager to listen to them, nor lend an ear to them, nor apply their minds to understand them; and they will not think those teachings should be studied and mastered. But when those discourses that are mere poetry composed by poets, beautiful in words and phrases, created by outsiders, spoken by [their] disciples,³⁶⁹ Spk glosses sāvakabhāsitā as tesaṁ tesaṁ sāvakehi bhāsitā, referring back to the outsiders (bāhiraka). Spk-pṭ clarifies: “By the disciples of any of those who were not known as the Buddha’s disciples.” are being recited, they will be eager to listen to them, will lend an ear to them, will apply their minds to understand them; and they will think those teachings should be studied and mastered. In this way, bhikkhus, those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata that are deep, deep in meaning, supramundane, dealing with emptiness, will disappear.

3“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘When those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata that are deep, deep in meaning, supramundane, dealing with emptiness, are being recited, we will be eager to listen to them, will lend an ear to them, will apply our minds to understand them; and we will think those teachings should be studied and mastered.’ Thus should you train yourselves.”

8. Blocks of Wood

1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the Great Wood in the Hall with the Peaked Roof. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus!”

2“Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

3“Bhikkhus, now the Licchavis dwell using blocks of wood as cushions; [268] they are diligent and ardent in exercise. King Ajātasattu of Magadha, the Videhan son, does not gain access to them; he does not get a hold on them. But in the future the Licchavis will become delicate, with soft and tender hands and feet; they will sleep until sunrise on soft beds with pillows of cotton wool. Then King Ajātasattu of Magadha will gain access to them; then he will get a hold on them.

4“Bhikkhus, now the bhikkhus dwell using blocks of wood as cushions; they are diligent and ardent in striving. Māra the Evil One does not gain access to them; he does not get a hold on them. But in the future the bhikkhus will become delicate, with soft and tender hands and feet; they will sleep until sunrise on soft beds with pillows of cotton wool. Then Māra the Evil One will gain access to them; he will get a hold on them.

5“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘Using blocks of wood as cushions, we will dwell diligent and ardent in striving.’ Thus should you train yourselves.”³⁷⁰ “Block of wood” is kaliṅgara. Spk: In the first period of the Buddha’s ministry the bhikkhus would practise meditation from the time they finished their meal (before noon) through the first watch of the night. They would sleep in the middle watch, resting their heads on pieces of wood (kaṭṭhakaṇḍa, a gloss on kaliṅgara); then they would rise early and resume their walking meditation. The mood of this sutta is similar to the “fears of the future” suttas, AN III 105-10.

9. The Bull Elephant

1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now on that occasion a certain newly ordained bhikkhu was approaching families excessively. The other bhikkhus told him: “The venerable one should not approach families excessively,” but when he was being admonished by them he said: “These elder bhikkhus think they can approach families, so why can’t I?”

2Then a number of bhikkhus approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, [269] and reported this matter to the Blessed One. [The Blessed One said:]

3“Bhikkhus, once in the past there was a great lake in a forest, with bull elephants dwelling in its vicinity.³⁷¹ The elephant simile is also at Vin II 120, used in relation to Devadatta. Those elephants would plunge into the lake, pull up lotus stalks with their trunks, and, having washed them thoroughly, would chew them and swallow them free from mud. This increased their beauty and strength, and on that account they did not meet death or deadly suffering.

4“Their young offspring, emulating those great bull elephants, would plunge into the lake and pull up lotus stalks with their trunks, but without washing them thoroughly, without chewing them, they would swallow them along with the mud. This did not increase their beauty and strength, and on that account they met death or deadly suffering.

5“So too, bhikkhus, here the elder bhikkhus dress in the morning and, taking bowl and robe, enter a village or town for alms. There they speak on the Dhamma, and the laypeople show their confidence to them.³⁷² Pasannākāraṁ karonti. Spk: They give the four requisites. See n. 275. They use their gains without being tied to them, uninfatuated with them, not blindly absorbed in them, seeing the danger in them and understanding the escape. This increases their beauty and strength, and on that account they do not meet death or deadly suffering.

6“The newly ordained bhikkhus, emulating the elder bhikkhus, dress in the morning and, taking bowl and robe, enter a village or town for alms. There they speak on the Dhamma, and the laypeople show their confidence to them. [270] They use their gains while being tied to them, infatuated with them, blindly absorbed in them, not seeing the danger in them and not understanding the escape. This does not increase their beauty and strength, and on that account they meet death or deadly suffering. ³⁷³ See the following sutta for an explanation.

7“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will use our gains without being tied to them, uninfatuated with them, not blindly absorbed in them, seeing the danger in them and understanding the escape.’ Thus should you train yourselves.”

10. The Cat

1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion a certain bhikkhu was socializing with families excessively. The other bhikkhus told him: “The venerable one should not socialize with families excessively,” but though he was admonished by them he did not desist.

2Then a number of bhikkhus approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported this matter to the Blessed One. [The Blessed One said:]

3“Bhikkhus, once in the past a cat stood by an alley or a drain or a rubbish bin³⁷⁴ Sandhisamalasaṅkaṭīre. Spk explains sandhi as an alley between two detached houses; samala as a channel for the discharge of waste from a house; and saṅkatīra as a rubbish bin; see too Ps III 418,16 (commenting on MN I 334,27). At MLDB p. 433 the compound was translated, “by a door-post or a dust-bin or a drain,” but it seems these last two nouns should be inverted. watching for a little mouse, thinking: ‘When this little mouse comes out for food, right there I will grab it and eat it.’ Then that mouse came out for food, and the cat grabbed it and swallowed it hastily, without chewing it. Then that little mouse ate the cat’s intestines and mesentery, [271] and on that account the cat met with death and deadly suffering.

4“So too, bhikkhus, here some bhikkhu dresses in the morning and, taking bowl and robe, enters a village or town for alms with body, speech, and mind unguarded, without setting up mindfulness, unrestrained in his sense faculties. He sees women there lightly clad or lightly attired and lust invades his mind. With his mind invaded by lust he meets death or deadly suffering. For this, bhikkhus, is death in the Noble One’s Discipline: that one gives up the training and returns to the lower life. This is deadly suffering: that one commits a certain defiled offence of a kind that allows for rehabilitation.³⁷⁵ Aññataraṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ āpattiṁ āpajjati yathārūpāya āpattiyā vuṭṭhānaṁ paññāyati. An offence motivated by a defilement (in this case lust) but of a kind that can be expiated by undergoing the appropriate penalty (as opposed to an offence of the pārājikā class, which does not allow for expiation but requires permanent expulsion from the Saṅgha).

5“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will enter a village or town for alms with body, speech, and mind guarded, with mindfulness set up, restrained in our sense faculties. ’ Thus should you train yourselves.”

11. The Jackal (1)

1At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, did you hear an old jackal howling at the flush of dawn?”

2“Yes, venerable sir.”

3“That old jackal is afflicted with a disease called mange. Yet he still goes wherever he wants, stands wherever he wants, sits wherever he wants, [272] lies down wherever he wants, and a cool breeze even blows upon him. It would be good for a certain person here claiming to be a follower of the Sakyan son if he were to experience even such a form of individual existence.³⁷⁶ See 17:8 and n. 322 above. Spk identifies the “certain person” as Devadatta. I understand Sakyaputtiya to be an adjective meaning “following the Sakyan son,” not a noun meaning “Sakyan son.” The Sakyan son is the Buddha himself, who went forth from the Sakyan clan (see 55:7, V 352,18). Thus a samaṇa sakyaputtiya (see 28:10 (III 240,3-4) and 42:10 (IV 325,19-21)) is an ascetic following the Sakyan son, i.e., a Buddhist monk.

4“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell diligently.’ Thus should you train yourselves.”

12. The Jackal (2)

1At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, did you hear an old jackal howling at the flush of dawn?”

2“Yes, venerable sir.”

3“There may be some gratitude and thankfulness in that old jackal, but there is no gratitude and thankfulness in a certain person here claiming to be a follower of the Sakyan son.³⁷⁷ Spk: This too is said with reference to the behaviour of Devadatta. Spk relates an anecdote about a jackal who had been rescued from a python by a farmer. When the python grabbed the farmer, the jackal, out of gratitude, went to the farmer’s brothers and led them to the scene, thereby enabling them to rescue the farmer.

4“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will be grateful and thankful, and we will not overlook even the least favour done to us.’ Thus should you train yourselves.”

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