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Sutta Nipāta 4.13 Anthology of Discourses 4.13

Mahābyūhasutta The Longer Discourse on Arrayed for Battle

ā€œYe kecime diį¹­į¹­hiparibbasānā, ā€œRegarding those who maintain their own view,

Idameva saccanti vivādayanti; arguing that, ā€˜This is the only truthā€™:

Sabbeva te nindamanvānayanti, are all of them subject only to criticism,

Atho pasaį¹sampi labhanti tatthaā€. or do some also win praise for that?ā€

ā€œAppaƱhi etaį¹ na alaį¹ samāya, ā€œThat is a small thing, insufficient for peace,

Duve vivādassa phalāni brūmi; these two fruits of conflict, I say.

Etampi disvā na vivādayetha, Seeing this, one ought not get into arguments,

Khemābhipassaį¹ avivādabhÅ«miį¹ā€. looking for sanctuary in the land of no conflict.

ā€œYā kācimā sammutiyo puthujjā, One who knows does not get involved

Sabbāva etā na upeti vidvā; with any of the many different convictions.

AnÅ«payo so upayaį¹ kimeyya, Why would the uninvolved get involved,

Diį¹­į¹­he sute khantimakubbamānoā€. since they do not believe based on the seen or the heard?

ā€œSÄ«luttamā saƱƱamenāhu suddhiį¹, Those who champion ethics speak of purity through self-control;

Vataį¹ samādāya upaį¹­į¹­hitāse; having undertaken a vow, they stick to it:

Idheva sikkhema athassa suddhiį¹, ā€˜Let us train right here, then we will be pure.ā€™

Bhavūpanītā kusalāvadānā. Claiming to be skilled, they are led on to future lives.

Sace cuto sīlavatato hoti, If they fall away from their precepts and vows,

Pavedhatī kamma virādhayitvā; they tremble, having failed in their task.

PajappatÄ« patthayatÄ« ca suddhiį¹, They pray and long for purity,

Satthāva hÄ«no pavasaį¹ gharamhā. like one who has lost their caravan while journeying far from home.

SÄ«labbataį¹ vāpi pahāya sabbaį¹, But having given up all precepts and vows,

KammaƱca sāvajjanavajjametaį¹; and these deeds blameworthy or blameless;

Suddhiį¹ asuddhinti apatthayāno, not longing for ā€˜purityā€™ or ā€˜impurityā€™,

Virato care santimanuggahāya. live detached, fostering peace.

TamÅ«panissāya jigucchitaį¹ vā, Relying on mortification in disgust at sin,

Atha vāpi diį¹­į¹­haį¹ va sutaį¹ mutaį¹ vā; or else on what is seen, heard, or thought,

Uddhaį¹sarā suddhimanutthunanti, they moan that purification comes through heading upstream,

AvÄ«tataį¹‡hāse bhavābhavesu. not rid of craving for life after life.

Patthayamānassa hi jappitāni, For one who longs there are prayers,

Pavedhitaį¹ vāpi pakappitesu; and trembling too over ideas they have formed.

Cutūpapāto idha yassa natthi, But one here for whom there is no passing away or reappearing:

Sa kena vedheyya kuhiį¹ va jappeā€. why would they tremble? For what would they pray?ā€

ā€œYamāhu dhammaį¹ paramanti eke, ā€œThe very same teaching that some say is ā€˜ultimateā€™,

Tameva hīnanti panāhu aƱƱe; others say is inferior.

Sacco nu vādo katamo imesaį¹, Which of these doctrines is true,

Sabbeva hÄ«me kusalāvadānāā€. for they all claim to be an expert?ā€

ā€œSakaƱhi dhammaį¹ paripuį¹‡į¹‡amāhu, ā€œThey say their own teaching is perfect,

AƱƱassa dhammaį¹ pana hÄ«namāhu; while the teaching of others is inferior.

Evampi viggayha vivādayanti, So arguing, they quarrel,

Sakaį¹ sakaį¹ sammutimāhu saccaį¹. each saying their own convictions are the truth.

Parassa ce vambhayitena hÄ«no, If someone elseā€™s disparagement makes you inferior,

Na koci dhammesu visesi assa; no-one in any teaching would be distinguished.

PuthÅ« hi aƱƱassa vadanti dhammaį¹, For each of them says the otherā€™s teaching is lacking,

NihÄ«nato samhi daįø·haį¹ vadānā. while forcefully advocating their own.

SaddhammapÅ«jāpi nesaį¹ tatheva, But if they honor their own teachings

Yathā pasaį¹santi sakāyanāni; just as they praise their own journeys,

Sabbeva vādā tathiyā bhaveyyuį¹, then all doctrines would be equally valid,

SuddhÄ« hi nesaį¹ paccattameva. and purity for them would be an individual matter.

Na brāhmaį¹‡assa paraneyyamatthi, After judging among the teachings, a brahmin has adopted nothing

Dhammesu niccheyya samuggahÄ«taį¹; that requires interpretation by another.

Tasmā vivādāni upātivatto, Thatā€™s why theyā€™ve gotten over disputes,

Na hi seį¹­į¹­hato passati dhammamaƱƱaį¹. for they see no other doctrine as best.

Jānāmi passāmi tatheva etaį¹, Saying, ā€˜I know, I see, thatā€™s how it isā€™,

Diį¹­į¹­hiyā eke paccenti suddhiį¹; some believe that purity comes from view.

Addakkhi ce kiƱhi tumassa tena, But if theyā€™ve really seen, what use is that view to them?

Atisitvā aƱƱena vadanti suddhiį¹. Overlooking what matters, they say purity comes from another.

Passaį¹ naro dakkhati nāmarÅ«paį¹, When a person sees, they see name and form,

Disvāna vā Ʊassati tānimeva; and having seen, they will know just these things.

Kāmaį¹ bahuį¹ passatu appakaį¹ vā, Gladly let them see much or little,

Na hi tena suddhiį¹ kusalā vadanti. for those who are skilled say this is no way to purity.

NivissavādÄ« na hi subbināyo, Itā€™s not easy to educate someone who is dogmatic,

Pakappitaį¹ diį¹­į¹­hi purakkharāno; promoting a view they have formulated.

Yaį¹ nissito tattha subhaį¹ vadāno, Speaking of the beauty in that on which they depend,

Suddhiį¹ vado tattha tathaddasā so. they talk of purity in accord with what they saw there.

Na brāhmaį¹‡o kappamupeti saį¹…khā, The brahmin does not get involved with formulating and calculating;

Na diį¹­į¹­hisārÄ« napi Ʊāį¹‡abandhu; theyā€™re not followers of views, nor kinsmen of notions.

Ƒatvā ca so sammutiyo puthujjā, Having understood the many different convictions,

UpekkhatÄ« uggahaį¹‡anti maƱƱe. they look on when others grasp.

Vissajja ganthāni munīdha loke, Having untied the knots here in the world,

Vivādajātesu na vaggasārī; the sage takes no side among factions.

Santo asantesu upekkhako so, Peaceful among the peaceless, equanimous,

Anuggaho uggahaį¹‡anti maƱƱe. they donā€™t grasp when others grasp.

Pubbāsave hitvā nave akubbaį¹, Having given up former defilements and not making new ones,

Na chandagū nopi nivissavādī; not swayed by preference, nor a proponent of dogma,

Sa vippamutto diį¹­į¹­higatehi dhÄ«ro, that attentive one is released from views,

Na lippati loke anattagarahī. not clinging to the world, nor reproaching themselves.

Sa sabbadhammesu visenibhūto, They are remote from all things

Yaį¹ kiƱci diį¹­į¹­haį¹ va sutaį¹ mutaį¹ vā; seen, heard, or thought.

Sa pannabhāro muni vippamutto, With burden put down, the sage is released:

Na kappiyo nÅ«parato na patthiyoā€ti. not formulating, not abstaining, not longing.ā€

MahābyÅ«hasuttaį¹ terasamaį¹.
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