sutta » an » an5 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.194

Kāraṇapālīsutta

With Kāraṇapālī

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Tena kho pana samayena kāraṇapālī brāhmaṇo licchavīnaṁ kammantaṁ kāreti.
Now at that time the brahmin Kāraṇapālī was working for the Licchavis.

Addasā kho kāraṇapālī brāhmaṇo piṅgiyāniṁ brāhmaṇaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ;
He saw the brahmin Piṅgiyānī coming off in the distance

disvā piṅgiyāniṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:
and said to him,

“Handa kuto nu bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī āgacchati divā divassā”ti?
“So, Piṅgiyānī, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”

“Itohaṁ, bho, āgacchāmi samaṇassa gotamassa santikā”ti.
“I’m coming, my good man, from the presence of the ascetic Gotama.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññati bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ? Paṇḍito maññe”ti?
“What do you think of the ascetic Gotama’s lucidity of wisdom? Do you think he’s astute?”

“Ko cāhaṁ, bho, ko ca samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ jānissāmi.
“My good man, who am I to judge the ascetic Gotama’s lucidity of wisdom?

Sopi nūnassa tādisova yo samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ jāneyyā”ti.
You’d really have to be on the same level to judge his lucidity of wisdom.”

“Uḷārāya khalu bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pasaṁsāya pasaṁsatī”ti.
“Mister Piṅgiyānī praises the ascetic Gotama with magnificent praise indeed.”

“Ko cāhaṁ, bho, ko ca samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pasaṁsissāmi.
“Who am I to praise the ascetic Gotama?

Pasatthappasatthova so bhavaṁ gotamo seṭṭho devamanussānan”ti.
He is praised by the praised as the first among gods and humans.”

“Kiṁ pana bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī atthavasaṁ sampassamāno samaṇe gotame evaṁ abhippasanno”ti?
“But for what reason are you so devoted to the ascetic Gotama?”

“Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso aggarasaparititto na aññesaṁ hīnānaṁ rasānaṁ piheti;
“Suppose a person was completely satisfied by the best tasting food. They wouldn’t be attracted to anything that tasted inferior.

evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti—
In the same way, when you hear the ascetic Gotama’s teaching—

yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso—
whatever it may be, whether statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, or amazing stories—

tato tato na aññesaṁ puthusamaṇabrāhmaṇappavādānaṁ piheti.
then you’re not attracted to the doctrines of the various ascetics and brahmins.

Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso jighacchādubbalyapareto madhupiṇḍikaṁ adhigaccheyya.
Suppose a person who was weak with hunger was to obtain a honey-cake.

So yato yato sāyetha, labhateva sādurasaṁ asecanakaṁ;
Wherever they taste it, they would enjoy a sweet, delicious flavor.

evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti—
In the same way, when you hear the ascetic Gotama’s teaching—

yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso—
whatever it may be, whether statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, or amazing stories—

tato tato labhateva attamanataṁ, labhati cetaso pasādaṁ.
then you get a sense of uplift, a confidence of the heart.

Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso candanaghaṭikaṁ adhigaccheyya—
Suppose a person were to obtain a piece of sandalwood,

haricandanassa vā lohitacandanassa vā.
whether yellow or red.

So yato yato ghāyetha—
Wherever they smelled it—

yadi mūlato, yadi majjhato, yadi aggato—
whether at the root, the middle, or the top—

adhigacchateva surabhigandhaṁ asecanakaṁ;
they’d enjoy a delicious fragrance.

evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti—
In the same way, when you hear the ascetic Gotama’s teaching—

yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso—
whatever it may be, whether statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, or amazing stories—

tato tato adhigacchati pāmojjaṁ adhigacchati somanassaṁ.
then you become filled with joy and happiness.

Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.
Suppose there was a person who was sick, suffering, gravely ill.

Tassa kusalo bhisakko ṭhānaso ābādhaṁ nīhareyya;
A good doctor would cure them on the spot.

evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti—
In the same way, when you hear the ascetic Gotama’s teaching—

yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso—
whatever it may be, whether statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, or amazing stories—

tato tato sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.
then you make an end of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.

Seyyathāpi, bho, pokkharaṇī acchodakā sātodakā sītodakā setakā supatitthā ramaṇīyā.
Suppose there was a lotus pond with clear, sweet, cool water, clean, with smooth banks, delightful.

Atha puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito.
Then along comes a person struggling in the oppressive heat, weary, thirsty, and parched.

So taṁ pokkharaṇiṁ ogāhetvā nhātvā ca pivitvā ca sabbadarathakilamathapariḷāhaṁ paṭippassambheyya.
They’d plunge into the lotus pond to bathe and drink. And all their stress, weariness, and heat exhaustion would die down.

Evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti—
In the same way, when you hear the ascetic Gotama’s teaching—

yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso—
whatever it may be, whether statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, or amazing stories—

tato tato sabbadarathakilamathapariḷāhā paṭippassambhantī”ti.
then all your stress, weariness, and exhaustion die down.”

Evaṁ vutte, kāraṇapālī brāhmaṇo uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇaṁ jāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā tikkhattuṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
When this was said, the brahmin Kāraṇapālī got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, raised his joined palms toward the Buddha, and expressed this heartfelt sentiment three times:

“Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.
“Homage to that Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.
Homage to that Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassāti.
Homage to that Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Abhikkantaṁ, bho piṅgiyāni, abhikkantaṁ, bho piṅgiyāni.
Excellent, Mister Piṅgiyānī! Excellent!

Seyyathāpi, bho piṅgiyāni, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā piṅgiyāninā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.
As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, Mister Piṅgiyānī has made the teaching clear in many ways.

Esāhaṁ, bho piṅgiyāni, taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.
I go for refuge to Mister Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.

Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī dhāretu, ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
From this day forth, may Mister Piṅgiyānī remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Catutthaṁ.