Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.10

Translators: sujato

Numbered Discourses 8.10

1. Mettāvagga
1. Love

Kāraṇḍavasutta

Trash

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā campāyaṁ viharati gaggarāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Campā on the banks of the Gaggarā Lotus Pond.

Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū bhikkhuṁ āpattiyā codenti.
Now at that time the mendicants accused a mendicant of an offense.

So bhikkhu bhikkhūhi āpattiyā codiyamāno aññenāññaṁ paṭicarati, bahiddhā kathaṁ apanāmeti, kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti.
The accused mendicant dodged the issue, distracted the discussion with irrelevant points, and displayed annoyance, hate, and bitterness.

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
Then the Buddha said to the mendicants,

“niddhamathetaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalaṁ;
“Mendicants, throw this person out!

niddhamathetaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalaṁ.
Throw this person out!

Apaneyyeso, bhikkhave, puggalo.
This person should be shown the door.

Kiṁ vo tena paraputtena visodhitena.
Why should you be vexed by an outsider?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa tādisaṁyeva hoti abhikkantaṁ paṭikkantaṁ ālokitaṁ vilokitaṁ samiñjitaṁ pasāritaṁ saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇaṁ, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ—
Take a case where a certain person looks just the same as other good-natured mendicants when going out and coming back, when looking ahead and aside, when bending and extending the limbs, and when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes.

yāvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ na passanti.
That is, so long as the mendicants don’t notice his offense.

Yato ca khvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ passanti, tamenaṁ evaṁ jānanti:
But when the mendicants notice the offense, they know that he’s

‘samaṇadūsīvāyaṁ samaṇapalāpo samaṇakāraṇḍavo’ti.
a corrupt ascetic, just useless trash.

Tamenaṁ iti viditvā bahiddhā nāsenti.
When they realize this they send him away.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Mā aññe bhaddake bhikkhū dūsesīti.
So that he doesn’t corrupt good-natured mendicants.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sampanne yavakaraṇe yavadūsī jāyetha yavapalāpo yavakāraṇḍavoti.
Suppose in a growing field of barley some bad barley appeared, just useless trash.

Tassa tādisaṁyeva mūlaṁ hoti, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ yavānaṁ;
Its roots, stem, and leaves would look just the same as the healthy barley.

tādisaṁyeva nāḷaṁ hoti, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ yavānaṁ;

tādisaṁyeva pattaṁ hoti, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ yavānaṁ—

yāvassa sīsaṁ na nibbattati.
That is, so long as the head doesn’t appear.

Yato ca khvassa sīsaṁ nibbattati, tamenaṁ evaṁ jānanti:
But when the head appears, they know that it’s

‘yavadūsīvāyaṁ yavapalāpo yavakāraṇḍavo’ti.
bad barley, just useless trash.

Tamenaṁ iti viditvā samūlaṁ uppāṭetvā bahiddhā yavakaraṇassa chaḍḍenti.
When they realize this they pull it up by the roots and throw it outside the field.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Mā aññe bhaddake yave dūsesīti.
So that it doesn’t spoil the good barley.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekaccassa puggalassa tādisaṁyeva hoti abhikkantaṁ paṭikkantaṁ ālokitaṁ vilokitaṁ samiñjitaṁ pasāritaṁ saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇaṁ, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ—
In the same way, take a case where a certain person looks just the same as other good-natured mendicants when going out and coming back, when looking ahead and aside, when bending and extending the limbs, and when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes.

yāvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ na passanti.
That is, so long as the mendicants don’t notice his offense.

Yato ca khvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ passanti, tamenaṁ evaṁ jānanti:
But when the mendicants notice the offense, they know that he’s

‘samaṇadūsīvāyaṁ samaṇapalāpo samaṇakāraṇḍavo’ti.
a corrupt ascetic, just useless trash.

Tamenaṁ iti viditvā bahiddhā nāsenti.
When they realize this they send him away.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Mā aññe bhaddake bhikkhū dūsesīti.
So that he doesn’t corrupt good-natured mendicants.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahato dhaññarāsissa phuṇamānassa tattha yāni tāni dhaññāni daḷhāni sāravantāni tāni ekamantaṁ puñjaṁ hoti, yāni pana tāni dhaññāni dubbalāni palāpāni tāni vāto ekamantaṁ apavahati.
Suppose that a large heap of grain is being winnowed. The grains that are firm and solid form a heap on one side. And the grains that are flimsy and insubstantial are blown over to the other side.

Tamenaṁ sāmikā sammajjaniṁ gahetvā bhiyyoso mattāya apasammajjanti.
The owners take a broom and sweep them even further away.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Mā aññe bhaddake dhaññe dūsesīti.
So that it doesn’t spoil the good grain.

yāvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ na passanti.
That is, so long as the mendicants don’t notice his offense.

Yato ca khvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ passanti, tamenaṁ evaṁ jānanti:
But when the mendicants notice the offense, they know that he’s

‘samaṇadūsīvāyaṁ samaṇapalāpo samaṇakāraṇḍavo’ti.
a corrupt ascetic, just useless trash.

Tamenaṁ iti viditvā bahiddhā nāsenti.
When they realize this they send him away.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Mā aññe bhaddake bhikkhū dūsesīti.
So that he doesn’t corrupt good-natured mendicants.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso udapānapanāḷiyatthiko tiṇhaṁ kuṭhāriṁ ādāya vanaṁ paviseyya.
Suppose a man needs an irrigation gutter for a well. He’d take a sharp axe and enter the wood,

So yaṁ yadeva rukkhaṁ kuṭhāripāsena ākoṭeyya tattha yāni tāni rukkhāni daḷhāni sāravantāni tāni kuṭhāripāsena ākoṭitāni kakkhaḷaṁ paṭinadanti;
where he’d knock various trees with the axe. The trees that were firm and solid made a cracking sound.

yāni pana tāni rukkhāni antopūtīni avassutāni kasambujātāni tāni kuṭhāripāsena ākoṭitāni daddaraṁ paṭinadanti.
But the trees that were rotten inside, decomposing and decayed, made a thud.

Tamenaṁ mūle chindati, mūle chinditvā agge chindati, agge chinditvā anto suvisodhitaṁ visodheti, anto suvisodhitaṁ visodhetvā udapānapanāḷiṁ yojeti.
He’d cut down such a tree at the root, lop off the crown, and thoroughly clear out the insides. Then he’d use it as an irrigation gutter for the well.

yāvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ na passanti.
That is, so long as the mendicants don’t notice his offense.

Yato ca khvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ passanti, tamenaṁ evaṁ jānanti:
But when the mendicants notice the offense, they know that he’s

‘samaṇadūsīvāyaṁ samaṇapalāpo samaṇakāraṇḍavo’ti.
a corrupt ascetic, just useless trash.

Tamenaṁ iti viditvā bahiddhā nāsenti.
When they realize this they send him away.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Mā aññe bhaddake bhikkhū dūsesīti.
So that he doesn’t corrupt good-natured mendicants.

Saṁvāsāyaṁ vijānātha,
By living together, know that

pāpiccho kodhano iti;
they’re irritable, with corrupt wishes,

Makkhī thambhī paḷāsī ca,
offensive, stubborn, and contemptuous,

issukī maccharī saṭho.
jealous, stingy, and devious.

Santavāco janavati,
They speak to people with a voice

samaṇo viya bhāsati;
so smooth, just like an ascetic.

Raho karoti karaṇaṁ,
But they act in secret, with their bad views

pāpadiṭṭhi anādaro.
and their lack of regard for others.

Saṁsappī ca musāvādī,
You should recognize them for what they are:

taṁ viditvā yathātathaṁ;
a creep and liar.

Sabbe samaggā hutvāna,
Then having gathered in harmony,

abhinibbajjayātha naṁ.
you should expel them.

Kāraṇḍavaṁ niddhamatha,
Throw out the trash!

Kasambuṁ apakassatha;
Get rid of the rubbish!

Tato palāpe vāhetha,
And sweep away the scraps—

Assamaṇe samaṇamānine.
they’re not ascetics, they just think they are.

Niddhamitvāna pāpicche,
When you’ve thrown out those of corrupt wishes,

pāpaācāragocare;
of bad behavior and alms-resort,

Suddhāsuddhehi saṁvāsaṁ,
dwell in communion, ever mindful,

kappayavho patissatā;
the pure with the pure.

Tato samaggā nipakā,
Then in harmony, alert,

dukkhassantaṁ karissathā”ti.
make an end of suffering.”

Dasamaṁ.

Mettāvaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Mettaṁ paññā ca dve piyā,

dve lokā dve vipattiyo;

Devadatto ca uttaro,

nando kāraṇḍavena cāti.