Aṅguttara Nikāya 9.35

Translators: sujato

Numbered Discourses 9.35

4. Mahāvagga
4. The Great Chapter

Gāvīupamāsutta

The Simile of the Cow

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gāvī pabbateyyā bālā abyattā akhettaññū akusalā visame pabbate carituṁ.
“Mendicants, suppose there was a mountain cow who was foolish, incompetent, unskillful, and lacked common sense when roaming on rugged mountains.

Tassā evamassa:
She might think,

‘yannūnāhaṁ agatapubbañceva disaṁ gaccheyyaṁ, akhāditapubbāni ca tiṇāni khādeyyaṁ, apītapubbāni ca pānīyāni piveyyan’ti.
‘Why don’t I go somewhere I’ve never been before? I could eat grass and drink water that I’ve never tried before.’

Sā purimaṁ pādaṁ na suppatiṭṭhitaṁ patiṭṭhāpetvā pacchimaṁ pādaṁ uddhareyya.
She’d take a step with a fore-hoof; but before it was properly set down, she’d lift up a hind-hoof.

Sā na ceva agatapubbaṁ disaṁ gaccheyya, na ca akhāditapubbāni tiṇāni khādeyya, na ca apītapubbāni pānīyāni piveyya;
She wouldn’t go somewhere she’d never been before, or eat grass and drink water that she’d never tried before.

yasmiṁ cassā padese ṭhitāya evamassa:
And she’d never return safely to the place she had started from.

‘yannūnāhaṁ agatapubbañceva disaṁ gaccheyyaṁ, akhāditapubbāni ca tiṇāni khādeyyaṁ, apītapubbāni ca pānīyāni piveyyan’ti tañca padesaṁ na sotthinā paccāgaccheyya.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Tathā hi sā, bhikkhave, gāvī pabbateyyā bālā abyattā akhettaññū akusalā visame pabbate carituṁ.
Because that mountain cow was foolish, incompetent, unskillful, and lacked common sense when roaming on rugged mountains.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu bālo abyatto akhettaññū akusalo vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati;
In the same way, some foolish, incompetent, unskillful mendicant, lacking common sense, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.

so taṁ nimittaṁ na āsevati na bhāveti na bahulīkaroti na svādhiṭṭhitaṁ adhiṭṭhāti.
But they don’t cultivate, develop, and make much of that foundation; they don’t ensure it is properly stabilized.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
They think,

‘yannūnāhaṁ vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti.
‘Why don’t I, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, enter and remain in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected.’

So na sakkoti vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā …pe… dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharituṁ.
But they’re not able to enter and remain in the second absorption.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
They think,

‘yannūnāhaṁ vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti.
‘Why don’t I, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enter and remain in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.’

So na sakkoti vivicceva kāmehi …pe… paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharituṁ.
But they’re not able to enter and remain in the first absorption.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhu ubhato bhaṭṭho ubhato parihīno, seyyathāpi sā gāvī pabbateyyā bālā abyattā akhettaññū akusalā visame pabbate carituṁ’.
This is called a mendicant who has slipped and fallen from both sides. They’re like the mountain cow who was foolish, incompetent, unskillful, and lacking in common sense when roaming on rugged mountains.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gāvī pabbateyyā paṇḍitā byattā khettaññū kusalā visame pabbate carituṁ.
Suppose there was a mountain cow who was astute, competent, skillful, and used common sense when roaming on rugged mountains.

Tassā evamassa:
She might think,

Sā purimaṁ pādaṁ suppatiṭṭhitaṁ patiṭṭhāpetvā pacchimaṁ pādaṁ uddhareyya.
She’d take a step with a fore-hoof; and after it was properly set down, she’d lift up a hind-hoof.

Sā agatapubbañceva disaṁ gaccheyya, akhāditapubbāni ca tiṇāni khādeyya, apītapubbāni ca pānīyāni piveyya.
She’d go somewhere she’d never been before, and eat grass and drink water that she’d never tried before.

Yasmiṁ cassā padese ṭhitāya evamassa:
And she’d return safely to the place she had started from.

‘yannūnāhaṁ agatapubbañceva disaṁ gaccheyyaṁ, akhāditapubbāni ca tiṇāni khādeyyaṁ, apītapubbāni ca pānīyāni piveyyan’ti tañca padesaṁ sotthinā paccāgaccheyya.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Tathā hi sā, bhikkhave, gāvī pabbateyyā paṇḍitā byattā khettaññū kusalā visame pabbate carituṁ.
Because that mountain cow was astute, competent, skillful, and used common sense when roaming on rugged mountains.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu paṇḍito byatto khettaññū kusalo vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
In the same way, some astute, competent, skillful mendicant, using common sense, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.