Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.4
Translators: sujato and bodhi
Linked Discourses 3.4
1. Paṭhamavagga
1. Shackles
Piyasutta
Loved Dear
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,
Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One:
“idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:
“Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind.
“Here, venerable sir, while I was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in my mind thus:
‘kesaṁ nu kho piyo attā, kesaṁ appiyo attā’ti?
‘Who are those who love themselves? And who are those who don’t love themselves?’
‘Who now treat themselves as dear, and who treat themselves as a foe?’
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:
Then it occurred to me:
Then, venerable sir, it occurred to me:
‘ye ca kho keci kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti;
‘Those who do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind
‘Those who engage in misconduct of body, speech, and mind
tesaṁ appiyo attā.
don’t love themselves.
treat themselves as a foe.
Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
Even though they may say:
Even though they may say,
“piyo no attā”ti, atha kho tesaṁ appiyo attā’.
“I love myself”, they don’t really.
“We regard ourselves as dear, ” still they treat themselves as a foe.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
For what reason?
Yañhi appiyo appiyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti;
It’s because they treat themselves like an enemy.
Because of their own accord they act towards themselves in the same way that a foe might act towards a foe;
tasmā tesaṁ appiyo attā.
That’s why they don’t love themselves.
therefore they treat themselves as a foe.
Ye ca kho keci kāyena sucaritaṁ caranti, vācāya sucaritaṁ caranti, manasā sucaritaṁ caranti;
Those who do good things by way of body, speech, and mind
But those who engage in good conduct of body, speech, and mind
tesaṁ piyo attā.
do love themselves.
≈treat themselves as dear.
Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
Even though they may say:
Even though they may say,
‘appiyo no attā’ti; atha kho tesaṁ piyo attā.
“I don’t love myself”, they do really.
“We regard ourselves as a foe, ” still they treat themselves as dear.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
For what reason?
Yañhi piyo piyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti;
It’s because they treat themselves like a loved one.
Because of their own accord they act towards themselves in the same way that a dear person might act towards one who is dear;
tasmā tesaṁ piyo attā”ti.
That’s why they do love themselves.’”
therefore they treat themselves as dear. ’”
“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja.
“That’s so true, great king! That’s so true!” said the Buddha. And he repeated the king’s statement, adding:
“So it is, great king! So it is, great king!”
Ye hi keci, mahārāja, kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti;
tasmā tesaṁ appiyo attā.
Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
‘piyo no attā’ti, atha kho tesaṁ appiyo attā.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Yañhi, mahārāja, appiyo appiyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti;
tasmā tesaṁ appiyo attā.
Ye ca kho keci, mahārāja, kāyena sucaritaṁ caranti, vācāya sucaritaṁ caranti, manasā sucaritaṁ caranti;
tesaṁ piyo attā.
Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
‘appiyo no attā’ti;
atha kho tesaṁ piyo attā.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Yañhi, mahārāja, piyo piyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti;
tasmā tesaṁ piyo attā”ti.
Idamavoca …pe…
“Attānañce piyaṁ jaññā,
“If you knew your self as beloved,
“If one regards oneself as dear
na naṁ pāpena saṁyuje;
you’d not yoke yourself to wickedness.
One should not yoke oneself to evil,
Na hi taṁ sulabhaṁ hoti,
For happiness is not easy to find
For happiness is not easily gained
sukhaṁ dukkaṭakārinā.
by someone who does bad deeds.
By one who does a wrongful deed.
Antakenādhipannassa,
When you’re seized by the terminator
“When one is seized by the End-maker
jahato mānusaṁ bhavaṁ;
as you give up your human life,
As one discards the human state,
Kiñhi tassa sakaṁ hoti,
what can you call your own?
What can one call truly one’s own?
kiñca ādāya gacchati;
What do you take when you go?
What does one take when one goes?
Kiñcassa anugaṁ hoti,
What goes with you,
What follows one along
chāyāva anapāyinī.
like a shadow that never leaves?
Like a shadow that never departs?
Ubho puññañca pāpañca,
Both the good and the bad
“Both the merits and the evil
yaṁ macco kurute idha;
that a mortal does in this life
That a mortal does right here:
Tañhi tassa sakaṁ hoti,
is what they can call their own.
This is what is truly one’s own,
taṁva ādāya gacchati;
That’s what they take when they go.
This one takes when one goes;
Taṁvassa anugaṁ hoti,
That’s what goes with them,
This is what follows one along
chāyāva anapāyinī.
like a shadow that never leaves.
Like a shadow that never departs.
Tasmā kareyya kalyāṇaṁ,
That’s why you should do good,
“Therefore one should do what is good
nicayaṁ samparāyikaṁ;
investing in the future life.
As a collection for the future life.
Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
The good deeds of sentient beings
Merits are the support for living beings
patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.
support them in the next world.”
[When they arise] in the other world. ”