sutta » sn » sn3 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.17

Appamādasutta

Diligence Diligence

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.

Ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Sitting to one side,

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One:
Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,

“atthi nu kho, bhante, eko dhammo yo ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati—
“Is there, venerable sir, one thing which secures both kinds of good,
“Sir, is there one thing that secures benefits for both

diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ samparāyikañcā”ti?
the good pertaining to the present life and that pertaining to the future life?”
the present life and lives to come?”

“Atthi kho, mahārāja, eko dhammo yo ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati—
“There is one thing, great king, which secures both kinds of good,
“There is, great king.”

diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ samparāyikañcā”ti.
the good pertaining to the present life and that pertaining to the future life.

“Katamo pana, bhante, eko dhammo, yo ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati—
“But what, venerable sir, is that one thing?”
“So what is that one thing?”

diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ samparāyikañcā”ti?

“Appamādo kho, mahārāja, eko dhammo, yo ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati—
“Diligence, great king.
“Diligence, great king, is one thing that secures benefits for both

diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ samparāyikañcāti.
the present life and lives to come.

Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, yāni kānici jaṅgalānaṁ pāṇānaṁ padajātāni, sabbāni tāni hatthipade samodhānaṁ gacchanti, hatthipadaṁ tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati—yadidaṁ mahantattena;
Just as the footprints of all living beings that walk fit into the footprint of the elephant, and the elephant’s footprint is declared to be their chief by reason of its size,
The footprints of all creatures that walk can fit inside an elephant’s footprint. So an elephant’s footprint is said to be the biggest of them all.

evameva kho, mahārāja, appamādo eko dhammo, yo ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati—
so diligence is the one thing which secures both kinds of good,
In the same way, diligence is one thing that secures benefits for both

diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ samparāyikañcā”ti.
the good pertaining to the present life and that pertaining to the future life.
the present life and lives to come.”

Idamavoca …pe…
That is what the Buddha said. …

“Āyuṁ arogiyaṁ vaṇṇaṁ,
“For one who desires long life and health,
“For one who desires a continuous flow

saggaṁ uccākulīnataṁ;
Beauty, heaven, and noble birth,
of exceptional delights—

Ratiyo patthayantena,
[A variety of] lofty delights
long life, beauty, and health,

uḷārā aparāparā.
Following in succession,
heaven, and birth in an eminent family—

Appamādaṁ pasaṁsanti,
The wise praise diligence
the astute praise diligence

puññakiriyāsu paṇḍitā;
In doing deeds of merit.
in making merit.

Appamatto ubho atthe,
“The wise person who is diligent
Being diligent, an astute person

adhiggaṇhāti paṇḍito.
Secures both kinds of good:
secures both benefits:

Diṭṭhe dhamme ca yo attho,
The good visible in this very life
the benefit in this life,

yo cattho samparāyiko;
And the good of the future life.
and in lives to come.

Atthābhisamayā dhīro,
The steadfast one, by attaining the good,
A wise one, comprehending the meaning,

paṇḍitoti pavuccatī”ti.
Is called a person of wisdom. ”
is said to be astute.”