sutta » sn » sn22 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.80

Piṇḍolyasutta

Beggars

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery.

Atha kho bhagavā kismiñcideva pakaraṇe bhikkhusaṅghaṁ paṇāmetvā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya kapilavatthuṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.
Then the Buddha, having dismissed the mendicant Saṅgha for some reason, robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Kapilavatthu for alms.

Kapilavatthusmiṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena mahāvanaṁ tenupasaṅkami divāvihārāya.
He wandered for alms in Kapilavatthu. After the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Great Wood,

Mahāvanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā beluvalaṭṭhikāya mūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.
plunged deep into it, and sat at the root of a young wood apple tree for the day’s meditation.

Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:
Then as he was in private retreat this thought came to his mind,

“mayā kho bhikkhusaṅgho pabāḷho.
“I’ve sent the mendicant Saṅgha away.

Santettha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ.
But there are mendicants here who are junior, recently gone forth, newly come to this teaching and training.

Tesaṁ mamaṁ apassantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo.
Not seeing me they may change and fall apart.

Seyyathāpi nāma vacchassa taruṇassa mātaraṁ apassantassa siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo;
If a young calf doesn’t see its mother it may change and fall apart. …

evameva santettha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ tesaṁ mamaṁ apassantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo.

Seyyathāpi nāma bījānaṁ taruṇānaṁ udakaṁ alabhantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo;
Or if young seedlings don’t get water they may change and fall apart.

evameva santettha …pe…
In the same way, there are mendicants here who are junior, recently gone forth, newly come to this teaching and training.

tesaṁ mamaṁ alabhantānaṁ dassanāya siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo.
Not seeing me they may change and fall apart.

Yannūnāhaṁ yatheva mayā pubbe bhikkhusaṅgho anuggahito, evameva etarahi anuggaṇheyyaṁ bhikkhusaṅghan”ti.
Why don’t I support the mendicant Saṅgha now as I did in the past?”

Atha kho brahmā sahampati bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—brahmaloke antarahito bhagavato purato pāturahosi.
Then Brahmā Sahampati knew what the Buddha was thinking. As easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the Brahmā realm and reappeared in front of the Buddha.

Atha kho brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
He arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms toward the Buddha, and said:

“evametaṁ, bhagavā, evametaṁ, sugata.
“That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One!

Bhagavatā, bhante, bhikkhusaṅgho pabāḷho.
The Buddha has sent the mendicant Saṅgha away.

Santettha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ.
But there are mendicants who are junior, recently gone forth, newly come to this teaching and training. …

Tesaṁ bhagavantaṁ apassantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo.

Seyyathāpi nāma vacchassa taruṇassa mātaraṁ apassantassa siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo;

evameva santettha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ tesaṁ bhagavantaṁ apassantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo.

Seyyathāpi nāma bījānaṁ taruṇānaṁ udakaṁ alabhantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo;

evameva santettha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ, tesaṁ bhagavantaṁ alabhantānaṁ dassanāya siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo.

Abhinandatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhusaṅghaṁ;
May the Buddha be happy with the mendicant Saṅgha!

abhivadatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhusaṅghaṁ.
May the Buddha welcome the mendicant Saṅgha!

Yatheva bhagavatā pubbe bhikkhusaṅgho anuggahito, evameva etarahi anuggaṇhātu bhikkhusaṅghan”ti.
May the Buddha support the mendicant Saṅgha now as he did in the past!”

Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.
The Buddha consented with silence.

Atha kho brahmā sahampati bhagavato adhivāsanaṁ viditvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.
Then Brahmā Sahampati, knowing that the Buddha had consented, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena nigrodhārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.
Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the Banyan Tree Monastery, where he sat on the seat spread out.

Nisajja kho bhagavā tathārūpaṁ iddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkhāsi yathā te bhikkhū ekadvīhikāya sārajjamānarūpā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkameyyuṁ.
Then he used his psychic power to will that the mendicants would come to him timidly, alone or in pairs.

Tepi bhikkhū ekadvīhikāya sārajjamānarūpā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho te bhikkhū bhagavā etadavoca:
Those mendicants approached the Buddha timidly, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to them:

“Antamidaṁ, bhikkhave, jīvikānaṁ yadidaṁ piṇḍolyaṁ.
“Mendicants, this relying on alms is an extreme lifestyle.

Abhisāpoyaṁ, bhikkhave, lokasmiṁ piṇḍolo vicarasi pattapāṇīti.
The world curses you: ‘You beggar, walking bowl in hand!’

Tañca kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, kulaputtā upenti atthavasikā, atthavasaṁ paṭicca;
Yet earnest gentlemen take it up for a good reason.

neva rājābhinītā, na corābhinītā, na iṇaṭṭā, na bhayaṭṭā, na ājīvikāpakatā;
Not to escape a summons by a king or a summons for a bandit, or because you were in debt or in fear, or in order to make a living.

api ca kho otiṇṇāmha jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi dukkhotiṇṇā dukkhaparetā
But because they’re swamped by rebirth, old age, and death; by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re swamped by suffering, mired in suffering.

appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethāti.
And they think, ‘Hopefully I can find an end to this entire mass of suffering.’

Evaṁ pabbajito cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kulaputto.
That’s how this gentleman has gone forth.

So ca hoti abhijjhālu kāmesu tibbasārāgo byāpannacitto paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo muṭṭhassati asampajāno asamāhito vibbhantacitto pākatindriyo.
Yet they covet sensual pleasures; they’re infatuated, full of ill will and malicious intent. They are unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying mind and undisciplined faculties.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, chavālātaṁ ubhatopadittaṁ majjhe gūthagataṁ, neva gāme kaṭṭhatthaṁ pharati, nāraññe kaṭṭhatthaṁ pharati.
Suppose there was a firebrand for lighting a funeral pyre, burning at both ends, and smeared with dung in the middle. It couldn’t be used as timber either in the village or the wilderness.

Tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi gihibhogā ca parihīno, sāmaññatthañca na paripūreti.
I say that person is just like this. They’ve missed out on the pleasures of the lay life, and haven’t fulfilled the goal of the ascetic life.

Tayome, bhikkhave, akusalavitakkā—
There are these three unskillful thoughts.

kāmavitakko, byāpādavitakko, vihiṁsāvitakko.
Sensual, malicious, and cruel thoughts.

Ime ca bhikkhave, tayo akusalavitakkā kva aparisesā nirujjhanti?
And where do these three unskillful thoughts cease without anything left over?

Catūsu vā satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacittassa viharato animittaṁ vā samādhiṁ bhāvayato.
In those who meditate with their mind firmly established in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation; or who develop signless immersion.

Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva animitto samādhi bhāvetuṁ.
This is quite enough motivation to develop signless immersion.

Animitto, bhikkhave, samādhi bhāvito bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso.
When signless immersion is developed and cultivated it is very fruitful and beneficial.

Dvemā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyo—
There are these two views.

bhavadiṭṭhi ca vibhavadiṭṭhi ca.
Views favoring continued existence and views favoring ending existence.

Tatra kho, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati:
A learned noble disciple reflects on this:

‘atthi nu kho taṁ kiñci lokasmiṁ yamahaṁ upādiyamāno na vajjavā assan’ti?
‘Is there anything in the world that I could grasp without fault?’

So evaṁ pajānāti:
They understand:

‘natthi nu kho taṁ kiñci lokasmiṁ yamahaṁ upādiyamāno na vajjavā assaṁ.
‘There’s nothing in the world that I could grasp without fault.

Ahañhi rūpaññeva upādiyamāno upādiyeyyaṁ vedanaññeva …
For in grasping I would grasp only at form, feeling,

saññaññeva …
perception,

saṅkhāreyeva viññāṇaññeva upādiyamāno upādiyeyyaṁ.
choices, or consciousness.

Tassa me assa upādānapaccayā bhavo;
That grasping of mine would be a condition for continued existence.

bhavapaccayā jāti;
Continued existence is a condition for rebirth.

jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhaveyyuṁ.
Rebirth is a condition for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be.

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo assā’ti.
That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
What do you think, mendicants?

rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
Is form permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.
“Impermanent, sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?
“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.
“Suffering, sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:
“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:

‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?
‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Vedanā …
“Is feeling …

saññā …
perception …

saṅkhārā …
choices …

viññāṇaṁ …pe…
consciousness permanent or impermanent?” …

tasmātiha, bhikkhave,
“So you should truly see …

evaṁ passaṁ …
Seeing this …

nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānātī”ti.
They understand: ‘… there is no return to any state of existence.’”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.