sutta » sn » sn28 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 28.10

Sucimukhīsutta

With Sucimukhī

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahe piṇḍāya pāvisi.
Then he robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms.

Rājagahe sapadānaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā taṁ piṇḍapātaṁ aññataraṁ kuṭṭamūlaṁ nissāya paribhuñjati.
After wandering indiscriminately for almsfood in Rājagaha, he ate his almsfood by a wall.

Atha kho sucimukhī paribbājikā yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:
Then the wanderer Sucimukhī went up to Venerable Sāriputta and said to him:

“Kiṁ nu kho, samaṇa, adhomukho bhuñjasī”ti?
“Ascetic, do you eat facing downwards?”

“Na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, adhomukho bhuñjāmī”ti.
“No, sister.”

“Tena hi, samaṇa, ubbhamukho bhuñjasī”ti?
“Well then, do you eat facing upwards?”

“Na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, ubbhamukho bhuñjāmī”ti.
“No, sister.”

“Tena hi, samaṇa, disāmukho bhuñjasī”ti?
“Well then, do you eat facing the cardinal directions?”

“Na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, disāmukho bhuñjāmī”ti.
“No, sister.”

“Tena hi, samaṇa, vidisāmukho bhuñjasī”ti?
“Well then, do you eat facing the intermediate directions?”

“Na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, vidisāmukho bhuñjāmī”ti.
“No, sister.”

“‘Kiṁ nu, samaṇa, adhomukho bhuñjasī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, adhomukho bhuñjāmī’ti vadesi.
“When asked if you eat facing all these directions, you answer ‘no, sister’.

‘Tena hi, samaṇa, ubbhamukho bhuñjasī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, ubbhamukho bhuñjāmī’ti vadesi.

‘Tena hi, samaṇa, disāmukho bhuñjasī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, disāmukho bhuñjāmī’ti vadesi.

‘Tena hi, samaṇa, vidisāmukho bhuñjasī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, bhagini, vidisāmukho bhuñjāmī’ti vadesi.

Kathañcarahi, samaṇa, bhuñjasī”ti?
How exactly do you eat, ascetic?”

“Ye hi keci, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā vatthuvijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappenti, ime vuccanti, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘adhomukhā bhuñjantī’ti.
“Sister, those ascetics and brahmins who earn a living by geomancy—a low lore, a wrong livelihood—are said to eat facing downwards.

Ye hi keci, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā nakkhattavijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappenti, ime vuccanti, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘ubbhamukhā bhuñjantī’ti.
Those ascetics and brahmins who earn a living by astrology—a low lore, a wrong livelihood—are said to eat facing upwards.

Ye hi keci, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā dūteyyapahiṇagamanānuyogāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappenti, ime vuccanti, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘disāmukhā bhuñjantī’ti.
Those ascetics and brahmins who earn a living by running errands and messages—a wrong livelihood—are said to eat facing the cardinal directions.

Ye hi keci, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā aṅgavijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappenti, ime vuccanti, bhagini, samaṇabrāhmaṇā ‘vidisāmukhā bhuñjantī’ti.
Those ascetics and brahmins who earn a living by palmistry—a low lore, a wrong livelihood—are said to eat facing the intermediate directions.

So khvāhaṁ, bhagini, na vatthuvijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappemi, na nakkhattavijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappemi, na dūteyyapahiṇagamanānuyogāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappemi, na aṅgavijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṁ kappemi.
I don’t earn a living by any of these means.

Dhammena bhikkhaṁ pariyesāmi;
I seek alms in a principled manner,

dhammena bhikkhaṁ pariyesitvā bhuñjāmī”ti.
and I eat it in a principled manner.”

Atha kho sucimukhī paribbājikā rājagahe rathiyāya rathiyaṁ, siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evamārocesi:
Then Sucimukhī the wanderer went around Rājagaha from street to street and from square to square, and announced:

“dhammikaṁ samaṇā sakyaputtiyā āhāraṁ āhārenti;
“The Sakyan ascetics eat food in a principled manner!

anavajjaṁ samaṇā sakyaputtiyā āhāraṁ āhārenti.
The Sakyan ascetics eat food blamelessly!

Detha samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtiyānaṁ piṇḍan”ti.
Give almsfood to the Sakyan ascetics!”

Dasamaṁ.

Sāriputtavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Vivekajaṁ avitakkaṁ,

pīti upekkhā catutthakaṁ;

Ākāsañceva viññāṇaṁ,

ākiñcaṁ nevasaññinā;

Nirodho navamo vutto,

dasamaṁ sūcimukhī cāti.

Sāriputtasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.
The Linked Discourses on Sāriputta are complete.