sutta » sn » sn35 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.242

Dutiyadārukkhandhopamasutta

The Simile of the Tree Trunk (2nd)

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kimilāyaṁ viharati gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Kimibilā on the bank of the Ganges river.

Addasā kho bhagavā mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānaṁ.
Seeing a large tree trunk being carried along by the current,

Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi:
he addressed the mendicants:

“passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, amuṁ mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānan”ti?
“Mendicants, do you see that large tree trunk being carried along by the current of the Ganges river?”

“Evaṁ, bhante” …pe…
“Yes, sir,” they replied. …

evaṁ vutte, āyasmā kimilo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When this was said, Venerable Kimbila said to the Buddha:

“kiṁ nu kho, bhante, orimaṁ tīraṁ …pe…
“But sir, what’s the near shore and what’s the far shore? What’s sinking in the middle? What’s getting stranded on high ground? What’s getting taken by humans or non-humans? What’s getting caught up in a whirlpool? And what’s rotting away?” …

“katamo ca, kimila, antopūtibhāvo.
“And what, Kimbila, is rotting away?

Idha, kimila, bhikkhu aññataraṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ āpattiṁ āpanno hoti yathārūpāya āpattiyā na vuṭṭhānaṁ paññāyati.
It’s when a mendicant has committed the kind of corrupt offense for which no resolution is possible.

Ayaṁ vuccati, kimila, antopūtibhāvo”ti.
This is called ‘rotting away’.”

Pañcamaṁ.