sutta » sn » sn35 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.247

Chappāṇakopamasutta

The Simile of Six Animals

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso arugatto pakkagatto saravanaṁ paviseyya.
“Mendicants, suppose a person with wounded and festering limbs was to enter a thicket of thorny reeds.

Tassa kusakaṇṭakā ceva pāde vijjheyyuṁ, sarapattāni ca gattāni vilekheyyuṁ.
The kusa thorns would pierce their feet, and the reed leaves would scratch their limbs.

Evañhi so, bhikkhave, puriso bhiyyoso mattāya tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvediyetha.
And that would cause that person to experience even more pain and distress.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu gāmagato vā araññagato vā labhati vattāraṁ:
In the same way, some mendicant goes to a village or a wilderness and gets scolded,

‘ayañca so āyasmā evaṅkārī evaṁsamācāro asucigāmakaṇṭako’ti.
‘This venerable, acting like this, behaving like this, is a filthy village thorn.’

Taṁ kaṇṭakoti iti viditvā saṁvaro ca asaṁvaro ca veditabbo.
Understanding that they’re a thorn, they should understand restraint and lack of restraint.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, asaṁvaro hoti?
And how is someone unrestrained?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā piyarūpe rūpe adhimuccati, appiyarūpe rūpe byāpajjati, anupaṭṭhitakāyassati ca viharati parittacetaso.
Take a mendicant who sees a sight with their eyes. If it’s pleasant they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant they dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body unestablished and their heart restricted.

Tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.
And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.

Sotena saddaṁ sutvā …
When they hear a sound with their ears …

ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā …
When they smell an odor with their nose …

jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …
When they taste a flavor with their tongue …

kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā …
When they feel a touch with their body …

manasā dhammaṁ viññāya piyarūpe dhamme adhimuccati, appiyarūpe dhamme byāpajjati, anupaṭṭhitakāyassati ca viharati parittacetaso,
When they know an idea with their mind, if it’s pleasant they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant they dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body unestablished and a limited heart.

tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.
And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso chappāṇake gahetvā nānāvisaye nānāgocare daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
Suppose a person was to catch six animals, with diverse territories and feeding grounds, and tie them up with a strong rope.

Ahiṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
They’d catch a snake,

Susumāraṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
a crocodile,

Pakkhiṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
a bird,

Kukkuraṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
a dog,

Siṅgālaṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
a jackal,

Makkaṭaṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
and a monkey,

Daḷhāya rajjuyā bandhitvā majjhe gaṇṭhiṁ karitvā ossajjeyya.
tie each up with a strong rope, then tie a knot in the middle and let them loose.

Atha kho, te, bhikkhave, chappāṇakā nānāvisayā nānāgocarā sakaṁ sakaṁ gocaravisayaṁ āviñcheyyuṁ—
Then those six animals with diverse territories and feeding grounds would each pull towards their own domain and territory.

ahi āviñcheyya ‘vammikaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, susumāro āviñcheyya ‘udakaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, pakkhī āviñcheyya ‘ākāsaṁ ḍessāmī’ti, kukkuro āviñcheyya ‘gāmaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, siṅgālo āviñcheyya ‘sīvathikaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, makkaṭo āviñcheyya ‘vanaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti.
The snake would pull one way, thinking ‘I’m going into an termite mound!’ The crocodile would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the water!’ The bird would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m flying into the sky!’ The dog would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the village!’ The jackal would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the charnel ground!’ The monkey would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the jungle!’

Yadā kho te, bhikkhave, chappāṇakā jhattā assu kilantā, atha kho yo nesaṁ pāṇakānaṁ balavataro assa tassa te anuvatteyyuṁ, anuvidhāyeyyuṁ vasaṁ gaccheyyuṁ.
When those six animals became exhausted and worn out, the strongest of them would get their way, and they’d all have to submit to their control.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhuno kāyagatāsati abhāvitā abahulīkatā, taṁ cakkhu āviñchati manāpiyesu rūpesu, amanāpiyā rūpā paṭikūlā honti …pe…
In the same way, when a mendicant has not developed or cultivated mindfulness of the body, their eye pulls towards pleasant sights, but is put off by unpleasant sights. Their ear … nose … tongue … body …

mano āviñchati manāpiyesu dhammesu, amanāpiyā dhammā paṭikūlā honti.
mind pulls towards pleasant ideas, but is put off by unpleasant ideas.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, asaṁvaro hoti.
This is how someone is unrestrained.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, saṁvaro hoti?
And how is someone restrained?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā piyarūpe rūpe nādhimuccati, appiyarūpe rūpe na byāpajjati, upaṭṭhitakāyassati ca viharati appamāṇacetaso,
Take a mendicant who sees a sight with their eyes. If it’s pleasant they don’t hold on to it, and if it’s unpleasant they don’t dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body established and a limitless heart.

tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti …pe…
And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.

jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …pe…
They hear a sound … smell an odor … taste a flavor … feel a touch …

manasā dhammaṁ viññāya piyarūpe dhamme nādhimuccati, appiyarūpe dhamme na byāpajjati, upaṭṭhitakāyassati ca viharati appamāṇacetaso,
know an idea with their mind. If it’s pleasant they don’t hold on to it, and if it’s unpleasant they don’t dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body established and a limitless heart.

tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.
And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso chappāṇake gahetvā nānāvisaye nānāgocare daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
Suppose a person was to catch six animals, with diverse territories and feeding grounds, and tie them up with a strong rope.

Ahiṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
They’d catch a snake,

Susumāraṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
a crocodile,

Pakkhiṁ gahetvā …pe…
a bird,

kukkuraṁ gahetvā …
a dog,

siṅgālaṁ gahetvā …
a jackal,

makkaṭaṁ gahetvā daḷhāya rajjuyā bandheyya.
and a monkey,

Daḷhāya rajjuyā bandhitvā daḷhe khīle vā thambhe vā upanibandheyya.
tie each up with a strong rope, then tether them to a strong post or pillar.

Atha kho te, bhikkhave, chappāṇakā nānāvisayā nānāgocarā sakaṁ sakaṁ gocaravisayaṁ āviñcheyyuṁ—
Then those six animals with diverse territories and feeding grounds would each pull towards their own domain and territory.

ahi āviñcheyya ‘vammikaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, susumāro āviñcheyya ‘udakaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, pakkhī āviñcheyya ‘ākāsaṁ ḍessāmī’ti, kukkuro āviñcheyya ‘gāmaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, siṅgālo āviñcheyya ‘sīvathikaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti, makkaṭo āviñcheyya ‘vanaṁ pavekkhāmī’ti.
The snake would pull one way, thinking ‘I’m going into an termite mound!’ The crocodile would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the water!’ The bird would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m flying into the sky!’ The dog would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the village!’ The jackal would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the charnel ground!’ The monkey would pull another way, thinking ‘I’m going into the jungle!’

Yadā kho te, bhikkhave, chappāṇakā jhattā assu kilantā, atha tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā upatiṭṭheyyuṁ, upanisīdeyyuṁ, upanipajjeyyuṁ.
When those six animals became exhausted and worn out, they’d stand or sit or lie down right by that post or pillar.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhuno kāyagatāsati bhāvitā bahulīkatā, taṁ cakkhu nāviñchati manāpiyesu rūpesu, amanāpiyā rūpā nappaṭikūlā honti …pe… jivhā nāviñchati manāpiyesu rasesu …pe…
In the same way, when a mendicant has developed and cultivated mindfulness of the body, their eye doesn’t pull towards pleasant sights, and isn’t put off by unpleasant sights. Their ear … nose … tongue … body …

mano nāviñchati manāpiyesu dhammesu, amanāpiyā dhammā nappaṭikūlā honti.
mind doesn’t pull towards pleasant ideas, and isn’t put off by unpleasant ideas.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, saṁvaro hoti.
This is how someone is restrained.

‘Daḷhe khīle vā thambhe vā’ti kho, bhikkhave, kāyagatāya satiyā etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘A strong post or pillar’ is a term for mindfulness of the body.

Tasmātiha vo, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:
So you should train like this:

‘kāyagatā no sati bhāvitā bhavissati bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā’ti.
‘We will develop mindfulness of the body. We’ll cultivate it, make it our vehicle and our basis, keep it up, consolidate it, and properly implement it.’

Evañhi kho, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
That’s how you should train.”

Dasamaṁ.