Aṇguttara Nikāya


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Aṇguttara Nikāya
Chakka Nipāta
V. Dhammika Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter V: Dhammika

Mahā Cunda Suttaṃ

Sutta 46

Mahā Cunda

Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.

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[252]

[1][than][olds] Thus have I heard:

Once the venerable Mahā Cunda[1] was staying among the Cetis[2]
at Sahajāti.[3]
and there he spoke to the monks, saying:

"Monks, reverend sirs!'

'Reverend sir!' they rejoined;
and the venerable Mahā Cunda said:

'There are some monks,
Dhamma-zealots,[4]
who blame musers, saying:

"These fellows say:

'We are musers, we are musers!'

They muse and are bemused![5]

And what do they muse about;
what good's their musing;
how muse they?"

Thereat neither the Dhamma-zealots
nor the musers are pleased;
nor have they fared onwards
for the weal of many folk,
for their happiness,
their good,
nor for the weal and happiness
of devas and men.

And there are some monks,
musers,
who blame Dhamma-zealots,
saying:

"These fellows say:

'We are Dhamma-zealots, we are Dhamma-zealots!'

They are puffed up,
proud,
excitable fellows,
mouthy speechifiers,
forgetful of mindfulness,
lacking self-possession
and composure,
with their thoughts a-wander
and their sense-governance rude.[6]

And what is their Dhamma zeal;
what good's their Dhamma zeal;
how are they zealous in Dhamma?"

There, too, neither the musers
nor the Dhamma-zealots are pleased;
nor have they fared onwards
for the weal of many folk,
for their happiness,
their good,
nor for the weal and happiness
of devas and men.

And there are some Dhamma-zealots
who just praise Dhamma-zealots;
who praise not musers.

There, too, neither Dhamma-zealots
nor musers are pleased;
nor have they fared onwards
for the weal of many folk,
for their happiness,
their good,
nor for the weal and happiness
of devas and men.

And there are some musers
who just praise musers;
who praise not Dhamma-zealots.

There, too, neither musers
nor Dhamma-zealots are pleased;
nor have they fared [253] onwards
for the weal of many folk,
for their happiness,
their good,
nor for the weal and happiness
of devas and men.

 

§

 

Wherefore, sirs, you should train yourselves thus:

"Being Dhamma-zealots,
we will praise musers.

Thus should you train yourselves, reverend sirs.

And why?

Verily, sirs, these wondrous persons
are hardly found in the world -
they who live
with their whole being
in tune with the deathless.[7]

And you should train yourselves thus, reverend sirs:

Being musers,
we will praise Dhamma-zealots.

Thus should you train yourselves, reverend sirs.

And why?

Verily, sirs, these wondrous persons
are hardly found in the world -
they who with insight
penetrate and see
the deep way of the goal'[8]

 


[1] Sāriputta's younger brother; see Brethr. 119; above IV, § 17.

[2] Buddh. India, 26. Pronounced Che-ti (Chay-tee).

[3] Comy. simply nigame; it was on the Ganges and was where Revata met the elders concerning the ten Vajjian heresies, Vin ii, 300 (Vin. Texts, iii, 396); Mvaṇsa trsl. 22; C.H.I. i, 214. Cf. A. v, 41 for another talk by Maha Cunda there.

[4] Dhamma-yogā bhikkhū.

[5] Jhāyanti pajjhāyanti. Comy. Upasagga-vasena vaḍḍhitāni.

[6] Pākaṭ'indriyā.

[7] Ye amataṃ dhātuṃ kāyena phusitva viharanti. Lit. 'live having touched with the body (or by act) the deathless conditions.'

[8] Ye gambhiraṃ attha-padaṃ paññāya ativijjha passanti. Cf. A. iv, 362. Comy. of course explains: Gūḷhaṃ paṭicchannaṃ khandha-dhātu-āyatanādi-atthaṃ.


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