Aṅguttara Nikāya
VIII. Aṭṭhaka Nipāta
I: Mettā Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
VIII. The Book of the Eights
I. On Amity
Sutta 10
Kāraṇḍava Suttaɱ
Sweepings
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Once the Exalted One was dwelling in Campa,[1]
on the banks, of the Gaggarā lake.
Now at that time the monks had occasion to reprove a monk for some offence;
and that monk, being so reproved,
evaded the question by another,
turned the issue aside[2]
and showed temper,
ill-will
and sulkiness.
■
Then the Exalted One said to them:
'Eject[3] this person, monks!
Throw out this person, monks!
This person ought to be turned away, monks!
Why should other people plague you?[4]
§
[115] Herein, monks, the going out,
coming in,
gazing up,
looking around,
stretching,
bending,
bearing of cloak,
bowl
and robe[5] of that person
seems just the same as the monks' of worth -
so long as the monks see not his fault.
But when they see it,
at once they know:
"This is the very corruption of a recluse,[6]
the chaff of a recluse,
the sweepings of a recluse."
Realizing this,
they oust him from their midst forthwith.[7]
And why?
They say:
"Let him not corrupt the other monks who are of worth!"
■
Monks, just as when a barley plot[8] is ready,
the corruption of barley,
the chaff of barley,
the sweepings of barley
may appear with root the same
as the rest of the barley of worth,
with stalk the same,
with blade the same -
so long as the head does not come forth.
But when the head appears,
they know at once:
"This is the very corruption of barley,
the chaff of barley,
the sweepings of barley."
Realizing this,
they pull it out,
roots and all,
and throw it outside the barley plot.
And why?
They say:
"Let it not corrupt the barley of worth!"
■
In just the same way, monks,
some person's going out,
coming in,
gazing up,
looking around,
stretching,
bending,
bearing of cloak,
bowl
and robe of that person
seems just the same as the monks' of worth -
so long as the monks see not his fault.
But when they see it,
at once they know:
"This is the very corruption of a recluse,
the chaff of a recluse,
the sweepings of a recluse."
Realizing this,
they oust him from their midst forthwith.
And why?
They say:
"Let him not corrupt the other monks who are of worth!"
■
Those speaking American English need to understand that the word 'corn' means 'wheat' in British English. They use 'maize' for our 'corn'.
— p.p.
Monks, just as when a great heap of corn is winnowed,[9]
the grain which is sound and has substance[10] is piled in one place,
but that of poor quality,
mere chaff,
the wind carries to one side.[11]
At once the husbandmen with brooms
sweep [116] it still further away.
And why?
They say:
"Let it not corrupt the corn of worth."
■
In just the same way, monks,
some person's going out,
coming in,
gazing up,
looking around,
stretching,
bending,
bearing of cloak,
bowl
and robe of that person
seems just the same as the monks' of worth -
so long as the monks see not his fault.
But when they see it,
at once they know:
"This is the very corruption of a recluse,
the chaff of a recluse,
the sweepings of a recluse."
Realizing this,
they oust him from their midst forthwith.
And why?
They say:
"Let him not corrupt the other monks who are of worth!"
■
Monks, suppose a man wants some water-pipes,
he enters a wood with a sharp axe
and taps on this and that tree with the axe-handle.[12]
Then those trees which are sound and have hearts,
when struck with the axe-handle,
resound sharply,[13]
while those rotten at the core,
sodden and mouldy,
when struck,
give forth a hollow[14] sound.
And such he at once cuts at the root,
then at the top,
and when he has done so,
he cleans out the inside until it is thoroughly clean.
Then he joins the water-pipes together.
■
In just the same way, monks,
some person's going out,
coming in,
gazing up,
looking around,
stretching,
bending,
bearing of cloak,
bowl
and robe of that person
seems just the same as the monks' of worth -
so long as the monks see not his fault.
But when they see it,
at once they know:
"This is the very corruption of a recluse,
the chaff of a recluse,
the sweepings of a recluse."
Realizing this,
they oust him from their midst forthwith.
And why?
They say:
"Let him not corrupt the other monks who are of worth!"
Yea, ye may know him, if with him ye dwell,
As stubborn, evil-minded, anger-bound,
Deceptive, greedy, spiteful, envious,
A trickster. Among men[15] he is smooth-tongued
Like a recluse, but evil deeds he does
[117] Alone. Wrong-viewed and lacking in respect,
He shuffles[16] and speaks lies. WThen ye see that,
What should ye do? Unite[17] with one accord.
Avoid ye all his company. Cast out
The sweepings. Throw away the dirt. Reject
Thereafter idle babblers, sham recluses,
Who deem themselves recluses. Having banished
Those who love wickedness and practise it,
Dwell with the pure, mindful and pure yourselves,
Harmonious, wise, and make an end of ill.'
[2] Cf. Dial. i, 116 n. 2; M. i, 96 (F. Dial, i, 70); A. i, 187; also D. i, 94; M. ii, 31.
[3] Dhamatha, lit. blow; there is a reading damettha, meaning to check, tame; but the former occurs in the gāthā (ni-), and the idea of blowing away dirt is fairly common; cf. Dhp. 236, 239.
[4] Para-puttā: putta is here used as in deva-putta, kula-putta, ayya-putta, sakya-puttā - i.e., one of, belonging to. The P.E.D. is here wrong in reference and in meaning.
[6] Samaṇadūsī. Comy. Samaṇadūsako.
[7] Bahiddhā nāsenti. Comy. Bahi nīharanti; cf. S. iv, 248; K.S. iv, 167.
[8] Yavakaraṇe, P.E.D. s.v. 'the preparation of corn'; but Comy. yavakkhette.
[9] Vuvahyamānassa. Comy. reads pūyamānassā - ti ucce ṭhāne ṭhapetvā mahāvāte opuṇiyamānassa. The derivative pūya-, from √pū as in opuṇāti, is not noticed in P.E.D.', Childers has pūyo: pus.
[10] Sāravant, pith, or kernel; 'the full corn in the ear.'
[11] Cf. Psalms i, 4, 'Like the chaff which the wind driveth away.'
[12] Kuṭhāripāsena. P.E.D. s.v. pāsa, 'the throw of an axe' Childers s.v. pakkha-, 'plank.'
[13] Kakkhaḷaɱ. The Comy. is silent. At Mil. 67 it is used of a rock; at 112 of an ointment.
[14] Daddaraɱ. Comy. babbarasaddaɱ (for babbhara-); cf. J. ii, 8; iii, 461. At J. iii, 541, daddaro-ti tittiro, a partridge, from √DER; cf. darī; English, tearing.
[15] Janavati. Comy. janamajjhe.
[16] Saṅsappī. Comy. saṅsappati, phandaii; cf. the use of this word at D. iii, 19 (Dial. iii, 20).
[17] The last six lines of the text recur at Sn. 281-3; cf. also Mil. 414 (S.B.E. x, 46; xxxvi, 363 respectively). Our Comy. is silent, but see Sn.A. 311-12.
