Pāḷi English Dictionary
Sutta SearchAṅguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
I. Sambodha Vagga
The Book of Nines
Sutta 6
Sevitabbāsevitabba[1] Suttaṃ
To Avoid or Not to Avoid
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time in
Sāvātthi-town.
There then Old Man Sāriputta
said this to the beggars:
"Beggar friends!"
And "Friend" they responded in
the polite formula used
to grant permission to speak.
And then Old Man Sāriputta
said this to them:
"An indivual[2], friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:[3]
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided.
Clothing,[4] friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided.
Handouts,[5] friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided.
A bed-sitting place,[6] friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided.
A village or market town,[7] friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided.
A rural district,[8] friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided.
§
"'An indivual, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
but on what grounds
was this said?
In this case
however it is known of
an individual,
if you think:
'If I follow this individual,
unskillful things increase, and
skillful things decrease.
And getting
those essentials of life
for one gone forth
suchas
clothing
handouts of food
a bed-sitting place
medicines that are
necessary helps for the sick
are obtained with difficulty.
And my aim
in leaving homelife for
the homeless state of the wanderer
is not becoming fulfilled.'
In that case, friends,
do not follow that individual further,
break that bond,
by night or by day,
get away from that individual
even if you go
without taking leave.
In the case
however it is known of
an individual,
if you think:
'If I follow this individual,
unskillful things increase, and
skillful things decrease.
But getting
those essentials of life
for one gone forth
suchas
clothing
handouts of food
a bed-sitting place
medicines that are
necessary helps for the sick
are obtained without much difficulty.
But my aim
in leaving homelife for
the homeless state of the wanderer
is not becoming fulfilled.'
In that case, friends,
do not follow that individual further,
break that bond,
by night or by day,
get away from that individual
even if you go
without taking leave.
In the case
however it is known of
an individual,
if you think:
'If I follow this individual,
skillful things increase, and
unskillful things decrease.
But getting
those essentials of life
for one gone forth
suchas
clothing
handouts of food
a bed-sitting place
medicines that are
necessary helps for the sick
are obtained with difficulty.
But my aim
in leaving homelife for
the homeless state of the wanderer
is becoming fulfilled.'
In that case, friends,
follow that individual further.
In the case
however it is known of
an individual,
if you think:
'If I follow this individual,
skillful things increase, and
unskillful things decrease.
And getting
those essentials of life
for one gone forth
suchas
clothing
handouts of food
a bed-sitting place
medicines that are
necessary helps for the sick
are obtained without much difficulty.
And my aim
in leaving homelife for
the homeless state of the wanderer
is becoming fulfilled.'
In that case, friends,
follow that individual life-long,
even if repulsed.
"An indivual, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided.
In this way was this said,
and on these grounds
was this said.
■
'Clothing, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
but on what grounds
was this said?
In the case
however it is known of
a set of cloths,
if you think:
'If I wear this set of clothes,
unskillful things increase, and
skillful things decrease.
In that case,
that set of clothihg
is to be avoided.
But if, of
a set of clothes
you think:
'If I wear this set of clothes,
skillful things increase, and
unskillful things decrease.
In that case,
that set of clothihg
is not to be avoided.
'Clothing, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
and on these grounds
was this said.
■
'Handouts, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
but on what grounds
was this said?
In the case
however it is known of
certain handouts,
if you think:
'If I eat handouts
of this sort,
unskillful things increase, and
skillful things decrease.
In that case,
that sort of handout
is to be avoided.
But if, of
certain handouts,
you think:
'If I eat handouts
of this sort,
skillful things increase, and
unskillful things decrease.
In that case,
that sort of handout
is not to be avoided.
'Handouts, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
and on these grounds
was this said.
■
'A bed-sitting place, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
but on what grounds
was this said?
In the case
however it is known of
a bed-sitting place,
if you think:
'If I use this bed-sitting place
unskillful things increase, and
skillful things decrease.
In that case,
that bed-sitting place
is to be avoided.
But if, of
a bed-sitting place,
you think:
'If I use this bed-sitting place,
skillful things increase, and
unskillful things decrease.
In that case,
that bed-sitting place
is not to be avoided.
'A bed-sitting place, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
and on these grounds
was this said.
■
'A village or market town, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
but on what grounds
was this said?
In the case
however it is known of
a village or market town,
if you think:
'If I use this village or market town
unskillful things increase, and
skillful things decrease.
In that case,
that village or market town
is to be avoided.
But if, of
a village or market town,
you think:
'If I use this village or market town,
skillful things increase, and
unskillful things decrease.
In that case,
that village or market town
is not to be avoided.
'A village or market town, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
and on these grounds
was this said.
■
'A rural district, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
but on what grounds
was this said?
In the case
however it is known of
a rural district,
if you think:
'If I use this rural district
unskillful things increase, and
skillful things decrease.
In that case,
that rural district
is to be avoided.
But if, of
a rural district,
you think:
'If I use this rural district,
skillful things increase, and
unskillful things decrease.
In that case,
that rural district
is not to be avoided.
'A rural district, friends,
should be dealt with
in just two ways:
just to be avoided, and
just not to be avoided'.
In this way was this said,
and on these grounds
was this said.
[1] Sevitabba from Sevati PED: 1. to serve, associate with, resort to; 2. to practice, embrace, make use of. Resorting? Seeking out? The problem is the variety of things one is to shun or not: person (served or followed) robe (warn or used) alms (saught after or eaten) lodging (used, lived in, inhabited) village or market-town (entered, visited) countryside (entered, visited, lived in). Hare uses "saught after"; Sister Upalavana uses a variety of terms as in this example; I do not have access to my Bhikkhu Bodhi translations here now so I can"t tell you what he does.
[2] Puggala PED: An individual, as opposed to a group ... person, man; in later philosophical literature = character, soul.
[3] "just two ways" means "only one of the two";
"just to be avoided", means avoid this but do not form or express opinions about it;
"just not to be avoided" means do not take measures to avoid this, but do not seek it out or express opinions about it. This is not the way it is seen by Hare or Sister Upalavama.
[4] Cīvara PED: "applied originally to a dress of bark ( Cīriya [from cīra] like or of bark) the (upper) robe of a Buddhist mendicant ... simply an oblong piece of cloth (usually cotton cloth)." Clothing, yes, and the advice given here probably applies to even the clothes we wear today, but at that time it was a very powerful symbol especially if made up from scraps.
[5] Piṇḍapāta PED: food received in the alms-bowl (of the bhikkhu), alms-gathering, alms bowl.
[6] Senāsana PED: sleeping and sitting, bed and chair, dwelling, lodging.
[7] Gāmanigama Gāma PED: a collection of houses, a hamlet, a habitable place, ... a parish or village having boundaries and distinct from the surrounding country... . In size varying, but usually small and distinguished from nigama, a market-town. It is the smallest in the list of settlements making up a "state". nigama PED: a small town, market town.
[8] Janapada-padeso. Janapada PED: inhabited country, the country (as opposed to town or market-place), the continent; politically: a province, district, county. padesa PED: indication, location, range, district; region, spot, place
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