Pāḷi English Dictionary
Sutta SearchAṅguttara Nikāya
VIII. Navaka Nipāta
III. Sattāvāsa Vagga
The Book of Nines
Sutta 26
Silāyūp'Opama Suttaṃ
The Simile of the Sacrifical Post
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time
Old Man Sāriputta and
Old Man Candikāputta,
Rājagahe revisiting,
Bamboo Grove,
Squirrel's Feeding Ground
There then Old Man Candikāputta
addressed the beggars:
"Friends beggars!"
And "Friend!"
those beggars responded to
Old Man Candikāputta.
Old Man Candikāputta
said this to them:
"Devadatta, friends Beggars,
thus spoke of Dhamma to the beggars:
'When, beggars, a beggar's
heart is built with wisdom
then a beggar, beggars, may say:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived has been the best of lives,
duty's doings done,
no more is there it'n'at'n.
This I know."'"
There then Old Man Sāriputta
said this to
Old Man Candikāputta:
"Not thus, friend Candikāputta,
did Devadatta speak of Dhamma
to the beggars:
'When, beggars, a beggar's
heart is built with wisdom
then a beggar, beggars, may say:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived has been the best of lives,
duty's doings done,
no more is there it'n'at'n.
This I know."
But thus did Devadatt
speak of Dhamma to the beggars:
'When, beggars, a beggar's
heart is well built with wisdom
then a beggar, beggars, may say:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived has been the best of lives,
duty's doings done,
no more is there it'n'at'n.
This I know."'"
A second time
Old Man Candikāputta
said this:
"Devadatta, friends Beggars,
thus spoke of Dhamma to the beggars:
'When, beggars, a beggar's
heart is built with wisdom
then a beggar, beggars, may say:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived has been the best of lives,
duty's doings done,
no more is there it'n'at'n.
This I know."'"
There then Old Man Sāriputta
said this to
Old Man Candikāputta:
"Not thus, friend Candikāputta,
did Devadatta speak of Dhamma
to the beggars:
'When, beggars, a beggar's
heart is built with wisdom
then a beggar, beggars, may say:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived has been the best of lives,
duty's doings done,
no more is there it'n'at'n.
This I know."
But thus did Devadatt
speak of Dhamma to the beggars:
'When, beggars, a beggar's
heart is well built with wisdom
then a beggar, beggars, may say:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived has been the best of lives,
duty's doings done,
no more is there it'n'at'n.
This I know."'"
A third time
Old Man Candikāputta
said this:
"Devadatta, friends Beggars,
thus spoke of Dhamma to the beggars:
'When, beggars, a beggar's
heart is built with wisdom
then a beggar, beggars, may say:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived has been the best of lives,
duty's doings done,
no more is there it'n'at'n.
This I know."'"
There then Old Man Sāriputta
said this to
Old Man Candikāputta:
"Not thus, friend Candikāputta,
did Devadatta speak of Dhamma
to the beggars:
'When, beggars, a beggar's
heart is built with wisdom
then a beggar, beggars, may say:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived has been the best of lives,
duty's doings done,
no more is there it'n'at'n.
This I know."
But thus did Devadatt
speak of Dhamma to the beggars:
'When, beggars, a beggar's
heart is well built with wisdom
then a beggar, beggars, may say:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived has been the best of lives,
duty's doings done,
no more is there it'n'at'n.
This I know."'"
§
And how, beggars, is
a beggar's heart
well built with wisdom?
Knowing: 'Free is my heart from passion'
a beggar's heart
is well built with wisdom.
Knowing: 'Free is my heart from anger'
a beggar's heart
is well built with wisdom.
Knowing: 'Free is my heart from confusion'
a beggar's heart
is well built with wisdom.
Knowing: 'Disconnected from passion is my heart'
a beggar's heart
is well built with wisdom.
Knowing: 'Disconnected from anger is my heart'
a beggar's heart
is well built with wisdom.
Knowing: 'Disconnected from confusion is my heart'
a beggar's heart
is well built with wisdom.
Knowing: 'A non-returning thing
is my heart
to coming again to
the worlds of sense-pleasures'[1]
a beggar's heart
is well built with wisdom.
Knowing: 'A non-returning thing
is my heart
to coming again to
the worlds of forms'[2]
a beggar's heart
is well built with wisdom.
Knowing: 'A non-returning thing
is my heart
to coming again to
the formless worlds'[3]
a beggar's heart
is well built with wisdom.
When the heart is thus
consummately freed,
friend beggar,
even strong visual-consciousness
of forms
in the sphere of the eye
go away.
Neither is this heart confused
thus established in
an imperturbable state.
When the heart is thus
consummately freed,
friend beggar,
even strong audible-consciousness
of sounds
in the sphere of the ear
go away.
Neither is this heart confused
thus established in
an imperturbable state.
When the heart is thus
consummately freed,
friend beggar,
even strong taste-consciousness
of flavors
in the sphere of the tongue
go away.
Neither is this heart confused
thus established in
an imperturbable state.
When the heart is thus
consummately freed,
friend beggar,
even strong tactile-consciousness
of touches
in the sphere of the body
go away.
Neither is this heart confused
thus established in
an imperturbable state.
When the heart is thus
consummately freed,
friend beggar,
even strong consciousness of consciousness
of mental states
in the sphere of the mind
go away.
Neither is this heart confused
thus established in
an imperturbable state.
In the same way, friend,
as a stone sacrifical post
twenty-four feet long[4] with
twelve feet deeply rooted
in the ground and
twelve feet above ground —
if from the Eastern direction
there comes a strong wind and rain,
it neither shaks,
nor shudders,
nor shivers,
nor violently quakes.[5]
if from the Western direction
there comes a strong wind and rain,
it neither shaks,
nor shudders,
nor shivers,
nor violently quakes.
if from the Northern direction
there comes a strong wind and rain,
it neither shaks,
nor shudders,
nor shivers,
nor violently quakes.
if from the Southern direction
there comes a strong wind and rain,
it neither shaks,
nor shudders,
nor shivers,
nor violently quakes.
And why not?
The depth of the root, friend —
deeply buried is the sacrificial post.
In the same way, friend,
when the heart is thus
consummately freed,
even strong visual-consciousness
of forms
in the sphere of the eye
go away.
Neither is this heart confused
thus established in
an imperturbable state.
When the heart is thus
consummately freed,
even strong audible-consciousness
of sounds
in the sphere of the ear
go away.
Neither is this heart confused
thus established in
an imperturbable state.
When the heart is thus
consummately freed,
even strong taste-consciousness
of flavors
in the sphere of the tongue
go away.
Neither is this heart confused
thus established in
an imperturbable state.
When the heart is thus
consummately freed,
even strong tactile-consciousness
of touches
in the sphere of the body
go away.
Neither is this heart confused
thus established in
an imperturbable state.
When the heart is thus
consummately freed,
even strong consciousness of consciousness
of mental states
in the sphere of the mind
go away.
Neither is this heart confused
thus established in
an imperturbable state.
[1] I. Beings living in the kama lokas.
Niraya Hells,
animal bodies,
ghostly realms,
demonic forms,
human beings,
beings that reside with the Four Kings of the Four Directions,
beings that reside with the Gods of the Chamber of the Three and Thirty,
beings that reside in Yama's Paradise,
beings that reside with The Gods of the Heaven of Delight,
beings that reside with The Gods of Creation,
beings that reside with The Gods of Manipulation.
[2] II. Beings living in the Rūpa Lokas
Beings that reside in Brahma's Retinue,
beings that reside in the Paradise of Māha Brahma,
beings that reside in the Abhassara Realm,
beings that reside in the Subhakinna Realm,
beings that reside in the Vehapphala Realm,
beings that reside in the Asaññā Realm,
beings that reside in the Suddhavasa Realms: Aviha, Attappa, Sudassa, Sudassi, and Akanittha.
[3] III. Beings of the Arūpa Lokas.
Beings that reside in the Ākāsānañcāyatana: The Realm of Space,
beings that reside in the Viññāṇānañcāyatana: The Realm of Consciousness,
beings that reside in the Ākiñcaññāyatana: The Realm Where Nothings Had,
beings that reside in the N'eva-sanna-nasann'ayatana: The Realm of Neither-Perceiving-Nor-Non-Perceiving.
For details see: The Realms of the Imagination, or A Map of the Mind
and see also
The Buddhist Cosmos, by Punnadhammo Mahāthera.
[4] Soḷasakukkuko. Sixteen. "kukku" = 1K = 1 cubit = @ 18 inches. Bhikkhu Bodhi leaves the term untranslated.
[5] Kampeyya, saṅkampeyya, sampakampeyya, sampavedheyya. The first three related in a way I cannot think of in English. My suspicion is that these are all words that relate to what we might say was a strong experience at the senses.
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