Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
10. Puppha Vagga
Sutta 94
Puppha (or Vaddha) Suttaṃ
Flowers
(or Growth)
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once Upon a Time in Sāvatthi-town
the Bhagava came a revisit'n,
and there,
to the Beggars gathered round
he said:
"It is not, Beggars,
I that disputes with the world,
it is the world that disputes with me.
No one experienced in Dhamma,[1] beggars,
would in any way dispute with the world.
That, beggars, which is considered as non-existent
by the wise of the world
of that I too say:
'That is not.'
That, beggars, which is considered as existing
by the wise of the world,
of that I too say:
'That is.'
What, beggars, is considered as non-existent
by the wise of the world
of which I too say:
'That is not.'?
That form, beggars,
which is unchanging,
true,
endless,
not subject to reversal,
this is considered by the wise of the world
to be non-existent;
of this I too say:
'That is not.'
That sense experience, beggars,
which is unchanging,
true,
endless,
not subject to reversal,
this is considered by the wise of the world
to be non-existent;
of this I too say:
'That is not.'
That perception, beggars,
which is unchanging,
true,
endless,
not subject to reversal,
this is considered by the wise of the world
to be non-existent;
of this I too say:
'That is not.'
That personal world, beggars,
which is unchanging,
true,
endless,
not subject to reversal,
this is considered by the wise of the world
to be non-existent;
of this I too say:
'That is not.'
That consciousness, beggars,
which is unchanging,
true,
endless,
not subject to reversal,
this is considered by the wise of the world
to be non-existent;
of this I too say:
'That is not.'
These, beggars, are the things
considered as non-existent
by the wise of the world
of which I too say:
'That is not.'
And what, beggars,
are the things considered as existing
by the wise of the world
of which I too say:
'That is.'?
That form, beggars,
which changes,
is painful,
is subject to reversal,
this is considered by the wise of the world to exist;
of this I too say:
'That is.'
That sense-experience,
which changes,
is painful,
is subject to reversal,
this is considered by the wise of the world to exist;
of this I too say:
'That is.'
That perception,
which changes,
is painful,
is subject to reversal,
this is considered by the wise of the world to exist;
of this I too say:
'That is.'
That personal world,
which changes,
is painful,
is subject to reversal,
this is considered by the wise of the world to exist;
of this I too say:
'That is.'
That consciousness,
which changes,
is painful,
is subject to reversal,
this is considered by the wise of the world to exist;
of this I too say:
'That is.'
These, beggars, are the things considered as existing by the wise of the world of which I too say:
'That is.'
There is, beggars, a world of worldly things
which the Tathāgata has understood[2] and comprehended;
which, understanding and comprehending;
is explained,
told of,
made known,
set out,
revealed,
analyzed,
put into words.
What, beggars, is that world of worldly things
which the Tathāgata has understood and comprehended;
which, understanding and comprehending,
is explained,
told of,
made known,
set out,
revealed,
analyzed,
put into words?
Form, beggars,
is a worldly thing in the world
which the Tathāgata has understood and comprehended;
which, understanding and comprehending,
is explained,
told of,
made known,
set out,
revealed,
analyzed,
put into words.
He, beggars, to whom the Tathāgata thus explains,
tells of,
makes known,
sets out,
reveals,
analyses,
puts into words,
who does not come to know and see —
about such a one, beggars
a foolish ordinary person
without eyes in his head that can see
what can I do?
Sense experience, beggars
is a worldly thing in the world
which the Tathāgata has understood and comprehended;
which, understanding and comprehending,
is explained,
told of,
made known,
set out,
revealed,
analyzed,
put into words.
He, beggars, to whom the Tathāgata thus explains,
tells of,
makes known,
sets out,
reveals,
analyses,
puts into words,
who does not come to know and see —
about such a one, beggars
a foolish ordinary person
without eyes in his head that can see
what can I do?
Perception, beggars
is a worldly thing in the world
which the Tathāgata has understood and comprehended;
which, understanding and comprehending,
is explained,
told of,
made known,
set out,
revealed,
analyzed,
put into words.
He, beggars, to whom the Tathāgata thus explains,
tells of,
makes known,
sets out,
reveals,
analyses,
puts into words,
who does not come to know and see —
about such a one, beggars
a foolish ordinary person
without eyes in his head that can see
what can I do?
The personal world, beggars
is a worldly thing in the world
which the Tathāgata has understood and comprehended;
which, understanding and comprehending,
is explained,
told of,
made known,
set out,
revealed,
analyzed,
put into words.
He, beggars, to whom the Tathāgata thus explains,
tells of,
makes known,
sets out,
reveals,
analyses,
puts into words,
who does not come to know and see —
about such a one, beggars
a foolish ordinary person
without eyes in his head that can see
what can I do?
Consciousness, beggars
is a worldly thing in the world
which the Tathāgata has understood and comprehended;
which, understanding and comprehending,
is explained,
told of,
made known,
set out,
revealed,
analyzed,
put into words.
He, beggars, to whom the Tathāgata thus explains,
tells of,
makes known,
sets out,
reveals,
analyses,
puts into words,
who does not come to know and see —
about such a one, beggars
a foolish ordinary person
without eyes in his head that can see
what can I do?
In the same way, Beggars,
as the blue Lotus,
the red lotus,
the white lotus,
born in the water,
growing in the water,
rising above the surface of the water,
stands unaffected by the water;
in the same way, beggars,
the Tathāgata,
grown up in the world,
living in the world,
is unaffected by the world.
[1] Dhamma-vādī: Bodhi: "proponent of the Dhamma"; Woodward: "preacher of the norm"; the question is: Is the Buddha here referring to his teaching or to one who advocates seeing "things" (dhammas) as they are? (This was one and the same thing to the Buddha which is why I translate as above).
[2] Abhisambujjhati: over-self-awakened to.
