Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
42. Gāmani Saṃyutta
Sutta 10
Maṇicūḷaka Suttaṃ
Maṇicūḷaka[1]
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once Upon a Time, The Lucky Man, Rajagaha,
Bamboo Grove,
the squirrels' feeding place
came-a revisiting.
Now at this time,
in the king's palace
the king's inner circle
was sitting down together and
among those who had come together
this line of talk arose:
"Gold and silver
are proper
for the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Gold and silver
are permitted
the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Gold and silver
are accepted
by the shamen of the Sakyan-sons."
Now at this time
Manicūḷaka, the headman,
was seated among them and
there then Manicūḷaka, the headman,
said this to that group:
"Do not speak thus!
Gold and silver
are not proper
for the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Gold and silver
are not permitted
the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Gold and silver
are not accepted
by the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Laid aside are jems and gold
by the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Done with are
things of gold and silver."
But it was not possible[2]
at that time, for
Manicūḷaka, the headman,
to impart that knowledge
to that group.
There then, Manicūḷaka, the headman,
went to where The Lucky Man was located,
where he drew near and
having drawn near The Lucky Man,
having given salutation,
took a seat to one side.
Having taken a seat to one side then,
Manicūḷaka, the headman, said this
to The Lucky Man:
"Just now, bhante,
in the king's palace
the king's inner circle
was sitting down together and
among those who had come together
this line of talk arose:
'Gold and silver
are proper
for the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Gold and silver
are permitted
the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Gold and silver
are accepted
by the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.'
Now at this time, bhante,
I was seated among them and
there then I said this
to that group:
'Do not speak thus!
Gold and silver
are not proper
for the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Gold and silver
are not permitted
the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Gold and silver
are not accepted
by the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Laid aside are jems and gold
by the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Done with are
things of gold and silver.'
But it was not possible, bhante,
at that time, for me
to impart that knowledge
to that group.
Here, bhante,
did I, thus relating and speaking,
accurately convey,
in such a way as to be blameless,
the Lucky Man's
Dhamma within the Dhamma and
not falsely misrepresent
him by portraying his Dhamma
with what is not-Dhamma?"
"Yes, headman, you,
thus relating and speaking,
accurately conveyed,
in such a way as to be blameless,
the Dhamma within the Dhamma and
did not falsely misrepresent
me by portraying the Dhamma
with what is not-Dhamma?
Gold and silver
are not proper
for the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Gold and silver
are not permitted
the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Gold and silver
are not accepted
by the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Laid aside are jems and gold
by the shamen of the Sakyan-sons.
Done with are
things of gold and silver.
Those, headman,
for whom gold and silver are proper,
are likewise those
for whom sense-pleasures are proper.
As for those
for whom sense pleasures
are proper, headman,
you can know for certain:
'Their's is not
a shaman's Dhamma,
their's is not
a son of the Sakiyan's Dhamma.'
On the other hand, headman,
I say this:
Thatch may be saught for
by those set on thatch;
wood may be saught for
by those set on wood;
a cart may be saught for
by those set on a cart
a person may be saught for
by those set on a person.
But not in any way, headman,
do I say that gold and silver
are to be accepted
are to be saught after."
[1] Maṇicūḷaka. A proper name meaning Jeweled-topknot.
[2] Asakkhi. Impossible. Not possible. Bhikkhu Thanissaro, has "was able".
