Aṇguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
XIII. Kusināra Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
XIII. At Kusināra
Sutta 130
Lekha Suttaṃ
Carved on Rock, Earth and Water[1]
Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1] THUS HAVE I HEARD
Once the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied,
and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, these three persons are found existing in the world.
What three?
He who is like carving on a rock,
he who is like carving on the ground,
and he who is like carving on water.
§
And of what sort, monks,
is he who is like carving on a rock?
Herein a certain person
is always getting angry.
Moreover that anger of his lasts long.
Just as a rock-carving
is not soon erased
by wind
or water
or by lapse of time,
even so is the anger of him
that is always getting angry,
and his anger lasts long.
This person is called
'one like carving on a rock.'
■
2. And of what sort, monks,
is he who is like carving on the ground?
Herein a certain person
is always getting angry,
but his anger lasts not long.
Just as a tracing on the ground
is soon erased
by wind
or water
or by lapse of time,
even so is the anger of him
that is always getting angry,
but whose anger lasts not long.
This one, monks, is called
'one like carving on the ground.'
■
3. And of what sort, monks,
is he who is like carving on water?
Herein a certain person,
though he be harshly[2] spoken to,
sharply spoken to,
rudely spoken to,
yet is he easily reconciled,
he becomes agreeable and friendly.
Just as what is carved on water
soon disappears
and lasts not long,
even so, monks,
here we have a certain person
who, though harshly spoken to
sharply spoken to,
rudely spoken to,
yet is he easily reconciled,
he becomes agreeable and friendly.
This one is called
'one like carving on water.'
These are the three sorts of person
found existing in the world."
[1] Pugg. 32.
[2] Āgāḷhena.
