Aṇguttara Nikāya
Chakka Nipāta
V. Dhammika Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter V: Dhammika
Khema Suttaṃ
Sutta 49
Khema
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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Once when the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park
the venerable Khema[1]
[255] and the venerable Sumana
dwelt in Andha[2] Grove,
near Sāvatthī.
And they went and visited the Exalted One,
saluted him,
and sat down at one side.
So seated, the venerable Khema said to him:
'Lord, whatsoever monk is arahant,
has destroyed the cankers,
lived the life,
done what ought to be done,
set down the burden,
found the highest goal,[3]
destroyed becoming's bonds,
and is in high gnosis released,
to him there comes no thought:
"There is one better than I,"[4]
nor
"There is one equal,"
nor
"There is one worse."'
Thus spoke the venerable Khema
and the Master approved;
and seeing that,
the venerable Khema got up,
saluted the Exalted One
and took his departure,
passing him by on the right.
■
Now, not long after he had gone, the venerable Sumana said this to the Exalted One:
'Lord, whatsoever monk is arahant,
has destroyed the cankers,
lived the life,
done what ought to be done,
set down the burden,
found the highest goal,
destroyed becoming's bonds,
and is in high gnosis released,
to him there comes no thought:
"There is none better than I,"
nor
"There is none equal,"
nor
"There is none worse."'
Thus spoke the venerable Sumana
and the Master approved;
and seeing that,
the venerable Sumana got up,
saluted,
and took his departure,
passing by on the right.
§
And shortly after they had gone,
the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
'Thus, monks, do clansmen declare gnosis;
the goal is told,
but self is not mentioned.
Yet there are some foolish fellows here
who declare gnosis
braggingly, it seems.
Afterwards they suffer remorse.[5]
[256] None greater, less, the same![6] - these sway them not:
Lived is the godfy life, ended the being born,[7]
And from all bonds released, they journey on.
[1] Khema does not seem to be mentioned elsewhere and the Comy. is silent; two Sumanas are mentioned in Thag. [ed.: Sumano and Sumano 2] Cf. K.S. iii, 107, 'Khemaka.'
[2] K.S. trsl. 'Dark Wood,' see note at i, 160 and more particularly Watters' Chwang, i, 397-308; Beal's 'Records,' ii, 13.
[3] Anu-p-patta-sa-d-attho. Cf. D. iii, 83; M. i, 4; S. i, 71.
[4] Atthi me seyyo; cf. Brethr. 366; Dhs. § 1116. Comy. calls these mānā, conceits.
[5] This para, recurs at Vin. i, 185; cf. A. i, 218; G.S. i, 198 n. There is a play on the words in the text, attho and attā. Cf. also Mrs. Rhys Davids' Buddhhism, 216; cf. Milinda, 396.
[7] Sañ-jāti.
