Aṇguttara Nikāya
Chakka Nipāta
V. Dhammika Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter V: Dhammika
Appamāda Suttaṃ
Sutta 53
Earnestness[1]
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then another brāhman visited the Exalted One,
greeted him,
exchanged compliments
and sat down at one side.
So seated, he said:
'Master Gotama, is there one thing
which, when made become,
made to increase,
embraces and establishes two weals:
weal here
and weal hereafter?
■
'There is, brāhman one thing
which, when made become,
made to increase,
embraces and establishes two weals:
weal here
and weal hereafter.'
■
'What, Master Gotama is that one thing
which, when made become,
made to increase,
embraces and establishes two weals:
weal here
and weal hereafter?
■
'Verily, earnestness, brāhman,
is the one thing
which, when made become,
made to increase,
embraces and establishes two weals:
weal here
and weal hereafter.
§
Brāhman, as the footmarks[2] of all prowling[3] creatures
are admitted in an elephant's
and the elephant's foot[4]
is counted chief;
so earnestness, brāhman
is the one thing
which, when made become,
made to increase,
embraces and establishes two weals:
weal here
and weal hereafter.
■
[260] As[5] all rafters in a peaked house
reach to the peak,
slope to the peak,
unite in the peak,
and the peak is counted chief;
so earnestness, brāhman;
is the one thing
which, when made become,
made to increase,
embraces and establishes two weals:
weal here
and weal hereafter.
■
As a grass-cutter,
on cutting grass,[6]
grasps it at the top
and shakes it to and fro
and beats[7] it about;
so earnestness, brāhman;
is the one thing
which, when made become,
made to increase,
embraces and establishes two weals:
weal here
and weal hereafter.
■
As[8] in cutting mango fruit by the stalk,
all the mangoes clustering thereon
come away with the stalk;
so earnestness, brāhman;
is the one thing
which, when made become,
made to increase,
embraces and establishes two weals:
weal here
and weal hereafter.
■
As[9] every petty rajah
becomes a follower of the Wheel-turning rajah
and the Wheel-tumer is counted chief;
so earnestness, brāhman;
is the one thing
which, when made become,
made to increase,
embraces and establishes two weals:
weal here
and weal hereafter.
■
As[10] the light of the stars
is not worth a sixteenth part
the light of the moon
and the light of the moon
is counted chief;
so earnestness, brāhman;
is the one thing
which, when made become,
made to increase,
embraces and establishes two weals:
weal here
and weal hereafter.'
§
'This, indeed, is wonderful, Master Gotama!
This, indeed, is wonderful, Master Gotama!
'Tis just as if one had set upright a thing toppled over,
opened out a covered thing,
showed a blind man along the road,
brought an oil lamp into the dark,
so that those that had eyes could see objects —
it is just thus that Dhamma
has been blazed abroad by Master Gotama
in manifold ways.
'I, Master Gotama,
go to Master Gotama for help,
to Dhamma
and to the monk-Order;
let Master Gotama look upon me as a lay-disciple,
to that refuge gone,
henceforth as long as life lasts!'
[1] Appamāda (Appamādena sampādetha' — ayaṃ Tathāgatassa pacchimā vācā); see K.S. i, 111 n. on this word; as eko dhammo, the one thing, cf. D. iii, 272 and ref. there; It. 16. There are six similes, hence this sutta's inclusion.
[2] Pada-jātāni, either 'characteristics' or 'footprints'; cf. K.S. and F. Dial, i, 133, also A. v, 21.
[3] Jaṇgama; see K.S. v, 34 n. from √gam, with intensive ja; cf.jagat.
[4] S.e. with our text omits 'in size,' other texts include.
[5] Cf. V, § 12; S. iii, 156; v, 43; A. v, 21.
[6] Babbaja, balbaja: eleusine indica (Mcd's Skt. Dict.), K.S. iii, 132.
[7] S.e. and Comy. nicchedeti; the latter gives the variant nipphoṭeti, observing: he beats it on his arm or on a tree.
[8] D. i 46; iii, 156; cf. Vism. 356; DA. i, 128.
[9] S. v, 44; A. v, 22; cf. M. iii, 173.
[10] It. 19; cf. A. iv, 151; J. v, 63.
