Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
V. Akkosa Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
V: Reviling

Sutta 46

Sakya Suttaṃ

Sakyans

Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.

[1][than] Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was staying among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in Banyan Park.

At that time a number of Sakyan lay-followers,
that day being the sabbath,
came to visit the Exalted One,
and on coming to him saluted him
and sat down at one side.

So seated the Exalted One said this to those Sakyan lay-followers:

"Pray, Sakyans, are you keeping the sabbath complete in its eight parts?"^[1]

"Sometimes, sir, we do so,
but maybe sometimes we don't"

"Well, Sakyans, in those matters
it is no gain to you,
it is ill gotten by you,
since, in a life thus conjoined to fear of grief,
in a life thus conjoined to fear of death,
ye sometimes do
and sometimes maybe do not
keep the sabbath complete in its eight parts.

What think ye, Sakyans?

Kahapanas

Illust.
Pali Text Society:
Rhys Davids:
Buddhist India,
Fig. 24.
Ancient Indian Coins.

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn^[2] half a kahāpaṇa^[3]
in [60] some business or other.

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn a kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn two kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn three kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn four kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn five kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn six kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn seven kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn eight kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn nine kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn ten kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn twenty kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn thirty kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn fourty kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

■

"What think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose a man here,
without meeting an unlucky day,
were to earn fifty kahāpaṇa
in some business or other

Might not folk well say of him:

'A clever fellow, full of energy!'"

"Yes, sir, they might."

"Now, what think ye, Sakyans?

Suppose that man,
day by day earning a hundred,
a thousand kahaparias,
and hoarding up what he got,
were to reach a hundred years,
were to live a hundred years,
would not he amass great wealth?"

"He would, sir."

■

"Well, Sakyans, what think ye?

Would that man,
because of his wealth,
on account of his wealth,
in consequence of his wealth -
would that man
for a single night
or a single day,
or even half a night
or half a day,
live in the enjoyment of utter happiness?"

"Surely not, sir.

And why not?

Because, sir, lusts are impermanent,
hollow,
false,
of the nature of falsehood."

"Now, Sakyans, suppose here a follower of mine,
living serious,
ardent and resolved,
were to live faring onward as I have advised
for ten years,
he would spend a hundred years,
[85] a hundred times a hundred years,
a hundred times a thousand years,
a hundred times a hundred thousand years
enjoying utter happiness.

And he would be a once-returner,
or a not-returner,
or a winner of surety,
a stream-winner.

■

Let alone ten years, Sakyans,
suppose here a follower of mine
were to live faring onwards as I have advised
for nine years,
he would live a hundred years,
a hundred times a hundred years,
a hundred times a thousand years,
a hundred times a hundred thousand years
enjoying utter happiness.

And he would be a once-returner,
or a not-returner,
or at any rate^[4] a stream-winner.

■

Let alone nine years, Sakyans,
suppose here a follower of mine
were to live faring onwards as I have advised
for eight years,
he would live a hundred years,
a hundred times a hundred years,
a hundred times a thousand years,
a hundred times a hundred thousand years
enjoying utter happiness.