Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
15. Anamat'agga-Saṃyuttaṃ
II. Dutiya Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
II. The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga
Containing Kindred sayings on Cause
and Other Subjects
15. Kindred Sayings on the Incalculable Beginning
2. [Untitled]
Sutta 13
Tiṃ Samatta Suttaṃ
Thirty Only
Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by F. L. Woodward
Originally Published by
The Pali Text Society
Public Domain
The Exalted One was at Rājagaha
at the Bamboo Grove:
Now thirty brethren only,
from Pāvā,[1]
all forest dwellers,
all almsmen,
all rag-robed,
all three-garment-men,[2]
all not yet fetter-free
came to the Exalted One
and saluting him
sat down at the side of him.
Now he thought:
"These thirty from Pāvā
all forest-dwellers,
all almsmen,
all rag-robed,
all three-garment-men,
all not yet fetter-free,
what if I were now so to teach them such a doctrine,
that at this very sitting
their hearts were to be liberated,
without grasping,
from the intoxicants?"
So he addressed them:
"Brethren!"
"Lord!"[3] they responded.
The Exalted One said this:
"Incalculable is the beginning, brethren,
of this faring on.
[127] The earliest point is not revealed
of the running on,
the faring on
of beings cloaked in ignorance,
tied by craving.
As to that what think ye, brethren?
Which is the greater?
The blood that has flowed,
that has been shed
by the loss of your heads
as ye have run on,
fared on
this long while,
or the waters in the four seas?"
"As we allow, lord,
that we have been taught by the Exalted One,
it is this that is greater,
even the blood that has flowed,
that has been shed
by the loss of our heads
as we have run on,
fared on
this long while,
and not the waters of the four seas."
"Well said!
Well said, brethren!
Well do ye allow
that I have thus taught you the doctrine.
Even the blood that has flowed,
that has been shed
by the loss of your heads
as you have run on,
fared on
this long while,
that is greater,
and not the waters of the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were oxen,
born as oxen,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were buffaloes,
born as buffaloes,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were rams
born as rams,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were goats,
born as goats,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were as wild beasts,[4]
born as wild beasts,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were fowls,
born as fowls,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were swine
born as swine,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were seized as robbers,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were seized as village-plunderers,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were seized as highwaymen,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
For many a long day
did blood flow,
was blood shed
by the loss of your heads
when ye were seized as adulterers,
more blood than there are waters in the four seas.
How is this?
Incalculable is the beginning, brethren,
of this faring on.
The earliest point is not revealed
of beings running on,
faring on,
cloaked in ignorance,
tied to craving.
Thus many a day, brethren,
have ye been suffering ill,
have ye been suffering pain,
have ye been suffering disaster,
have the charnel-fields been growing.
Thus far enough is there, brethren,
for you to be repelled
by all the things of this world,
enough to lose all passion for them,
enough to be delivered therefrom."
The Exalted One spake this.
Pleased at heart
those brethren took delight
in that which was spoken by the Exalted One.
And during the speaking of this catechism
the hearts [128] of the thirty Pāvā brothers were set free,
without any grasping,
from the intoxicants.
[1] See Dialogues, ii, 183 f.; iii, 201.
[2] Cf. Pss. of the Brethren, p. 317, n. 2.
[3] Bhadante.
[4] Miga means both this and 'deer.'
