Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
16. Kassapa Saṃyutta
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
II. The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga
Containing Kindred sayings on Cause
and Other Subjects
16. Kindred Sayings on Kassapa
Sutta 6
Paṭhama Ovāda Suttaṃ
Exhortation (1)
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 the venerable Mahā-Kassapa came into the presence of the Exalted One,
saluted him,
and sat down at his side.
To him so seated
the Exalted One said this:
"Exhort the brethren, Kassapa.
Give them discourse on doctrine, Kassapa.
Either I, Kassapa, or thou
must exhort the brethren.
Either I or thou[1]
must give them discourse on doctrine."
"Just now, lord,
it is difficult to speak to[2] the brethren.
They are in a state
that makes it difficult to speak to them.
They are intractable,
they pay no deference to instruction.[3]
For instance, lord,
I saw Bhaṇḍa,
the brother who is the colleague of Ānanda,
and Abhiñjika,
who is the colleague of Anuruddha
out-talking each other thus:
'Come, brother,
which will speak the more?
which will speak the better?
which will speak the longer?'"
Then the Exalted One addressed a brother:
"Come thou, brother!
tell my word to Bhaṇḍa,
the brother who dwelleth with Ānanda
and Abhiñjika,
the brother who dwelleth with Anuruddha:
"The Master would speak to you."
[138] "Even so, lord,"
responded that brother,
and he went into the presence of Bhaṇḍa,
the brother who dwelleth with Ānanda
and Abhiñjika,
the brother who dwelleth with Anuruddha and said:
"The Master, friends, would speak to you."
"Even so, friend", they responded
and they went into the presence of the Exalted one.
Having come into the prsence of the Exalted one
they saluted him,
and sat down down beside him.
To them thus seated
the Exalted One said this:
"Is it true what they say, brethren,
that ye have been out-talking each other thus:
'Come, brother,
which will speak the more?
which will speak the better?
which will speak the longer?'"
"Even so, lord."
"Do ye affirm, brethren,
that I have been teaching you
to out-talk each other in this way:
'Come, brother,
which will speak the more?
which will speak the better?
which will speak the longer?'"
"Not so, lord."
"If as ye say, brethren,
ye do not affirm that I have been teaching you thus:
'Come, brother,
which will speak the more?
which will speak the better?
which will speak the longer?',
whatever then,
futile men that ye are,
have ye come to know,
have ye come to see,
in a Doctrine and a Discipline so well declared,
wherein ye are in orders,
that ye should be out-talking each other
as to what ye have learnt,
saying:
'Come, brother,
which will speak the more?
which will speak the better?
which will speak the longer?'".
Then those brethren,[4]
falling prone at the feet of the Exalted One,
spake thus:
"Transgression hath overcome us, lord,
so foolish,
so stupid,
so wrong were we,
in that we,
who are in orders
under a Doctrine and Discipline so well declared,
did out-talk one another therein, saying:
'Come, brother,
which will speak the more?
which will speak the better?
which will speak the longer.'
May the Exalted One accept
this our confession, lord,
for restraint in the future."
"Verily, brethren, hath transgression overcome you,
so foolish,
so stupid,
so wrong were ye
in that ye, who are in orders
under a Doctrine and Discipline so well declared,
did out-talk each other, saying:
'Come, brother,
which will speak the more?
which will speak the better?
which will speak the longer.'
But inasmuch as ye, brethren,
have seen your transgression as transgression,
and have made confession,
as is right,
we do accept this from you.
For this, brethren, it is to grow in the Ariyan Discipline,
when having [139] seen transgression as transgression
we make confession as is right,
and in future practise self-restraint."
[1] 'Why not Sāriputta or Moggallāna? He knew they would not survive him.' Comy. It seems more probable, from Kassapa's (and hence from the Mastsr's) advanced age, that the 'great twin brethren' had already passed away.
[2] Dubbaco.
[3] Apadakkhiṇaggāhī.
[4] Cf. above, p. 91 f.
