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 7
Dutiya Ovāda Suttaṃ
Exhortation (2)
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
must give them discourse on doctrine."
"Just now, lord,
it is difficult to speak to the brethren.
They are in a state
that makes it difficult to speak to them.
They are intractable;
they pay no deference to instruction.
In whomsoever, lord, there is no faith
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is no inward shame[1]
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is no outward discretion
as to that which is good,
in whom there is no energy
as to that which is good,
in whom there is no insight
as to that which is good,
of him, come day come night,
decline in that which is good
is to be looked for,
not growth.
Just as the moon, lord,
during the dark fortnight
come night come day
wanes in beauty,
wanes in roundness,
wanes in splendour,
wanes in the height and compass of its orbit,
even so lord, in whomsoever there is no faith
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is no inward shame
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is no outward discretion
as to that which is good,
in whom there is no energy
as to that which is good,
in whom there is no insight
as to that which is good,
of him, come day come night,
decline in that which is good
is to be looked for,
not growth.
To follow more closely the Pali, this and the parallel passages below should have been conststructed something like: To say 'A man is a disbeliever' this, bhante, is to describe a state of decline."
— p.p.
That a man is unbelieving -
this, lord, is a state of decline.
That a man has no inward shame -
this, lord, is a state of decline.
That a man has no external discretion -
this, lord, is a state of decline.
That a man is slothful,
dull of wit,
hot-tempered,
splenetic -
this is a state of decline.
To say, the brethren do not exhort -
this, lord, is a state of decline.
§
In whomsoever, lord, there is faith
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is inward shame
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is outward discretion
as to that which is good,
in whom there is energy
as to that which is good,
in whom there is insight
as to that which is good,
of him, come day come night,
growth in that which is good
is to be looked for,
not decline.
[140] Just as the moon, lord,
during the bright fortnight
come night come day
waxes in beauty,
in roundness,
in splendour,
in the height and compass of its orbit,
even so in whomsoever, lord, there is faith
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is inward shame
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is outward discretion
as to that which is good,
in whom there is energy
as to that which is good,
in whom there is insight
as to that which is good,
of him, come day come night,
growth in that which is good
is to be looked for,
not decline.
That a man is believing -
this, lord, is not a state of decline.
That a man have inward shame -
this, lord, is not a state of decline.
That a man have external discretion -
this, lord, is not a state of decline.
That a man have strenuous energy -
this, lord, is not a state of decline.
That a man have insight -
this, lord, is not a state of decline.
That a man have mildness -
this, lord, is not a state of decline.
That a man have amity -
this, lord, is not a state of decline.
To say 'the brethren exhort'-
this, lord, is not a state of decline."
§
"Well said! Well said, Kassapa!
In whomsoever, Kassapa, there is no faith
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is no inward shame
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is no outward discretion
as to that which is good,
in whom there is no energy
as to that which is good,
in whom there is no insight
as to that which is good,
of him, come day come night,
decline in that which is good
is to be looked for,
not growth.
Just as the moon, Kassapa,
during the dark fortnight
come night come day
wanes in beauty,
wanes in roundness,
wanes in splendour,
wanes in the height and compass of its orbit,
even so Kassapa, in whomsoever there is no faith
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is no inward shame
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is no outward discretion
as to that which is good,
in whom there is no energy
as to that which is good,
in whom there is no insight
as to that which is good,
of him, come day come night,
decline in that which is good
is to be looked for,
not growth.
That a man is unbelieving -
this, Kassapa, is a state of decline.
That a man has no inward shame -
this, Kassapa, is a state of decline.
That a man has no external discretion -
this, Kassapa, is a state of decline.
That a man is slothful,
dull of wit,
hot-tempered,
splenetic -
this is a state of decline.
To say, the brethren do not exhort -
this, Kassapa, is a state of decline.
■
In whomsoever, Kassapa, there is faith
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is inward shame
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is outward discretion
as to that which is good,
in whom there is energy
as to that which is good,
in whom there is insight
as to that which is good,
of him, come day come night,
growth in that which is good
is to be looked for,
not decline.
Just as the moon, Kassapa,
during the bright fortnight
come night come day
waxes in beauty,
in roundness,
in splendour,
in the height and compass of its orbit,
even so in whomsoever, Kassapa, there is faith
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is inward shame
in that which is good,
in whomsoever there is outward discretion
as to that which is good,
in whom there is energy
as to that which is good,
in whom there is insight
as to that which is good,
of him, come day come night,
growth in that which is good
is to be looked for,
not decline.
That a man is believing -
this, Kassapa, is not a state of decline.
That a man have inward shame -
this, Kassapa, is not a state of decline.
That a man have external discretion -
this, Kassapa, is not a state of decline.
That a man have strenuous energy -
this, Kassapa, is not a state of decline.
That a man have insight -
this, Kassapa, is not a state of decline.
That a man have mildness -
this, Kassapa, is not a state of decline.
That a man have amity -
this, Kassapa, is not a state of decline.
To say 'the brethren exhort'-
this, Kassapa, is not a state of decline."
[1] Or conscientiousness (kiri).
