Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
20. Opamma-Saṃutta

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
II. The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga
Containing Kindred sayings on Cause
and Other Subjects
20. Kindred Sayings on Parables

Sutta 5

Satti Suttaṃ

The Blade

 

Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by F. L. Woodward

Originally Published by
The Pali Text Society
Public Domain

 

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[177]

[1][than][olds] Thus have I heard:

The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthi at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There he addressed the brethren: —

"Just as if there were a sharp-bladed spear, brethren,
and a man were to come, and say: -

'With my hand,
or with my fist
I will double up^[1] this sharp-bladed spear,
I will knock it together,
I will twist it round.'

As to that what think ye, brethren?

Is that man able to do all this
to that sharpbladed spear
with hand or fist?"

"Not so, lord.

Why is that?

Because, lord,
it is no easy mattter to double up,
to knock together,
to twist round
that sharp-bladed spear
with hand or fist,
without the man coming in for distress and injury."

"Even so, brethren,
where liberation of the will through love
has been developed,
practised often,
made a vehicle and a basis,
served for a stand to be taken upon it,
stored up and thoroughly set going,
if a creature other than human
fancy that he can overthrow such a mind,
he will come in for distress and injury.

Wherefore, brethren, thus must ye train yourselves:—
Liberation of the will through love we will develop,
we will often practise it,
we will make a vehicle, a basis of it,
take our stand upon it,
store it up,
set it thoroughly going."

 

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^[1] Pati'enissāmi ... patikotṭṭissāmi ... pativaṭṭessāmi. The Comy. explains these three acts as hitting the blade on the point so as to fold it double, and hitting it on the side of the blade so as to fold it (lengthwise), and curling it round as if it were spun cotton yarn.