Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
42. Gāmani Saṃyutta
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
42. Kindred Sayings about Headmen
Sutta 8
Sankha-Dhama Suttaṃ
The Conch[1]
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
Once the Exalted One was staying at Nalanda in Pāvārika Mango Grove.
Then Asibandhaka's Son, the headman,
a follower of the Unclothed,[2]
came to see the Exalted One and,
on coming to him
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
As he sat at one side
the Exalted One said to him: -
"Headman, in what way does the Unclothed, Nata's Son,
teach doctrine to his followers?"
"Thus, lord, does the Unclothed, Nata's Son,
teach doctrine to his followers:
'Whosoever slayeth a living creature, -
all such go to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory.
Whosoever taketh what is not given, -
all such go to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory.
Whosoever acts wrongly in respect of sensual [224] passion, -
all such go to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory.
Whosoever tells lies, -
all such go to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory.
According as a man habitually[3] lives,
so goes he forth[4] to his destiny.'
That, lord, is how the Unclothed, Nata's Son,
teaches doctrine to his followers."
"But you say, headman:
'According as a man habitually lives,
so goes he forth to his destiny.'
That being so,
no one will go to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory,
according to the teaching
of the Unclothed, Nāṭa's Son.
Now what think you, headman?
If a man takes life by night
or by day
or from time to time,
which is the most habitual to him,
that in which he slays
or that in which he slays not?"
"Why, lord, of course
in such case
the time during which he is not slaying
is the more habitual to him."
"But you say:
'According as a man habitually lives,
so goes he forth to his destiny.'
This being so, no man at all
goes to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory,
according to the teaching
of the Unclothed, Nāṭa's Son.
■
Now what think you, headman?
If a man takes what is not given by night
or by day
or from time to time,
which is the most habitual to him,
that in which he is stealing
or that in which he is not stealing?"
"Why, lord, of course
in such case
the time during which he is not stealing
is the more habitual to him."
"But you say:
'According as a man habitually lives,
so goes he forth to his destiny.'
This being so, no man at all
goes to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory,
according to the teaching
of the Unclothed, Nāṭa's Son.
■
Now what think you, headman?
If a man acts wrongly in respect of sensual passion by night
or by day
or from time to time,
which is the most habitual to him,
that in which he acts wrongly in respect of sensual passion
or that in which he does not act wrongly in respect of sensual passion?"
"Why, lord, of course
in such case
the time during which he does not act wrongly in respect of sensual passion
is the more habitual to him."
"But you say:
'According as a man habitually lives,
so goes he forth to his destiny.'
This being so, no man at all
goes to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory,
according to the teaching
of the Unclothed, Nāṭa's Son.
■
Now what think you, headman?
If a man be a liar by night
or by day
or from time to time,
which the most habitual to him,
that in which he is telling lies
or that in which he is not telling lies?"
"Why, lord, of course
in such case
the time during which he is not telling lies
is the more habitual to him."
"But you say:
'According as a man habitually lives,
so goes he forth to his destiny.'
This being so, no man at all
goes to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory,
according to the teaching
of the Unclothed, Nāṭa's Son.
§
Now herein, headman,
if a certain teacher teaches such doctrine as this:
'Whosoever slayeth a living creature, -
all such go to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory.
Whosoever taketh what is not given, -
all such go to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory.
Whosoever acts wrongly in respect of sensual passion, -
all such go to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory.
Whosoever tells lies, -
all such go to the Woeful Lot,
to Purgatory.'
His follower has faith in his teacher.
He thinks thus:
'My teacher teaches this doctrine,
holds this view:
[225] "Whoso slayeth a living creature, -
all such are bound for the Woeful Lot,
for Purgatory."
Now I too have slain a living creature,
so I am bound for the Woeful Lot,
for Purgatory.'
So he lays hold of that view,
and not abandoning that saying,
and not abandoning that thinking,
not renouncing that view,
be is cast into Purgatory sure enough.[5]
■
He thinks thus:
'My teacher teaches this doctrine,
holds this view:
"Whoso taketh what is not given, -
all such are bound for the Woeful Lot,
for Purgatory."
Now I too have taken what is not given,
so I am bound for the Woeful Lot,
for Purgatory.'
So he lays hold of that view,
and not abandoning that saying,
and not abandoning that thinking,
not renouncing that view,
be is cast into Purgatory sure enough.
■
He thinks thus:
'My teacher teaches this doctrine,
holds this view:
"Whoso acteth wrongly in respect of sensual passion, -
all such are bound for the Woeful Lot,
for Purgatory."
Now I too have acted wrongly in respect of sensual passion,
so I am bound for the Woeful Lot,
for Purgatory.'
So he lays hold of that view,
and not abandoning that saying,
and not abandoning that thinking,
not renouncing that view,
be is cast into Purgatory sure enough.
■
He thinks thus:
'My teacher teaches this doctrine,
holds this view:
"Whoso telleth lies -
all such are bound for the Woeful Lot,
for Purgatory."
Now I too have told lies,
so I am bound for the Woeful Lot,
for Purgatory.'
So he lays hold of that view,
and not abandoning that saying,
and not abandoning that thinking,
not renouncing that view,
be is cast into Purgatory sure enough.
§
Now herein, headman, the Tathāgata, arises in the world,
the Arahant,
the Fully Enlightened One,
the Happy One,
the Charioteer of men to be tamed,
Teacher of Devas and mankind,
the Buddha,
the Exalted One.
He censures,
strongly censures
taking life,
saying:
'Abstain ye from taking life.'
■
He censures,
strongly censures
stealing,
saying:
'Abstain ye from stealing.'
■
He censures,
strongly censures
wrong-doing in respect of sensual passion,
saying:
'Abstain ye from wrong-doing in respect of sensual passion.'
■
He censures,
strongly censures
falsehood,
saying:
'Abstain ye from falsehood.'
Now, headman, the disciple has faith in his master,
and thus he ponders:
'The Exalted One in divers ways censures,
strongly censures
the taking of life, saying:
"Abstain ye from taking life."
Now by me such and such creatures have been [226] slain.
That is not well done.
It is not good.
Moreover as a result of it
I may be remorseful at the thought:
'That evil deed cannot be undone by me.'
So pondering,
he abandons that slaying of creatures,
and in time to come
he is one who abstains from slaying.
Thus does he get beyond this evil deed.
■
He ponders thus:
'The Exalted One in divers ways censures,
strongly censures
the taking of what is not given, saying:
"Abstain ye from the taking of what is not given."
Now I have taken such and such things not given.
That is not well done.
It is not good.
Moreover as a result of it
I may be remorseful at the thought:
'That evil deed cannot be undone by me.'
So pondering,
he abandons that taking of what is not given,
and in time to come
he is one who abstains from the taking of what is not given.
Thus does he get beyond this evil deed.
■
He ponders thus:
'The Exalted One in divers ways censures,
strongly censures
wrong conduct in respect of sensual passion, saying:
"Abstain ye from wrong conduct in respect of sensual passion."
Now I have acted wrongly in such and such ways in respect of sensual passion.
That is not well done.
It is not good.
Moreover as a result of it
I may be remorseful at the thought:
'That evil deed cannot be undone by me.'
So pondering,
he abandons that wrong conduct in respect of sensual passion,
and in time to come
he is one who abstains from wrong conduct in respect of sensual passion.
Thus does he get beyond this evil deed.
■
He ponders thus:
'The Exalted One in divers ways censures,
strongly censures
lying, saying:
"Abstain ye from lying."
Now I have told such and such falsehoods.
That is not well done.
It is not good.
Moreover as a result of it
I may be remorseful at the thought:
'That evil deed cannot be undone by me.'
So pondering,
he abandons lying,
and in time to come
he is one who abstains from lying.
Thus does he get beyond this evil deed.
§
By abandoning the slaying of creatures
he becomes an abstainer from slaying.
By abandoning stealing
he becomes an abstainer from stealing.
By abandoning wrong practice in respect of sensual passion
he becomes an abstainer from wrong practice in respect of sensual passion.
By abandoning falsehood
he becomes an abstainer from falsehood.
By abandoning backbiting
he becomes an abstainer from backbiting.
By abandoning bitter speech and idle babble
he becomes an abstainer from bitter speech and idle babble.
By abandoning covetousness
he becomes uncovetous.
By abandoning malevolence
he becomes one not malevolent of heart.
By abandoning perverted view
he becomes one of right view.
§
This Ariyan disciple, headman,
being thus freed from coveting,
freed from malevolence,
not bewildered,
but self-possessed
and concentrated,
abides suffusing one quarter of the world
with a heart full of kindliness,
likewise the second quarter,
the third
and fourth quarters,
likewise above,
below,
across,
everywhere,
for all sorts
and conditions,[6] -
the whole world
does he abide suffusing
with a heart possessed
of kindliness that is wide-spreading,
grown great
and boundless,
free from enmity
and peaceful.
[227] Even as, headman, a stout conch-blower[7]
with slight effort
gives notice to the four quarters, -
even so, headman, by that kindliness that releaseth the heart,
thus practised,
whatsoever finite thing there be,[8]
naught is left out,
naught remains apart from it.
■
This Ariyan disciple, headman,
being thus freed from coveting,
freed from malevolence,
not bewildered,
but self-possessed
and concentrated,
abides suffusing one quarter of the world
with a heart full of compassion,
likewise the second quarter,
the third
and fourth quarters,
likewise above,
below,
across,
everywhere,
for all sorts
and conditions, -
the whole world
does he abide suffusing
with a heart possessed
of compassion that is wide-spreading,
grown great
and boundless,
free from enmity
and peaceful.
Even as, headman, a stout conch-blower
with slight effort
gives notice to the four quarters, -
even so, headman, by that compassion that releaseth the heart,
thus practised,
whatsoever finite thing there be,
naught is left out,
naught remains apart from it.
■
This Ariyan disciple, headman,
being thus freed from coveting,
freed from malevolence,
not bewildered,
but self-possessed
and concentrated,
abides suffusing one quarter of the world
with a heart full of sympathy,
likewise the second quarter,
the third
and fourth quarters,
likewise above,
below,
across,
everywhere,
for all sorts
and conditions, -
the whole world
does he abide suffusing
with a heart possessed
of sympathy that is wide-spreading,
grown great
and boundless,
free from enmity
and peaceful.
Even as, headman, a stout conch-blower
with slight effort
gives notice to the four quarters, -
even so, headman, by that sympathy that releaseth the heart,
thus practised,
whatsoever finite thing there be,
naught is left out,
naught remains apart from it.
■
This Ariyan disciple, headman,
being thus freed from coveting,
freed from malevolence,
not bewildered,
but self-possessed
and concentrated,
abides suffusing one quarter of the world
with a heart full of equanimity,
likewise the second quarter,
the third
and fourth quarters,
likewise above,
below,
across,
everywhere,
for all sorts
and conditions, -
the whole world
does he abide suffusing
with a heart possessed
of equanimity that is wide-spreading,
grown great
and boundless,
free from enmity
and peaceful.
Even as, headman, a stout conch-blower
with slight effort
gives notice to the four quarters, -
even so, headman, by that equanimity that releaseth the heart,
thus practised,
whatsoever finite thing there be,
naught is left out,
naught remains apart from it."
■
At these words Asibandhaka's Son
said to the Exalted One: -
"Excellent, lord!
Excellent it is, lord!
Just as if one should raise what is overthrown,
or show forth what is hidden,
or point out the way
to him that wanders astray,
or hold up a light in the darkness
so that they who have eyes may behold objects, -
even so in divers ways
hath the Norm been set forth by the Exalted One.|| ||
To the exalted One, lord, I go for refuge, to the Norm and to the Order of Brethren.
May the Exalted One accept me
as a lay disciple,
as one who hath gone to him for refuge,
from this day forth
so long as life doth last."
[1] Sañkha.
[2] Left untranslated above: Nigaṇṭha. He would by his fellow-Jains be described as a Dīgambara, air-clothed.
Bahulaṇ bahulaṇ. Not really 'habitually.' 'bigly' 'largely' 'hugely' but here, to conform to the point, 'mostly, mostly'.
— p.p.
[3] Bahulaṇ bahulaṇ.
[4] Niyyāti (neti), lit. 'goes forth.'
[5] The text's yathā hataṇ should probably be yathābhataṇ, the usual phrase. Cf. A. i, 8, 105; ii, 20 ff; Itiv., 12, 26, etc. The idea of dropping something taken up. The phrase at Itiv. where it reads yathā bhataṇ (?hataṇ) is explained by the gāthā which follows, yathā haritvā nikkhipeyya, which supports the reading hataṇ. See Pāli Dict. which favours the idea of retribution. A.A. on A. i, 8: '= yathā āharitvā ṭhapito.'
[6] Cf. Bk. vii above, § 7.
[7] Cf. Dialog. i, 318, A. v, 299. The conch-blower, trans. 'trumpeter' there, is the town-crier of the east, like the tam-tam man.
[8] Yam pamāṇa-kataṇ kammaṇ = kāmāvacaraṇ (the world of sensuous pleasure), this and the next world. Appamāṇakataṇ is rūpāvacaraṇ Comy. says, 'like the mighty ocean flooding a little creek ... he even reaches up to Brahmā 'At Jāt. ii, No. 169, the saying occurs thus:
Yo ve mettena cittena sabbalok'anukampati||
Uddhaṇ adho ca tiryañ ca appamāṇena sabbaso,||
Appamāṇay hitaṇ cittaṇ paripuṇṇaṇ subhāvitaṇ,||
Yaṇ pamāṇa-kataṇ kammaṇ na taṇ tatrāvasissati.|| ||
where Dr. Rouse trans. differently: '(in such a heart) naught narrow or confined can ever be.'
