Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
55. Sot'Āpatti Saṃyutta
3. Saraṇāni (or Sarakāni) Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
55. Kindred Sayings on Streamwinning
3. Sarakāni
Sutta 26
Paṭhama Dussilya or Anāthapiṇḍika Suttaṃ
Immoral or Anāthapiṇḍika (a)
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 near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Now at that time the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika was sick,
afflicted,
suffering from a sore disease.
Then the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika called to a certain man, saying:
"Come hither, good fellow!
Go you to the venerable Sāriputta,
and on coming to him
worship in my name
with your head at the feet of the venerable Sāriputta
and say:
'Sir, the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika is sick,
afflicted,
suffering from a sore disease.'
Then say:
'It were well, sir,
if the venerable Sāriputta would come to the house of the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika,
out of compassion for him.'"
"Very well, master,"
replied that man.
Then he went to see the venerable Sāriputta
on coming to him greeted him courteously,
and after the exchange of greetings and compliments
sat down at one side.[ed1]
Seated at one side he said this to the venerable Sāriputta:
"Sir, the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika is sick,
afflicted,
suffering from a sore disease.
He says:
'It were well, sir,
if the venerable Sāriputta would come to the house of the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika,
out of compassion for him.'"
And the venerable Sāriputta consented by silence.
So the venerable Sāriputta,
robing himself in the forenoon
and taking bowl and outer robe,
set off for the dwelling of the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika,
with the venerable Ānanda following behind,
and on reaching it
sat down on a seat made [330] ready.
Having sat down
he said this to the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika:
"Well, housefather!
Are you bearing up?
Are you enduring?
Do your pains abate
and not increase?
Is there any sign of their abating
and not increasing?"
"No. sir, I am not enduring.
I am not bearing up.
Strong pains come upon me.
They do not abate.
There is no sign of their abating
but of their increasing."
"Well, housefather!
You have no such disloyalty to the Buddha
as the uneducated many folk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have unwavering loyalty to the Buddha,
thus:
'He it is the Exalted One,
Arahant,
a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer
of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One.'
If you were to bethink you
of your unwavering loyalty to the Buddha,
in a moment[1]
your pains would be allayed.
■
Housefather, you have no such disloyalty to the Norm
as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:
'Well proclaimed by the Exalted One
is the Norm,
seen in this very life,
a thing not involving time,
inviting one to come and see,
leading onward,
to be known for themselves
by the wise.'
If you were to bethink you
of your unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
Housefather, you have no such disloyalty to the Order
as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:
'Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order,
walking uprightly,
walking in the right way,
walking dutifully
is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples:
namely,
the four pairs of men,
the eight sorts of men.
That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.
Worthy of honour are they,
worthy of reverence,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of salutations with clasped hands, -
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.'
If you were to bethink you
of your unwavering loyalty to the Order,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, are not possessed of immorality such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but in you are the virtues dear to the Ariyans,
virtues unbroken,
whole,
unspotted,
untarnished,
giving freedom,
praised by the wise:
virtues untainted (by craving or delusion),
which lead to concentration of the mind.
If you were to bethink you
of those virtues which are in you,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
§
[331] You, housefather, have not wrong view
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right view.
If you were to bethink you
of your right view,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong aim
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right aim.
If you were to bethink you
of your right aim,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong speech
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right speech.
If you were to bethink you
of your right speech,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong action
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right action.
If you were to bethink you
of your right action,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong way of living
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right way of living.
If you were to bethink you
of your right way of living,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong effort
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right effort.
If you were to bethink you
of your right effort,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong mindfulness
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right mindfulness.
If you were to bethink you
of your right mindfulness,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong concentration
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right concentration.
If you were to bethink you
of your right concentration,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
§
You, housefather, have not wrong knowledge
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right knowledge.
If you were to bethink you
of your right knowledge,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong release
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right release.
If you were to bethink you
of your right release,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed."
§
Thereat
in a moment
the pains of the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika were allayed.
So the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika
served the venerable Sāriputta
and Ānanda
[with a meal]
from his own cooking-pot.
And when the venerable Sāriputta had eaten his fill
and withdrawn his hand from his bowl,
the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika went to him,
took a low seat
and sat down at one side.
As he thus sat,
the venerable Sāriputta
thanked the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika
with these verses:[2]|| ||
"Whoso hath faith in the Tathāgata
Unwavering and fixed, whose life is good,
Praised by the Ariyans and dear to them;
Whoso is likewise loyal to the Order,
And looks straight forth - 'he is not poor' they say,
'Not lived in vain the life of such a man.'
Wherefore the wise should cultivate (these three)
Faith, virtue and clear-seeing of the Norm,
Bearing the Buddha's message in his mind."
Now when the venerable Sāriputta
had thanked the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika with these verses,
he rose up from his seat and went away.
§
Then the venerable Ānanda went to see the Exalted One, [332]
and on coming to him saluted him
and sat down at one side.
So seated, the Exalted One said this to the venerable Ānanda:
"Why, Ānanda,
how is it that you come here at this hour?"[3]
"Lord,[ed2] the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika was sick,
afflicted,
suffering from a sore disease.
Then the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika called to a certain man, saying:
'Come hither, good fellow!
Go you to the venerable Sāriputta,
and on coming to him
worship in my name
with your head at the feet of the venerable Sāriputta
and say:
"Sir, the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika is sick,
afflicted,
suffering from a sore disease."
Then say:
"It were well, sir,
if the venerable Sāriputta would come to the house of the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika,
out of compassion for him."'
'Very well, master,'
replied that man.
Then he went to see the venerable Sāriputta
on coming to him greeted him courteously,
and after the exchange of greetings and compliments
sat down at one side.
Seated at one side he said this to the venerable Sāriputta:
'Sir, the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika is sick,
afflicted,
suffering from a sore disease.'
He says:
"It were well, sir,
if the venerable Sāriputta would come to the house of the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika,
out of compassion for him."'
And the venerable Sāriputta consented by silence.
So the venerable Sāriputta,
robing himself in the forenoon
and taking bowl and outer robe,
set off for the dwelling of the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika,
and I followed behind,
and on reaching it
sat down on a seat made ready.
Having sat down
he said this to the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika:
'Well, housefather!
Are you bearing up?
Are you enduring?
Do your pains abate
and not increase?
Is there any sign of their abating
and not increasing?'
'No. sir, I am not enduring.
I am not bearing up.
Strong pains come upon me.
They do not abate.
There is no sign of their abating
but of their increasing.'
'Well, housefather!
You have no such disloyalty to the Buddha
as the uneducated many folk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have unwavering loyalty to the Buddha,
thus:
'He it is the Exalted One,
Arahant,
a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer
of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One.'
If you were to bethink you
of your unwavering loyalty to the Buddha,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
Housefather, you have no such disloyalty to the Norm
as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:
'Well proclaimed by the Exalted One
is the Norm,
seen in this very life,
a thing not involving time,
inviting one to come and see,
leading onward,
to be known for themselves
by the wise.'
If you were to bethink you
of your unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
Housefather, you have no such disloyalty to the Order
as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:
'Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order,
walking uprightly,
walking in the right way,
walking dutifully
is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples:
namely,
the four pairs of men,
the eight sorts of men.
That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.
Worthy of honour are they,
worthy of reverence,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of salutations with clasped hands, -
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.'
If you were to bethink you
of your unwavering loyalty to the Order,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, are not possessed of immorality such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but in you are the virtues dear to the Ariyans,
virtues unbroken,
whole,
unspotted,
untarnished,
giving freedom,
praised by the wise:
virtues untainted (by craving or delusion),
which lead to concentration of the mind.
If you were to bethink you
of those virtues which are in you,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
§
You, housefather, have not wrong view
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right view.
If you were to bethink you
of your right view,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong aim
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right aim.
If you were to bethink you
of your right aim,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong speech
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right speech.
If you were to bethink you
of your right speech,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong action
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right action.
If you were to bethink you
of your right action,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong way of living
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right way of living.
If you were to bethink you
of your right way of living,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong effort
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right effort.
If you were to bethink you
of your right effort,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong mindfulness
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right mindfulness.
If you were to bethink you
of your right mindfulness,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong concentration
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right concentration.
If you were to bethink you
of your right concentration,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
§
You, housefather, have not wrong knowledge
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right knowledge.
If you were to bethink you
of your right knowledge,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.
■
You, housefather, have not wrong release
such as the uneducated manyfolk possess,
who on the break up of body,
after death are reborn in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Hell,
but you have right release.
If you were to bethink you
of your right release,
in a moment
your pains would be allayed.'
§
Thereat
in a moment
the pains of the housefather Anāthapiṇḍika were allayed."
"Sāriputta is a sage, Ānanda.
Sāriputta is of great wisdom, Ānanda,
as indeed he must be
who can divide up the four limbs of stream-winning
in ten ways."[4]
[1] Ṭhānaso = khaṇen'eva. Comy.
[2] The verses occur at S. i, 232; A. ii, 57, iii, 54; infra, text, 405.
[3] Divādivassa. It would now be about midday. But visits were to be made in the afternoon. Cf. however Jāt. No. 151.
[4] Das'ākārehi Here the four limbs are supported by the ten points (the eightfold way, with knowledge and release).
[ed1] That's what it says, but in other cases of this sort it is usually: "Say to him: 'So-and-so bows with his head at the feet of and say ~'". And this would be repeated by the messinger. Sometimes the messinger is to bow at the feet as here, and then he does so. Here either the messinger or the repeater is lax. In those days, depending on the person to whom the message was being delivered, it could mean the loss of one's head (or worse, exceedingly cruel tortures) to make a mistake like this.
[ed2] The Pali, as Woodward notes, abridges by a summary which is unusual. I have expanded the story fully in the way it is normally done.
