Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saṃyutta
4. Siṃsapā Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
56. Kindred Sayings about the Truths
4. Siṃsapā Grove
Sutta 38
Dutiya Suriy'Upamā Suttaṃ
The Parable of the Sun (b)
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Once the Exalted One addressed the monks,
saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said:
"So long, monks, as moon and sun
arise not in the world,
so long is there no shining forth
of great light,
of great radiance.
Then is there gloom and darkness,
a murk of gloom and darkness,
no telling whether it is night or day,
no telling of months
or half-months
and the seasons of the year.|| ||
But, monks, when moon and sun
shine in the world,
then is there a shining forth
of great light,
of great radiance.
Then is there no more gloom and darkness,
no more murk of gloom and darkness,
but one can tell whether it is night or day,
one can tell the months
and the half-months
and the seasons of the year.
Just so, monks, so long as a Tathāgata
arises not in the world,
even so long is there no shining forth
of the light,
of great radiance.
Then is there gloom and darkness,
a murk of gloom and darkness,
then is there no proclamation
of the four Ariyan truths,
no teaching,
no setting forth,
no establishing,
opening up,
analyzing
or making of them plain.
But, monks, as soon as a Tathāgata
arises in the world,
then is there a shining forth
of great light,
of great radiance.
Then is there no more gloom and darkness,
no more murk of gloom and darkness;
then is there proclamation
of the four Ariyan truths,
then is there teaching,
setting forth,
establishing,
opening up,
analyzing
and making of them plain.
Of what four Ariyan truths?
The Ariyan truth of Ill.
The Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill.
The Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill.
The Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is ill.'
'This is the arising of ill.'
'This is the ceasing of ill.'
'This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of ill.'"
