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 39
Inda-Khīla Suttaṃ
Foundation Stone
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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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:
"Monks, whatsoever recluses or brahmins understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is ill;'
understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the arising of ill;'
understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the ceasing of ill;'
understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of ill;'
such maybe scan the face
of[1] some recluse or brahmin
and conclude:
'Surely this worthy
is one who knowing knows
and seeing sees!'
■
Just as, monks,
a tuft of cotton-wool
or a ball of thistledown,
lightly wafted on the wind,
is cast down on level ground,
and the east wind whirls it west,
and the west wind whirls it east,
the north wind whirls it south
and the south wind whirls it north.
What is the cause of that?
Monks, it is the lightness
of the ball of thistledown.
■
Just so, monks,
whatsoever recluses or brahmins understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is ill;'|| ||
understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the arising of ill;'
understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the ceasing of ill;'
understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of ill;'
such maybe scan the face
of some recluse or brahmin and conclude:
'Surely this worthy
is one who knowing knows
and seeing sees!'
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing clearly
the four Ariyan truths.
§
But whatsoever recluses or brahmins do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is ill;'
do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the arising of ill;'
do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the ceasing of ill;'
do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of ill;'
such scan not the face
of some recluse or brahmin
and conclude:
'Surely this worthy
is one who knowing knows
and seeing sees!'
■
Again, monks, just as an iron pillar
or threshould of a door[2]
or some deep-set pedestal
is unshakable,
unquakable:
if there came from the eastern quarter
a violent blast of wind and rain,
it could not shake it,
could not make it quake
and quake again;
if there came from the western quarter
a violent blast of wind and rain,
it could not shake it,
could not make it quake
and quake again;
if there came from the northern quarter
a violent blast of wind and rain,
it could not shake it,
could not make it quake
and quake again;
if there came from the southern quarter
a violent blast of wind and rain,
it could not shake it,
could not make it quake
and quake again.
Why not?
Because, monks, that threshould is deep set,
that pedestal is deep set.
■
Even so, monks, whatsoever recluses or brahmins do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is ill;'
do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the arising of ill;'
do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the ceasing of ill;'
do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of:
'This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of ill;'
such need not to scan not the face
of some recluse or brahmin
and [376] conclude:
'Surely this worthy
is one who knowing knows
and seeing sees!'
Why so?
Because of seeing clear
the four Ariyan truths.
What four?
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.'"
[1] Mukhaṇ ullokenti = ajjhāsayaṇ (disposition). Comy.
[2] Cf. text, 270; Dhp. 18, 298; Sn. 229 (SnA. 185).
