Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.241

The Related Suttas Collection 35.241

19. Āsīvisavagga

19. The Simile of the Vipers

Paṭhamadārukkhandhopamasutta

The Simile of the Tree Trunk (1st)

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī on the bank of the Ganges river.

Addasā kho bhagavā mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānaṁ. Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi: “passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, amuṁ mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānan”ti?

Seeing a large tree trunk being carried along by the current, he addressed the bhikkhus, “Bhikkhus, do you see that large tree trunk being carried along by the current of the Ganges river?”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.

“Yes, sir.”

“Sace so, bhikkhave, dārukkhandho na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchati, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchati, na majjhe saṁsīdissati, na thale ussīdissati, na manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūti bhavissati; evañhi so, bhikkhave, dārukkhandho samuddaninno bhavissati samuddapoṇo samuddapabbhāro. Taṁ kissa hetu? Samuddaninno, bhikkhave, gaṅgāya nadiyā soto samuddapoṇo samuddapabbhāro.

“Bhikkhus, assume that that tree trunk doesn’t collide with the near shore or the far shore, or sink in the middle, or get stranded on high ground. And assume that it doesn’t get taken by humans or non-humans or caught up in a whirlpool, and that it doesn’t rot away. In that case, that tree trunk will slant, slope, and incline towards the ocean. Why is that? Because the current of the Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines towards the ocean.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, sace tumhepi na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchatha, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchatha; na majjhe saṁsīdissatha, na thale ussīdissatha, na manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūtī bhavissatha; evaṁ tumhe, bhikkhave, nibbānaninnā bhavissatha nibbānapoṇā nibbānapabbhārā. Taṁ kissa hetu? Nibbānaninnā, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi nibbānapoṇā nibbānapabbhārā”ti.

In the same way, assume that you don’t collide with the near shore or the far shore, or sink in the middle, or get stranded on high ground. And assume that you don’t get taken by humans or non-humans or caught up in a whirlpool, and that you don’t rot away. In that case, you will slant, slope, and incline towards Nibbana. Why is that? Because right view slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbana.”

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

When he said this, one of the bhikkhus asked the Buddha:

“kiṁ nu kho, bhante, orimaṁ tīraṁ, kiṁ pārimaṁ tīraṁ, ko majjhe saṁsādo, ko thale ussādo, ko manussaggāho, ko amanussaggāho, ko āvaṭṭaggāho, ko antopūtibhāvo”ti?

“But sir, what’s the near shore and what’s the far shore? What’s sinking in the middle? What’s getting stranded on high ground? What’s getting taken by humans or non-humans? What’s getting caught up in a whirlpool? And what’s rotting away?”

“‘Orimaṁ tīran’ti kho, bhikkhu, channetaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

“‘The near shore’, bhikkhu, is a term for the six interior sense fields.

‘Pārimaṁ tīran’ti kho, bhikkhu, channetaṁ bāhirānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘The far shore’ is a term for the six exterior sense fields.

‘Majjhe saṁsādo’ti kho, bhikkhu, nandīrāgassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Sinking in the middle’ is a term for greed and relishing.

‘Thale ussādo’ti kho, bhikkhu, asmimānassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Stranded on high ground’ is a term for the conceit ‘I am’.

Katamo ca, bhikkhu, manussaggāho? Idha, bhikkhu, gihīhi saṁsaṭṭho¹ viharati, sahanandī sahasokī, sukhitesu sukhito, dukkhitesu dukkhito, uppannesu kiccakaraṇīyesu attanā tesu yogaṁ āpajjati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu, manussaggāho.

And what’s getting taken by humans? It’s when someone mixes closely with laypeople, sharing their joys and sorrows—happy when they’re happy and sad when they’re sad—and getting involved in their business. That’s called getting taken by humans.

Katamo ca, bhikkhu, amanussaggāho? Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu, amanussaggāho. ‘Āvaṭṭaggāho’ti kho, bhikkhu, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

And what’s getting taken by non-humans? It’s when someone leads the spiritual life wishing to be reborn in one of the orders of gods: ‘By this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual life, may I become one of the gods!’ That’s called getting taken by non-humans. ‘Caught up in a whirlpool’ is a term for the five kinds of sensual stimulation.

Katamo ca, bhikkhu, antopūtibhāvo? Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo asucisaṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujāto. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu, ‘antopūtibhāvo’”ti.

And what’s rotting away? It’s when some person is unethical, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner—though claiming to be one—rotten inside, corrupt, and depraved. This is called ‘rotting away’.”

Tena kho pana samayena nando gopālako bhagavato avidūre ṭhito hoti. Atha kho nando gopālako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Now at that time Nanda the cowherd was sitting not far from the Buddha. Then he said to the Buddha:

“ahaṁ kho, bhante, na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchāmi, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchāmi, na majjhe saṁsīdissāmi, na thale ussīdissāmi, na maṁ manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūti bhavissāmi. Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

“I won’t collide with the near shore or the far shore, or sink in the middle, or get stranded on high ground. And I won’t get taken by humans or non-humans or caught up in a whirlpool, and I won’t rot away. Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”

“Tena hi tvaṁ, nanda, sāmikānaṁ gāvo niyyātehī”ti.

“Well then, Nanda, return the cows to their owners.”

“Gamissanti, bhante, gāvo vacchagiddhiniyo”ti.

“Sir, the cows will go back by themselves, since they love their calves.”

“Niyyāteheva tvaṁ, nanda, sāmikānaṁ gāvo”ti.

“Still, Nanda, you should return them to their owners.”

Atha kho nando gopālako sāmikānaṁ gāvo niyyātetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “niyyātitā, bhante, sāmikānaṁ gāvo. Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

Then Nanda, after returning the cows to their owners, went up to the Buddha and said to him, “Sir, I have returned the cows to their owners. May I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”

Alattha kho nando gopālako bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ. Acirūpasampanno ca panāyasmā nando eko vūpakaṭṭho …pe… aññataro ca panāyasmā nando arahataṁ ahosīti.

And the cowherd Nanda received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence. Not long after his ordination, Venerable Nanda became one of the perfected.

Catutthaṁ.