Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.64

Numbered Discourses 3.64

7. Mahāvagga

7. The Great Chapter

Sarabhasutta

With Sarabha

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.

Tena kho pana samayena sarabho nāma paribbājako acirapakkanto hoti imasmā dhammavinayā. So rājagahe parisati¹ evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati: “aññāto mayā samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammo. Aññāya ca panāhaṁ samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammaṁ evāhaṁ tasmā dhammavinayā apakkanto”ti.

Now at that time a wanderer called Sarabha had recently left this teaching and training. He was telling a crowd in Rājagaha, “I learned the teaching of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan, then I left their teaching and training.”

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu. Assosuṁ kho te bhikkhū sarabhassa paribbājakassa rājagahe parisati evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānassa: “aññāto mayā samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammo. Aññāya ca panāhaṁ samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammaṁ evāhaṁ tasmā dhammavinayā apakkanto”ti.

Then several bhikkhus robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Rājagaha for alms. They heard what Sarabha was saying.

Atha kho te bhikkhū rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “sarabho nāma, bhante, paribbājako acirapakkanto imasmā dhammavinayā. So rājagahe parisati evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati: ‘aññāto mayā samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammo. Aññāya ca panāhaṁ samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammaṁ evāhaṁ tasmā dhammavinayā apakkanto’ti. Sādhu, bhante, bhagavā yena sippinikātīraṁ² paribbājakārāmo yena sarabho paribbājako tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā”ti. Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.

Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “The wanderer called Sarabha has recently left this teaching and training. He was telling a crowd in Rājagaha: ‘I learned the teaching of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan, then I left their teaching and training.’ Sir, please go to the wanderers’ monastery on the banks of the Sappinī river to see Sarabha the wanderer out of compassion.” The Buddha consented with silence.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena sippinikātīraṁ paribbājakārāmo yena sarabho paribbājako tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā sarabhaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavoca: “saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, sarabha, evaṁ vadesi: ‘aññāto mayā samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammo. Aññāya ca panāhaṁ samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammaṁ evāhaṁ tasmā dhammavinayā apakkanto’”ti? Evaṁ vutte, sarabho paribbājako tuṇhī ahosi.

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the wanderers’ monastery on the banks of the Sappinī river to visit Sarabha the wanderer. He sat on the seat spread out, and said to the wanderer Sarabha, “Is it really true, Sarabha, that you’ve been saying: ‘I learned the teaching of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan, then I left their teaching and training.’” When he said this, Sarabha kept silent.

Dutiyampi kho bhagavā sarabhaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavoca: “vadehi, sarabha, kinti te aññāto samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammo? Sace te aparipūraṁ bhavissati, ahaṁ paripūressāmi. Sace pana te paripūraṁ bhavissati, ahaṁ anumodissāmī”ti. Dutiyampi kho sarabho paribbājako tuṇhī ahosi.

For a second time, the Buddha said to Sarabha, “Tell me, Sarabha, what exactly have you learned of the teachings of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan? If you’ve not learned it fully, I’ll fill you in. But if you have learned it fully, I’ll agree.” For a second time, Sarabha kept silent.

Tatiyampi kho bhagavā sarabhaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavoca: “yo³ kho, sarabha, paññāyati samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammo vadehi, sarabha, kinti te aññāto samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammo? Sace te aparipūraṁ bhavissati, ahaṁ paripūressāmi. Sace pana te paripūraṁ bhavissati, ahaṁ anumodissāmī”ti. Tatiyampi kho sarabho paribbājako tuṇhī ahosi.

For a third time, the Buddha said to Sarabha, “Sarabha, the teachings of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan are clear to me. What exactly have you learned of the teachings of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan? If you’ve not learned it fully, I’ll fill you in. But if you have learned it fully, I’ll agree.” For a third time, Sarabha kept silent.

Atha kho te paribbājakā sarabhaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavocuṁ: “yadeva kho tvaṁ, āvuso sarabha, samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ yāceyyāsi tadeva te samaṇo gotamo pavāreti. Vadehāvuso sarabha, kinti te aññāto samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtikānaṁ dhammo? Sace te aparipūraṁ bhavissati, samaṇo gotamo paripūressati. Sace pana te paripūraṁ bhavissati, samaṇo gotamo anumodissatī”ti. Evaṁ vutte, sarabho paribbājako tuṇhībhūto maṅkubhūto pattakkhandho adhomukho pajjhāyanto appaṭibhāno nisīdi.

Then those wanderers said to Sarabha, “The ascetic Gotama has offered to tell you anything you ask for. Speak, friend Sarabha, what exactly have you learned of the teachings of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan? If you’ve not learned it fully, he’ll fill you in. But if you have learned it fully, he’ll agree.” When this was said, Sarabha sat silent, dismayed, shoulders drooping, downcast, depressed, with nothing to say.

Atha kho bhagavā sarabhaṁ paribbājakaṁ tuṇhībhūtaṁ maṅkubhūtaṁ pattakkhandhaṁ adhomukhaṁ pajjhāyantaṁ appaṭibhānaṁ viditvā te paribbājake etadavoca:

Knowing this, the Buddha said to the wanderers:

“Yo kho maṁ, paribbājakā, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘sammāsambuddhassa te paṭijānato ime dhammā anabhisambuddhā’ti, tamahaṁ tattha sādhukaṁ samanuyuñjeyyaṁ samanugāheyyaṁ samanubhāseyyaṁ. So vata mayā sādhukaṁ samanuyuñjiyamāno samanugāhiyamāno samanubhāsiyamāno aṭṭhānametaṁ anavakāso yaṁ so tiṇṇaṁ ṭhānānaṁ nāññataraṁ ṭhānaṁ nigaccheyya, aññena vā aññaṁ paṭicarissati, bahiddhā kathaṁ apanāmessati, kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukarissati, tuṇhībhūto maṅkubhūto pattakkhandho adhomukho pajjhāyanto appaṭibhāno nisīdissati, seyyathāpi sarabho paribbājako.

“Wanderers, someone might say to me: ‘You claim to be a fully awakened Buddha, but regarding these things you’re not fully awakened.’ Then I’d carefully pursue, press, and grill them on that point. When grilled by me, they would, without a doubt, fall into one of these three categories. They’d dodge the issue, distracting the discussion with irrelevant points. They’d display annoyance, hate, and bitterness. Or they’d sit silent, dismayed, shoulders drooping, downcast, depressed, with nothing to say, like Sarabha.

Yo kho maṁ, paribbājakā, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘khīṇāsavassa te paṭijānato ime āsavā aparikkhīṇā’ti, tamahaṁ tattha sādhukaṁ samanuyuñjeyyaṁ samanugāheyyaṁ samanubhāseyyaṁ. So vata mayā sādhukaṁ samanuyuñjiyamāno samanugāhiyamāno samanubhāsiyamāno aṭṭhānametaṁ anavakāso yaṁ so tiṇṇaṁ ṭhānānaṁ nāññataraṁ ṭhānaṁ nigaccheyya, aññena vā aññaṁ paṭicarissati, bahiddhā kathaṁ apanāmessati, kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukarissati, tuṇhībhūto maṅkubhūto pattakkhandho adhomukho pajjhāyanto appaṭibhāno nisīdissati, seyyathāpi sarabho paribbājako.

Wanderers, someone might say to me: ‘You claim to have ended all defilements, but you still have these defilements.’ Then I’d carefully pursue, press, and grill them on that point. When grilled by me, they would, without a doubt, fall into one of these three categories. They’d dodge the issue, distracting the discussion with irrelevant points. They’d display annoyance, hate, and bitterness. Or they’d sit silent, dismayed, shoulders drooping, downcast, depressed, with nothing to say, like Sarabha.

Yo kho maṁ, paribbājakā, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘yassa kho pana te atthāya dhammo desito, so na niyyāti takkarassa sammā dukkhakkhayāyā’ti, tamahaṁ tattha sādhukaṁ samanuyuñjeyyaṁ samanugāheyyaṁ samanubhāseyyaṁ. So vata mayā sādhukaṁ samanuyuñjiyamāno samanugāhiyamāno samanubhāsiyamāno aṭṭhānametaṁ anavakāso yaṁ so tiṇṇaṁ ṭhānānaṁ nāññataraṁ ṭhānaṁ nigaccheyya, aññena vā aññaṁ paṭicarissati, bahiddhā kathaṁ apanāmessati, kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukarissati, tuṇhībhūto maṅkubhūto pattakkhandho adhomukho pajjhāyanto appaṭibhāno nisīdissati, seyyathāpi sarabho paribbājako”ti.

Wanderers, someone might say to me: ‘Your teaching does not lead someone who practices it to the goal of the complete ending of suffering.’ Then I’d carefully pursue, press, and grill them on that point. When grilled by me, they would, without a doubt, fall into one of these three categories. They’d dodge the issue, distracting the discussion with irrelevant points. They’d display annoyance, hate, and bitterness. Or they’d sit silent, dismayed, shoulders drooping, downcast, depressed, with nothing to say, like Sarabha.”

Atha kho bhagavā sippinikātīre paribbājakārāme tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ naditvā vehāsaṁ pakkāmi.

Then the Buddha, having roared his lion’s roar three times in the wanderers’ monastery on the bank of the Sappinī river, rose into the sky and flew away.

Atha kho te paribbājakā acirapakkantassa bhagavato sarabhaṁ paribbājakaṁ samantato vācāyasannitodakena⁴ sañjambharimakaṁsu: “seyyathāpi, āvuso sarabha, brahāraññe jarasiṅgālo ‘sīhanādaṁ nadissāmī’ti siṅgālakaṁyeva⁵ nadati, bheraṇḍakaṁyeva nadati; evamevaṁ kho tvaṁ, āvuso sarabha, aññatreva samaṇena gotamena ‘sīhanādaṁ nadissāmī’ti siṅgālakaṁyeva nadasi bheraṇḍakaṁyeva nadasi.

Soon after the Buddha left, those wanderers beset Sarabha on all sides with sneering and jeering. “Friend Sarabha, you’re just like an old jackal in the formidable wilderness who thinks, ‘I’ll roar a lion’s roar!’ but they still only manage to squeal and yelp like a jackal. In the same way, when the ascetic Gotama wasn’t here you said ‘I’ll roar a lion’s roar!’ but you only managed to squeal and yelp like a jackal.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso sarabha, ambukasañcarī ‘purisakaravitaṁ ravissāmī’ti ambukasañcariravitaṁyeva ravati; evamevaṁ kho tvaṁ, āvuso sarabha, aññatreva samaṇena gotamena ‘purisakaravitaṁ ravissāmī’ti, ambukasañcariravitaṁyeva ravasi.

You’re just like a golden oriole who thinks, ‘I’ll cry like a cuckoo!’ but they still only manage to cry like a golden oriole. In the same way, when the ascetic Gotama wasn’t here you said ‘I’ll cry like a cuckoo!’ but you still only managed to cry like a golden oriole.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso sarabha, usabho suññāya gosālāya gambhīraṁ naditabbaṁ maññati; evamevaṁ kho tvaṁ, āvuso sarabha, aññatreva samaṇena gotamena gambhīraṁ naditabbaṁ maññasī”ti. Atha kho te paribbājakā sarabhaṁ paribbājakaṁ samantato vācāyasannitodakena sañjambharimakaṁsūti.

You’re just like a bull that thinks to bellow only when the cowstall is empty. In the same way, you only thought to bellow when the ascetic Gotama wasn’t here.” That’s how those wanderers beset Sarabha on all sides with sneering and jeering.

Catutthaṁ.