Sāḷhasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.196

Numbered Discourses 4.196

20. Mahāvagga

20. The Great Chapter

Sāḷhasutta

With Sāḷha

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Atha kho sāḷho ca licchavi abhayo ca licchavi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho sāḷho licchavi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Sāḷha and Abhaya the Licchavis went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Santi, bhante, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā dvayena oghassa nittharaṇaṁ paññapenti—

“There are, sir, some ascetics and brahmins who advocate crossing the flood by means of two things:

sīlavisuddhihetu ca tapojigucchāhetu ca.

purification of ethics, and mortification in disgust of sin.

Idha, bhante, bhagavā kimāhā”ti?

What does the Buddha say about this?”

“Sīlavisuddhiṁ kho ahaṁ, sāḷha, aññataraṁ sāmaññaṅganti vadāmi.

“Sāḷha, purification of ethics is one of the factors of the ascetic life, I say.

Ye te, sāḷha, samaṇabrāhmaṇā tapojigucchāvādā tapojigucchāsārā tapojigucchāallīnā viharanti, abhabbā te oghassa nittharaṇāya.

But those ascetics and brahmins who teach fervent mortification in disgust of sin—regarding it as essential and sticking to it—are incapable of crossing the flood.

Yepi te, sāḷha, samaṇabrāhmaṇā aparisuddhakāyasamācārā aparisuddhavacīsamācārā aparisuddhamanosamācārā aparisuddhājīvā, abhabbā te ñāṇadassanāya anuttarāya sambodhāya.

And those ascetics and brahmins whose livelihood and behavior by way of body, speech, and mind, is not pure are also incapable of knowing and seeing, of supreme awakening.

Seyyathāpi, sāḷha, puriso nadiṁ taritukāmo tiṇhaṁ kuṭhāriṁ ādāya vanaṁ paviseyya.

Suppose a man who wanted to cross a river took a sharp axe into a wood.

So tattha passeyya mahatiṁ sālalaṭṭhiṁ ujuṁ navaṁ akukkuccakajātaṁ.

There he’d see a large green sal tree, straight and young and grown unskewed.

Tamenaṁ mūle chindeyya;

He’d cut it down at the base,

mūle chetvā agge chindeyya;

cut off the top,

agge chetvā sākhāpalāsaṁ suvisodhitaṁ visodheyya;

and completely strip off the branches and foliage.

sākhāpalāsaṁ suvisodhitaṁ visodhetvā kuṭhārīhi taccheyya;

Then he’d trim it with axes and

kuṭhārīhi tacchetvā vāsīhi taccheyya;

machetes,

vāsīhi tacchetvā lekhaṇiyā likheyya;

plane it,

lekhaṇiyā likhitvā pāsāṇaguḷena dhoveyya;

and sand it with a rock.

pāsāṇaguḷena dhovetvā nadiṁ patāreyya.

Finally, he’d launch out on the river.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sāḷha,

What do you think, Sāḷha?

bhabbo nu kho so puriso nadiṁ taritun”ti?

Is that man capable of crossing the river?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“No, sir.

“Taṁ kissa hetu”?

Why not?

“Asu hi, bhante, sālalaṭṭhi bahiddhā suparikammakatā anto avisuddhā.

Because that green sal tree is well worked on the outside, but inside it’s still not cleared out.

Tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—sālalaṭṭhi saṁsīdissati, puriso anayabyasanaṁ āpajjissatī”ti.

I’d expect that green sal tree to sink, and the man to come to ruin.”

“Evamevaṁ kho, sāḷha, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā tapojigucchāvādā tapojigucchāsārā tapojigucchāallīnā viharanti, abhabbā te oghassa nittharaṇāya.

“In the same way, Sāḷha, those ascetics and brahmins who teach fervent mortification in disgust of sin—regarding it as essential and sticking to it—are incapable of crossing the flood.

Yepi te, sāḷha, samaṇabrāhmaṇā aparisuddhakāyasamācārā aparisuddhavacīsamācārā aparisuddhamanosamācārā aparisuddhājīvā, abhabbā te ñāṇadassanāya anuttarāya sambodhāya.

And those ascetics and brahmins whose livelihood and behavior by way of body, speech, and mind is not pure are also incapable of knowing and seeing, of supreme awakening.

Ye ca kho te, sāḷha, samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapojigucchāvādā na tapojigucchāsārā na tapojigucchāallīnā viharanti, bhabbā te oghassa nittharaṇāya.

But those ascetics and brahmins who don’t teach mortification in disgust of sin—not regarding it as essential or sticking to it—are capable of crossing the flood.

Yepi te, sāḷha, samaṇabrāhmaṇā parisuddhakāyasamācārā parisuddhavacīsamācārā parisuddhamanosamācārā parisuddhājīvā, bhabbā te ñāṇadassanāya anuttarāya sambodhāya.

And those ascetics and brahmins whose behavior by way of body, speech, and mind is pure are also capable of knowing and seeing, of supreme awakening.

Seyyathāpi, sāḷha, puriso nadiṁ taritukāmo tiṇhaṁ kuṭhāriṁ ādāya vanaṁ paviseyya.

Suppose a man who wanted to cross a river took a sharp axe into a wood.

So tattha passeyya mahatiṁ sālalaṭṭhiṁ ujuṁ navaṁ akukkuccakajātaṁ.

There he’d see a large green sal tree, straight and young and grown unskewed.

Tamenaṁ mūle chindeyya;

He’d cut it down at the base,

mūle chinditvā agge chindeyya;

cut off the top,

agge chinditvā sākhāpalāsaṁ suvisodhitaṁ visodheyya;

and completely strip off the branches and foliage.

sākhāpalāsaṁ suvisodhitaṁ visodhetvā kuṭhārīhi taccheyya;

Then he’d trim it with axes and

kuṭhārīhi tacchetvā vāsīhi taccheyya;

machetes.

vāsīhi tacchetvā nikhādanaṁ ādāya anto suvisodhitaṁ visodheyya;

Then he’d take a chisel and completely clear it out inside.

anto suvisodhitaṁ visodhetvā lekhaṇiyā likheyya;

Then he’d plane it,

lekhaṇiyā likhitvā pāsāṇaguḷena dhoveyya;

sand it with a rock,

pāsāṇaguḷena dhovetvā nāvaṁ kareyya;

and make it into a boat.

nāvaṁ katvā phiyārittaṁ bandheyya;

Finally he’d fix it with oars and rudder,

phiyārittaṁ bandhitvā nadiṁ patāreyya.

and launch out on the river.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sāḷha,

What do you think, Sāḷha?

bhabbo nu kho so puriso nadiṁ taritun”ti?

Is that man capable of crossing the river?”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.

“Yes, sir.

“Taṁ kissa hetu”?

Why is that?

“Asu hi, bhante, sālalaṭṭhi bahiddhā suparikammakatā, anto suvisuddhā nāvākatā phiyārittabaddhā.

Because that green sal tree is well worked on the outside, cleared out on the inside, made into a boat, and fixed with oars and rudder.

Tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ:

I’d expect

‘nāvā na saṁsīdissati, puriso sotthinā pāraṁ gamissatī’”ti.

that boat to not sink, and the man to safely make it to the far shore.”

“Evamevaṁ kho, sāḷha, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā na tapojigucchāvādā na tapojigucchāsārā na tapojigucchāallīnā viharanti, bhabbā te oghassa nittharaṇāya.

“In the same way, Sāḷha, those ascetics and brahmins who don’t teach fervent mortification in disgust of sin—not regarding it as essential or sticking to it—are capable of crossing the flood.

Yepi te, sāḷha, samaṇabrāhmaṇā parisuddhakāyasamācārā parisuddhavacīsamācārā parisuddhamanosamācārā parisuddhājīvā, bhabbā te ñāṇadassanāya anuttarāya sambodhāya.

And those ascetics and brahmins whose behavior by way of body, speech, and mind is pure are also capable of knowing and seeing, of supreme awakening.

Seyyathāpi, sāḷha, yodhājīvo bahūni cepi kaṇḍacitrakāni jānāti;

Suppose there was a warrior who knew lots of fancy archery tricks.

atha kho so tīhi ṭhānehi rājāraho hoti rājabhoggo, rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

It is only with these three factors that he becomes worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and is reckoned a factor of kingship.

Katamehi tīhi?

What three?

Dūrepātī ca, akkhaṇavedhī ca, mahato ca kāyassa padāletā.

He’s a long-distance shooter, a marksman, and one who shatters large objects.

Seyyathāpi, sāḷha, yodhājīvo dūrepātī;

Just as a warrior is a long-distance shooter,

evamevaṁ kho, sāḷha, ariyasāvako sammāsamādhi hoti.

a noble disciple has right immersion.

Sammāsamādhi, sāḷha, ariyasāvako yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā yaṁ dūre santike vā sabbaṁ rūpaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passati.

A noble disciple with right immersion truly sees any kind of form at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: all form—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Yā kāci vedanā …

They truly see any kind of feeling …

yā kāci saññā …

perception …

ye keci saṅkhārā …

choices …

yaṁ kiñci viññāṇaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā yaṁ dūre santike vā, sabbaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passati.

consciousness at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: all consciousness—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Seyyathāpi, sāḷha, yodhājīvo akkhaṇavedhī;

Just as a warrior is a marksman,

evamevaṁ kho, sāḷha, ariyasāvako sammādiṭṭhi hoti.

a noble disciple has right view.

Sammādiṭṭhi, sāḷha, ariyasāvako ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

A noble disciple with right view truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

Seyyathāpi, sāḷha, yodhājīvo mahato kāyassa padāletā;

Just as a warrior shatters large objects,

evamevaṁ kho, sāḷha, ariyasāvako sammāvimutti hoti.

a noble disciple has right freedom.

Sammāvimutti, sāḷha, ariyasāvako mahantaṁ avijjākkhandhaṁ padāletī”ti.

A noble disciple with right freedom shatters the great mass of ignorance.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.