Nāgasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 20.9

Linked Discourses 20.9

1. Opammavagga

1. Similes

Nāgasutta

A Bull Elephant

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena aññataro navo bhikkhu ativelaṁ kulāni upasaṅkamati.

Now at that time a certain junior mendicant went to visit families too often.

Tamenaṁ bhikkhū evamāhaṁsu:

The mendicants said to him,

“māyasmā ativelaṁ kulāni upasaṅkamī”ti.

“Venerable, don’t go to visit families too often.”

So bhikkhu bhikkhūhi vuccamāno evamāha:

But that mendicant, when spoken to by the mendicants, said this,

“ime hi nāma therā bhikkhū kulāni upasaṅkamitabbaṁ maññissanti, kimaṅgaṁ panāhan”ti?

“But these senior mendicants think they can go to visit families, so why can’t I?”

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

And then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. The Buddha said:

“idha, bhante, aññataro navo bhikkhu ativelaṁ kulāni upasaṅkamati.

Tamenaṁ bhikkhū evamāhaṁsu:

‘māyasmā ativelaṁ kulāni upasaṅkamī’ti.

So bhikkhu bhikkhūhi vuccamāno evamāha:

‘ime hi nāma therā bhikkhū kulāni upasaṅkamitabbaṁ maññissanti, kimaṅgaṁ panāhan’”ti.

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, araññāyatane mahāsarasī.

“Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a great lake in the jungle,

Taṁ nāgā upanissāya viharanti.

with bull elephants living nearby.

Te taṁ sarasiṁ ogāhetvā soṇḍāya bhisamuḷālaṁ abbuhetvā suvikkhālitaṁ vikkhāletvā akaddamaṁ saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharanti.

They’d plunge into the lake and pull up lotus bulbs with their trunks. They’d wash them thoroughly until they were free of mud before chewing and swallowing them.

Tesaṁ taṁ vaṇṇāya ceva hoti balāya ca, na ca tatonidānaṁ maraṇaṁ vā nigacchanti maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhaṁ.

That was good for their appearance and strength, and wouldn’t result in death or deadly pain.

Tesaṁyeva kho pana, bhikkhave, mahānāgānaṁ anusikkhamānā taruṇā bhiṅkacchāpā taṁ sarasiṁ ogāhetvā soṇḍāya bhisamuḷālaṁ abbuhetvā na suvikkhālitaṁ vikkhāletvā sakaddamaṁ asaṅkhāditvā ajjhoharanti.

The young calves, following the example of the great bull elephants, plunged into the lake and pulled up lotus bulbs with their trunks. But they didn’t wash them thoroughly, and while they were still muddy they chewed and swallowed them.

Tesaṁ taṁ neva vaṇṇāya hoti na balāya.

That was not good for their appearance and strength, and resulted in death or deadly pain.

Tatonidānaṁ maraṇaṁ vā nigacchanti maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhaṁ.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idha therā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisanti.

In the same way, there are senior mendicants who robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter the town or village for alms.

Te tattha dhammaṁ bhāsanti.

There they speak on the teachings,

Tesaṁ gihī pasannākāraṁ karonti.

and lay people demonstrate their confidence in them.

Te taṁ lābhaṁ agadhitā amucchitā anajjhopannā ādīnavadassāvino nissaraṇapaññā paribhuñjanti.

And when they get things, they use them untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape.

Tesaṁ taṁ vaṇṇāya ceva hoti balāya ca, na ca tatonidānaṁ maraṇaṁ vā nigacchanti maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhaṁ.

That’s good for their appearance and strength, and doesn’t result in death or deadly pain.

Tesaṁyeva kho pana, bhikkhave, therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ anusikkhamānā navā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisanti.

Junior mendicants, following the example of the senior mendicants, robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter the town or village for alms.

Te tattha dhammaṁ bhāsanti.

There they speak on the teachings,

Tesaṁ gihī pasannākāraṁ karonti.

and lay people demonstrate their confidence in them.

Te taṁ lābhaṁ gadhitā mucchitā ajjhopannā anādīnavadassāvino anissaraṇapaññā paribhuñjanti.

But when they get things, they use them tied, infatuated, attached, blind to the drawbacks, not understanding the escape.

Tesaṁ taṁ neva vaṇṇāya hoti na balāya, te tatonidānaṁ maraṇaṁ vā nigacchanti maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhaṁ.

That’s not good for their appearance and strength, and results in death or deadly pain.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:

So you should train like this:

‘agadhitā amucchitā anajjhopannā ādīnavadassāvino nissaraṇapaññā taṁ lābhaṁ paribhuñjissāmā’ti.

‘When we get things, we will use them untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape.’

Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

That’s how you should train.”

Navamaṁ.