Nāvāsutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.158

Linked Discourses 45.158

12. Balakaraṇīyavagga

12. Hard Work

Nāvāsutta

A Ship

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sāmuddikāya nāvāya vettabandhanabandhāya cha māsāni udake pariyādāya hemantikena thalaṁ ukkhittāya vātātapaparetāni bandhanāni tāni pāvussakena meghena abhippavuṭṭhāni appakasireneva paṭippassambhanti, pūtikāni bhavanti;

“Mendicants, suppose there was a sea-faring ship bound together with ropes. For six months they deteriorated in the water. Then in the cold season it was hauled up on dry land, where the ropes were weathered by wind and sun. When the monsoon clouds soaked it with rain, the ropes would readily collapse and rot away.

evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvayato ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroto appakasireneva saṁyojanāni paṭippassambhanti, pūtikāni bhavanti.

In the same way, when a mendicant develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path their fetters readily collapse and rot away.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvayato ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroto appakasireneva saṁyojanāni paṭippassambhanti, pūtikāni bhavanti?

And how do they develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path so that their fetters readily collapse and rot away?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ …

It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvayato ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroto appakasireneva saṁyojanāni paṭippassambhanti, pūtikāni bhavantī”ti.

That’s how they develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path so that their fetters readily collapse and rot away.”

Dasamaṁ.