Cundasutta

Sutta Nipāta 1.5

Anthology of Discourses 1.5

Cundasutta

With Cunda

“Pucchāmi muniṁ pahūtapaññaṁ,

“I ask the sage abounding in wisdom,”

(iti cundo kammāraputto)

said Cunda the smith,

Buddhaṁ dhammassāmiṁ vītataṇhaṁ;

“the Buddha, master of the teaching, free of craving,

Dvipaduttamaṁ sārathīnaṁ pavaraṁ,

best of men, excellent charioteer, please tell me this:

Kati loke samaṇā tadiṅgha brūhi”.

how many ascetics are there in the world?”

“Caturo samaṇā na pañcamatthi,

“There are four ascetics, not a fifth.”

(cundāti bhagavā)

said the Buddha to Cunda,

Te te āvikaromi sakkhipuṭṭho;

“Being asked to bear witness,
I will explain them to you:

Maggajino maggadesako ca,

the path-victor, the path-teacher,

Magge jīvati yo ca maggadūsī”.

the path-liver, and the path-wrecker.”

“Kaṁ maggajinaṁ vadanti buddhā,

“Who is a path-victor according to the Buddhas?”

(iti cundo kammāraputto)

said Cunda the smith,

Maggakkhāyī kathaṁ atulyo hoti;

“and how is one an unequaled explainer of the path?

Magge jīvati me brūhi puṭṭho,

Tell me when asked about one who lives the path,

Atha me āvikarohi maggadūsiṁ”.

then declare the path-wrecker.”

“Yo tiṇṇakathaṅkatho visallo,

“Rid of indecision, free of thorns,

Nibbānābhirato anānugiddho;

delighting in extinguishment, not fawning,

Lokassa sadevakassa netā,

a guide for the world with its gods.

Tādiṁ maggajinaṁ vadanti buddhā.

The Buddhas say one such is victor of the path.

Paramaṁ paramanti yodha ñatvā,

Knowing the ultimate as ultimate,

Akkhāti vibhajate idheva dhammaṁ;

they explain and analyze the teaching right here.

Taṁ kaṅkhachidaṁ muniṁ anejaṁ,

That sage unstirred, with doubt cut off,

Dutiyaṁ bhikkhunamāhu maggadesiṁ.

is the second mendicant, I say, the teacher of the path.

Yo dhammapade sudesite,

Living restrained and mindful on the path

Magge jīvati saññato satīmā;

of the well-taught passage of teaching,

Anavajjapadāni sevamāno,

cultivating blameless states,

Tatiyaṁ bhikkhunamāhu maggajīviṁ.

is the third mendicant, I say, the path-liver.

Chadanaṁ katvāna subbatānaṁ,

Dressed like one true to their vows,

Pakkhandī kuladūsako pagabbho;

pushy, rude, a corrupter of families,

Māyāvī asaññato palāpo,

devious, unrestrained, chaff,

Patirūpena caraṁ sa maggadūsī.

the path-wrecker’s life is a sham.

Ete ca paṭivijjhi yo gahaṭṭho,

A layperson who gets this,

Sutavā ariyasāvako sapañño;

a learned, wise noble disciple,

Sabbe netādisāti ñatvā,

knows that ‘They are not all like that one’.

Iti disvā na hāpeti tassa saddhā;

So when they see them they don’t lose their faith.

Kathaṁ hi duṭṭhena asampaduṭṭhaṁ,

For how could one equate them—

Suddhaṁ asuddhena samaṁ kareyyā”ti.

the corrupt with the uncorrupt,
the pure with the impure?”

Cundasuttaṁ pañcamaṁ.