Padhānasutta

Sutta Nipāta 3.2

Anthology of Discourses 3.2

Padhānasutta

Striving

“Taṁ maṁ padhānapahitattaṁ,

“During my time of resolute striving

nadiṁ nerañjaraṁ pati;

back on the bank of the Nerañjara River,

Viparakkamma jhāyantaṁ,

I was meditating very hard

yogakkhemassa pattiyā.

for the sake of sanctuary from the yoke.

Namucī karuṇaṁ vācaṁ,

Namucī approached,

bhāsamāno upāgami;

speaking words of kindness:

‘Kiso tvamasi dubbaṇṇo,

‘You’re thin, discolored,

santike maraṇaṁ tava.

on the verge of death.

Sahassabhāgo maraṇassa,

Death has a thousand parts of you,

ekaṁso tava jīvitaṁ;

one fraction is left to life.

Jīva bho jīvitaṁ seyyo,

Live, worthy sir! Life is better!

jīvaṁ puññāni kāhasi.

Living, you can make merits.

Carato ca te brahmacariyaṁ,

While leading the spiritual life

Aggihuttañca jūhato;

and serving the sacred flame,

Pahūtaṁ cīyate puññaṁ,

you can pile up abundant merit—

Kiṁ padhānena kāhasi.

so what will striving do for you?

Duggo maggo padhānāya,

Hard to walk is the path of striving,

dukkaro durabhisambhavo’”;

hard to do, a hard challenge to win.’”

Imā gāthā bhaṇaṁ māro,

These are the verses Māra spoke

aṭṭhā buddhassa santike.

as he stood beside the Buddha.

Taṁ tathāvādinaṁ māraṁ,

When Māra had spoken in this way,

bhagavā etadabravi;

the Buddha said this:

“Pamattabandhu pāpima,

“O Wicked One, kinsman of the negligent,

yenatthena idhāgato.

you’re here for your own purpose.

Aṇumattopi puññena,

I have no need for

Attho mayhaṁ na vijjati;

the slightest bit of merit.

Yesañca attho puññena,

Those with need for merit

Te māro vattumarahati.

are fit for Māra to address.

Atthi saddhā tathā viriyaṁ,

I have faith and energy too,

paññā ca mama vijjati;

and wisdom is found in me.

Evaṁ maṁ pahitattampi,

When I am so resolute,

kiṁ jīvamanupucchasi.

why do you beg me to live?

Nadīnamapi sotāni,

The rivers and streams

ayaṁ vāto visosaye;

might be dried by the wind,

Kiñca me pahitattassa,

so why, when I am resolute,

lohitaṁ nupasussaye.

should it not dry up my blood?

Lohite sussamānamhi,

And while the blood is drying up,

Pittaṁ semhañca sussati;

the bile and phlegm dry too.

Maṁsesu khīyamānesu,

And as my muscles waste away,

Bhiyyo cittaṁ pasīdati;

my mind grows more serene.

Bhiyyo sati ca paññā ca,

And all the stronger grow mindfulness

Samādhi mama tiṭṭhati.

and wisdom and immersion.

Tassa mevaṁ viharato,

As I meditate like this,

Pattassuttamavedanaṁ;

having attained the supreme feeling,

Kāmesu nāpekkhate cittaṁ,

my mind has no interest in sensual pleasures:

Passa sattassa suddhataṁ.

behold a being’s purity!

Kāmā te paṭhamā senā,

Sensual pleasures are your first army,

Dutiyā arati vuccati;

the second is called discontent,

Tatiyā khuppipāsā te,

hunger and thirst are the third,

Catutthī taṇhā pavuccati.

and the fourth is said to be craving.

Pañcamaṁ thinamiddhaṁ te,

Your fifth is dullness and drowsiness,

Chaṭṭhā bhīrū pavuccati;

the sixth is said to be cowardice,

Sattamī vicikicchā te,

your seventh is doubt,

Makkho thambho te aṭṭhamo.

contempt and obstinacy are your eighth.

Lābho siloko sakkāro,

Profit, praise, and honor,

Micchāladdho ca yo yaso;

and misbegotten fame;

Yo cattānaṁ samukkaṁse,

the extolling of oneself

Pare ca avajānati.

while scorning others.

Esā namuci te senā,

This is your army, Namucī,

Kaṇhassābhippahārinī;

the strike force of the Dark One.

Na naṁ asūro jināti,

Only a hero can defeat it,

Jetvā ca labhate sukhaṁ.

but in victory there lies bliss.

Esa muñjaṁ parihare,

Let me gird myself—

Dhiratthu mama jīvitaṁ;

curse my life!

Saṅgāme me mataṁ seyyo,

I’d rather die in battle

Yañce jīve parājito.

than live on in defeat.

Pagāḷhettha na dissanti,

Here some ascetics and brahmins

Eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā;

are swallowed up, not to be seen again.

Tañca maggaṁ na jānanti,

And they do not know the path

Yena gacchanti subbatā.

traveled by those true to their vows.

Samantā dhajiniṁ disvā,

Seeing Māra ready with his legions,

Yuttaṁ māraṁ savāhanaṁ;

surrounded by his bannered forces,

Yuddhāya paccuggacchāmi,

I shall meet them in battle—

Mā maṁ ṭhānā acāvayi.

they’ll never make me retreat!

Yaṁ te taṁ nappasahati,

That army of yours has never been beaten

Senaṁ loko sadevako;

by the world with all its gods.

Taṁ te paññāya bhecchāmi,

Yet I shall smash it with wisdom,

Āmaṁ pattaṁva asmanā.

like an unfired pot with a stone.

Vasīkaritvā saṅkappaṁ,

Having brought my thoughts under control,

Satiñca sūpatiṭṭhitaṁ;

and established mindfulness well,

Raṭṭhā raṭṭhaṁ vicarissaṁ,

I shall wander from country to country,

Sāvake vinayaṁ puthū.

guiding many disciples.

Te appamattā pahitattā,

Diligent and resolute,

Mama sāsanakārakā;

following my instructions,

Akāmassa te gamissanti,

they will proceed despite your will,

Yattha gantvā na socare”.

to where there is no sorrow.”

“Satta vassāni bhagavantaṁ,

“For seven years I followed

Anubandhiṁ padāpadaṁ;

step by step behind the Blessed One.

Otāraṁ nādhigacchissaṁ,

I found no vulnerability

Sambuddhassa satīmato.

in the mindful Awakened One.

Medavaṇṇaṁva pāsāṇaṁ,

A crow once circled a stone

Vāyaso anupariyagā;

that looked like a lump of fat.

Apettha muduṁ vindema,

‘Perhaps I’ll find something tender,’ it thought,

Api assādanā siyā.

‘perhaps there’s something tasty.’

Aladdhā tattha assādaṁ,

But finding nothing tasty,

Vāyasetto apakkami;

the crow left that place.

Kākova selamāsajja,

Like the crow that pecked the stone,

Nibbijjāpema gotamaṁ”.

I leave Gotama disappointed.”

Tassa sokaparetassa,

So stricken with sorrow

Vīṇā kacchā abhassatha;

that his harp dropped from his armpit,

Tato so dummano yakkho,

that spirit, downcast,

Tatthevantaradhāyathāti.

vanished right there.

Padhānasuttaṁ dutiyaṁ.