Cūḷabyūhasutta

Sutta Nipāta 4.12

Anthology of Discourses 4.12

Cūḷabyūhasutta

The Shorter Discourse on Arrayed For Battle

“Sakaṁsakaṁdiṭṭhiparibbasānā,

“Each maintaining their own view,

Viggayha nānā kusalā vadanti;

those who are skilled disagree, arguing:

Yo evaṁ jānāti sa vedi dhammaṁ,

‘Whoever sees it this way
understands the teaching;

Idaṁ paṭikkosamakevalī so.

those who reject this are inadequate.’

Evampi viggayha vivādayanti,

So arguing, they dispute,

Bālo paro akkusaloti cāhu;

saying, ‘The other is a fool, an amateur!’

Sacco nu vādo katamo imesaṁ,

Which of these is a true statement,

Sabbeva hīme kusalāvadānā”.

for all of them profess to be experts?”

“Parassa ce dhammamanānujānaṁ,

“If not accepting another’s teaching

Bālomako hoti nihīnapañño;

makes you a useless fool lacking wisdom,

Sabbeva bālā sunihīnapaññā,

then they’re all fools lacking wisdom,

Sabbevime diṭṭhiparibbasānā.

for they all maintain their own view.

Sandiṭṭhiyā ceva na vīvadātā,

But if having your own view makes you pristine—

Saṁsuddhapaññā kusalā mutīmā;

pure in wisdom, expert and thoughtful—

Na tesaṁ koci parihīnapañño,

then none of them lack wisdom,

Diṭṭhī hi tesampi tathā samattā.

for such is the view they have all embraced.

Na vāhametaṁ tathiyanti brūmi,

I do not say that it is correct

Yamāhu bālā mithu aññamaññaṁ;

when they call each other fools.

Sakaṁ sakaṁ diṭṭhimakaṁsu saccaṁ,

Each has built up their own view to be the truth,

Tasmā hi bāloti paraṁ dahanti”.

which is why they take the other as a fool.”

“Yamāhu saccaṁ tathiyanti eke,

“What some say is true and correct,

Tamāhu aññe tucchaṁ musāti;

others say is hollow and false.

Evampi vigayha vivādayanti,

So arguing, they dispute;

Kasmā na ekaṁ samaṇā vadanti”.

why don’t ascetics say the same thing?”

“Ekañhi saccaṁ na dutīyamatthi,

“The truth is one, there is no second,

Yasmiṁ pajā no vivade pajānaṁ;

understanding which folk would not dispute.

Nānā te saccāni sayaṁ thunanti,

But those ascetics each boast of different truths;

Tasmā na ekaṁ samaṇā vadanti”.

that’s why they don’t say the same thing.”

“Kasmā nu saccāni vadanti nānā,

“But why do they speak of different truths,

Pavādiyāse kusalāvadānā;

these proponents who profess to be experts?

Saccāni sutāni bahūni nānā,

Are there really so many different truths,

Udāhu te takkamanussaranti”.

or do they just follow their own lines of reasoning?”

“Na heva saccāni bahūni nānā,

“No, there are not many different truths

Aññatra saññāya niccāni loke;

that, apart from perception,
are lasting in the world.

Takkañca diṭṭhīsu pakappayitvā,

Having formed their reasoning
regarding different views,

Saccaṁ musāti dvayadhammamāhu.

they say there are two things: true and false.

Diṭṭhe sute sīlavate mute vā,

The seen, heard, or thought,
or precepts or vows—

Ete ca nissāya vimānadassī;

based on these they show disdain.

Vinicchaye ṭhatvā pahassamāno,

Standing in judgment, they scoff,

Bālo paro akkusaloti cāha.

saying, ‘The other is a fool, an amateur!’

Yeneva bāloti paraṁ dahāti,

They take the other as a fool on the same grounds

Tenātumānaṁ kusaloti cāha;

that they speak of themselves as an expert.

Sayamattanā so kusalāvadāno,

Professing to be expert on their own authority,

Aññaṁ vimāneti tadeva pāva.

they disdain the other while saying the same thing.

Atisāradiṭṭhiyā so samatto,

They are perfect,
according to their own extreme view;

Mānena matto paripuṇṇamānī;

drunk on conceit, imagining themselves proficient.

Sayameva sāmaṁ manasābhisitto,

They have anointed themselves in their own mind,

Diṭṭhī hi sā tassa tathā samattā.

for such is the view they have embraced.

Parassa ce hi vacasā nihīno,

If the word of your opponent makes you deficient,

Tumo sahā hoti nihīnapañño;

then they too are lacking wisdom.

Atha ce sayaṁ vedagū hoti dhīro,

But if on your own authority
you’re a knowledge master, an attentive one,

Na koci bālo samaṇesu atthi.

then there are no fools among the ascetics.

Aññaṁ ito yābhivadanti dhammaṁ,

‘Those who proclaim a teaching other than this

Aparaddhā suddhimakevalī te;

have fallen short of purity, and are inadequate’:

Evampi titthyā puthuso vadanti,

so say each one of the sectarians,

Sandiṭṭhirāgena hi tebhirattā.

for they are deeply attached to their own view.

Idheva suddhiṁ iti vādayanti,

‘Here alone is purity,’ they say,

Nāññesu dhammesu visuddhimāhu;

denying that there is purification in other teachings.

Evampi titthyā puthuso niviṭṭhā,

Thus each one of the sectarians, being dogmatic,

Sakāyane tattha daḷhaṁ vadānā.

speaks forcefully within the context
of their own journey.

Sakāyane vāpi daḷhaṁ vadāno,

But in that case, so long as they are speaking forcefully
of their own journey,

Kamettha bāloti paraṁ daheyya;

how can they take the other as a fool?

Sayaṁva so medhagamāvaheyya,

They are the ones who provoke conflict

Paraṁ vadaṁ bālamasuddhidhammaṁ.

when they call the other a fool
with an impure teaching.

Vinicchaye ṭhatvā sayaṁ pamāya,

Standing in judgment,
measuring by their own standard,

Uddhaṁsa lokasmiṁ vivādameti;

they dispute with the world more and more.

Hitvāna sabbāni vinicchayāni,

But a personage who has given up all judgments

Na medhagaṁ kubbati jantu loke”ti.

creates no conflict in the world.”

Cūḷabyūhasuttaṁ dvādasamaṁ.