Pilindavacchasutta

Udāna 3.6

Heartfelt Sayings 3.6

Pilindavacchasutta

With Pilindavaccha

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā pilindavaccho bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācarati.

Now at that time Venerable Pilindavaccha addressed the mendicants as “lowlifes”.

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

Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

“āyasmā, bhante, pilindavaccho bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācaratī”ti.

“Sir, Venerable Pilindavaccha addresses the mendicants as ‘lowlifes’.”

Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi:

So the Buddha addressed one of the monks,

“ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena pilindavacchaṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehi:

“Please, monk, in my name tell the mendicant Pilindavaccha that

‘satthā taṁ, āvuso pilindavaccha, āmantetī’”ti.

the Teacher summons him.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā yenāyasmā pilindavaccho tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ pilindavacchaṁ etadavoca:

“Yes, sir,” that monk replied. He went to Pilindavaccha and said to him,

“satthā taṁ, āvuso pilindavaccha, āmantetī”ti.

“Reverend Pilindavaccha, the Teacher summons you.”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā pilindavaccho tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ pilindavacchaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“Yes, reverend,” Pilindavaccha replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, vaccha, bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācarasī”ti?

“Is it really true, Vaccha, that you addressed the mendicants as ‘lowlifes’?”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti.

“Yes, sir,” he replied.

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmato pilindavacchassa pubbenivāsaṁ manasi karitvā bhikkhū āmantesi:

Then, having applied his mind to Pilindavaccha’s past lives, the Buddha said to the mendicants,

“mā kho tumhe, bhikkhave, vacchassa bhikkhuno ujjhāyittha.

“Mendicants, don’t complain about the mendicant Vaccha.

Na, bhikkhave, vaccho dosantaro bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācarati.

He doesn’t address the mendicants as ‘lowlifes’ out of hate.

Vacchassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pañca jātisatāni abbokiṇṇāni brāhmaṇakule paccājātāni.

For five hundred lives without interruption he was reborn in a brahmin family.

So tassa vasalavādo dīgharattaṁ samudāciṇṇo.

For a long time, he has addressed people as ‘lowlife’.

Tenāyaṁ vaccho bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācaratī”ti.

That’s why he addresses the mendicants as ‘lowlifes’.”

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Yamhi na māyā vasatī na māno,

“In whom dwells no deceit or conceit,

Yo vītalobho amamo nirāso;

rid of greed, unselfish,
with no need for hope,

Paṇunnakodho abhinibbutatto,

with anger cast aside, quenched:

So brāhmaṇo so samaṇo sa bhikkhū”ti.

they are a brahmin, an ascetic, a mendicant.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.