The Corner of the Cloak · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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⚠ Glossing did not finish. The original text is shown below.
Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
“Saṅghāṭikaṇṇe cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gahetvā piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho assa pāde pādaṁ nikkhipanto, so ca hoti abhijjhālu kāmesu tibbasārāgo byāpannacitto paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo muṭṭhassati asampajāno asamāhito vibbhantacitto pākatindriyo; atha kho so ārakāva mayhaṁ, ahañca tassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Dhammañhi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na passati. Dhammaṁ apassanto na maṁ passati.
“Mendicants, suppose a mendicant were to hold the corner of my cloak and follow behind me step by step. Yet they covet sensual pleasures; they’re infatuated, full of ill will and malicious intent. They are unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying minds and undisciplined faculties. Then they are far from me, and I from them. Why is that? Because that mendicant does not see the teaching. Not seeing the teaching, they do not see me.
Yojanasate cepi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vihareyya. So ca hoti anabhijjhālu kāmesu na tibbasārāgo abyāpannacitto apaduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo upaṭṭhitassati sampajāno samāhito ekaggacitto saṁvutindriyo; atha kho so santikeva mayhaṁ, ahañca tassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Dhammañhi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu passati; dhammaṁ passanto maṁ passatī”ti. Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
Suppose a mendicant were to live a hundred leagues away. Yet they do not covet sensual pleasures; they’re not infatuated, or full of ill will and malicious intent. They have established mindfulness, situational awareness and immersion, with unified mind and restrained faculties. Then they are close to me, and I to them. Why is that? Because that mendicant sees the teaching. Seeing the teaching, they see me.” The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:
“Anubandhopi ce assa, mahiccho ca vighātavā; Ejānugo anejassa, nibbutassa anibbuto; Giddho so vītagedhassa, passa yāvañca ārakā.
“One full of desire and distress may follow close behind, yet see how distant they are— the stirred from the still, the burning from the quenched, the greedy from the greedless.
Yo ca dhammamabhiññāya, dhammamaññāya paṇḍito; Rahadova nivāte ca, anejo vūpasammati.
An astute person who has understood and directly known the teaching, grows calm, as unperturbed as a lake free of wind.
Anejo so anejassa, nibbutassa ca nibbuto; Agiddho vītagedhassa, passa yāvañca santike”ti.
See how close they are— the still to the still, the quenched to the quenched, the greedless to the greedless.”
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti. Tatiyaṁ.
This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.
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