Kakacūpamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 21

The Simile of the Saw · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, pañcime vacanapathā yehi vo pare vadamānā vadeyyuṁ—
kālena vā akālena vā;
bhūtena vā abhūtena vā;
saṇhena vā pharusena vā;
atthasaṁhitena vā anatthasaṁhitena vā;
mettacittā vā dosantarā vā.
Kālena vā, bhikkhave, pare vadamānā vadeyyuṁ akālena vā;
bhūtena vā bhikkhave, pare vadamānā vadeyyuṁ abhūtena vā;
saṇhena vā, bhikkhave, pare vadamānā vadeyyuṁ pharusena vā;
atthasaṁhitena vā, bhikkhave, pare vadamānā vadeyyuṁ anatthasaṁhitena vā;
mettacittā vā, bhikkhave, pare vadamānā vadeyyuṁ dosantarā vā.
Tatrāpi vo, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:
‘na ceva no cittaṁ vipariṇataṁ bhavissati, na ca pāpikaṁ vācaṁ nicchāressāma, hitānukampī ca viharissāma mettacittā na dosantarā.

“In the same way, there are these five ways in which others might criticize you. Their speech may be timely or untimely, true or false, gentle or harsh, beneficial or harmful, from a heart of love or from secret hate. When others criticize you, they may do so in any of these ways. If that happens, you should train like this: ‘Our minds will not degenerate. We will blurt out no bad words. We will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate.

Tañca puggalaṁ mettāsahagatena cetasā pharitvā viharissāma, tadārammaṇañca sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ pathavisamena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyābajjhena pharitvā viharissāmā’ti.
Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that individual. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart like the earth to everyone in the world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.’ That’s how you should train.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso āgaccheyya lākhaṁ vā haliddiṁ vā nīlaṁ vā mañjiṭṭhaṁ vā ādāya.
So evaṁ vadeyya:
‘ahaṁ imasmiṁ ākāse rūpaṁ likhissāmi, rūpapātubhāvaṁ karissāmī’ti.
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
api nu so puriso imasmiṁ ākāse rūpaṁ likheyya, rūpapātubhāvaṁ kareyyā”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“Taṁ kissa hetu”?
“Ayañhi, bhante, ākāso arūpī anidassano.
Tattha na sukaraṁ rūpaṁ likhituṁ, rūpapātubhāvaṁ kātuṁ;
yāvadeva ca pana so puriso kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā”ti.

Suppose a person was to come along with dye such as red lac, turmeric, indigo, or rose madder, and say, ‘I shall draw pictures in space, making pictures appear there.’ What do you think, mendicants? Could that person draw pictures in space?” “No, sir. Why is that? Because space has no form or appearance. It’s not easy to draw pictures there. That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.”

“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, pañcime vacanapathā yehi vo pare vadamānā vadeyyuṁ kālena vā akālena vā …pe…
tadārammaṇañca sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ ākāsasamena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyābajjhena pharitvā viharissāmā’ti.
Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

“In the same way, if others criticize you in any of these five ways … you should train like this: ‘… We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that person. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart like space to everyone in the world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.’ That’s how you should train.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso āgaccheyya ādittaṁ tiṇukkaṁ ādāya.
So evaṁ vadeyya:
‘ahaṁ imāya ādittāya tiṇukkāya gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ santāpessāmi samparitāpessāmī’ti.
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
api nu so puriso ādittāya tiṇukkāya gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ santāpeyya samparitāpeyyā”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“Taṁ kissa hetu”?
“Gaṅgā hi, bhante, nadī gambhīrā appameyyā.
Sā na sukarā ādittāya tiṇukkāya santāpetuṁ samparitāpetuṁ;
yāvadeva ca pana so puriso kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā”ti.

Suppose a person was to come along carrying a blazing grass torch, and say, ‘I shall burn and scorch the Ganges River with this blazing grass torch.’ What do you think, mendicants? Could that person burn and scorch the Ganges River with a blazing grass torch?” “No, sir. Why is that? Because the Ganges River is deep and limitless. It’s not easy to burn and scorch it with a blazing grass torch. That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.”

“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, pañcime vacanapathā yehi vo pare vadamānā vadeyyuṁ kālena vā akālena vā …pe…
tadārammaṇañca sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ gaṅgāsamena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyābajjhena pharitvā viharissāmā’ti.
Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

“In the same way, if others criticize you in any of these five ways … you should train like this: ‘… We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that individual. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart like the Ganges to everyone in the world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.’ That’s how you should train.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, biḷārabhastā madditā sumadditā suparimadditā, mudukā tūlinī chinnasassarā chinnabhabbharā.
Atha puriso āgaccheyya kaṭṭhaṁ vā kathalaṁ vā ādāya.
So evaṁ vadeyya:
‘ahaṁ imaṁ biḷārabhastaṁ madditaṁ sumadditaṁ suparimadditaṁ, mudukaṁ tūliniṁ, chinnasassaraṁ chinnabhabbharaṁ kaṭṭhena vā kathalena vā sarasaraṁ karissāmi bharabharaṁ karissāmī’ti.
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
api nu so puriso amuṁ biḷārabhastaṁ madditaṁ sumadditaṁ suparimadditaṁ, mudukaṁ tūliniṁ, chinnasassaraṁ chinnabhabbharaṁ kaṭṭhena vā kathalena vā sarasaraṁ kareyya, bharabharaṁ kareyyā”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“Taṁ kissa hetu”?
“Amu hi, bhante, biḷārabhastā madditā sumadditā suparimadditā, mudukā tūlinī, chinnasassarā chinnabhabbharā.
Sā na sukarā kaṭṭhena vā kathalena vā sarasaraṁ kātuṁ bharabharaṁ kātuṁ;

Suppose there was a catskin bag that was rubbed, well-rubbed, very well-rubbed, soft, silky, rid of rustling and crackling. Then a person comes along carrying a stick or a stone, and says, ‘I shall make this soft catskin bag rustle and crackle with this stick or stone.’ What do you think, mendicants? Could that person make that soft catskin bag rustle and crackle with that stick or stone?” “No, sir. Why is that? Because that catskin bag is rubbed, well-rubbed, very well-rubbed, soft, silky, rid of rustling and crackling. It’s not easy to make it rustle or crackle with a stick or stone.

yāvadeva ca pana so puriso kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā”ti.

That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.”

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