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Majjhima Nikāya 21

Kakacūpamasutta

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

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just so“Evameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, these fivepañcime courses of speechvacanapathā with whichyehi to youvo otherspare speakingvadamānā might addressvadeyyuṁ—
timelykālena orvā untimelyakālena orvā;
truebhūtena orvā falseabhūtena orvā;
gentlesaṇhena orvā harshpharusena orvā;
beneficialatthasaṁhitena orvā harmfulanatthasaṁhitena orvā;
with a heart of lovemettacittā orvā with secret hatedosantarā orvā.
timelyKālena orvā, monksbhikkhave, otherspare speakingvadamānā might addressvadeyyuṁ untimelyakālena orvā;
truebhūtena orvā monksbhikkhave, otherspare speakingvadamānā might addressvadeyyuṁ falseabhūtena orvā;
gentlesaṇhena orvā, monksbhikkhave, otherspare speakingvadamānā might addressvadeyyuṁ harshpharusena orvā;
beneficialatthasaṁhitena orvā, monksbhikkhave, otherspare speakingvadamānā might addressvadeyyuṁ harmfulanatthasaṁhitena orvā;
with a heart of lovemettacittā orvā, monksbhikkhave, otherspare speakingvadamānā might addressvadeyyuṁ with secret hatedosantarā orvā.
even thenTatrāpi by youvo, monksbhikkhave, thusevaṁ should be trainedsikkhitabbaṁ:
not‘na andceva ourno mindcittaṁ degeneratevipariṇataṁ will becomebhavissati, notna andca badpāpikaṁ speechvācaṁ we will blurt outnicchāressāma, full of sympathyhitānukampī andca we will remainviharissāma with a heart of lovemettacittā notna with secret hatedosantarā.

“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.

and thatTañca personpuggalaṁ imbued with lovemettāsahagatena with a heartcetasā pervadingpharitvā we will remainviharissāma, and with that as basistadārammaṇañca the entiresabbāvantaṁ worldlokaṁ like the earthpathavisamena with a heartcetasā abundantvipulena expansivemahaggatena limitlessappamāṇena free of enmityaverena free of ill willabyābajjhena pervadingpharitvā we will remain (quote)viharissāmā’ti.
thus indeedEvañhi by youvo, monksbhikkhave, should be trainedsikkhitabbaṁ.

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.

just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, a personpuriso would come alongāgaccheyya red laclākhaṁ orvā turmerichaliddiṁ orvā indigonīlaṁ orvā rose maddermañjiṭṭhaṁ orvā carryingādāya.
heSo thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
I‘ahaṁ in thisimasmiṁ spaceākāse a picturerūpaṁ will drawlikhissāmi, the appearance of a picturerūpapātubhāvaṁ will make (quote)karissāmī’ti.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññatha, monksbhikkhave,
couldapi reallynu thatso personpuriso in thisimasmiṁ spaceākāse a picturerūpaṁ drawlikheyya, the appearance of a picturerūpapātubhāvaṁ make? (quote)kareyyā”ti?
no“No indeed thishetaṁ, venerable sirbhante”.
that“Taṁ of whatkissa reason?hetu”?
for this“Ayañhi, venerable sirbhante, spaceākāso is formlessarūpī invisibleanidassano.
thereTattha notna easysukaraṁ a picturerūpaṁ to drawlikhituṁ, the appearance of a picturerūpapātubhāvaṁ to makekātuṁ;
only so faryāvadeva andca ratherpana thatso personpuriso of wearinesskilamathassa of frustrationvighātassa a partakerbhāgī would be (quote)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.”

just so“Evameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, these fivepañcime courses of speechvacanapathā with whichyehi to youvo otherspare speakingvadamānā might addressvadeyyuṁ timelykālena orvā untimelyakālena orvā and so on…pe…
and with that as basistadārammaṇañca the entiresabbāvantaṁ worldlokaṁ like spaceākāsasamena with a heartcetasā abundantvipulena expansivemahaggatena limitlessappamāṇena free of enmityaverena free of ill willabyābajjhena pervadingpharitvā we will remain (quote)viharissāmā’ti.
thus indeedEvañhi by youvo, monksbhikkhave, should be trainedsikkhitabbaṁ.

“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.

just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, a personpuriso would come alongāgaccheyya a blazingādittaṁ grass torchtiṇukkaṁ carryingādāya.
heSo thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
I‘ahaṁ with thisimāya blazingādittāya grass torchtiṇukkāya the Gangesgaṅgaṁ rivernadiṁ will burnsantāpessāmi will scorch (quote)samparitāpessāmī’ti.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññatha, monksbhikkhave,
couldapi reallynu thatso personpuriso with a blazingādittāya grass torchtiṇukkāya the Gangesgaṅgaṁ rivernadiṁ burnsantāpeyya scorch? (quote)samparitāpeyyā”ti?
no“No indeed thishetaṁ, venerable sirbhante”.
that“Taṁ of whatkissa reason?hetu”?
the Ganges“Gaṅgā forhi, venerable sirbhante, rivernadī is deepgambhīrā immeasurableappameyyā.
itSā notna easysukarā with a blazingādittāya grass torchtiṇukkāya to burnsantāpetuṁ to scorchsamparitāpetuṁ;
only so faryāvadeva andca ratherpana thatso personpuriso of wearinesskilamathassa of frustrationvighātassa a partakerbhāgī would be (quote)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.”

just so“Evameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, these fivepañcime courses of speechvacanapathā with whichyehi to youvo otherspare speakingvadamānā might addressvadeyyuṁ timelykālena orvā untimelyakālena orvā and so on…pe…
and with that as basistadārammaṇañca the entiresabbāvantaṁ worldlokaṁ like the Gangesgaṅgāsamena with a heartcetasā abundantvipulena expansivemahaggatena limitlessappamāṇena free of enmityaverena free of ill willabyābajjhena pervadingpharitvā we will remain (quote)viharissāmā’ti.
thus indeedEvañhi by youvo, monksbhikkhave, should be trainedsikkhitabbaṁ.

“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.

just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, a catskin bagbiḷārabhastā rubbedmadditā well-rubbedsumadditā very well-rubbedsuparimadditā, softmudukā silkytūlinī rid of rustlingchinnasassarā rid of cracklingchinnabhabbharā.
thenAtha a personpuriso would come alongāgaccheyya a stickkaṭṭhaṁ orvā a stonekathalaṁ orvā carryingādāya.
heSo thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
I‘ahaṁ thisimaṁ catskin bagbiḷārabhastaṁ rubbedmadditaṁ well-rubbedsumadditaṁ very well-rubbedsuparimadditaṁ, softmudukaṁ silkytūliniṁ, rid of rustlingchinnasassaraṁ rid of cracklingchinnabhabbharaṁ with a stickkaṭṭhena orvā with a stonekathalena orvā rustlesarasaraṁ will makekarissāmi cracklebharabharaṁ will make (quote)karissāmī’ti.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññatha, monksbhikkhave,
couldapi reallynu thatso personpuriso thatamuṁ catskin bagbiḷārabhastaṁ rubbedmadditaṁ well-rubbedsumadditaṁ very well-rubbedsuparimadditaṁ, softmudukaṁ silkytūliniṁ, rid of rustlingchinnasassaraṁ rid of cracklingchinnabhabbharaṁ with a stickkaṭṭhena orvā with a stonekathalena orvā rustlesarasaraṁ makekareyya, cracklebharabharaṁ make? (quote)kareyyā”ti?
no“No indeed thishetaṁ, venerable sirbhante”.
that“Taṁ of whatkissa reason?hetu”?
that“Amu forhi, venerable sirbhante, catskin bagbiḷārabhastā is rubbedmadditā well-rubbedsumadditā very well-rubbedsuparimadditā, softmudukā silkytūlinī, rid of rustlingchinnasassarā rid of cracklingchinnabhabbharā.
itSā notna easysukarā with a stickkaṭṭhena orvā with a stonekathalena orvā rustlesarasaraṁ to makekātuṁ cracklebharabharaṁ to makekātuṁ;

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.

only so faryāvadeva andca ratherpana thatso personpuriso of wearinesskilamathassa of frustrationvighātassa a partakerbhāgī would be (quote)assā”ti.

That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.”

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