Alagaddūpamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 22

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

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

‘mā hevaṁ, āvuso ariṭṭha, avaca, mā bhagavantaṁ abbhācikkhi; na hi sādhu bhagavato abbhakkhānaṁ, na hi bhagavā evaṁ vadeyya.
Anekapariyāyenāvuso ariṭṭha, antarāyikā dhammā antarāyikā vuttā bhagavatā, alañca pana te paṭisevato antarāyāya.
Appassādā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo.
Aṭṭhikaṅkalūpamā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā …pe…
sappasirūpamā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo’ti.
Evampi kho, bhante, ariṭṭho bhikkhu gaddhabādhipubbo amhehi samanuyuñjiyamāno samanugāhiyamāno samanubhāsiyamāno tadeva pāpakaṁ diṭṭhigataṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa voharati:
‘evaṁ byā kho ahaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāmi yathā yeme antarāyikā dhammā vuttā bhagavatā te paṭisevato nālaṁ antarāyāyā’ti.

“Do not speak thus, friend Ariṭṭha, do not slander the Blessed One; for it is not good to slander the Blessed One. The Blessed One would not speak thus. In many ways, friend Ariṭṭha, the Blessed One has said that obstructive things are obstructive, and for one who engages in them they are enough to cause obstruction. The Blessed One has said that sensual pleasures give little enjoyment, much suffering, much distress; the danger in them is greater. The Blessed One has said that sensual pleasures are like a skeleton … like a snake’s head, of much suffering, much distress; the danger in them is greater.” But, venerable sir, the monk Ariṭṭha, formerly a vulture-killer, even when being questioned, pressed, and admonished by us in this way, still holds firmly to and speaks of that same evil wrong view: “Thus indeed, friends, do I understand the dhamma taught by the Blessed One: that these obstructive things spoken of by the Blessed One are not enough to obstruct one who engages in them.”

Yato kho mayaṁ, bhante, nāsakkhimha ariṭṭhaṁ bhikkhuṁ gaddhabādhipubbaṁ etasmā pāpakā diṭṭhigatā vivecetuṁ, atha mayaṁ etamatthaṁ bhagavato ārocemā”ti.

When, venerable sir, we were not able to dissuade the monk Ariṭṭha, formerly a vulture-killer, from that evil view, we then reported this matter to the Blessed One.

Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi:
“ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena ariṭṭhaṁ bhikkhuṁ gaddhabādhipubbaṁ āmantehi:
‘satthā taṁ, āvuso ariṭṭha, āmantetī’”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā, yena ariṭṭho bhikkhu gaddhabādhipubbo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ariṭṭhaṁ bhikkhuṁ gaddhabādhipubbaṁ etadavoca:
“satthā taṁ, āvuso ariṭṭha, āmantetī”ti.
“Evamāvuso”ti kho ariṭṭho bhikkhu gaddhabādhipubbo tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho ariṭṭhaṁ bhikkhuṁ gaddhabādhipubbaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
“saccaṁ kira te, ariṭṭha, evarūpaṁ pāpakaṁ diṭṭhigataṁ uppannaṁ:
‘tathāhaṁ bhagavatā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāmi yathā yeme antarāyikā dhammā vuttā bhagavatā te paṭisevato nālaṁ antarāyāyā’”ti?

So the Buddha addressed one of the monks, “Please, monk, in my name tell the mendicant Ariṭṭha, formerly a vulture trapper, that the Teacher summons him.” “Yes, sir,” that monk replied. He went to Ariṭṭha and said to him, “Reverend Ariṭṭha, the Teacher summons you.” “Yes, reverend,” Ariṭṭha replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, “Is it really true, Ariṭṭha, that you have such a harmful misconception: ‘As I understand the Buddha’s teaching, the acts that he says are obstructions are not really obstructions for the one who performs them’?”

“Evaṁ byā kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāmi: ‘yathā yeme antarāyikā dhammā vuttā bhagavatā te paṭisevato nālaṁ antarāyāyā’”ti.

“Indeed, sir. As I understand the Buddha’s teaching, the acts that he says are obstructions are not really obstructions for the one who performs them.”

“Futile man, who on earth have you ever known me to teach in that way? Haven’t I said in many ways that obstructive acts are obstructive, and that they really do obstruct the one who performs them? I’ve said that sensual pleasures give little gratification and much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks. With the similes of a skeleton … a scrap of meat … a grass torch … a pit of glowing coals … a dream … borrowed goods … fruit on a tree … a butcher’s knife and chopping board … swords and spears … a cobra’s head, I’ve said that sensual pleasures give little gratification and much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks.

Atha ca pana tvaṁ, moghapurisa, attanā duggahitena amhe ceva abbhācikkhasi, attānañca khanasi, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavasi.
Tañhi te, moghapurisa, bhavissati dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāyā”ti.

But still you misrepresent me by your wrong grasp, harm yourself, and brim with much wickedness. This will be for your lasting harm and suffering.”

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
api nāyaṁ ariṭṭho bhikkhu gaddhabādhipubbo usmīkatopi imasmiṁ dhammavinaye”ti?
“Kiñhi siyā, bhante;
no hetaṁ, bhante”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, ariṭṭho bhikkhu gaddhabādhipubbo tuṇhībhūto maṅkubhūto pattakkhandho adhomukho pajjhāyanto appaṭibhāno nisīdi.
Atha kho bhagavā ariṭṭhaṁ bhikkhuṁ gaddhabādhipubbaṁ tuṇhībhūtaṁ maṅkubhūtaṁ pattakkhandhaṁ adhomukhaṁ pajjhāyantaṁ appaṭibhānaṁ viditvā ariṭṭhaṁ bhikkhuṁ gaddhabādhipubbaṁ etadavoca:
“paññāyissasi kho tvaṁ, moghapurisa, etena sakena pāpakena diṭṭhigatena.
Idhāhaṁ bhikkhū paṭipucchissāmī”ti.

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, “What do you think, mendicants? Has this mendicant Ariṭṭha kindled even a spark of ardor in this teaching and training?” “How could that be, sir? No, sir.” When this was said, Ariṭṭha sat silent, dismayed, shoulders drooping, downcast, depressed, with nothing to say. Knowing this, the Buddha said, “Futile man, you will be known by your own harmful misconception. I’ll question the mendicants about this.”

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“tumhepi me, bhikkhave, evaṁ dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānātha yathāyaṁ ariṭṭho bhikkhu gaddhabādhipubbo attanā duggahitena amhe ceva abbhācikkhati, attānañca khanati, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavatī”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante.
Anekapariyāyena hi no, bhante, antarāyikā dhammā antarāyikā vuttā bhagavatā;
alañca pana te paṭisevato antarāyāya.
Appassādā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo.
Aṭṭhikaṅkalūpamā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā …pe…
sappasirūpamā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo”ti.
“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhave, sādhu, kho me tumhe, bhikkhave, evaṁ dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānātha.
Anekapariyāyena hi kho, bhikkhave, antarāyikā dhammā vuttā mayā, alañca pana te paṭisevato antarāyāya.
Appassādā kāmā vuttā mayā, bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo.

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, “Mendicants, do you understand my teaching as Ariṭṭha does, when he misrepresents me by his wrong grasp, harms himself, and brims with much wickedness?” “No, sir. For in many ways the Buddha has told us that obstructive acts are obstructive, and that they really do obstruct the one who performs them. The Buddha has said that sensual pleasures give little gratification and much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks. With the similes of a skeleton … a cobra’s head, the Buddha has said that sensual pleasures give little gratification and much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks.” “Good, good, mendicants! It’s good that you understand my teaching like this. For in many ways I have said that obstructive acts are obstructive …

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version