Alagaddūpamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 22

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

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Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, yassa me bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājāneyyātha, tathā naṁ dhāreyyātha.
Yassa ca pana me bhāsitassa atthaṁ na ājāneyyātha, ahaṁ vo tattha paṭipucchitabbo, ye vā panāssu viyattā bhikkhū.

So, mendicants, when you understand what I’ve said, you should remember it accordingly. But if I’ve said anything that you don’t understand, you should ask me about it, or some competent mendicants.

Kullūpamaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dhammaṁ desessāmi nittharaṇatthāya, no gahaṇatthāya.
Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasikarotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso addhānamaggappaṭipanno.
So passeyya mahantaṁ udakaṇṇavaṁ, orimaṁ tīraṁ sāsaṅkaṁ sappaṭibhayaṁ, pārimaṁ tīraṁ khemaṁ appaṭibhayaṁ;
na cassa nāvā santāraṇī uttarasetu vā apārā pāraṁ gamanāya.
Tassa evamassa:
‘ayaṁ kho mahāudakaṇṇavo, orimaṁ tīraṁ sāsaṅkaṁ sappaṭibhayaṁ, pārimaṁ tīraṁ khemaṁ appaṭibhayaṁ;
natthi ca nāvā santāraṇī uttarasetu vā apārā pāraṁ gamanāya.
Yannūnāhaṁ tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ saṅkaḍḍhitvā, kullaṁ bandhitvā, taṁ kullaṁ nissāya hatthehi ca pādehi ca vāyamamāno sotthinā pāraṁ uttareyyan’ti.

Mendicants, I will teach you a simile of the teaching as a raft: for crossing over, not for holding on. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “Suppose there was a person traveling along the road. They’d see a large deluge, whose near shore was dubious and perilous, while the far shore was a sanctuary free of peril. But there was no ferryboat or bridge for crossing over. They’d think, ‘Why don’t I gather grass, sticks, branches, and leaves and make a raft? Riding on the raft, and paddling with my hands and feet, I can safely reach the far shore.’

Atha kho so, bhikkhave, puriso tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ saṅkaḍḍhitvā, kullaṁ bandhitvā taṁ kullaṁ nissāya hatthehi ca pādehi ca vāyamamāno sotthinā pāraṁ uttareyya.
Tassa purisassa uttiṇṇassa pāraṅgatassa evamassa:
‘bahukāro kho me ayaṁ kullo;
imāhaṁ kullaṁ nissāya hatthehi ca pādehi ca vāyamamāno sotthinā pāraṁ uttiṇṇo.
Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ kullaṁ sīse vā āropetvā khandhe vā uccāretvā yena kāmaṁ pakkameyyan’ti.
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
api nu so puriso evaṅkārī tasmiṁ kulle kiccakārī assā”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“Kathaṅkārī ca so, bhikkhave, puriso tasmiṁ kulle kiccakārī assa?
Idha, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa uttiṇṇassa pāraṅgatassa evamassa:
‘bahukāro kho me ayaṁ kullo;

And so they’d do exactly that. And when they’d crossed over to the far shore, they’d think, ‘This raft has been very helpful to me. Riding on the raft, and paddling with my hands and feet, I have safely crossed over to the far shore. Why don’t I hoist it on my head or pick it up on my shoulder and go wherever I want?’ What do you think, mendicants? Would that person be doing what should be done with that raft?” “No, sir.” “And what, mendicants, should that person do with the raft? When they’d crossed over they should think, ‘This raft has been very helpful to me. …

imāhaṁ kullaṁ nissāya hatthehi ca pādehi ca vāyamamāno sotthinā pāraṁ uttiṇṇo.
Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ kullaṁ thale vā ussādetvā udake vā opilāpetvā yena kāmaṁ pakkameyyan’ti.
Evaṅkārī kho so, bhikkhave, puriso tasmiṁ kulle kiccakārī assa.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, kullūpamo mayā dhammo desito nittharaṇatthāya, no gahaṇatthāya.

Why don’t I beach it on dry land or set it adrift on the water and go wherever I want?’ That’s what that person should do with the raft. In the same way, I have taught a simile of the teaching as a raft: for crossing over, not for holding on.

Kullūpamaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dhammaṁ desitaṁ, ājānantehi dhammāpi vo pahātabbā pageva adhammā.

By understanding the simile of the raft, you will even give up the teachings, let alone what is not the teachings.

Chayimāni, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiṭṭhānāni.
Katamāni cha?
Idha, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto,
rūpaṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati;
vedanaṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati;
saññaṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati;
saṅkhāre ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati;
yampi taṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ, anuvicaritaṁ manasā tampi ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati;
yampi taṁ diṭṭhiṭṭhānaṁ—
so loko so attā, so pecca bhavissāmi nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo, sassatisamaṁ tatheva ṭhassāmīti—
tampi ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati.

Mendicants, there are these six grounds for views. What six? Take an unlearned ordinary person who has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons. They regard form as: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’ They also regard feeling … perception … choices … whatever is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, and explored by the mind as: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’ And as for this ground for views: ‘The cosmos and the self are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, imperishable, and will last forever and ever.’ They regard this also as: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’

Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto, sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto,
rūpaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassati;
vedanaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassati;
saññaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassati;
saṅkhāre ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassati;
yampi taṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ, anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassati;
yampi taṁ diṭṭhiṭṭhānaṁ—
so loko so attā, so pecca bhavissāmi nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo, sassatisamaṁ tatheva ṭhassāmīti—
tampi ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassati.

But a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons. They regard form like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ They also regard feeling … perception … choices … whatever is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, and explored by the mind like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ And the same for this ground for views: ‘The cosmos and the self are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, imperishable, and will last forever and ever.’ They also regard like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

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