The Simile of the Snake · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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do not‘mā
indeed thushevaṁ,
friendāvuso
Ariṭṭhaariṭṭha,
you saidavaca,
do notmā
the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ
you slanderedabbhācikkhi;
notna
indeedhi
goodsādhu
of the Blessed Onebhagavato
slanderabbhakkhānaṁ,
notna
indeedhi
the Blessed Onebhagavā
thusevaṁ
would sayvadeyya.
in many ways, friendAnekapariyāyenāvuso
Ariṭṭhaariṭṭha,
obstructiveantarāyikā
thingsdhammā
obstructiveantarāyikā
were saidvuttā
by the Blessed Onebhagavatā,
and sufficientalañca
butpana
for youte
practicingpaṭisevato
for obstructionantarāyāya.
of little enjoymentAppassādā
sensual pleasureskāmā
were saidvuttā
by the Blessed Onebhagavatā
of much sufferingbahudukkhā
of much distressbahupāyāsā,
dangerādīnavo
hereettha
greaterbhiyyo.
like a skeletonAṭṭhikaṅkalūpamā
sensual pleasureskāmā
were saidvuttā
by the Blessed Onebhagavatā
…pe……pe…
like a snake's headsappasirūpamā
sensual pleasureskāmā
were saidvuttā
by the Blessed Onebhagavatā
of much sufferingbahudukkhā
of much distressbahupāyāsā,
dangerādīnavo
hereettha
greaterbhiyyo’ti.
Even soEvampi
indeedkho,
venerable sirbhante,
Ariṭṭhaariṭṭho
monkbhikkhu
formerly a vulture-killergaddhabādhipubbo
by usamhehi
being questionedsamanuyuñjiyamāno
being pressedsamanugāhiyamāno
being admonishedsamanubhāsiyamāno
that verytadeva
evilpāpakaṁ
wrong viewdiṭṭhigataṁ
with firmnessthāmasā
with graspingparāmāsā
having adhered toabhinivissa
speaksvoharati:
thus‘evaṁ
byābyā
indeedkho
Iahaṁ,
friendāvuso,
by the Blessed Onebhagavatā
dhammadhammaṁ
taughtdesitaṁ
I understandājānāmi
thatyathā
these whichyeme
obstructiveantarāyikā
thingsdhammā
were saidvuttā
by the Blessed Onebhagavatā
for one practicingte
practicingpaṭisevato
not sufficientnālaṁ
for obstructionantarāyāyā’ti.
whenYato indeedkho wemayaṁ, venerable sirbhante, we were not ablenāsakkhimha Ariṭṭhaariṭṭhaṁ monkbhikkhuṁ formerly a vulture-killergaddhabādhipubbaṁ from thisetasmā evilpāpakā from viewsdiṭṭhigatā to dissuadevivecetuṁ, thenatha wemayaṁ this matteretamatthaṁ to the Blessed Onebhagavato we reportārocemā”ti.
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.”
“Kassa kho nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, mayā evaṁ dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsi? Nanu mayā, moghapurisa, anekapariyāyena antarāyikā dhammā antarāyikā vuttā? Alañca pana te paṭisevato antarāyāya. Appassādā kāmā vuttā mayā, bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo. Aṭṭhikaṅkalūpamā kāmā vuttā mayā … maṁsapesūpamā kāmā vuttā mayā … tiṇukkūpamā kāmā vuttā mayā … aṅgārakāsūpamā kāmā vuttā mayā … supinakūpamā kāmā vuttā mayā … yācitakūpamā kāmā vuttā mayā … rukkhaphalūpamā kāmā vuttā mayā … asisūnūpamā kāmā vuttā mayā … sattisūlūpamā kāmā vuttā mayā … sappasirūpamā kāmā vuttā mayā, bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo.
“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 …
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