‹ Library

Majjhima Nikāya 28

Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

The Longer Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

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

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Buddhabhagavā at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ apart·dwellviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa monasteryārāme.
thereTatra indeedkho venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
reverends“āvuso mendicantsbhikkhave”ti.
reverend“Āvuso”ti indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū to venerableāyasmato Sāriputtasāriputtassa back·replypaccassosuṁ.
venerableĀyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto this·saidetadavoca:

just as“Seyyathāpi, friendsāvuso, whateveryāni anykānici of junglejaṅgalānaṁ of creaturespāṇānaṁ foot·bornpadajātāni allsabbāni thosetāni elephant·foothatthipade inclusionsamodhānaṁ they gogacchanti, elephant·foothatthipadaṁ of themtesaṁ is said to be the bestaggamakkhāyati that isyadidaṁ by greatnessmahantattena;
just soevameva indeedkho, friendsāvuso, whateverye anykeci wholesome·ablekusalā qualitiesdhammā all·thesesabbete in fourcatūsu noble·truthariyasaccesu includedsaṅgahaṁ they gogacchanti.
in whichKatamesu four?catūsu?
in sufferingDukkhe in the noble truthariyasacce, suffering·origindukkhasamudaye in the noble truthariyasacce, suffering·cessationdukkhanirodhe in the noble truthariyasacce, suffering·cessation·leadingdukkhanirodhagāminiyā of the practicepaṭipadāya in the noble truthariyasacce.

and what, friendsKatamañcāvuso, sufferingdukkhaṁ noble truthariyasaccaṁ?
rebirth tooJātipi is sufferingdukkhā, old age toojarāpi is sufferingdukkhā, death toomaraṇampi is sufferingdukkhaṁ, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress toosokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsāpi is sufferingdukkhā, what too one wishes foryampicchaṁ notna getslabhati that tootampi is sufferingdukkhaṁ; in briefsaṅkhittena, five grasping aggregatespañcupādānakkhandhā are sufferingdukkhā.
whatKatame and, friendscāvuso, five grasping aggregatespañcupādānakkhandhā?
they are as follows: form grasping aggregateSeyyathidaṁ—rūpupādānakkhandho, feeling grasping aggregatevedanupādānakkhandho, perception grasping aggregatesaññupādānakkhandho, choices grasping aggregatesaṅkhārupādānakkhandho, consciousness grasping aggregateviññāṇupādānakkhandho.

whichKatamo and, friend,cāvuso, the grasping aggregate of form?rūpupādānakkhandho?
fourCattāri andca principal states,mahābhūtāni, and of the fourcatunnañca principal statesmahābhūtānaṁ derivedupādāya form.rūpaṁ.

whatKatamā and·friendscāvuso, fourcattāro principal·states?mahābhūtā?
earth·elementPathavīdhātu, water·elementāpodhātu, fire·elementtejodhātu, air·elementvāyodhātu.

which?Katamā and, friend,cāvuso, earth·elementpathavīdhātu?
earth·elementPathavīdhātu may besiyā interiorajjhattikā, may besiyā exteriorbāhirā.
which?Katamā and, friend,cāvuso, interiorajjhattikā earth·elementpathavīdhātu?
whateverYaṁ internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ hard,kakkhaḷaṁ solid,kharigataṁ appropriated,upādinnaṁ, this includes:seyyathidaṁ—
head hair,kesā body hair,lomā nails,nakhā teeth,dantā skin,taco flesh,maṁsaṁ sinews,nhāru bones,aṭṭhi bone marrow,aṭṭhimiñjaṁ kidneys,vakkaṁ heart,hadayaṁ liver,yakanaṁ diaphragm,kilomakaṁ spleen,pihakaṁ lungs,papphāsaṁ intestines,antaṁ mesentery,antaguṇaṁ undigested food,udariyaṁ feces;karīsaṁ, whateveryaṁ orvā and anything elsepanaññampi elsekiñci internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ hard,kakkhaḷaṁ solid,kharigataṁ appropriated.upādinnaṁ.
thisAyaṁ is called,vuccatāvuso, interiorajjhattikā earth·elementpathavīdhātu.
theYā andceva indeedkho andpana interiorajjhattikā earth·elementpathavīdhātu, andyā andca exteriorbāhirā earth·elementpathavīdhātu, earth·element·just·justpathavīdhāturevesā.
“This‘Taṁ is not thisnetaṁ mine,mama, I am not this,nesohamasmi, notna this is mymeso self’—like thisattā’ti—evametaṁ as it really isyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya should be seen.daṭṭhabbaṁ.
like thisEvametaṁ as it really isyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya having seen,disvā earth·elementpathavīdhātuyā grow disillusioned,nibbindati, earth·elementpathavīdhātuyā the mindcittaṁ detaches.virājeti.

comes to beHoti indeedkho thatso, friendāvuso, timesamayo whenyaṁ exteriorbāhirā water·elementāpodhātu forth·stirpakuppati.
vanishedAntarahitā at thattasmiṁ timesamaye exteriorbāhirā earth·elementpathavīdhātu comes to behoti.
of thatTassā forhi indeednāma, friendāvuso, exteriorbāhirāya earth·elementpathavīdhātuyā for alltāva greatmahallikāya impermanenceaniccatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, end·liablekhayadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, vanish·liablevayadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, perish·liablevipariṇāmadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati.
whatKiṁ then of thispanimassa ephemeralmattaṭṭhakassa bodykāyassa craving·appropriatedtaṇhupādinnassa ‘I’‘ahanti orvā ‘mine’mamanti orvā ‘I am’asmī’ti orvā? ratherAtha for him it is notkhvāssa not even herenotevettha comes to behoti.

that + ifTañce, friendāvuso, mendicantbhikkhuṁ otherspare toward·abuseakkosanti around·speakparibhāsanti harassrosenti apart·troublevihesenti, heso thusevaṁ forth·knowpajānāti:
arisen‘uppannā indeedkho in meme thisayaṁ ear·contact·bornsotasamphassajā painful·feelingdukkhavedanā.
thatSā andca indeedkho dependentpaṭicca, notno not·dependentapaṭicca.
on whatKiṁ dependentpaṭicca?
on contactPhassaṁ dependentpaṭicca’.
heSo contactphasso impermanent + quotation markeraniccoti seespassati, feelingvedanā impermanent + quotation markeraniccāti seespassati, perceptionsaññā impermanent + quotation markeraniccāti seespassati, choicessaṅkhārā impermanent + quotation markeraniccāti seespassati, consciousnessviññāṇaṁ impermanent + quotation markeraniccanti seespassati.
based on that elementTassa element as object + alonedhātārammaṇameva mindcittaṁ forth·leappakkhandati forth·settlepasīdati together·standsantiṭṭhati upon·releaseadhimuccati.

that·ifTañce, friendāvuso, mendicantbhikkhuṁ otherspare with dislikinganiṭṭhehi with loathingakantehi with detestationamanāpehi toward·to·actsamudācaranti—
fist·striking·alsopāṇisamphassenapi stone·striking·alsoleḍḍusamphassenapi stick·striking·alsodaṇḍasamphassenapi sword·striking·alsosatthasamphassenapi.
heSo thusevaṁ clearly·knowpajānāti:
of such nature‘tathābhūto indeedkho thisayaṁ bodykāyo as·beingyathābhūtasmiṁ bodykāye fist·striking·alsopāṇisamphassāpi strikekamanti, stone·striking·alsoleḍḍusamphassāpi strikekamanti, stick·striking·alsodaṇḍasamphassāpi strikekamanti, sword·striking·alsosatthasamphassāpi strikekamanti.
saidVuttaṁ indeedkho but·thispanetaṁ by the Blessed Onebhagavatā in the Advice on the Simile of the Sawkakacūpamovāde:
with a two-handed saw“ubhatodaṇḍakena if·evencepi, monksbhikkhave, with a sawkakacena banditscorā low-downocarakā limb·limbaṅgamaṅgāni apart·cutokanteyyuṁ, there·alsotatrāpi whoyo mindmano malevolent·corruptpadūseyya notna myme heso on that accounttena instruction·followingsāsanakaro”ti.
up·rousedĀraddhaṁ indeedkho butpana myme energyvīriyaṁ will bebhavissati not·flaggingasallīnaṁ, establishedupaṭṭhitā mindfulnesssati not·confusedasammuṭṭhā, tranquilpassaddho bodykāyo not·disturbedasāraddho, together·immersedsamāhitaṁ mindcittaṁ one·pointedekaggaṁ.
gladlyKāmaṁ nowdāni thisimasmiṁ bodykāye fist·striking·alsopāṇisamphassāpi let strikekamantu, stone·striking·alsoleḍḍusamphassāpi let strikekamantu, stick·striking·alsodaṇḍasamphassāpi let strikekamantu, sword·striking·alsosatthasamphassāpi let strikekamantu, is followedkarīyati for·thishidaṁ of the Buddhasbuddhānaṁ instructionssāsanan’ti.

for himTassa ifce, friendāvuso, for the monkbhikkhuno thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ recollectinganussarato thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ recollectinganussarato thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ recollectinganussarato equanimityupekkhā skillful·based onkusalanissitā notna becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhāti.
heSo by thattena together·tremblesaṁvijjati a sense of urgencysaṁvegaṁ arousesāpajjati:
loss‘alābhā indeedvata for meme, notna indeedvata for meme gainlābhā; badly gaineddulladdhaṁ indeedvata for meme, notna indeedvata for meme well gainedsuladdhaṁ,
for whomyassa meme thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ recollectinganussarato, equanimityupekkhā skillful·based onkusalanissitā notna becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhātī’ti.
just asSeyyathāpi, friendāvuso, a daughter-in-lawsuṇisā the father-in-lawsasuraṁ having seendisvā together·tremblesaṁvijjati a sense of urgencysaṁvegaṁ arousesāpajjati;
just soevameva indeedkho, friendāvuso, for himtassa ifce for the monkbhikkhuno thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ recollectinganussarato, equanimityupekkhā skillful·based onkusalanissitā notna becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhāti, heso by thattena together·tremblesaṁvijjati a sense of urgencysaṁvegaṁ arousesāpajjati:

Page 1 of 4  ·  Next ›

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