Mahāsāropamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 29

The Longer Simile of the Heartwood · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā at Rājagaharājagahe was stayingviharati on Vulture's Peakgijjhakūṭe on the mountainpabbate not long after he had leftacirapakkante Devadattadevadatte.
thereTatra indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā Devadattadevadattaṁ concerningārabbha the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:

here“Idha, mendicantsbhikkhave, some personekacco good family sonkulaputto out of faithsaddhā from homeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ gone forthpabbajito ishoti:
I am swamped‘otiṇṇomhi by rebirthjātiyā by old agejarāya by deathmaraṇena by sorrowsokehi by lamentationparidevehi by paindukkhehi by sadnessdomanassehi by distressupāyāsehi, swamped by sufferingdukkhotiṇṇo mired in sufferingdukkhapareto,
hopefullyappeva indeednāma of thisimassa entirekevalassa mass of sufferingdukkhakkhandhassa making an endantakiriyā would be knownpaññāyethā’ti.
heSo thusevaṁ gone forthpabbajito beingsamāno possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokaṁ generatesabhinibbatteti.
heSo with thattena with possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokena satisfiedattamano ishoti with fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattena with possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokena glorifies himselfattānukkaṁseti anotherparaṁ puts downvambheti:
I am‘ahamasmi possessor of possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokavā, theseime but otherpanaññe mendicantsbhikkhū obscureappaññātā insignificantappesakkhā’ti.
heSo with thattena with possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokena becomes intoxicatedmajjati becomes negligentpamajjati negligencepamādaṁ falls intoāpajjati, negligentpamatto beingsamāno in sufferingdukkhaṁ livesviharati.
supposeSeyyathāpi, mendicantsbhikkhave, personpuriso needing heartwoodsāratthiko seeking heartwoodsāragavesī search for heartwoodsārapariyesanaṁ wanderingcaramāno greatmahato treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato with heartwoodsāravato passing overatikkammeva heartwoodsāraṁ passing overatikkamma softwoodphegguṁ passing overatikkamma barktacaṁ passing overatikkamma shootspapaṭikaṁ, branches and leavessākhāpalāsaṁ having cutchetvā having takenādāya would leavepakkameyya 'heartwood'‘sāran’ti imaginingmaññamāno.
himTamenaṁ with clear eyescakkhumā personpuriso having seendisvā thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:

not‘na indeed, thisvatāyaṁ gentlemanbhavaṁ personpuriso knewaññāsi heartwoodsāraṁ, notna knewaññāsi softwoodphegguṁ, notna knewaññāsi barktacaṁ, notna knewaññāsi shootspapaṭikaṁ, notna knewaññāsi branches and leavessākhāpalāsaṁ.
thusTathā indeed, thishayaṁ gentlemanbhavaṁ personpuriso needing heartwoodsāratthiko seeking heartwoodsāragavesī search for heartwoodsārapariyesanaṁ walking aboutcaramāno greatmahato treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato with heartwoodsāravato just passing overatikkammeva heartwoodsāraṁ passing overatikkamma softwoodphegguṁ passing overatikkamma barktacaṁ passing overatikkamma shootspapaṭikaṁ, branches and leavessākhāpalāsaṁ having cut offchetvā having takenādāya departedpakkanto heartwood, thinking“sāran”ti imaginingmaññamāno.
whatever for himYañcassa with heartwoodsārena to be made from heartwoodsārakaraṇīyaṁ that for himtañcassa purposeatthaṁ will not experiencenānubhavissatī’ti.
even soEvameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, here someidhekacco son of good familykulaputto from faithsaddhā from homeagārasmā homelessnessanagāriyaṁ has gone forthpabbajito ishoti:
I am submerged‘otiṇṇomhi by birthjātiyā by agingjarāya by deathmaraṇena by sorrowssokehi by lamentationsparidevehi by painsdukkhehi by sadnessesdomanassehi by distressesupāyāsehi, submerged in sufferingdukkhotiṇṇo overcome by sufferingdukkhapareto,
perhapsappeva indeednāma thisimassa entirekevalassa mass of sufferingdukkhakkhandhassa endingantakiriyā might be discernedpaññāyethā’ti.
heSo thusevaṁ has gone forthpabbajito beingsamāno gain, honor, famelābhasakkārasilokaṁ producesabhinibbatteti.
heSo by thattena gain, honor, famelābhasakkārasilokena satisfiedattamano ishoti with fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.

heSo with thattena with gain, honor, and famelābhasakkārasilokena praises himselfattānukkaṁseti, anotherparaṁ disparagesvambheti 'I am‘ahamasmi one with gain, honor, and famelābhasakkārasilokavā, theseime but otherpanaññe monksbhikkhū unknownappaññātā of little influence'appesakkhā’ti.
heSo with thattena with gain, honor, and famelābhasakkārasilokena is intoxicatedmajjati is negligentpamajjati negligencepamādaṁ falls intoāpajjati, negligentpamatto beingsamāno sufferingdukkhaṁ dwellsviharati.
thisAyaṁ is calledvuccati, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu branches and leavessākhāpalāsaṁ grabbedaggahesi of the spiritual lifebrahmacariyassa;
with thattena andca stopping shortvosānaṁ attainedāpādi.

hereIdha thenpana, monksbhikkhave, someekacco clansmankulaputto out of faithsaddhā from homeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ gone forthpabbajito ishoti:
I am submerged‘otiṇṇomhi by birthjātiyā by old agejarāya by deathmaraṇena by sorrowssokehi by lamentationsparidevehi by painsdukkhehi by griefsdomanassehi by tribulationsupāyāsehi, submerged in sufferingdukkhotiṇṇo overcome by sufferingdukkhapareto,
surelyappeva indeednāma of thisimassa entirekevalassa of mass of sufferingdukkhakkhandhassa endingantakiriyā might be knownpaññāyethā’ti.
heSo thusevaṁ gone forthpabbajito beingsamāno possessions honor popularitylābhasakkārasilokaṁ generatesabhinibbatteti.
heSo with thattena by possessions honor popularitylābhasakkārasilokena notna satisfiedattamano ishoti notna full of intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattena by possessions honor popularitylābhasakkārasilokena notna exalts himselfattānukkaṁseti, notna otherparaṁ despisesvambheti.
heSo with thattena by possessions honor popularitylābhasakkārasilokena notna becomes intoxicatedmajjati is not negligentnappamajjati notna negligencepamādaṁ falls intoāpajjati.
diligentAppamatto beingsamāno accomplishment in ethicssīlasampadaṁ achievesārādheti.
heSo with thattāya by accomplishment in ethicssīlasampadāya satisfiedattamano ishoti full of intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattāya by accomplishment in ethicssīlasampadāya exalts himselfattānukkaṁseti, otherparaṁ despisesvambheti:
I am‘ahamasmi ethicalsīlavā of good characterkalyāṇadhammo, theseime but otherpanaññe monksbhikkhū unethicaldussīlā of bad characterpāpadhammā’ti.
heSo with thattāya by accomplishment in ethicssīlasampadāya becomes intoxicatedmajjati is negligentpamajjati negligencepamādaṁ falls intoāpajjati, negligentpamatto beingsamāno in sufferingdukkhaṁ livesviharati.

suppose, just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, a personpuriso needing heartwoodsāratthiko seeking heartwoodsāragavesī search for heartwoodsārapariyesanaṁ wanderingcaramāno of a largemahato of a treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato with heartwoodsāravato passing over justatikkammeva the heartwoodsāraṁ passing overatikkamma the softwoodphegguṁ passing overatikkamma the bark,tacaṁ, shootspapaṭikaṁ having cutchetvā having takenādāya would leavepakkameyya heartwood‘sāran’ti imaginingmaññamāno.
himTamenaṁ with eyescakkhumā personpuriso having seendisvā thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
not‘na indeed thisvatāyaṁ gentlemanbhavaṁ personpuriso knewaññāsi heartwood,sāraṁ, notna knewaññāsi softwood,phegguṁ, notna knewaññāsi bark,tacaṁ, notna knewaññāsi shoots,papaṭikaṁ, notna knewaññāsi branches and leaves.sākhāpalāsaṁ.
soTathā because thishayaṁ gentlemanbhavaṁ personpuriso needing heartwoodsāratthiko seeking heartwoodsāragavesī search for heartwoodsārapariyesanaṁ wanderingcaramāno of a largemahato of a treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato with heartwoodsāravato passing over justatikkammeva the heartwoodsāraṁ passing overatikkamma the softwoodphegguṁ passing overatikkamma the bark,tacaṁ, shootspapaṭikaṁ having cutchetvā having takenādāya leftpakkanto heartwood“sāran”ti imagining;maññamāno;
and whatever for himyañcassa with heartwoodsārena needs to make from heartwoodsārakaraṇīyaṁ that for himtañcassa the purposeatthaṁ will not achieve.nānubhavissatī’ti.

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