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Majjhima Nikāya 29

Mahāsāropamasutta

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

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hereIdha nowpana, monksbhikkhave, a certainekacco clansmankulaputto out of faithsaddhā from homeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ gone forthpabbajito ishoti:
I am immersed‘otiṇṇomhi in birthjātiyā in agingjarāya in deathmaraṇena in sorrowssokehi in lamentationsparidevehi in painsdukkhehi in griefsdomanassehi in distressesupāyāsehi, immersed in sufferingdukkhotiṇṇo overwhelmed by sufferingdukkhapareto,
if onlyappeva indeednāma of thisimassa entirekevalassa of the mass of sufferingdukkhakkhandhassa the endingantakiriyā would be knownpaññāyethā’ti.
heSo thusevaṁ gone forthpabbajito beingsamāno possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokaṁ generatesabhinibbatteti.
heSo with thattena with possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokena notna elatedattamano ishoti notna with fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattena with possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokena notna does not exalt himselfattānukkaṁseti, notna anotherparaṁ does not disparagevambheti.
heSo with thattena with possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokena notna is not intoxicatedmajjati is not heedlessnappamajjati notna into heedlessnesspamādaṁ does not fallāpajjati.
heedfulAppamatto beingsamāno the attainment of virtuesīlasampadaṁ achievesārādheti.
heSo with thattāya with the attainment of virtuesīlasampadāya elatedattamano ishoti, notno butca indeedkho with fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattāya with the attainment of virtuesīlasampadāya notna does not exalt himselfattānukkaṁseti, notna anotherparaṁ does not disparagevambheti.
heSo with thattāya with the attainment of virtuesīlasampadāya notna is not intoxicatedmajjati is not heedlessnappamajjati notna into heedlessnesspamādaṁ does not fallāpajjati, heedfulappamatto beingsamāno the attainment of concentrationsamādhisampadaṁ achievesārādheti.

Next, take a gentleman who has gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness … When they’ve gone forth they generate possessions, honor, and popularity. …

heSo with thattāya attainment of immersionsamādhisampadāya satisfiedattamano ishoti, notno andca indeedkho with fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattāya attainment of immersionsamādhisampadāya notna glorifies himselfattānukkaṁseti, notna othersparaṁ disparagesvambheti.
heSo with thattāya attainment of immersionsamādhisampadāya notna is intoxicatedmajjati not negligentnappamajjati notna negligencepamādaṁ falls intoāpajjati diligentappamatto beingsamāno knowledge and visionñāṇadassanaṁ achievesārādheti.
heSo with thattena knowledge and visionñāṇadassanena satisfiedattamano ishoti with fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattena knowledge and visionñāṇadassanena glorifies himselfattānukkaṁseti, othersparaṁ disparagesvambheti:
I am‘ahamasmi knowingjānaṁ seeingpassaṁ I dwellviharāmi.
theseIme but otherpanaññe mendicantsbhikkhū not knowingajānaṁ not seeingapassaṁ they dwellviharantī’ti.
heSo with thattena knowledge and visionñāṇadassanena is intoxicatedmajjati is negligentpamajjati negligencepamādaṁ falls intoāpajjati, negligentpamatto beingsamāno sufferingdukkhaṁ dwellsviharati.
just asSeyyathāpi, mendicantsbhikkhave, a personpuriso in need of heartwoodsāratthiko seeking heartwoodsāragavesī search for heartwoodsārapariyesanaṁ wanderingcaramāno of a greatmahato treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato with heartwoodsāravato passing overatikkammeva heartwoodsāraṁ softwoodphegguṁ having cutchetvā having takenādāya would leavepakkameyya heartwood‘sāran’ti imaginingmaññamāno.
himTamenaṁ with eyescakkhumā a personpuriso having seendisvā thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:

Being diligent, they achieve knowledge and vision. They’re happy with that, and they’ve got all they wished for. And they glorify themselves and put others down on account of that, ‘I’m the one who meditates knowing and seeing. These other mendicants meditate without knowing and seeing.’ And so they become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding that knowledge and vision. And being negligent they live in suffering. Suppose there was a person in need of heartwood. And while wandering in search of heartwood he’d come across a large tree standing with heartwood. But, passing over the heartwood, he’d cut out the softwood and leave imagining it was heartwood. If a person with clear eyes saw him they’d say,

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 wanderingcaramāno greatmahato of treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato possessing heartwoodsāravato passing overatikkammeva heartwoodsāraṁ softwoodphegguṁ having cutchetvā having takenādāya departedpakkanto thinking 'heartwood'“sāran”ti imaginingmaññamāno.
and for himYañcassa with heartwoodsārena to be done with heartwoodsārakaraṇīyaṁ and that for himtañcassa benefitatthaṁ will not experiencenānubhavissatī’ti.
just soEvameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, here someidhekacco clansmankulaputto through faithsaddhā from homeagārasmā homelessnessanagāriyaṁ gone forthpabbajito ishoti:
I am immersed‘otiṇṇomhi in birthjātiyā in agingjarāya in deathmaraṇena in sorrowssokehi in lamentationsparidevehi in painsdukkhehi in mental painsdomanassehi in distressesupāyāsehi, immersed in sufferingdukkhotiṇṇo overcome by sufferingdukkhapareto,
perhapsappeva indeednāma of thisimassa wholekevalassa mass of sufferingdukkhakkhandhassa endingantakiriyā may be discernedpaññāyethā’ti.
heSo thusevaṁ gone forthpabbajito beingsamāno gain, honor, and renownlābhasakkārasilokaṁ generatesabhinibbatteti.
heSo by thattena gain, honor, and renownlābhasakkārasilokena notna satisfiedattamano ishoti notna full of intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo by thattena gain, honor, and renownlābhasakkārasilokena notna does not exalt selfattānukkaṁseti, notna anotherparaṁ does he disparagevambheti.

‘This gentleman doesn’t know what heartwood, softwood, bark, shoots, or branches and leaves are. That’s why he passed them over, cut out the softwood, and left imagining it was heartwood. Whatever he needs to make from heartwood, he won’t succeed.’ …

heSo with thattena with gain, honor, and famelābhasakkārasilokena notna is intoxicatedmajjati does not become negligentnappamajjati notna into negligencepamādaṁ fallsāpajjati, diligentappamatto beingsamāno accomplishment in virtuesīlasampadaṁ achievesārādheti.
heSo with thattāya accomplishment in virtuesīlasampadāya satisfiedattamano ishoti, notno butca indeedkho one of fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattāya accomplishment in virtuesīlasampadāya notna exalts himselfattānukkaṁseti, notna anotherparaṁ disparagesvambheti.
heSo with thattāya accomplishment in virtuesīlasampadāya notna is intoxicatedmajjati does not become negligentnappamajjati notna into negligencepamādaṁ fallsāpajjati, diligentappamatto beingsamāno accomplishment in concentrationsamādhisampadaṁ achievesārādheti.
heSo with thattāya accomplishment in concentrationsamādhisampadāya satisfiedattamano ishoti, notno butca indeedkho one of fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattāya accomplishment in concentrationsamādhisampadāya notna exalts himselfattānukkaṁseti, notna anotherparaṁ disparagesvambheti.
heSo with thattāya accomplishment in concentrationsamādhisampadāya notna is intoxicatedmajjati does not become negligentnappamajjati notna into negligencepamādaṁ fallsāpajjati, diligentappamatto beingsamāno knowledge and visionñāṇadassanaṁ achievesārādheti.
heSo with thattena knowledge and visionñāṇadassanena satisfiedattamano ishoti one of fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattena knowledge and visionñāṇadassanena exalts himselfattānukkaṁseti, anotherparaṁ disparages:vambheti:
I am‘ahamasmi knowingjānaṁ seeingpassaṁ I dwellviharāmi, theseime but otherpanaññe monksbhikkhū not knowingajānaṁ not seeingapassaṁ dwellviharantī’ti.

He is not intoxicated with that gain, honor, and fame; he does not become negligent; he does not fall into negligence. Being diligent, he achieves the accomplishment of virtue. He is satisfied with that accomplishment of virtue, but his intention is not fulfilled. He does not exalt himself or disparage another because of that accomplishment of virtue. He is not intoxicated with that accomplishment of virtue; he does not become negligent; he does not fall into negligence. Being diligent, he achieves the accomplishment of concentration. He is satisfied with that accomplishment of concentration, but his intention is not fulfilled. He does not exalt himself or disparage another because of that accomplishment of concentration. He is not intoxicated with that accomplishment of concentration; he does not become negligent; he does not fall into negligence. Being diligent, he achieves knowledge and vision. He is satisfied with that knowledge and vision, and his intention is fulfilled. Because of that knowledge and vision, he exalts himself and disparages others, saying: 'I dwell knowing and seeing, but these other monks dwell not knowing and not seeing.'

heSo with thattena with knowledge and visionñāṇadassanena is intoxicatedmajjati is negligentpamajjati negligencepamādaṁ falls intoāpajjati, being negligentpamatto beingsamāno sufferingdukkhaṁ dwellsviharati.
thisAyaṁ is calledvuccati, monksbhikkhave, a mendicantbhikkhu the softwoodphegguṁ grabbedaggahesi of the spiritual lifebrahmacariyassa;
with thattena andca stopped shortvosānaṁ attainedāpādi.

This is called a mendicant who has grabbed the softwood of the spiritual life and stopped short with that.

hereIdha nowpana, monksbhikkhave, someekacco gentlemankulaputto out of faithsaddhā from the lay lifeagārasmā 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 of the entire mass of sufferingdukkhakkhandhassa an endantakiriyā may be knownpaññāyethā’ti.
theySo thusevaṁ gone forthpabbajito beingsamāno possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokaṁ generateabhinibbatteti.
theySo by thattena by possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokena notna happyattamano arehoti, notna haven't got all they wished forparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
theySo on account of thattena with possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokena do notna glorify themselvesattānukkaṁseti, notna othersparaṁ put downvambheti.
theySo by thattena with possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokena notna become indulgentmajjati nor become negligentnappamajjati notna into negligencepamādaṁ fallāpajjati, diligentappamatto beingsamāno accomplishment in ethicssīlasampadaṁ achieveārādheti.
theySo by thattāya with that accomplishment in ethicssīlasampadāya happyattamano arehoti, notno butca indeedkho haven't got all they wished forparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
theySo on account of thattāya with that accomplishment in ethicssīlasampadāya do notna glorify themselvesattānukkaṁseti, notna othersparaṁ put downvambheti.
theySo by thattāya with that accomplishment in ethicssīlasampadāya notna become indulgentmajjati nor become negligentnappamajjati notna into negligencepamādaṁ fallāpajjati, diligentappamatto beingsamāno accomplishment in immersionsamādhisampadaṁ achieveārādheti.

Next, take a gentleman who has gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness, thinking, ‘I’m swamped by rebirth, old age, and death; by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. I’m swamped by suffering, mired in suffering. Hopefully I can make an end to this entire mass of suffering.’ When they’ve gone forth they generate possessions, honor, and popularity. They’re not happy with that, and haven’t got all they wished for. They don’t glorify themselves and put others down on account of that. Nor do they become indulgent and fall into negligence on account of those possessions, honor, and popularity. Being diligent, they achieve accomplishment in ethics. They’re happy with that, but they haven’t got all they wished for. They don’t glorify themselves and put others down on account of that. Nor do they become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding that accomplishment in ethics. Being diligent, they achieve accomplishment in immersion.

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