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Majjhima Nikāya 30

Cūḷasāropamasutta

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

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just asSeyyathāpi orvā thenpana, brahminbrāhmaṇa, a personpuriso heartwood·needsāratthiko heartwood·seekingsāragavesī heartwood·searchsārapariyesanaṁ wanderingcaramāno of a largemahato of a treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato heartwood·withsāravato heartwood·justsāraññeva having cut outchetvā toward·takeādāya forth·leavepakkameyya it was heartwood‘sāran’ti knowingjānamāno.
himTamenaṁ eye·withcakkhumā a personpuriso having seendisvā thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
he knew‘aññāsi indeed·thisvatāyaṁ gentlemanbhavaṁ a personpuriso heartwoodsāraṁ, he knewaññāsi softwoodphegguṁ, he knewaññāsi barktacaṁ, he knewaññāsi shootspapaṭikaṁ, he knewaññāsi branch·leafsākhāpalāsaṁ.
soTathā thishayaṁ gentlemanbhavaṁ a personpuriso heartwood·needsāratthiko heartwood·seekingsāragavesī heartwood·searchsārapariyesanaṁ wanderingcaramāno of a largemahato of a treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato heartwood·withsāravato heartwood·justsāraññeva having cut outchetvā toward·takeādāya forth·leavepakkanto it was heartwood“sāran”ti knowingjānamāno.
and·whatever·for himYañcassa with heartwoodsārena heartwood·to be madesārakaraṇīyaṁ and that·for himtañcassa the goalatthaṁ along·succeedanubhavissatī’ti.

Suppose there was another person in need of heartwood. And while wandering in search of heartwood he’d come across a large tree standing with heartwood. He’d cut out just the heartwood and leave knowing it was heartwood. If a person with clear eyes saw him they’d say: ‘This gentleman knows what heartwood, softwood, bark, shoots, or branches and leaves are. That’s why he cut out just the heartwood and left knowing it was heartwood. Whatever he needs to make from heartwood, he will succeed.’

just soEvameva indeedkho, brahminbrāhmaṇa, here someidhekacco individualpuggalo out of faithsaddhā from homeagārasmā not·homeanagāriyaṁ 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 suffering·massdukkhakkhandhassa end·makingantakiriyā may be knownpaññāyethā’ti.
heSo thusevaṁ gone forthpabbajito beingsamāno gain·honor·famelābhasakkārasilokaṁ generatesabhinibbatteti.
heSo with thattena gain·honor·famelābhasakkārasilokena self·mindattamano ishoti with fulfilled intentionsparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattena gain·honor·famelābhasakkārasilokena glorifies himselfattānukkaṁseti, othersparaṁ puts downvambheti:
I am‘ahamasmi possessing possessions, honor, and popularitylābhasakkārasilokavā, theseime but otherpanaññe mendicantsbhikkhū not·knownappaññātā insignificantappesakkhā’ti.
by possessions, honor, and popularityLābhasakkārasilokena andca whichye otheraññe qualitiesdhammā higheruttaritarā andca finerpaṇītatarā andca of thosetesaṁ of qualitiesdhammānaṁ for realizationsacchikiriyāya notna enthusiasmchandaṁ generatesjaneti, notna triesvāyamati, lazy·conductolīnavuttiko andca ishoti slacksāthaliko.
just asSeyyathāpi thatso, brahminbrāhmaṇa, personpuriso heartwood·desiringsāratthiko heartwood·seekingsāragavesī heartwood·searchsārapariyesanaṁ wanderingcaramāno of a greatmahato treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato possessing heartwoodsāravato having passed overatikkammeva the heartwoodsāraṁ over·goatikkamma the softwoodphegguṁ over·goatikkamma the barktacaṁ over·goatikkamma the shootspapaṭikaṁ, branch·leafsākhāpalāsaṁ having cutchetvā having takenādāya forth·gonepakkanto thinking "heartwood"‘sāran’ti imaginingmaññamāno.

In the same way, take a certain individual who goes forth 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 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 with possessions, honor, and popularity. These other mendicants are obscure and insignificant.’ They become lazy and slack on account of their possessions, honor, and popularity, not generating enthusiasm or trying to realize those things that are better and finer. …

and whatever for himYañcassa with the heartwoodsārena heartwood·to-be-donesārakaraṇīyaṁ and that for himtañcassa the purposeatthaṁ he will not experiencenānubhavissati.
with such a simile, ITathūpamāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, thisimaṁ individualpuggalaṁ I say.vadāmi.

They’re like the individual who mistakes branches and leaves for heartwood, I say.

hereIdha nowpana, brahminbrāhmaṇa, someekacco individualpuggalo out of faithsaddhā from the lay lifeagārasmā not·home-lifeanagāriyaṁ gone forthpabbajito ishoti:
I am submerged‘otiṇṇomhi by birthjātiyā by old agejarāya by deathmaraṇena by sorrowssokehi by lamentationsparidevehi by painsdukkhehi by sadnessesdomanassehi by distressesupāyāsehi, suffering·under·submergeddukkhotiṇṇo overcome by sufferingdukkhapareto,
if onlyappeva indeednāma of thisimassa wholekevalassa suffering·aggregatedukkhakkhandhassa end·makingantakiriyā might be knownpaññāyethā’ti.
heSo thusevaṁ gone forthpabbajito beingsamāno gain·honor·famelābhasakkārasilokaṁ generatesabhinibbatteti.
heSo with thattena gain·honor·famelābhasakkārasilokena notna self·mindattamano ishoti notna with fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattena gain·honor·famelābhasakkārasilokena notna glorifies himselfattānukkaṁseti, notna anotherparaṁ puts downvambheti.
gain·honor·fameLābhasakkārasilokena andca whichye otheraññe thingsdhammā higheruttaritarā andca finerpaṇītatarā andca of thosetesaṁ of thingsdhammānaṁ realization·doingsacchikiriyāya enthusiasmchandaṁ generatesjaneti, triesvāyamati, not·slack·conductanolīnavuttiko andca ishoti not deceitfulasāthaliko.
heSo ethics·accomplishmentsīlasampadaṁ achievesārādheti.
heSo with thattāya ethics·accomplishmentsīlasampadāya self·mindattamano ishoti, with fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo with thattāya ethics·accomplishmentsīlasampadāya glorifies himselfattānukkaṁseti, anotherparaṁ puts downvambheti:
I am‘ahamasmi ethicalsīlavā of good characterkalyāṇadhammo, theseime but otherpanaññe mendicantsbhikkhū bad·ethicaldussīlā of bad characterpāpadhammā’ti.

Next, take an individual who has gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness … 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. They don’t become lazy and slack regarding their possessions, honor, and popularity, but generate enthusiasm and try to realize those things that are better and finer. They achieve accomplishment in ethics. 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 is ethical, of good character. These other mendicants are unethical, of bad character.’

ethics·accomplishmentSīlasampadāya andca those whichye otheraññe dhammasdhammā higher·comparativeuttaritarā andca fine·comparativepaṇītatarā andca of thosetesaṁ dhammasdhammānaṁ with one's own eyes·doingsacchikiriyāya notna enthusiasmchandaṁ generatesjaneti, notna triesvāyamati, lazy·behaviorolīnavuttiko andca ishoti slacksāthaliko.
just-as·indeedSeyyathāpi thatso, brahminbrāhmaṇa, personpuriso needing heartwoodsāratthiko heartwood·seekingsāragavesī heartwood·searchsārapariyesanaṁ while wanderingcaramāno of a greatmahato treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato heartwood·possessingsāravato pass beyond·justatikkammeva heartwoodsāraṁ passing overatikkamma softwoodphegguṁ passing overatikkamma barktacaṁ, shootspapaṭikaṁ having cutchetvā having takenādāya departedpakkanto 'heartwood'‘sāran’ti thinkingmaññamāno.
which + and + for himYañcassa with heartwoodsārena what should be done with heartwoodsārakaraṇīyaṁ, that + and + for himtañcassa benefitatthaṁ will not experiencenānubhavissati.
Of just such a kind, I sayTathūpamāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, thisimaṁ personpuggalaṁ I sayvadāmi.

They become lazy and slack regarding their accomplishment in ethics, not generating enthusiasm or trying to realize those things that are better and finer. … They’re like the individual who mistakes shoots for heartwood, I say.

hereIdha nowpana, brahminbrāhmaṇa, someekacco individualpuggalo out of faithsaddhā from the lay lifeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ forth·gopabbajito ishoti:
I am sunken‘otiṇṇomhi by birthjātiyā by agingjarāya by deathmaraṇena by sorrowssokehi by lamentationsparidevehi by painsdukkhehi by mental distressesdomanassehi by tribulationsupāyāsehi, sunken in sufferingdukkhotiṇṇo overcome by sufferingdukkhapareto,
perhapsappeva indeednāma of thisimassa entirekevalassa suffering·massdukkhakkhandhassa end·makingantakiriyā might be discernedpaññāyethā’ti.
heSo thusevaṁ forth·gopabbajito beingsamāno gain·honor·renownlābhasakkārasilokaṁ producesabhinibbatteti.
heSo by thattena gain·honor·renownlābhasakkārasilokena notna self·mindattamano ishoti, notna of fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo by thattena gain·honor·renownlābhasakkārasilokena notna exalts himselfattānukkaṁseti, notna anotherparaṁ disparagesvambheti.
by gain, honor, and renownLābhasakkārasilokena andca whichye otheraññe statesdhammā higheruttaritarā andca more excellentpaṇītatarā andca of thosetesaṁ of statesdhammānaṁ for the realizationsacchikiriyāya desirechandaṁ generatesjaneti, strivesvāyamati, not·indolent·conductanolīnavuttiko andca ishoti not fraudulentasāthaliko.
heSo ethics·accomplishmentsīlasampadaṁ achievesārādheti.
heSo by thattāya ethics·accomplishmentsīlasampadāya self·mindattamano ishoti notno andca indeedkho of fulfilled intentionparipuṇṇasaṅkappo.
heSo by thattāya ethics·accomplishmentsīlasampadāya notna exalts himselfattānukkaṁseti, notna anotherparaṁ disparagesvambheti.

Next, take an individual who has gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness … They achieve accomplishment in ethics …

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