Upālisutta

Majjhima Nikāya 56

With Upāli · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Atha kho nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto mahatiyā nigaṇṭhaparisāya saddhiṁ yena upālissa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami.
Addasā kho dovāriko nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.
Disvāna nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ etadavoca:
“tiṭṭha, bhante, mā pāvisi.
Ajjatagge upāli gahapati samaṇassa gotamassa sāvakattaṁ upagato.
Āvaṭaṁ dvāraṁ nigaṇṭhānaṁ nigaṇṭhīnaṁ, anāvaṭaṁ dvāraṁ bhagavato bhikkhūnaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ upāsakānaṁ upāsikānaṁ.
Sace te, bhante, piṇḍakena attho, ettheva tiṭṭha, ettheva te āharissantī”ti.
“Tena hi, samma dovārika, yena upāli gahapati tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā upāliṁ gahapatiṁ evaṁ vadehi:
‘nigaṇṭho, bhante, nāṭaputto mahatiyā nigaṇṭhaparisāya saddhiṁ bahidvārakoṭṭhake ṭhito;
so te dassanakāmo’”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho dovāriko nigaṇṭhassa nāṭaputtassa paṭissutvā yena upāli gahapati tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā upāliṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca:

Then the Jain Ñātika went to Upāli’s home together with a large following of Jain ascetics. The gatekeeper saw him coming off in the distance and said to him: “Wait, sir, do not enter. From now on the householder Upāli has become a disciple of the ascetic Gotama. His gate is closed to Jain monks and nuns, and opened for the Buddha’s monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. If you require almsfood, wait here, they will bring it to you.” “Well then, my good gatekeeper, go to Upāli and say: ‘Sir, the Jain Ñātika is waiting outside the gates together with a large following of Jain ascetics. He wishes to see you.’” “Yes, sir,” replied the gatekeeper. He went to Upāli and relayed what was said.

“nigaṇṭho, bhante, nāṭaputto mahatiyā nigaṇṭhaparisāya saddhiṁ bahidvārakoṭṭhake ṭhito;
so te dassanakāmo”ti.
“Tena hi, samma dovārika, majjhimāya dvārasālāya āsanāni paññapehī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho dovāriko upālissa gahapatissa paṭissutvā majjhimāya dvārasālāya āsanāni paññapetvā yena upāli gahapati tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā upāliṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca:
“paññattāni kho, bhante, majjhimāya dvārasālāya āsanāni.
Yassadāni kālaṁ maññasī”ti.

Upāli said to him, “Well, then, my good gatekeeper, prepare seats in the hall of the middle gate.” “Yes, sir,” replied the gatekeeper. He did as he was asked, then returned to Upāli and said, “Sir, seats have been prepared in the hall of the middle gate. Please go at your convenience.”

Atha kho upāli gahapati yena majjhimā dvārasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā yaṁ tattha āsanaṁ aggañca seṭṭhañca uttamañca paṇītañca tattha sāmaṁ nisīditvā dovārikaṁ āmantesi:
“tena hi, samma dovārika, yena nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ evaṁ vadehi:
‘upāli, bhante, gahapati evamāha—
pavisa kira, bhante, sace ākaṅkhasī’”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho dovāriko upālissa gahapatissa paṭissutvā yena nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ etadavoca:
“upāli, bhante, gahapati evamāha:
‘pavisa kira, bhante, sace ākaṅkhasī’”ti.
Atha kho nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto mahatiyā nigaṇṭhaparisāya saddhiṁ yena majjhimā dvārasālā tenupasaṅkami.

Then Upāli went to the hall of the middle gate, where he sat on the highest and finest seat. He addressed the gatekeeper, “Well then, my good gatekeeper, go to the Jain Ñātika and say to him: ‘Sir, Upāli says you may enter if you wish.’” “Yes, sir,” replied the gatekeeper. He went to the Jain Ñātika and relayed what was said. Then the Jain Ñātika went to the hall of the middle gate together with a large following of Jain ascetics.

Atha kho upāli gahapati—
yaṁ sudaṁ pubbe yato passati nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ disvāna tato paccuggantvā yaṁ tattha āsanaṁ aggañca seṭṭhañca uttamañca paṇītañca taṁ uttarāsaṅgena sammajjitvā pariggahetvā nisīdāpeti so—
dāni yaṁ tattha āsanaṁ aggañca seṭṭhañca uttamañca paṇītañca tattha sāmaṁ nisīditvā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ etadavoca:
“saṁvijjanti kho, bhante, āsanāni;
sace ākaṅkhasi, nisīdā”ti.

Previously, when Upāli saw the Jain Ñātika coming, he would go out to greet him and, having wiped off the highest and finest seat with his upper robe, he would embrace him and sit him down. But today, having seated himself on the highest and finest seat, he said to the Jain Ñātika, “There are seats, sir. Please sit if you wish.”

Evaṁ vutte, nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto upāliṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca:
“ummattosi tvaṁ, gahapati, dattosi tvaṁ, gahapati.
‘Gacchāmahaṁ, bhante, samaṇassa gotamassa vādaṁ āropessāmī’ti gantvā mahatāsi vādasaṅghāṭena paṭimukko āgato.
Seyyathāpi, gahapati, puriso aṇḍahārako gantvā ubbhatehi aṇḍehi āgaccheyya, seyyathā vā pana gahapati puriso akkhikahārako gantvā ubbhatehi akkhīhi āgaccheyya;
evameva kho tvaṁ, gahapati, ‘gacchāmahaṁ, bhante, samaṇassa gotamassa vādaṁ āropessāmī’ti gantvā mahatāsi vādasaṅghāṭena paṭimukko āgato.
Āvaṭṭosi kho tvaṁ, gahapati, samaṇena gotamena āvaṭṭaniyā māyāyā”ti.

When he said this, the Jain Ñātika said to him: “You’re mad, householder! You’re a moron! You said: ‘I’ll go and refute the ascetic Gotama’s doctrine.’ But you come back caught in the vast net of his doctrine. Suppose a man went to deliver a pair of testicles, but came back castrated. Or they went to deliver eyes, but came back blinded. In the same way, you said: ‘I’ll go and refute the ascetic Gotama’s doctrine.’ But you come back caught in the vast net of his doctrine. You’ve been converted by the ascetic Gotama’s conversion trick!”

“Bhaddikā, bhante, āvaṭṭanī māyā;
kalyāṇī, bhante, āvaṭṭanī māyā;
piyā me, bhante, ñātisālohitā imāya āvaṭṭaniyā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ; piyānampi me assa ñātisālohitānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya;
sabbe cepi, bhante, khattiyā imāya āvaṭṭaniyā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ; sabbesānampissa khattiyānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya; sabbe cepi, bhante, brāhmaṇā …pe… vessā …pe… suddā imāya āvaṭṭaniyā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ; sabbesānampissa suddānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya;
sadevako cepi, bhante, loko samārako sabrahmako sassamaṇabrāhmaṇī pajā sadevamanussā imāya āvaṭṭaniyā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ; sadevakassapissa lokassa samārakassa sabrahmakassa sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyāti.
Tena hi, bhante, upamaṁ te karissāmi.
Upamāyapidhekacce viññū purisā bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānanti.

“Sir, this conversion trick is excellent. This conversion trick is lovely! If my loved ones—relatives and kin—were to be converted by this, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness. If all the aristocrats, brahmins, peasants, and menials were to be converted by this, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness. If the whole world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—were to be converted by this, it would be for their lasting welfare and happiness. Well then, sir, I shall give you a simile. For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said.

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