The Ascetic Who Behaved Like a Dog · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā koliyesu viharati haliddavasanaṁ nāma koliyānaṁ nigamo.
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Koliyans, where they have a town named Haliddavasana.
Atha kho puṇṇo ca koliyaputto govatiko acelo ca seniyo kukkuravatiko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā puṇṇo koliyaputto govatiko bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Acelo pana seniyo kukkuravatiko bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā kukkurova palikujjitvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho puṇṇo koliyaputto govatiko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ayaṁ, bhante, acelo seniyo kukkuravatiko dukkarakārako chamānikkhittaṁ bhojanaṁ bhuñjati. Tassa taṁ kukkuravataṁ dīgharattaṁ samattaṁ samādinnaṁ. Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti? “Alaṁ, puṇṇa, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti. Dutiyampi kho puṇṇo koliyaputto govatiko …pe… tatiyampi kho puṇṇo koliyaputto govatiko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ayaṁ, bhante, acelo seniyo kukkuravatiko dukkarakārako chamānikkhittaṁ bhojanaṁ bhuñjati. Tassa taṁ kukkuravataṁ dīgharattaṁ samattaṁ samādinnaṁ.
Then Puṇṇa the Koliyan, a cow votary, and the naked ascetic Seniya, a dog votary, went to the Buddha. Puṇṇa bowed to the Buddha and sat down to one side, while Seniya exchanged greetings and polite conversation with him before sitting down to one side curled up like a dog. Puṇṇa said to the Buddha, “Sir, this naked ascetic Seniya the dog votary does a hard thing: he eats food placed on the ground. For a long time he has undertaken that observance to behave like a dog. Where will he be reborn in his next life?” “Enough, Puṇṇa, let it be. Don’t ask me that.” For a second time … and a third time, Puṇṇa said to the Buddha, “Sir, this naked ascetic Seniya does a hard thing: he eats food placed on the ground. For a long time he has undertaken that observance to behave like a dog.
Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti? “Addhā kho te ahaṁ, puṇṇa, na labhāmi. Alaṁ, puṇṇa, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchīti; api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi.
Where will he be reborn in his next life?” “Clearly, Puṇṇa, I’m not getting through to you when I say: ‘Enough, Puṇṇa, let it be. Don’t ask me that.’ Nevertheless, I will answer you.
Idha, puṇṇa, ekacco kukkuravataṁ bhāveti paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, kukkurasīlaṁ bhāveti paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, kukkuracittaṁ bhāveti paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, kukkurākappaṁ bhāveti paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ. So kukkuravataṁ bhāvetvā paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, kukkurasīlaṁ bhāvetvā paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, kukkuracittaṁ bhāvetvā paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, kukkurākappaṁ bhāvetvā paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā kukkurānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Sace kho panassa evaṁdiṭṭhi hoti: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti, sāssa hoti micchādiṭṭhi. Micchādiṭṭhissa kho ahaṁ, puṇṇa, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi—nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā. Iti kho, puṇṇa, sampajjamānaṁ kukkuravataṁ kukkurānaṁ sahabyataṁ upaneti, vipajjamānaṁ nirayan”ti.
Take someone who develops the dog observance fully and uninterruptedly. They develop a dog’s ethics, a dog’s mentality, and a dog’s behavior fully and uninterruptedly. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of dogs. But if they have such a view: ‘By this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual practice, may I become one of the gods!’ This is their wrong view. An individual with wrong view is reborn in one of two places, I say: hell or the animal realm. So if the dog observance succeeds it leads to rebirth in the company of dogs, but if it fails it leads to hell.”
Evaṁ vutte, acelo seniyo kukkuravatiko parodi, assūni pavattesi. Atha kho bhagavā puṇṇaṁ koliyaputtaṁ govatikaṁ etadavoca: “etaṁ kho te ahaṁ, puṇṇa, nālatthaṁ. Alaṁ, puṇṇa, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti. “Nāhaṁ, bhante, etaṁ rodāmi yaṁ maṁ bhagavā evamāha; api ca me idaṁ, bhante, kukkuravataṁ dīgharattaṁ samattaṁ samādinnaṁ. Ayaṁ, bhante, puṇṇo koliyaputto govatiko. Tassa taṁ govataṁ dīgharattaṁ samattaṁ samādinnaṁ. Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti? “Alaṁ, seniya, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti. Dutiyampi kho acelo seniyo …pe… tatiyampi kho acelo seniyo kukkuravatiko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ayaṁ, bhante, puṇṇo koliyaputto govatiko. Tassa taṁ govataṁ dīgharattaṁ samattaṁ samādinnaṁ. Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti?
When he said this, Seniya cried and burst out in tears. The Buddha said to Puṇṇa, “This is what I didn’t get through to you when I said: ‘Enough, Puṇṇa, let it be. Don’t ask me that.’” Seniya said, “Sir, I’m not crying because of what the Buddha said. But, sir, for a long time I have undertaken this observance to behave like a dog. Sir, this Puṇṇa is a cow votary. For a long time he has undertaken that observance to behave like a cow. Where will he be reborn in his next life?” “Enough, Seniya, let it be. Don’t ask me that.” For a second time … and a third time Seniya said to the Buddha, “Sir, this Puṇṇa is a cow votary. For a long time he has undertaken that observance to behave like a cow. Where will he be reborn in his next life?”
“Addhā kho te ahaṁ, seniya, na labhāmi. Alaṁ, seniya, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchīti; api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi.
“Clearly, Seniya, I’m not getting through to you when I say: ‘Enough, Seniya, let it be. Don’t ask me that.’ Nevertheless, I will answer you.
Idha, seniya, ekacco govataṁ bhāveti paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, gosīlaṁ bhāveti paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, gocittaṁ bhāveti paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, gavākappaṁ bhāveti paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ. So govataṁ bhāvetvā paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, gosīlaṁ bhāvetvā paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, gocittaṁ bhāvetvā paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ, gavākappaṁ bhāvetvā paripuṇṇaṁ abbokiṇṇaṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā gunnaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Sace kho panassa evaṁdiṭṭhi hoti: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti, sāssa hoti micchādiṭṭhi. Micchādiṭṭhissa kho ahaṁ, seniya, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi—nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā. Iti kho, seniya, sampajjamānaṁ govataṁ gunnaṁ sahabyataṁ upaneti, vipajjamānaṁ nirayan”ti.
Take someone who develops the cow observance fully and uninterruptedly. They develop a cow’s ethics, a cow’s mentality, and a cow’s behavior fully and uninterruptedly. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of cows. But if they have such a view: ‘By this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual practice, may I become one of the gods!’ This is their wrong view. An individual with wrong view is reborn in one of two places, I say: hell or the animal realm. So if the cow observance succeeds it leads to rebirth in the company of cows, but if it fails it leads to hell.”
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