Laṭukikopamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 66

The Simile of the Quail · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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just so“Evameva and Udāyīpanudāyi, here someidhekacce futile peoplemoghapurisā this‘idaṁ give uppajahathā’ti by memayā being toldvuccamānā theyte they speak thusevamāhaṁsu:
what‘kiṁ but thispanimassa trivialappamattakassa triflingoramattakassa is much too strictadhisallikhatevāyaṁ asceticsamaṇo’ti.
theyTe and thattañceva do not give upnappajahanti, toward memayi andca bitternessappaccayaṁ they nurseupaṭṭhāpenti.
whoYe andca mendicantsbhikkhū wanting to trainsikkhākāmā for themtesaṁ thattaṁ, Udāyīudāyi, becomeshoti strongbalavaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, firmdaḷhaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, stoutthiraṁ bondbandhanaṁ, not rottedapūtikaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, heavythūlo, yokekaliṅgaro—

“This is exactly what happens when some futile people are told by me to give something up. They say, ‘What, such a trivial, trifling thing as this? This ascetic is much too strict!’ They don’t give it up, and they nurse bitterness toward me; and for the mendicants who want to train, that becomes a strong, firm, stout bond, a tie that has not rotted, and a heavy yoke.

just asseyyathāpi, Udāyiudāyi, quaillaṭukikā birdsakuṇikā with a rotten vinepūtilatāya by a bondbandhanena tiedbaddhā right theretattheva injuryvadhaṁ orvā cagingbandhaṁ orvā deathmaraṇaṁ orvā waits forāgameti.
whoeverYo indeednu thenkho, Udāyiudāyi, thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
with which‘yena thatsā quaillaṭukikā birdsakuṇikā with a rotten vinepūtilatāya by a bondbandhanena tiedbaddhā right theretattheva injuryvadhaṁ orvā cagingbandhaṁ orvā deathmaraṇaṁ orvā waits forāgameti, for hertañhi of hertassā weakabalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, feebledubbalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, rottenpūtikaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, insubstantialasārakaṁ bondbandhanan’ti;
rightlysammā indeednu thenkho heso, Udāyiudāyi, speakingvadamāno would sayvadeyyā”ti?
no“No certainly nothetaṁ, sirbhante.
with whichYena thatsā, sirbhante, quaillaṭukikā birdsakuṇikā with a rotten vinepūtilatāya by a bondbandhanena tiedbaddhā right theretattheva injuryvadhaṁ orvā cagingbandhaṁ orvā deathmaraṇaṁ orvā waits forāgameti, for hertañhi of hertassā strongbalavaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, firmdaḷhaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, stoutthiraṁ bondbandhanaṁ not rottenapūtikaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, heavythūlo, yokekaliṅgaro”ti.
in the same way“Evameva thenkho, Udāyiudāyi, some hereidhekacce futile peoplemoghapurisā this‘idaṁ give uppajahathā’ti by memayā being toldvuccamānā theyte they say thusevamāhaṁsu:

Suppose a quail was tied with a vine, and was waiting there to be injured, caged, or killed. Would it be right to say that, for that quail, that vine is weak, feeble, rotten, and insubstantial?” “No, sir. For that quail, that vine is a strong, firm, stout bond, a tie that has not rotted, and a heavy yoke.” “In the same way, when some futile people are told by me to give something up, they say,

what‘kiṁ but for thispanimassa triflingappamattakassa trivialoramattakassa too strictadhisallikhatevāyaṁ asceticsamaṇo’ti?
thoseTe that very thingtañceva don't give upnappajahanti, toward memayi andca bitternessappaccayaṁ nurseupaṭṭhāpenti.
thoseYe andca mendicantsbhikkhū wanting to trainsikkhākāmā for themtesaṁ thattaṁ, Udāyīudāyi, becomeshoti strongbalavaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, firmdaḷhaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, stoutthiraṁ bondbandhanaṁ, not rottedapūtikaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, heavythūlo, yokekaliṅgaro.

‘What, such a trivial, trifling thing as this? This ascetic is much too strict!’ They don’t give it up, and they nurse bitterness toward me; and for the mendicants who want to train, that becomes a strong, firm, stout bond, a tie that has not rotted, and a heavy yoke.

hereIdha but, Udāyīpanudāyi, someekacce gentlemenkulaputtā this‘idaṁ give up — thuspajahathā’ti by memayā being toldvuccamānā theyte said thusevamāhaṁsu:
what‘kiṁ but thispanimassa trivialappamattakassa triflingoramattakassa to be given uppahātabbassa whichyassa for usno the Blessed Onebhagavā tells to give uppahānamāha, whichyassa for usno the Holy Onesugato tells to let gopaṭinissaggamāhā’ti?
theyTe that very thingtañceva give uppajahanti, toward memayi andca notna bitternessappaccayaṁ nurseupaṭṭhāpenti.
whoYe andca mendicantsbhikkhū wishing to trainsikkhākāmā theyte thattaṁ having given uppahāya relaxedappossukkā unruffledpannalomā surviving on charityparadattavuttā with a wild-deer heartmigabhūtena with heartcetasā liveviharanti.
for themTesaṁ thattaṁ, Udāyīudāyi, ishoti weakabalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, feebledubbalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, rottenpūtikaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, insubstantialasārakaṁ bondbandhanaṁ—

But when some gentlemen are told by me to give something up, they say, ‘What, we just have to give up such a trivial, trifling thing as this, when the Blessed One tells us to give it up, the Holy One tells us to let it go?’ They give it up, and they don’t nurse bitterness toward me; and when the mendicants who want to train have given that up, they live relaxed, unruffled, surviving on charity, their hearts free as a wild deer. For them, that bond is weak, feeble, rotten, and insubstantial.

just asseyyathāpi, Udāyiudāyi, of the kingrañño bull elephantnāgo with tusks like draft-polesīsādanto able to draw a heavy loadurūḷhavā pedigreeabhijāto battle-hardenedsaṅgāmāvacaro with strongdaḷhehi harnessvarattehi bondsbandhanehi boundbaddho just a littleīsakaṁyeva its bodykāyaṁ having twistedsannāmetvā thosetāni bondsbandhanāni having broken apartsaṁchinditvā having torn apartsampadāletvā whereveryena it wantskāmaṁ it goespakkamati.
whoeverYo thennu indeedkho, Udāyiudāyi, thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
with which‘yehi thatso of the kingrañño bull elephantnāgo with tusks like draft-polesīsādanto able to draw a heavy loadurūḷhavā pedigreeabhijāto battle-hardenedsaṅgāmāvacaro with strongdaḷhehi harnessvarattehi bondsbandhanehi boundbaddho just a littleīsakaṁyeva its bodykāyaṁ having twistedsannāmetvā thosetāni bondsbandhanāni having broken apartsaṁchinditvā having torn apartsampadāletvā whereveryena it wantskāmaṁ it goespakkamati, that indeed for ittañhi for ittassa strongbalavaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, firmdaḷhaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, stoutthiraṁ bondbandhanaṁ, not rottedapūtikaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, a heavy yokethūlo, yokekaliṅgaro’ti;
rightlysammā thennu indeedkho that oneso, Udāyiudāyi, speakingvadamāno would he sayvadeyyā”ti?
no“No this indeedhetaṁ, sirbhante.

Suppose there was a royal bull elephant with tusks like draft-poles, able to draw a heavy load, pedigree and battle-hardened. And it was bound with a strong harness. But just by twisting its body a little, it would break apart its bonds and go wherever it wants. Would it be right to say that, for that bull elephant, that strong harness is a strong, firm, stout bond, a tie that has not rotted, and a heavy yoke?” “No, sir.

by whichYehi thatso, sirbhante, of the kingrañño bull elephantnāgo with tusks like plough-polesīsādanto largeurūḷhavā of good breedabhijāto trained for battlesaṅgāmāvacaro with strongdaḷhehi leathervarattehi strapsbandhanehi boundbaddho just a littleīsakaṁyeva bodykāyaṁ having bentsannāmetvā thosetāni bondsbandhanāni having burstsaṁchinditvā having torn apartsampadāletvā whereveryena it wantskāmaṁ it goes awaypakkamati, for thattañhi for ittassa weakabalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ …pe……pe… insubstantialasārakaṁ bond”bandhanan”ti.
In the same way“Evameva indeedkho, Udāyīudāyi, some hereidhekacce gentlemenkulaputtā this‘idaṁ give uppajahathā’ti by memayā being addressedvuccamānā theyte spoke thusevamāhaṁsu:
what‘kiṁ then of thispanimassa trivialappamattakassa triflingoramattakassa to be given uppahātabbassa whichyassa for usno the Blessed Onebhagavā says to give uppahānamāha, whichyassa for usno the Holy Onesugato says to let go?paṭinissaggamāhā’ti?
TheyTe just thattañceva give uppajahanti, toward memayi andca notna bitternessappaccayaṁ they nurseupaṭṭhāpenti.
whoYe andca mendicantsbhikkhū wanting to trainsikkhākāmā theyte thattaṁ having given uppahāya relaxedappossukkā unruffledpannalomā surviving on charityparadattavuttā like a wild deermigabhūtena with heartcetasā they liveviharanti.
for themTesaṁ thattaṁ, Udāyīudāyi, ishoti weakabalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, feebledubbalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, rottenpūtikaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, insubstantialasārakaṁ bondbandhanaṁ.

For that bull elephant, that strong harness is weak, feeble, rotten, and insubstantial.” “In the same way, when some gentlemen are told by me to give something up, they say, ‘What, we just have to give up such a trivial, trifling thing as this, when the Blessed One tells us to give it up, the Holy One tells us to let it go?’ They give it up, and they don’t nurse bitterness toward me; and when the mendicants who want to train have given that up, they live relaxed, unruffled, surviving on charity, their hearts free as a wild deer. For them, that bond is weak, feeble, rotten, and insubstantial.

Suppose there was a poor man, with few possessions and little wealth. He had a single broken-down hovel open to the crows, not the best sort; a single broken-down couch, not the best sort; a single pot for storing grain, not the best sort; and a single wifey, not the best sort. He’d see a mendicant sitting in meditation in the cool shade, their hands and feet well washed after eating a satisfying meal. He’d think, ‘The ascetic life is so very pleasant! The ascetic life is so very healthy! If only I could shave off my hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’ But he’s not able to give up his broken-down hovel, his broken-down couch, his pot for storing grain, or his wifey—none of which are the best sort—in order to go forth. Would it be right to say that,

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