Laṭukikopamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 66

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

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for that man, those bonds are weak, feeble, rotten, and insubstantial?” “No, sir. For that man,

they are 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, 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, householdergahapati orvā householder’s songahapatiputto orvā richaḍḍho affluentmahaddhano wealthymahābhogo, manynekānaṁ gold ingotsnikkhagaṇānaṁ heapcayo, manynekānaṁ graindhaññagaṇānaṁ heapcayo, manynekānaṁ fieldskhettagaṇānaṁ heapcayo, manynekānaṁ landsvatthugaṇānaṁ heapcayo, manynekānaṁ wivesbhariyagaṇānaṁ heapcayo, manynekānaṁ male bondservantsdāsagaṇānaṁ heapcayo, manynekānaṁ female bondservantsdāsigaṇānaṁ heapcayo;
heso gone to the monasteryārāmagataṁ mendicantbhikkhuṁ might seepasseyya well-washed hands and feetsudhotahatthapādaṁ satisfyingmanuññaṁ mealbhojanaṁ having eatenbhuttāviṁ coolsītāya shadechāyāya sittingnisinnaṁ in higher mindadhicitte devotedyuttaṁ.
to himTassa it would beevamassa:
pleasant‘sukhaṁ surelyvata sirbho the ascetic lifesāmaññaṁ, healthyārogyaṁ surelyvata sirbho the ascetic lifesāmaññaṁ.
ISo if only I couldvatassaṁ Iyohaṁ hair and beardkesamassuṁ having shaved offohāretvā ocherkāsāyāni robesvatthāni having dressed inacchādetvā from the lay lifeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ might go forthpabbajeyyan’ti.
heSo would be ablesakkuṇeyya manynekāni gold ingotsnikkhagaṇāni having given uppahāya, manynekāni graindhaññagaṇāni having given uppahāya, manynekāni fieldskhettagaṇāni having given uppahāya, manynekāni landsvatthugaṇāni having given uppahāya, manynekāni wivesbhariyagaṇāni having given uppahāya, manynekāni male bondservantsdāsagaṇāni having given uppahāya, manynekāni female bondservantsdāsigaṇāni having given uppahāya hair and beardkesamassuṁ having shaved offohāretvā ocherkāsāyāni robesvatthāni having dressed inacchādetvā from the lay lifeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ to go forthpabbajituṁ.

Suppose there was a rich householder or householder’s child, affluent, and wealthy. He had a vast amount of gold ingots, grain, fields, lands, wives, and male and female bondservants. 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.’ And he is able to give up his vast amount of gold ingots, grain, fields, lands, wives, and male and female bondservants in order to go forth.

whoYo nownu indeedkho, Udāyiudāyi, thusevaṁ should sayvadeyya:
by which‘yehi thatso householdergahapati orvā householder's songahapatiputto orvā by bondsbandhanehi boundbaddho, cansakkoti manynekāni multitudes of coinsnikkhagaṇāni abandoningpahāya, manynekāni multitudes of graindhaññagaṇāni abandoningpahāya, manynekāni multitudes of fieldskhettagaṇāni abandoningpahāya, manynekāni multitudes of propertiesvatthugaṇāni abandoningpahāya, manynekāni multitudes of wivesbhariyagaṇāni abandoningpahāya, manynekāni multitudes of servantsdāsagaṇāni abandoningpahāya, manynekāni multitudes of maidservantsdāsigaṇāni abandoningpahāya hair and beardkesamassuṁ having removedohāretvā ochre robeskāsāyāni clothesvatthāni having donnedacchādetvā from homeagārasmā homelessnessanagāriyaṁ to go forthpabbajituṁ, for thattañhi for himtassa strongbalavaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, firmdaḷhaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, stoutthiraṁ bondbandhanaṁ, unrottedapūtikaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, heavythūlo, yokekaliṅgaro’ti;
rightlysammā nownu indeedkho heso, Udāyiudāyi, speakingvadamāno would sayvadeyyā”ti?
no“No for thishetaṁ, sirbhante.

Would it be right to say that, for that householder, they are a strong, firm, stout bond, a tie that has not rotted, and a heavy yoke?” “No, sir.

by whichYehi heso, sirbhante, householdergahapati orvā householder's songahapatiputto orvā with bondsbandhanehi boundbaddho, is ablesakkoti manynekāni heaps of coinsnikkhagaṇāni having abandonedpahāya, manynekāni heaps of graindhaññagaṇāni having abandonedpahāya, manynekāni heaps of fieldskhettagaṇāni having abandonedpahāya, manynekāni heaps of sitesvatthugaṇāni having abandonedpahāya, manynekāni heaps of wivesbhariyagaṇāni having abandonedpahāya, manynekāni heaps of slavesdāsagaṇāni having abandonedpahāya, manynekāni heaps of slave-girlsdāsigaṇāni having abandonedpahāya hair and beardkesamassuṁ having shaved offohāretvā ochrekāsāyāni clothesvatthāni having donnedacchādetvā from homeagārasmā homelessnessanagāriyaṁ to go forthpabbajituṁ;
for thattañhi for himtassa weakabalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, feebledubbalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, rottenpūtikaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, insubstantialasārakaṁ bondbandhanan”ti.
in the same way“Evameva indeedkho, Udāyiudāyi, some hereidhekacce gentlemenkulaputtā this‘idaṁ give uppajahathā’ti by memayā being spoken tovuccamānā theyte they said thusevamāhaṁsu:
what‘kiṁ but of thispanimassa trivialappamattakassa triflingoramattakassa to be given uppahātabbassa whichyassa for usno blessed onebhagavā tells to give uppahānamāha, whichyassa for usno holy onesugato tells to let gopaṭinissaggamāhā’ti?
theyTe that sametañceva they give uppajahanti, toward memayi andca notna bitternessappaccayaṁ they nurseupaṭṭhāpenti.
whoYe andca monksbhikkhū wanting trainingsikkhākāmā theyte thattaṁ having given uppahāya relaxedappossukkā unruffledpannalomā surviving on charityparadattavuttā with heart as of wild deermigabhūtena with mindcetasā they liveviharanti.

For that householder, those bonds are 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.

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