Bodhirājakumārasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 85

With Prince Bodhi · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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just so“Evameva indeedkho, princerājakumāra, whoye surelyhi anykeci asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā in bodykāyena andceva in mindcittena andca from sensual pleasureskāmehi not·withdrawnavūpakaṭṭhā they liveviharanti, whichyo andca theirnesaṁ toward sensual pleasureskāmesu desirekāmacchando sensual-pleasure·affectionkāmasneho sensual-pleasure·infatuationkāmamucchā sensual-pleasure·thirstkāmapipāsā sensual-pleasure·passionkāmapariḷāho thatso andca internallyajjhattaṁ notna well·given-upsuppahīno ishoti, notna well stilledsuppaṭippassaddho.
due to exertionOpakkamikā even ifcepi thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā they feelvedayanti, incapableabhabbāva theyte of knowledgeñāṇāya of visiondassanāya of supremeanuttarāya awakeningsambodhāya.
if notNo even ifcepi thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā due to exertionopakkamikā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā they feelvedayanti, incapableabhabbāva theyte of knowledgeñāṇāya of visiondassanāya of supremeanuttarāya awakeningsambodhāya.
thisAyaṁ indeedkho to memaṁ, princerājakumāra, firstpaṭhamā exampleupamā toward·appearpaṭibhāsi not·marvellousanacchariyā beforepubbe unheard beforeassutapubbā.

“In the same way, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t live withdrawn in body and mind from sensual pleasures. They haven’t internally given up or stilled desire, affection, infatuation, thirst, and passion for sensual pleasures. Regardless of whether or not they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings due to exertion, they are incapable of knowledge and vision, of supreme awakening. This was the first example that occurred to me.

another·alsoAparāpi indeedkho to memaṁ, princerājakumāra, seconddutiyā exampleupamā occurredpaṭibhāsi not·wondrousanacchariyā beforepubbe unheard·beforeassutapubbā.
supposeSeyyathāpi, princerājakumāra, greenallaṁ logkaṭṭhaṁ with·sapsasnehaṁ far fromārakā waterudakā on dry landthale down·thrownnikkhittaṁ.
thenAtha a personpuriso to·goāgaccheyya drill-stickuttarāraṇiṁ to·takeādāya:
fire‘aggiṁ forth·out·produceabhinibbattessāmi, heattejo manifest·dopātukarissāmī’ti.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, princerājakumāra,
couldapi thennu thatso personpuriso thatamuṁ greenallaṁ logkaṭṭhaṁ sappysasnehaṁ far fromārakā waterudakā on dry landthale lyingnikkhittaṁ drill-stickuttarāraṇiṁ takingādāya forth·drillabhimanthento fireaggiṁ forth·out·produceabhinibbatteyya, heattejo manifest·dopātukareyyā”ti?
no“No indeedhidaṁ, sirbhante.
thatTaṁ what iskissa the reasonhetu?
becauseAduñhi, sirbhante, greenallaṁ logkaṭṭhaṁ sappysasnehaṁ even thoughkiñcāpi far fromārakā waterudakā on dry landthale lyingnikkhittaṁ,
eventuallyyāvadeva andca butpana thatso personpuriso of wearinesskilamathassa of frustrationvighātassa a sharerbhāgī would beassā”ti.

Then a second example occurred to me. Suppose there was a green, sappy log, and it was lying on dry land far from the water. Then a person comes along with a drill-stick, thinking to light a fire and produce heat. What do you think, Prince? By drilling the stick against that green, sappy log on dry land far from water, could they light a fire and produce heat?” “No, sir. Why is that? Because it’s still a green, sappy log, despite the fact that it’s lying on dry land far from water. That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.”

just so“Evameva indeedkho, king·princerājakumāra, whoeverye indeedhi who·anykeci asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā in bodykāyena and·justceva in mindcittena andca from sensual pleasureskāmehi withdrawnvūpakaṭṭhā liveviharanti, whichyo butca of themnesaṁ for sensual pleasureskāmesu sensual·desirekāmacchando sensual·affectionkāmasneho sensual·infatuationkāmamucchā sensual·thirstkāmapipāsā sensual·passionkāmapariḷāho thatso butca internallyajjhattaṁ notna well abandonedsuppahīno ishoti, notna well stilledsuppaṭippassaddho.
due to exertionOpakkamikā if·evencepi thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā feelvedayanti, incapable·indeedabhabbāva theyte of knowledgeñāṇāya of visiondassanāya of supremeanuttarāya awakeningsambodhāya.
notNo if·evencepi thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā due to exertionopakkamikā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā feelvedayanti, incapable·indeedabhabbāva theyte of knowledgeñāṇāya of visiondassanāya of supremeanuttarāya awakeningsambodhāya.
thisAyaṁ indeedkho to memaṁ, king·princerājakumāra, seconddutiyā exampleupamā occurredpaṭibhāsi uninspiredanacchariyā beforepubbe unheard + beforeassutapubbā.

“In the same way, there are ascetics and brahmins who live withdrawn in body and mind from sensual pleasures. But they haven’t internally given up or stilled desire, affection, infatuation, thirst, and passion for sensual pleasures. Regardless of whether or not they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings due to exertion, they are incapable of knowledge and vision, of supreme awakening. This was the second example that occurred to me.

another·tooAparāpi indeedkho memaṁ, princerājakumāra, thirdtatiyā exampleupamā back·speakpaṭibhāsi not·wonderfulanacchariyā beforepubbe not·heard·beforeassutapubbā.
supposeSeyyathāpi, princerājakumāra, drysukkhaṁ logkaṭṭhaṁ witheredkoḷāpaṁ far fromārakā waterudakā on dry landthale down·thrownnikkhittaṁ.
thenAtha a personpuriso to·goāgaccheyya drill-stickuttarāraṇiṁ to·takeādāya:
fire‘aggiṁ forth·out·produceabhinibbattessāmi, heattejo I will manifestpātukarissāmī’ti.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, princerājakumāra,
couldapi indeednu thatso personpuriso thatamuṁ drysukkhaṁ logkaṭṭhaṁ witheredkoḷāpaṁ far fromārakā waterudakā on dry landthale down·thrownnikkhittaṁ drill-stickuttarāraṇiṁ to·takeādāya forth·churnabhimanthento fireaggiṁ might produceabhinibbatteyya, heattejo forth·make·quotationpātukareyyā”ti?
yes“Evaṁ, sirbhante.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa causehetu?
because·indeedAduñhi, sirbhante, drysukkhaṁ logkaṭṭhaṁ witheredkoḷāpaṁ, that + andtañca andpana far fromārakā waterudakā on dry landthale down·thrown·quotationnikkhittan”ti.
so·indeed“Evameva indeedkho, princerājakumāra, whoeverye indeedhi anykeci asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā in bodykāyena andceva in mindcittena andca from sensual pleasureskāmehi withdrawnvūpakaṭṭhā apart·dwellviharanti, whichyo andca theirnesaṁ in sensual pleasureskāmesu sensual pleasure·desirekāmacchando sensual pleasure·affectionkāmasneho sensual pleasure·infatuationkāmamucchā sensual pleasure·thirstkāmapipāsā sensual pleasure·passionkāmapariḷāho thatso andca internallyajjhattaṁ well·given upsuppahīno ishoti well·stilledsuppaṭippassaddho.

Then a third example occurred to me. Suppose there was a dried up, withered log, and it was lying on dry land far from the water. Then a person comes along with a drill-stick, thinking to light a fire and produce heat. What do you think, Prince? By drilling the stick against that dried up, withered log on dry land far from water, could they light a fire and produce heat?” “Yes, sir. Why is that? Because it’s a dried up, withered log, and it’s lying on dry land far from water.” “In the same way, there are ascetics and brahmins who live withdrawn in body and mind from sensual pleasures. And they have internally given up and stilled desire, affection, infatuation, thirst, and passion for sensual pleasures. Regardless of whether or not they suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings due to exertion, they are capable of knowledge and vision, of supreme awakening.

arisen from aggressionOpakkamikā if evencepi thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā roughkharā bitterkaṭukā feelingsvedanā they feelvedayanti, only they are capablebhabbāva theyte of knowledgeñāṇāya of visiondassanāya of unsurpassedanuttarāya of full awakeningsambodhāya.
notNo if evencepi thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā arisen from aggressionopakkamikā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā roughkharā bitterkaṭukā feelingsvedanā they feelvedayanti, only they are capablebhabbāva theyte of knowledgeñāṇāya of visiondassanāya of unsurpassedanuttarāya of full awakeningsambodhāya.
thisAyaṁ indeedkho to memaṁ, princerājakumāra, thirdtatiyā simileupamā occurredpaṭibhāsi unmarvelousanacchariyā beforepubbe never heard beforeassutapubbā.
theseImā indeedkho to memaṁ, princerājakumāra, threetisso similesupamā occurredpaṭibhaṁsu unmarvelousanacchariyā beforepubbe never heard beforeassutapubbā.

This was the third example that occurred to me. These are the three similes, which were neither supernaturally inspired, nor learned before in the past, that occurred to me.

of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, this·beetadahosi:
why don't I‘yannūnāhaṁ tooth + against·tooth·placedantebhidantamādhāya, with tonguejivhāya palatetāluṁ pressing againstāhacca, with mindcetasā mindcittaṁ against·squeezeabhiniggaṇheyyaṁ against·squashabhinippīḷeyyaṁ might scorchabhisantāpeyyan’ti.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, princerājakumāra, tooth + against·tooth·placedantebhidantamādhāya, with tonguejivhāya palatetāluṁ pressing againstāhacca, with mindcetasā mindcittaṁ against·squeezeabhiniggaṇhāmi against·squashabhinippīḷemi against·scorchabhisantāpemi.
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, tooth + against·tooth·placedantebhidantamādhāya, with tonguejivhāya palatetāluṁ pressing againstāhacca, with mindcetasā mindcittaṁ against·squeezeabhiniggaṇhato against·squashabhinippīḷayato against·scorchabhisantāpayato from armpitskacchehi sweatssedā ranmuccanti.
just asSeyyathāpi, princerājakumāra, strongbalavā manpuriso weakerdubbalataraṁ manpurisaṁ by headsīse orvā having grabbedgahetvā by shoulderkhandhe orvā having grabbedgahetvā against·squeezeabhiniggaṇheyya against·squashabhinippīḷeyya against·scorchabhisantāpeyya;
just soevameva indeedkho to meme, princerājakumāra, tooth + against·tooth·placedantebhidantamādhāya, with tonguejivhāya palatetāluṁ pressing againstāhacca, with mindcetasā mindcittaṁ against·squeezeabhiniggaṇhato against·squashabhinippīḷayato against·scorchabhisantāpayato from armpitskacchehi sweatssedā ranmuccanti.
roused upĀraddhaṁ indeedkho butpana myme, princerājakumāra, energyvīriyaṁ washoti not·flaggingasallīnaṁ, establishedupaṭṭhitā mindfulnesssati not·confusedasammuṭṭhā, disturbedsāraddho andca butpana myme bodykāyo washoti not·tranquilappaṭippassaddho, that + veryteneva painful·strivingdukkhappadhānena who was stricken by strivingpadhānābhitunnassa mindfulsato.

Then it occurred to me, ‘Why don’t I, with teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the roof of my mouth, squeeze, squash, and scorch mind with mind?’ So that’s what I did, until sweat ran from my armpits. It was like when a strong man grabs a weaker man by the head or throat or shoulder and squeezes, squashes, and crushes them. In the same way, with teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the roof of my mouth, I squeezed, squashed, and crushed mind with mind until sweat ran from my armpits. My energy was roused up and unflagging, and my mindfulness was established and lucid, but my body was disturbed, not tranquil, because I’d pushed too hard with that painful striving.

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