Bodhirājakumārasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 85

With Prince Bodhi · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Yathānusiṭṭhaṁ tathā paṭipajjamānā nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissathā’ti.
Tatiyampi kho, rājakumāra, pañcavaggiyā bhikkhū maṁ etadavocuṁ:
‘tāyapi kho tvaṁ, āvuso gotama, iriyāya tāya paṭipadāya tāya dukkarakārikāya nājjhagamā uttari manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanavisesaṁ; kiṁ pana tvaṁ etarahi bāhulliko padhānavibbhanto āvatto bāhullāya adhigamissasi uttari manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanavisesan’ti?

But for a third time they said to me, ‘Reverend Gotama … you’ve fallen into indulgence.’

Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, rājakumāra, pañcavaggiye bhikkhū etadavocaṁ:
‘abhijānātha me no tumhe, bhikkhave, ito pubbe evarūpaṁ pabhāvitametan’ti?
‘No hetaṁ, bhante’.
‘Arahaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato sammāsambuddho.
Odahatha, bhikkhave, sotaṁ. Amatamadhigataṁ ahamanusāsāmi, ahaṁ dhammaṁ desemi.
Yathānusiṭṭhaṁ tathā paṭipajjamānā nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissathā’ti.

So I said to them, ‘Mendicants, have you ever known me to speak like this before?’ ‘No, sir.’ ‘The Realized One is Perfected, a fully awakened Buddha. Listen up, mendicants: I have achieved freedom from death! I shall instruct you, I will teach you the Dhamma. By practicing as instructed you will soon realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. You will live having achieved with your own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’

Asakkhiṁ kho ahaṁ, rājakumāra, pañcavaggiye bhikkhū saññāpetuṁ.
Dvepi sudaṁ, rājakumāra, bhikkhū ovadāmi. Tayo bhikkhū piṇḍāya caranti.
Yaṁ tayo bhikkhū piṇḍāya caritvā āharanti, tena chabbaggiyā yāpema.
Tayopi sudaṁ, rājakumāra, bhikkhū ovadāmi, dve bhikkhū piṇḍāya caranti.
Yaṁ dve bhikkhū piṇḍāya caritvā āharanti tena chabbaggiyā yāpema.

I was able to persuade the group of five mendicants. Then sometimes I advised two mendicants, while the other three went for alms. Then those three would feed all six of us with what they brought back. Sometimes I advised three mendicants, while the other two went for alms. Then those two would feed all six of us with what they brought back.

Atha kho, rājakumāra, pañcavaggiyā bhikkhū mayā evaṁ ovadiyamānā evaṁ anusāsiyamānā nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihariṁsū”ti.

As the group of five mendicants were being advised and instructed by me like this, they soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. They lived having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.”

Evaṁ vutte, bodhi rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“kīva cirena nu kho, bhante, bhikkhu tathāgataṁ vināyakaṁ labhamāno—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyā”ti?
“Tena hi, rājakumāra, taṁyevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya, tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra,
kusalo tvaṁ hatthārūḷhe aṅkusagayhe sippe”ti?
“Evaṁ, bhante, kusalo ahaṁ hatthārūḷhe aṅkusagayhe sippe”ti.

When he had spoken, Prince Bodhi said to the Buddha, “Sir, when a mendicant has the Realized One as trainer, how long would it take for them to realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life?” “Well then, prince, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, prince? Are you skilled in the art of wielding a hooked goad while riding an elephant?” “Yes, sir.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra,
idha puriso āgaccheyya:
‘bodhi rājakumāro hatthārūḷhaṁ aṅkusagayhaṁ sippaṁ jānāti;
tassāhaṁ santike hatthārūḷhaṁ aṅkusagayhaṁ sippaṁ sikkhissāmī’ti.
So cassa assaddho;
yāvatakaṁ saddhena pattabbaṁ taṁ na sampāpuṇeyya.
So cassa bahvābādho;
yāvatakaṁ appābādhena pattabbaṁ taṁ na sampāpuṇeyya.
So cassa saṭho māyāvī;
yāvatakaṁ asaṭhena amāyāvinā pattabbaṁ taṁ na sampāpuṇeyya.
So cassa kusīto;
yāvatakaṁ āraddhavīriyena pattabbaṁ taṁ na sampāpuṇeyya.
So cassa duppañño;
yāvatakaṁ paññavatā pattabbaṁ taṁ na sampāpuṇeyya.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra,
api nu so puriso tava santike hatthārūḷhaṁ aṅkusagayhaṁ sippaṁ sikkheyyā”ti?
“Ekamekenāpi, bhante, aṅgena samannāgato so puriso na mama santike hatthārūḷhaṁ aṅkusagayhaṁ sippaṁ sikkheyya, ko pana vādo pañcahaṅgehī”ti.

“What do you think, prince? Suppose a man were to come along thinking, ‘Prince Bodhi knows the art of wielding a hooked goad while riding an elephant. I’ll train in that art under him.’ If he’s faithless, he wouldn’t achieve what he could with faith. If he’s unhealthy, he wouldn’t achieve what he could with good health. If he’s devious or deceitful, he wouldn’t achieve what he could with honesty and integrity. If he’s lazy, he wouldn’t achieve what he could with energy. If he’s stupid, he wouldn’t achieve what he could with wisdom. What do you think, prince? Could that man still train under you in the art of wielding a hooked goad while riding an elephant?” “Sir, if he had even a single one of these factors he couldn’t train under me, let alone all five.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra,
idha puriso āgaccheyya:
‘bodhi rājakumāro hatthārūḷhaṁ aṅkusagayhaṁ sippaṁ jānāti;
tassāhaṁ santike hatthārūḷhaṁ aṅkusagayhaṁ sippaṁ sikkhissāmī’ti.
So cassa saddho;
yāvatakaṁ saddhena pattabbaṁ taṁ sampāpuṇeyya.
So cassa appābādho;
yāvatakaṁ appābādhena pattabbaṁ taṁ sampāpuṇeyya.
So cassa asaṭho amāyāvī;
yāvatakaṁ asaṭhena amāyāvinā pattabbaṁ taṁ sampāpuṇeyya.
So cassa āraddhavīriyo;
yāvatakaṁ āraddhavīriyena pattabbaṁ taṁ sampāpuṇeyya.
So cassa paññavā;
yāvatakaṁ paññavatā pattabbaṁ taṁ sampāpuṇeyya.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra,
api nu so puriso tava santike hatthārūḷhaṁ aṅkusagayhaṁ sippaṁ sikkheyyā”ti?
“Ekamekenāpi, bhante, aṅgena samannāgato so puriso mama santike hatthārūḷhaṁ aṅkusagayhaṁ sippaṁ sikkheyya, ko pana vādo pañcahaṅgehī”ti.

“What do you think, prince? Suppose a man were to come along thinking, ‘Prince Bodhi knows the art of wielding a hooked goad while riding an elephant. I’ll train in that art under him.’ If he’s faithful, he’d achieve what he could with faith. If he’s healthy, he’d achieve what he could with good health. If he’s honest and has integrity, he’d achieve what he could with honesty and integrity. If he’s energetic, he’d achieve what he could with energy. If he’s wise, he’d achieve what he could with wisdom. What do you think, prince? Could that man still train under you in the art of wielding a hooked goad while riding an elephant?” “Sir, if he had even a single one of these factors he could train under me, let alone all five.”

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