Subhasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 99

With Subha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Buddhabhagavā near Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa monasteryārāme.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

by thatTena indeedkho nowpana at the timesamayena Subhasubho the studentmāṇavo Todeyya·sontodeyyaputto in Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ against·dwellpaṭivasati of a certainaññatarassa of a householdergahapatissa at homenivesane some·businesskenacideva to be donekaraṇīyena.
thenAtha indeedkho Subhasubho the studentmāṇavo Todeyya·sontodeyyaputto of whomyassa of the householdergahapatissa at homenivesane against·dwellpaṭivasati to thattaṁ householdergahapatiṁ said thisetadavoca:
heard“sutaṁ by memetaṁ, householdergahapati:
not lacking‘avivittā Sāvatthīsāvatthī with perfected onesarahantehī’ti.
whomKaṁ nownu todaykhvajja asceticsamaṇaṁ orvā brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ orvā might we pay homage topayirupāseyyāmā”ti?
this“Ayaṁ, sirbhante, the Blessed Onebhagavā in Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ separately·stayviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa in the monasteryārāme.
to thatTaṁ, sirbhante, the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ you can pay homage topayirupāsassū”ti.

Now at that time the student Subha, Todeyya’s son, was residing in Sāvatthī at a certain householder’s home on some business. Then Subha said to that householder, “Householder, I have heard that Sāvatthī does not lack for perfected ones. What ascetic or brahmin might we pay homage to today?” “Sir, the Buddha is staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. You can pay homage to him.”

thenAtha indeedkho Subhasubho brahmin studentmāṇavo Todeyya's sontodeyyaputto thattassa householdergahapatissa back·hearpaṭissutvā whereyena Blessed Onebhagavā he approached himtenupasaṅkami; near·goupasaṅkamitvā with the Blessed Onebhagavatā togethersaddhiṁ he exchanged greetingssammodi.
greetingSammodanīyaṁ conversationkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ having exchangedvītisāretvā to one sideekamantaṁ he sat downnisīdi. to one sideEkamantaṁ down·sitnisinno indeedkho Subhasubho brahmin studentmāṇavo Todeyya's sontodeyyaputto to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:

Acknowledging that householder, Subha went to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

brahmins“brāhmaṇā, worthybho Gotamagotama, thus they saidevamāhaṁsu:
a layperson‘gahaṭṭho one who succeedsārādhako ishoti in the systemñāyaṁ of the teachingdhammaṁ skillfulkusalaṁ, notna a renunciatepabbajito one who succeedsārādhako ishoti in the systemñāyaṁ of the teachingdhammaṁ skillfulkusalan’ti.
hereIdha worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo what do you saykimāhā”ti?
one who speaks after analyzing“Vibhajjavādo indeedkho I hereahamettha, studentmāṇava;
I here notnāhamettha one-sided speakerekaṁsavādo.
of a laypersonGihissa or Ivāhaṁ, studentmāṇava, of a renunciatepabbajitassa orvā wrong·practicemicchāpaṭipattiṁ notna I praisevaṇṇemi.
a laypersonGihī orvā indeedhi, studentmāṇava, a renunciatepabbajito orvā wrong·practicedmicchāpaṭipanno wrong·practice·because·causemicchāpaṭipattādhikaraṇahetu notna one who succeedsārādhako ishoti in the systemñāyaṁ of the teachingdhammaṁ skillfulkusalaṁ.
of a laypersonGihissa or Ivāhaṁ, studentmāṇava, of a renunciatepabbajitassa orvā right·practicesammāpaṭipattiṁ I praisevaṇṇemi.
a laypersonGihī orvā indeedhi, studentmāṇava, a renunciatepabbajito orvā right·practicedsammāpaṭipanno right·practice·because·causesammāpaṭipattādhikaraṇahetu one who succeedsārādhako ishoti in the systemñāyaṁ of the teachingdhammaṁ skillfulkusalan”ti.

“Worthy Gotama, the brahmins say: ‘Laypeople succeed in the system of the skillful teaching, not renunciates.’ What do you say about this?” “On this point, student, I speak after analyzing the question, not one-sidedly. I don’t praise wrong practice for either laypeople or renunciates. Because of wrong practice, neither laypeople nor renunciates succeed in the system of the skillful teaching. I praise right practice for both laypeople and renunciates. Because of right practice, both laypeople and renunciates succeed in the system of the skillful teaching.”

the brahmins“Brāhmaṇā, worthybho Gotamagotama, thus·saidevamāhaṁsu:
this has many obligations‘mahaṭṭhamidaṁ many·dutiesmahākiccaṁ many issuesmahādhikaraṇaṁ many·undertakingsmahāsamārambhaṁ lay life·workgharāvāsakammaṭṭhānaṁ great·fruitfulmahapphalaṁ ishoti;
few obligations + thisappaṭṭhamidaṁ few·dutiesappakiccaṁ few·issuesappādhikaraṇaṁ few·undertakingsappasamārambhaṁ of the renunciatepabbajjā the workkammaṭṭhānaṁ not·fruitfulappaphalaṁ ishotī’ti.
hereIdha the worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo what·says·quotation markerkimāhā”ti.
on this point too“Etthāpi indeedkho Iahaṁ, studentmāṇava, analyzing·speakervibhajjavādo;
here I do notnāhamettha one-sided·speakerekaṁsavādo.
there isAtthi, studentmāṇava, workkammaṭṭhānaṁ many obligationsmahaṭṭhaṁ many·dutiesmahākiccaṁ many issuesmahādhikaraṇaṁ many·undertakingsmahāsamārambhaṁ, down·failingvipajjamānaṁ not·fruitfulappaphalaṁ ishoti;
there isatthi, studentmāṇava, workkammaṭṭhānaṁ many obligationsmahaṭṭhaṁ many·dutiesmahākiccaṁ many issuesmahādhikaraṇaṁ many·undertakingsmahāsamārambhaṁ, fully·succeedingsampajjamānaṁ great·fruitfulmahapphalaṁ ishoti;
there isatthi, studentmāṇava, workkammaṭṭhānaṁ few obligationsappaṭṭhaṁ few·dutiesappakiccaṁ few·issuesappādhikaraṇaṁ few·undertakingsappasamārambhaṁ, down·failingvipajjamānaṁ not·fruitfulappaphalaṁ ishoti;
there isatthi, studentmāṇava, workkammaṭṭhānaṁ few obligationsappaṭṭhaṁ few·dutiesappakiccaṁ few·issuesappādhikaraṇaṁ few·undertakingsappasamārambhaṁ fully·succeedingsampajjamānaṁ great·fruitfulmahapphalaṁ ishoti.

“Worthy Gotama, the brahmins say: ‘Since the work of the lay life has many obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings it is very fruitful. But since the work of the renunciate has few obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings it is not very fruitful.’ What do you say about this?” “On this point, too, I speak after analyzing the question, not one-sidedly. Some work has many obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings, and when it fails it’s not very fruitful. Some work has many obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings, and when it succeeds it is very fruitful. Some work has few obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings, and when it fails it’s not very fruitful. Some work has few obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings, and when it succeeds it is very fruitful.

And what work has many obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings, and when it fails it’s not very fruitful? Farming. And what work has many obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings, and when it succeeds it is very fruitful? Again, it is farming. And what work has few obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings, and when it fails it’s not very fruitful? Trade. And what work has few obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings, and when it succeeds it is very fruitful? Again, it’s trade.

just asSeyyathāpi, studentmāṇava, farmingkasi workkammaṭṭhānaṁ much obligationmahaṭṭhaṁ many dutiesmahākiccaṁ many concernsmahādhikaraṇaṁ great undertakingmahāsamārambhaṁ failingvipajjamānaṁ of little fruitappaphalaṁ ishoti;
just soevameva indeedkho, studentmāṇava, lay lifegharāvāsakammaṭṭhānaṁ much obligationmahaṭṭhaṁ many dutiesmahākiccaṁ many concernsmahādhikaraṇaṁ great undertakingmahāsamārambhaṁ failingvipajjamānaṁ of little fruitappaphalaṁ ishoti.
just asSeyyathāpi, studentmāṇava, farmingkasiyeva workkammaṭṭhānaṁ much obligationmahaṭṭhaṁ many dutiesmahākiccaṁ many concernsmahādhikaraṇaṁ great undertakingmahāsamārambhaṁ succeedingsampajjamānaṁ very fruitfulmahapphalaṁ ishoti;
just soevameva indeedkho, studentmāṇava, lay lifegharāvāsakammaṭṭhānaṁ much obligationmahaṭṭhaṁ many dutiesmahākiccaṁ many concernsmahādhikaraṇaṁ great undertakingmahāsamārambhaṁ succeedingsampajjamānaṁ very fruitfulmahapphalaṁ ishoti.
just asSeyyathāpi, studentmāṇava, tradevaṇijjā workkammaṭṭhānaṁ few obligationsappaṭṭhaṁ few dutiesappakiccaṁ few concernsappādhikaraṇaṁ small undertakingappasamārambhaṁ failingvipajjamānaṁ of little fruitappaphalaṁ ishoti;
just soevameva indeedkho, studentmāṇava, renunciate lifepabbajjā workkammaṭṭhānaṁ few obligationsappaṭṭhaṁ few dutiesappakiccaṁ few concernsappādhikaraṇaṁ small undertakingappasamārambhaṁ failingvipajjamānaṁ of little fruitappaphalaṁ ishoti.
just asSeyyathāpi, studentmāṇava, tradevaṇijjāyeva workkammaṭṭhānaṁ few obligationsappaṭṭhaṁ few dutiesappakiccaṁ few concernsappādhikaraṇaṁ small undertakingappasamārambhaṁ succeedingsampajjamānaṁ very fruitfulmahapphalaṁ ishoti;
just soevameva indeedkho, studentmāṇava, renunciate lifepabbajjā workkammaṭṭhānaṁ few obligationsappaṭṭhaṁ few dutiesappakiccaṁ few concernsappādhikaraṇaṁ small undertakingappasamārambhaṁ succeedingsampajjamānaṁ very fruitfulmahapphalaṁ be·quotation-markerhotī”ti.

The lay life is like farming in that it’s work with many obligations and when it fails it’s not very fruitful; but when it succeeds it is very fruitful. The renunciate life is like trade in that it’s work with few obligations and when it fails it’s not very fruitful; but when it succeeds it is very fruitful.”

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version