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Majjhima Nikāya 99

With Subha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

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

Tena kho pana samayena subho māṇavo todeyyaputto sāvatthiyaṁ paṭivasati aññatarassa gahapatissa nivesane kenacideva karaṇīyena.
Atha kho subho māṇavo todeyyaputto yassa gahapatissa nivesane paṭivasati taṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca:
“sutaṁ metaṁ, gahapati:
‘avivittā sāvatthī arahantehī’ti.
Kaṁ nu khvajja samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā payirupāseyyāmā”ti?
“Ayaṁ, bhante, bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Taṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ payirupāsassū”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.”

Atha kho subho māṇavo todeyyaputto tassa gahapatissa paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho subho māṇavo todeyyaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

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:

“brāhmaṇā, bho gotama, evamāhaṁsu:
‘gahaṭṭho ārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalaṁ, na pabbajito ārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalan’ti.
Idha bhavaṁ gotamo kimāhā”ti?
“Vibhajjavādo kho ahamettha, māṇava;
nāhamettha ekaṁsavādo.
Gihissa vāhaṁ, māṇava, pabbajitassa vā micchāpaṭipattiṁ na vaṇṇemi.
Gihī vā hi, māṇava, pabbajito vā micchāpaṭipanno micchāpaṭipattādhikaraṇahetu na ārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalaṁ.
Gihissa vāhaṁ, māṇava, pabbajitassa vā sammāpaṭipattiṁ vaṇṇemi.
Gihī vā hi, māṇava, pabbajito vā sammāpaṭipanno sammāpaṭipattādhikaraṇahetu ārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalan”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.”

“Brāhmaṇā, bho gotama, evamāhaṁsu:
‘mahaṭṭhamidaṁ mahākiccaṁ mahādhikaraṇaṁ mahāsamārambhaṁ gharāvāsakammaṭṭhānaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti;
appaṭṭhamidaṁ appakiccaṁ appādhikaraṇaṁ appasamārambhaṁ pabbajjā kammaṭṭhānaṁ appaphalaṁ hotī’ti.
Idha bhavaṁ gotamo kimāhā”ti.
“Etthāpi kho ahaṁ, māṇava, vibhajjavādo;
nāhamettha ekaṁsavādo.
Atthi, māṇava, kammaṭṭhānaṁ mahaṭṭhaṁ mahākiccaṁ mahādhikaraṇaṁ mahāsamārambhaṁ, vipajjamānaṁ appaphalaṁ hoti;
atthi, māṇava, kammaṭṭhānaṁ mahaṭṭhaṁ mahākiccaṁ mahādhikaraṇaṁ mahāsamārambhaṁ, sampajjamānaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti;
atthi, māṇava, kammaṭṭhānaṁ appaṭṭhaṁ appakiccaṁ appādhikaraṇaṁ appasamārambhaṁ, vipajjamānaṁ appaphalaṁ hoti;
atthi, māṇava, kammaṭṭhānaṁ appaṭṭhaṁ appakiccaṁ appādhikaraṇaṁ appasamārambhaṁ sampajjamānaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti.

“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.

Seyyathāpi, māṇava, kasi kammaṭṭhānaṁ mahaṭṭhaṁ mahākiccaṁ mahādhikaraṇaṁ mahāsamārambhaṁ vipajjamānaṁ appaphalaṁ hoti;
evameva kho, māṇava, gharāvāsakammaṭṭhānaṁ mahaṭṭhaṁ mahākiccaṁ mahādhikaraṇaṁ mahāsamārambhaṁ vipajjamānaṁ appaphalaṁ hoti.
Seyyathāpi, māṇava, kasiyeva kammaṭṭhānaṁ mahaṭṭhaṁ mahākiccaṁ mahādhikaraṇaṁ mahāsamārambhaṁ sampajjamānaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti;
evameva kho, māṇava, gharāvāsakammaṭṭhānaṁ mahaṭṭhaṁ mahākiccaṁ mahādhikaraṇaṁ mahāsamārambhaṁ sampajjamānaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti.
Seyyathāpi, māṇava, vaṇijjā kammaṭṭhānaṁ appaṭṭhaṁ appakiccaṁ appādhikaraṇaṁ appasamārambhaṁ vipajjamānaṁ appaphalaṁ hoti;
evameva kho, māṇava, pabbajjā kammaṭṭhānaṁ appaṭṭhaṁ appakiccaṁ appādhikaraṇaṁ appasamārambhaṁ vipajjamānaṁ appaphalaṁ hoti.
Seyyathāpi, māṇava, vaṇijjāyeva kammaṭṭhānaṁ appaṭṭhaṁ appakiccaṁ appādhikaraṇaṁ appasamārambhaṁ sampajjamānaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti;
evameva kho, māṇava, pabbajjā kammaṭṭhānaṁ appaṭṭhaṁ appakiccaṁ appādhikaraṇaṁ appasamārambhaṁ sampajjamānaṁ mahapphalaṁ hotī”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.”

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