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Sutta Nipāta 1.5

Cundasutta

With the Smith Cunda · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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I ask“Pucchāmi the sagemuniṁ abounding in wisdompahūtapaññaṁ,
indeed(iti Cundacundo the smithkammāraputto)
the BuddhaBuddhaṁ master of the teachingdhammassāmiṁ free of cravingvītataṇhaṁ;
best of menDvipaduttamaṁ of charioteerssārathīnaṁ excellentpavaraṁ,
how manyKati in the worldloke asceticssamaṇā pleasetadiṅgha tell mebrūhi”.

“I ask the sage abounding in wisdom,” said Cunda the smith, “the Buddha, master of the teaching, free of craving, best of men, excellent charioteer, please tell me this: how many ascetics are there in the world?”

four“Caturo asceticssamaṇā notna there is a fifthpañcamatthi,
O Cunda, quotation marker(cundāti the Blessed Onebhagavā)
themTe to youte I make knownāvikaromi asked as witnesssakkhipuṭṭho;
path-victorMaggajino path-teachermaggadesako andca,
on the pathMagge livesjīvati whoyo andca path-wreckermaggadūsī”.

“There are four ascetics, not a fifth.” said the Buddha to Cunda, “Being asked to bear witness, I will explain them to you: the path-victor, the path-teacher, the path-liver, and the path-wrecker.”

whom“Kaṁ path-victormaggajinaṁ they sayvadanti Buddhasbuddhā,
quotation marker(iti Cundacundo smithkammāraputto)
explainer of the pathMaggakkhāyī howkathaṁ unequaledatulyo ishoti;
in the pathMagge livesjīvati meme tellbrūhi askedpuṭṭho,
thenAtha meme declareāvikarohi path-wreckermaggadūsiṁ”.

“Who is a path-victor according to the Buddhas?” said Cunda the smith, “and how is one an unequaled explainer of the path? Tell me when asked about one who lives the path, then declare the path-wrecker.”

who“Yo rid of indecisiontiṇṇakathaṅkatho free of thornsvisallo,
delighting in extinguishmentNibbānābhirato not fawninganānugiddho;
for the worldLokassa with its godssadevakassa a guidenetā,
one suchTādiṁ victor of the pathmaggajinaṁ they sayvadanti Buddhasbuddhā.

“Rid of indecision, free of thorns, delighting in extinguishment, not fawning, a guide for the world with its gods. The Buddhas say one such is victor of the path.

the ultimateParamaṁ as ultimateparamanti who hereyodha having knownñatvā,
they explainAkkhāti they analyzevibhajate right hereidheva the teachingdhammaṁ;
thatTaṁ with doubt cut offkaṅkhachidaṁ sagemuniṁ unstirredanejaṁ,
secondDutiyaṁ of mendicants, I saybhikkhunamāhu teacher of the pathmaggadesiṁ.

Knowing the ultimate as ultimate, they explain and analyze the teaching right here. That sage unstirred, with doubt cut off, is the second mendicant, I say, the teacher of the path.

whoYo in the teaching passagedhammapade well taughtsudesite,
on the pathMagge livesjīvati restrainedsaññato mindfulsatīmā;
blameless statesAnavajjapadāni cultivatingsevamāno,
thirdTatiyaṁ of mendicants, I saybhikkhunamāhu path-livermaggajīviṁ.

Living restrained and mindful on the path of the well-taught passage of teaching, cultivating blameless states, is the third mendicant, I say, the path-liver.

a coveringChadanaṁ having madekatvāna of the true-vowed onessubbatānaṁ,
pushyPakkhandī a corrupter of familieskuladūsako rudepagabbho;
deviousMāyāvī unrestrainedasaññato chaffpalāpo,
in the guisePatirūpena livingcaraṁ hesa path-wreckermaggadūsī.

Dressed like one true to their vows, pushy, rude, a corrupter of families, devious, unrestrained, chaff, the path-wrecker’s life is a sham.

theseEte andca who getspaṭivijjhi whoyo laypersongahaṭṭho,
learnedSutavā noble discipleariyasāvako wisesapañño;
allSabbe “not all like that one”netādisāti knowsñatvā,
soIti when they see themdisvā notna losehāpeti theirtassa faithsaddhā;
howKathaṁ forhi corruptduṭṭhena uncorruptasampaduṭṭhaṁ,
pureSuddhaṁ impureasuddhena equatesamaṁ could onekareyyā”ti.
Cunda SuttaCundasuttaṁ fifthpañcamaṁ.

A layperson who gets this, a learned, wise noble disciple, knows that ‘They are not all like that one’. So when they see them they don’t lose their faith. For how could one equate them— the corrupt with the uncorrupt, the pure with the impure?”

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