A Fork in the Road · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu addhānamaggappaṭipanno hoti āyasmatā nāgasamālena pacchāsamaṇena. Addasā kho āyasmā nāgasamālo antarāmagge dvidhāpathaṁ. Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ayaṁ, bhante, bhagavā pantho; iminā gacchāmā”ti. Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā āyasmantaṁ nāgasamālaṁ etadavoca: “ayaṁ, nāgasamāla, pantho; iminā gacchāmā”ti.
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was traveling along a road in the Kosalan lands with Venerable Nāgasamāla as his second monk. Nāgasamāla saw a fork in the road and said to the Buddha, “Sir, this is the road, let us go this way.” But when he said this the Buddha responded, “Nāgasamāla, this is the road, let us go this way.”
Dutiyampi kho …pe… tatiyampi kho āyasmā nāgasamālo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ayaṁ, bhante, bhagavā pantho; iminā gacchāmā”ti. Tatiyampi kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ nāgasamālaṁ etadavoca: “ayaṁ, nāgasamāla, pantho; iminā gacchāmā”ti. Atha kho āyasmā nāgasamālo bhagavato pattacīvaraṁ tattheva chamāyaṁ nikkhipitvā pakkāmi: “idaṁ, bhante, bhagavato pattacīvaran”ti.
For a second time … For a third time Nāgasamāla said to the Buddha, “Sir, this is the road, let us go this way.” And for a third time the Buddha responded, “Nāgasamāla, this is the road, let us go this way.” Then Nāgasamāla put the Buddha’s bowl and robes down on the ground right there and left, saying, “Sir, here are your bowl and robes.”
Atha kho āyasmato nāgasamālassa tena panthena gacchantassa antarāmagge corā nikkhamitvā hatthehi ca pādehi ca ākoṭesuṁ pattañca bhindiṁsu saṅghāṭiñca vipphālesuṁ. Atha kho āyasmā nāgasamālo bhinnena pattena vipphālitāya saṅghāṭiyā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā nāgasamālo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idha mayhaṁ, bhante, tena panthena gacchantassa antarāmagge corā nikkhamitvā hatthehi ca pādehi ca ākoṭesuṁ, pattañca bhindiṁsu, saṅghāṭiñca vipphālesun”ti.
Then as Nāgasamāla was going down that road, he was set upon by bandits who struck him with fists and feet, broke his bowl, and tore up his outer robe. Then Nāgasamāla—with his bowl broken and his outer robe torn—went to the Buddha and told him what had happened.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“Saddhiṁ caramekato vasaṁ, Misso aññajanena vedagū; Vidvā pajahāti pāpakaṁ, Koñco khīrapakova ninnagan”ti. Sattamaṁ.
“Walking together, dwelling as one, the knowledge master mixes with foolish folk. Knowing this, they give up wickedness, like a milk-drinking heron the water.”
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