AN 3 The Book of the Threes – Tikanipāta > AN 3.91 At Paṅkadhā

Numbered Discourses 3.91 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.91

9. Ascetics – 9. Samaṇavagga

AN 3.91 At Paṅkadhā – Saṅkavāsutta

1.1

At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of bhikkhū. He arrived at a town of the Kosalans named Paṅkadhā,

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ yena saṅkavā nāma kosalānaṁ nigamo tadavasari.

1.2

and stayed there.

Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā saṅkavāyaṁ viharati.

1.3

Now, at that time a monk called Kassapagotta was resident at Paṅkadhā.

Tena kho pana samayena kassapagotto nāma bhikkhu saṅkavāyaṁ āvāsiko hoti.

1.4

There the Buddha educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired the bhikkhū with a Dhamma talk about the training rules.

Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti.

1.5

Kassapagotta became quite impatient and bitter, thinking,

Atha kho kassapagottassa bhikkhuno bhagavati sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:

1.6

“This ascetic is much too strict.”

“adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo”ti.

1.7

When the Buddha had stayed in Paṅkadhā as long as he wished, he set out for Rājagaha.

Atha kho bhagavā saṅkavāyaṁ yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā yena rājagahaṁ tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi.

1.8

Traveling stage by stage, he arrived at Rājagaha,

Anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena rājagahaṁ tadavasari.

1.9

and stayed there.

Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati.

2.1

Soon after the Buddha left, Kassapagotta became quite remorseful and regretful, thinking,

Atha kho kassapagottassa bhikkhuno acirapakkantassa bhagavato ahudeva kukkuccaṁ ahu vippaṭisāro:

2.2

“It’s my loss, my misfortune,

“alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ;

2.3

that when the Buddha was talking about the training rules I became quite impatient and bitter, thinking

yassa me bhagavati sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:

2.4

he was much too strict.

‘adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo’ti.

2.5

Why don’t I go to the Buddha and confess my mistake to him?”

Yannūnāhaṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato santike accayaṁ accayato deseyyan”ti.

2.6

Then Kassapagotta set his lodgings in order and, taking his bowl and robe, set out for Rājagaha.

Atha kho kassapagotto bhikkhu senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena rājagahaṁ tena pakkāmi.

2.7

Eventually he came to Rājagaha and the Vulture’s Peak. He went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened, saying:

Anupubbena yena rājagahaṁ yena gijjhakūṭo pabbato yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho kassapagotto bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

3.1

“Ekamidaṁ, bhante, samayaṁ bhagavā saṅkavāyaṁ viharati, saṅkavā nāma kosalānaṁ nigamo.

3.2

Tatra, bhante, bhagavā sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi.

3.3

Tassa mayhaṁ bhagavati sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:

3.4

‘adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo’ti.

3.5

Atha kho bhagavā saṅkavāyaṁ yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā yena rājagahaṁ tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi. (…)

3.6

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, acirapakkantassa bhagavato ahudeva kukkuccaṁ ahu vippaṭisāro:

3.7

‘alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ;

3.8

yassa me bhagavati sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:

3.9

“adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo”ti.

3.10

Yannūnāhaṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato santike accayaṁ accayato deseyyan’ti.

3.11

“I have made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of me to become impatient and bitter when the Buddha was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the bhikkhū with a Dhamma talk about the training rules, and to think,

Accayo maṁ, bhante, accagamā yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ yassa me bhagavati sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:

3.12

‘This ascetic is much too strict.’

‘adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo’ti.

3.13

Please, sir, accept my mistake for what it is, so I will restrain myself in future.”

Tassa me, bhante, bhagavā accayaṁ accayato paṭiggaṇhātu, āyatiṁ saṁvarāyā”ti.

4.1

“Indeed, Kassapa, you made a mistake.

“Taggha taṁ, kassapa, accayo accagamā yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ, yassa te mayi sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:

4.2

‘adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo’ti.

4.3

But since you have recognized your mistake for what it is, and have dealt with it properly, I accept it.

Yato ca kho tvaṁ, kassapa, accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikarosi, taṁ te mayaṁ paṭiggaṇhāma.

4.4

For it is growth in the training of the Noble One to recognize a mistake for what it is, deal with it properly, and commit to restraint in the future.

Vuddhihesā, kassapa, ariyassa vinaye yo accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikaroti, āyatiṁ saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.

5.1

Kassapa, take the case of a senior bhikkhu who doesn’t want to train and doesn’t praise taking up the training. They don’t encourage other bhikkhū who don’t want to train to take up the training. And they don’t truthfully and substantively praise at the right time those bhikkhū who do want to train. I don’t praise that kind of senior bhikkhu.

Thero cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti na sikkhākāmo na sikkhāsamādānassa vaṇṇavādī, ye caññe bhikkhū na sikkhākāmā te ca na sikkhāya samādapeti, ye caññe bhikkhū sikkhākāmā tesañca na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena, evarūpassāhaṁ, kassapa, therassa bhikkhuno na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.

5.2

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

5.3

Because, hearing that I praised that bhikkhu, other bhikkhū might want to keep company with them. Then they might follow their example, which would be for their lasting harm and suffering.

Satthā hissa vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇatīti aññe naṁ bhikkhū bhajeyyuṁ, ye naṁ bhajeyyuṁ tyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ, yyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ tesaṁ taṁ assa dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāyāti.

5.4

That’s why I don’t praise that kind of senior bhikkhu.

Tasmāhaṁ, kassapa, evarūpassa therassa bhikkhuno na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.

6.1

Take the case of a middle bhikkhu who doesn’t want to train …

Majjhimo cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti …pe…

6.2

Take the case of a junior bhikkhu who doesn’t want to train …

navo cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti na sikkhākāmo na sikkhāsamādānassa vaṇṇavādī, ye caññe bhikkhū na sikkhākāmā te ca na sikkhāya samādapeti, ye caññe bhikkhū sikkhākāmā tesañca na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena, evarūpassāhaṁ, kassapa, navassa bhikkhuno na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.

6.3

Taṁ kissa hetu?

6.4

6.5

That’s why I don’t praise that kind of junior bhikkhu.

Tasmāhaṁ, kassapa, evarūpassa navassa bhikkhuno na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.

7.1

Kassapa, take the case of a senior bhikkhu who does want to train and praises taking up the training. They encourage other bhikkhū who don’t want to train to take up the training. And they truthfully and substantively praise at the right time those bhikkhū who do want to train. I praise that kind of senior bhikkhu.

Thero cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti sikkhākāmo sikkhāsamādānassa vaṇṇavādī, ye caññe bhikkhū na sikkhākāmā te ca sikkhāya samādapeti, ye caññe bhikkhū sikkhākāmā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena, evarūpassāhaṁ, kassapa, therassa bhikkhuno vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.

7.2

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

7.3

Because, hearing that I praised that bhikkhu, other bhikkhū might want to keep company with them. Then they might follow their example, which would be for their lasting welfare and happiness.

Satthā hissa vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇatīti aññe naṁ bhikkhū bhajeyyuṁ, ye naṁ bhajeyyuṁ tyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ, yyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ tesaṁ taṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyāti.

7.4

That’s why I praise that kind of senior bhikkhu.

Tasmāhaṁ, kassapa, evarūpassa therassa bhikkhuno vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.

8.1

Take the case of a middle bhikkhu who wants to train …

Majjhimo cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti sikkhākāmo …pe…

8.2

Take the case of a junior bhikkhu who wants to train …

navo cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti sikkhākāmo sikkhāsamādānassa vaṇṇavādī, ye caññe bhikkhū na sikkhākāmā te ca sikkhāya samādapeti, ye caññe bhikkhū sikkhākāmā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena, evarūpassāhaṁ, kassapa, navassa bhikkhuno vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.

8.3

Taṁ kissa hetu?

8.4

8.5

That’s why I praise that kind of junior bhikkhu.”

Tasmāhaṁ, kassapa, evarūpassa navassa bhikkhuno vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmī”ti.

8.6

Ekādasamaṁ.

8.7

Samaṇavaggo catuttho.

9.0

Tassuddānaṁ

9.1

Samaṇo gadrabho khettaṁ,

9.2

vajjiputto ca sekkhakaṁ;

9.3

Tayo ca sikkhanā vuttā,

9.4

dve sikkhā saṅkavāya cāti.