SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 3 Connected Discourses With King Pasenadi of Kosala – Kosalasaṁyutta > SN 3.24 Archery

Linked Discourses 3.24 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.24

3. Kosala – 3. Tatiyavagga

SN 3.24 Archery – Issattasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, where should a gift be given?”

“kattha nu kho, bhante, dānaṁ dātabban”ti?

“Wherever your heart feels inspired, great king.”

“Yattha kho, mahārāja, cittaṁ pasīdatī”ti.

“But sir, where is a gift very fruitful?”

“Kattha pana, bhante, dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti?

“Where a gift should be given is one thing, great king, but where a gift is very fruitful is another.

“Aññaṁ kho etaṁ, mahārāja, kattha dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, aññaṁ panetaṁ kattha dinnaṁ mahapphalanti?

A gift is very fruitful when it’s given to an ethical person, not so much to an unethical person.

Sīlavato kho, mahārāja, dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, no tathā dussīle.

Well then, great king, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.

Tena hi, mahārāja, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā, te khameyya, tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.

What do you think, great king?

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,

Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.

idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.

Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is untrained, inexpert, unfit, inexperienced. And he’s fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee.

Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro asikkhito akatahattho akatayoggo akatūpāsano bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyī.

Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”

Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?

“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”

“Nāhaṁ, bhante, bhareyyaṁ taṁ purisaṁ, na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.

“What about a brahmin youth,

“Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro asikkhito …pe…

a merchant youth,

atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro asikkhito …pe…

or a worker youth who was similar?”

atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro asikkhito …pe…

“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”

na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.

“What do you think, great king?

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,

Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.

idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.

Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is trained, expert, fit, experienced. And he’s fearless, brave, bold, standing his ground.

Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.

Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”

Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?

“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”

“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.

“What about a brahmin youth,

“Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro …pe…

a merchant youth,

atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro …pe…

or a worker youth who was similar?

atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.

Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”

Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?

“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”

“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.

“In the same way, a gift to anyone who has given up five factors and possesses five factors is very fruitful, no matter what family they’ve gone forth from.

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yasmā kasmā cepi kulā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato, tasmiṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti.

What are the five factors they’ve given up?

Katamāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti?

Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.

Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti.

These are the five factors they’ve given up.

Imāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti.

What are the five factors they possess?

Katamehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti?

The entire spectrum of an adept’s ethics, samādhi, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom.

Asekkhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti.

These are the five factors they possess.

Imehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti.

I say that a gift to anyone who has given up these five factors and possesses these five factors is very fruitful.”

Iti pañcaṅgavippahīne pañcaṅgasamannāgate dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti.

That is what the Buddha said.

Idamavoca bhagavā …pe…

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

satthā:

“Any youth skilled at archery,

“Issattaṁ balavīriyañca,

powerful and vigorous,

yasmiṁ vijjetha māṇave;

would be employed by a king going to war—

Taṁ yuddhattho bhare rājā,

one is not a coward because of one’s birth.

nāsūraṁ jātipaccayā.

Just so, whoever is settled

Tatheva khantisoraccaṁ,

in the qualities of patience and gentleness,

dhammā yasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā;

a clever person with noble conduct,

Ariyavuttiṁ medhāviṁ,

should be venerated even if they’re low born.

hīnajaccampi pūjaye.

You should build lovely hermitages

Kāraye assame ramme,

and settle learned people in them.

vāsayettha bahussute;

You should set up water supplies in barren regions

Papañca vivane kayirā,

and passages in places hard to travel.

dugge saṅkamanāni ca.

Food, drink, edibles,

Annaṁ pānaṁ khādanīyaṁ,

clothes, and lodgings

vatthasenāsanāni ca;

should be given to the upright ones,

Dadeyya ujubhūtesu,

with a clear and confident heart.

vippasannena cetasā.

The thundering rain cloud,

Yathā hi megho thanayaṁ,

its hundred peaks wreathed in lightning,

vijjumālī satakkaku;

pours down over the rich earth,

Thalaṁ ninnañca pūreti,

soaking the uplands and valleys.

abhivassaṁ vasundharaṁ.

So too an astute person,

Tatheva saddho sutavā,

faithful and learned,

abhisaṅkhacca bhojanaṁ;

should prepare a meal to satisfy

Vanibbake tappayati,

renunciates with food and drink.

annapānena paṇḍito.

Rejoicing, they strew gifts about,

Āmodamāno pakireti,

crying ‘Give! give!’

detha dethāti bhāsati;

For that is their thunder,

Taṁ hissa gajjitaṁ hoti,

like the gods when it rains.

devasseva pavassato;

That stream of merit so abundant

Sā puññadhārā vipulā,

showers down on the giver.”

dātāraṁ abhivassatī”ti.