SN 12-21 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With Causation – Nidānavaggasaṁyutta > SN 21 Connected Discourses with Monks – Bhikkhusaṁyutta > SN 21.3 A Mound of Salt

Linked Discourses 21.3 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 21.3

1. Monks – 1. Bhikkhuvagga

SN 21.3 A Mound of Salt – Ghaṭasutta

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

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

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At that time Venerables Sāriputta and Moggallāna were staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahāmoggallāno rājagahe viharanti veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe ekavihāre.

Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Moggallāna, and exchanged greetings with him.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahāmoggallāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahāmoggallānena saddhiṁ sammodi.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, Sāriputta sat down to one side, and said to Mahāmoggallāna:

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:

“Reverend Moggallāna, your faculties are so very clear, and your complexion is pure and bright.

“Vippasannāni kho te, āvuso moggallāna, indriyāni;

Have you spent the day in a peaceful meditation?”

parisuddho mukhavaṇṇo pariyodāto santena nūnāyasmā mahāmoggallāno ajja vihārena vihāsī”ti.

“Reverend, I’ve spent the day in a coarse meditation.

“Oḷārikena khvāhaṁ, āvuso, ajja vihārena vihāsiṁ.

But I have had some Dhamma talk.”

Api ca me ahosi dhammī kathā”ti.

“Who did you have a Dhamma talk with?”

“Kena saddhiṁ panāyasmato mahāmoggallānassa ahosi dhammī kathā”ti?

“With the Buddha.”

“Bhagavatā kho me, āvuso, saddhiṁ ahosi dhammī kathā”ti.

“But Reverend, the Buddha is far away. He’s staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

“Dūre kho, āvuso, bhagavā etarahi sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Did you go to him with your psychic power,

Kiṁ nu kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavantaṁ iddhiyā upasaṅkami;

or did he come to you?”

udāhu bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ iddhiyā upasaṅkamī”ti?

“No reverend, I didn’t go to him with my psychic power,

“Na khvāhaṁ, āvuso, bhagavantaṁ iddhiyā upasaṅkamiṁ;

nor did he come to me.

napi maṁ bhagavā iddhiyā upasaṅkami.

Rather, the Buddha cleared his clairvoyance and clairaudience towards me,

Api ca me yāvatā bhagavā ettāvatā dibbacakkhu visujjhi dibbā ca sotadhātu.

and I cleared my clairvoyance and clairaudience towards him.”

Bhagavatopi yāvatāhaṁ ettāvatā dibbacakkhu visujjhi dibbā ca sotadhātū”ti.

“But what manner of Dhamma talk did you have together?”

“Yathākathaṁ panāyasmato mahāmoggallānassa bhagavatā saddhiṁ ahosi dhammī kathā”ti?

“Well, reverend, I said to the Buddha,

“Idhāhaṁ, āvuso, bhagavantaṁ etadavocaṁ:

‘Sir, they speak of one who is energetic.

‘āraddhavīriyo āraddhavīriyoti, bhante, vuccati.

How is an energetic person defined?’

Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, āraddhavīriyo hotī’ti?

When I said this, the Buddha said,

Evaṁ vutte, maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā etadavoca:

‘Moggallāna, it’s when a bhikkhu lives with energy roused up:

‘idha, moggallāna, bhikkhu āraddhavīriyo viharati—

“Gladly, let only skin, sinews, and bones remain! Let the flesh and blood waste away in my body! I will not stop trying until I have achieved what is possible by human strength, energy, and vigor.”

kāmaṁ taco ca nhāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu, sarīre upassussatu maṁsalohitaṁ, yaṁ taṁ purisathāmena purisavīriyena purisaparakkamena pattabbaṁ na taṁ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṁ bhavissatīti.

That’s how a person is energetic.’

Evaṁ kho, moggallāna, āraddhavīriyo hotī’ti.

That’s the Dhamma talk I had together with the Buddha.”

Evaṁ kho me, āvuso, bhagavatā saddhiṁ ahosi dhammī kathā”ti.

“Reverend, next to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna I’m like a few pieces of gravel next to the Himalayas, the king of mountains.

“Seyyathāpi, āvuso, himavato pabbatarājassa parittā pāsāṇasakkharā yāvadeva upanikkhepanamattāya;

evameva kho mayaṁ āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa yāvadeva upanikkhepanamattāya.

Venerable Mahāmoggallāna is so mighty and powerful he could, if he wished, live on for the eon.”

Āyasmā hi mahāmoggallāno mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo ākaṅkhamāno kappaṁ tiṭṭheyyā”ti.

“Reverend, next to Venerable Sāriputta I’m like a few grains of salt next to a mound of salt.

“Seyyathāpi, āvuso, mahatiyā loṇaghaṭāya parittā loṇasakkharāya yāvadeva upanikkhepanamattāya;

evameva kho mayaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa yāvadeva upanikkhepanamattāya.

Venerable Sāriputta has been commended, complimented, and praised by the Buddha:

Āyasmā hi sāriputto bhagavatā anekapariyāyena thomito vaṇṇito pasattho:

‘In wisdom,

‘Sāriputtova paññāya,

ethics, and peace,

sīlena upasamena ca;

any bhikkhu who has crossed over

Yopi pāraṅgato bhikkhu,

can at best equal Sāriputta.’”

etāvaparamo siyā’”ti.

And so these two spiritual giants agreed with each others’ fine words.

Itiha te ubho mahānāgā aññamaññassa subhāsitaṁ sulapitaṁ samanumodiṁsūti.