SN 35-44 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With the Six Sense Fields – Saḷāyatanavaggasaṁyutta > SN 35 Connected Discourses on the Six Sense Fields – Saḷāyatanasaṁyutta > SN 35.242 The Simile of the Tree Trunk (2nd)

Linked Discourses 35.242 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.242

19. The Simile of the Vipers – 19. Āsīvisavagga

SN 35.242 The Simile of the Tree Trunk (2nd) – Dutiyadārukkhandhopamasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Kimibilā on the bank of the Ganges river.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kimilāyaṁ viharati gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre.

Seeing a large tree trunk being carried along by the current,

Addasā kho bhagavā mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānaṁ.

he addressed the bhikkhū:

Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Bhikkhū, do you see that large tree trunk being carried along by the current of the Ganges river?”

“passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, amuṁ mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānan”ti?

“Yes, sir,” they replied. …

“Evaṁ, bhante” …pe…

When this was said, Venerable Kimbila said to the Buddha:

evaṁ vutte, āyasmā kimilo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“But sir, what’s the near shore and what’s the far shore? What’s sinking in the middle? What’s getting stranded on high ground? What’s getting taken by humans or non-humans? What’s getting caught up in a whirlpool? And what’s rotting away?” …

“kiṁ nu kho, bhante, orimaṁ tīraṁ …pe…

“And what, Kimbila, is rotting away?

“katamo ca, kimila, antopūtibhāvo.

It’s when a bhikkhu has committed the kind of corrupt offense from which there is no rehabilitation.

Idha, kimila, bhikkhu aññataraṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ āpattiṁ āpanno hoti yathārūpāya āpattiyā na vuṭṭhānaṁ paññāyati.

This is called ‘rotting away’.”

Ayaṁ vuccati, kimila, antopūtibhāvo”ti.