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 35.248 The Sheaf of Barley

Linked Discourses 35.248 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.248

19. The Simile of the Vipers – 19. Āsīvisavagga

SN 35.248 The Sheaf of Barley – Yavakalāpisutta

“Bhikkhū, suppose a sheaf of barley was placed at a crossroads.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yavakalāpī cātumahāpathe nikkhittā assa.

Then six people would come along carrying flails,

Atha cha purisā āgaccheyyuṁ byābhaṅgihatthā.

and started threshing the sheaf of barley.

Te yavakalāpiṁ chahi byābhaṅgīhi haneyyuṁ.

So that sheaf of barley would be thoroughly threshed by those six flails.

Evañhi sā, bhikkhave, yavakalāpī suhatā assa chahi byābhaṅgīhi haññamānā.

Then a seventh person would come along carrying a flail,

Atha sattamo puriso āgaccheyya byābhaṅgihattho.

and they’d give the sheaf of barley a seventh threshing.

So taṁ yavakalāpiṁ sattamāya byābhaṅgiyā haneyya.

So that sheaf of barley would be even more thoroughly threshed by that seventh flail.

Evañhi sā bhikkhave, yavakalāpī suhatatarā assa, sattamāya byābhaṅgiyā haññamānā.

In the same way, an uneducated ordinary person is struck in the eye by both pleasant and unpleasant sights.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano cakkhusmiṁ haññati manāpāmanāpehi rūpehi …pe…

They’re struck in the ear … nose … tongue … body …

jivhāya haññati manāpāmanāpehi rasehi …pe…

mind by both pleasant and unpleasant thoughts.

manasmiṁ haññati manāpāmanāpehi dhammehi.

And if that uneducated ordinary person has intentions regarding rebirth into a new state of existence in the future, that foolish person is even more thoroughly struck, like that sheaf of barley threshed by the seventh person.

Sace so, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano āyatiṁ punabbhavāya ceteti, evañhi so, bhikkhave, moghapuriso suhatataro hoti, seyyathāpi sā yavakalāpī sattamāya byābhaṅgiyā haññamānā.

Once upon a time, a battle was fought between the gods and the demons.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi.

Then Vepacitti, lord of demons, addressed the demons,

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo asure āmantesi:

‘My good sirs, if the demons defeat the gods in this battle, bind Sakka, the lord of gods, by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the citadel of the demons.’

‘sace, mārisā, devāsurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe asurā jineyyuṁ devā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha asurapuran’ti.

Meanwhile, Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the Thirty-Three,

Sakkopi kho, bhikkhave, devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse āmantesi:

‘My good sirs, if the gods defeat the demons in this battle, bind Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the Sudhamma hall of the gods.’

‘sace, mārisā, devāsurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe devā jineyyuṁ asurā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha sudhammaṁ devasabhan’ti.

In that battle the gods won and the demons lost.

Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājiniṁsu.

So the gods of the Thirty-Three bound Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and brought him to Sakka’s presence in the Sudhamma hall of the gods.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā sakkassa devānamindassa santike ānesuṁ sudhammaṁ devasabhaṁ.

And there Vepacitti remained bound by his limbs and neck.

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi baddho hoti.

That is, until he thought,

Yadā kho, bhikkhave, vepacittissa asurindassa evaṁ hoti:

‘It’s the gods who are principled, while the demons are unprincipled. Now I belong right here in the castle of the gods.’

‘dhammikā kho devā, adhammikā asurā, idheva dānāhaṁ devapuraṁ gacchāmī’ti.

Then he found himself freed from the bonds on his limbs and neck. He entertained himself, supplied and provided with the five kinds of heavenly sensual stimulation.

Atha kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi muttaṁ attānaṁ samanupassati, dibbehi ca pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappito samaṅgībhūto paricāreti.

But when he thought,

Yadā ca kho, bhikkhave, vepacittissa asurindassa evaṁ hoti:

‘It’s the demons who are principled, while the gods are unprincipled. Now I will go over there to the citadel of the demons,’

‘dhammikā kho asurā, adhammikā devā, tattheva dānāhaṁ asurapuraṁ gamissāmī’ti.

he found himself bound by his limbs and neck, and the five kinds of heavenly sensual stimulation disappeared.

atha kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi baddhaṁ attānaṁ samanupassati, dibbehi ca pañcahi kāmaguṇehi parihāyati.

That’s how subtly Vepacitti was bound.

Evaṁ sukhumaṁ kho, bhikkhave, vepacittibandhanaṁ.

But the bonds of Māra are even more subtle than that.

Tato sukhumataraṁ mārabandhanaṁ.

When you identify, you’re bound by Māra. Not identifying, you’re free from the Wicked One.

Maññamāno kho, bhikkhave, baddho mārassa, amaññamāno mutto pāpimato.

These are all forms of identifying: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’, ‘I will not be’, ‘I will have form’, ‘I will be formless’, ‘I will be percipient’, ‘I will be non-percipient’, ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient.’

‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, maññitametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘na bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘saññī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ.

Conceit is a disease, a boil, a dart.

Maññitaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, maññitaṁ gaṇḍo, maññitaṁ sallaṁ.

So bhikkhū, you should train yourselves like this: ‘We will live with a heart that does not identify.’

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘amaññamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti—

evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

These are all disturbances: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’, ‘I will not be’, ‘I will have form’, ‘I will be formless’, ‘I will be percipient’, ‘I will be non-percipient’, ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient.’

‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, iñjitametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘na bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘saññī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ.

Disturbances are a disease, a boil, a dart.

Iñjitaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, iñjitaṁ gaṇḍo, iñjitaṁ sallaṁ.

So bhikkhū, you should train yourselves like this: ‘We will live with a heart free of disturbances.’

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘aniñjamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti—

evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

These are all tremblings: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’, ‘I will not be’, ‘I will have form’, ‘I will be formless’, ‘I will be percipient’, ‘I will be non-percipient’, ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient.’

‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, phanditametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti phanditametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti …pe… ‘na bhavissan’ti … ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti … ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti … ‘saññī bhavissan’ti … ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti … ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti phanditametaṁ.

Trembling is a disease, a boil, a dart.

Phanditaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, phanditaṁ gaṇḍo, phanditaṁ sallaṁ.

So bhikkhū, you should train yourselves like this: ‘We will live with a heart free of tremblings.’

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘aphandamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti—

evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

These are all proliferations: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’, ‘I will not be’, ‘I will have form’, ‘I will be formless’, ‘I will be percipient’, ‘I will be non-percipient’, ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient.’

‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, papañcitametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti papañcitametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti …pe… ‘na bhavissan’ti … ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti … ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti … ‘saññī bhavissan’ti … ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti … ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti papañcitametaṁ.

Proliferation is a disease, a boil, a dart.

Papañcitaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, papañcitaṁ gaṇḍo, papañcitaṁ sallaṁ.

So bhikkhū, you should train yourselves like this: ‘We will live with a heart free of proliferation.’

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘nippapañcena cetasā viharissāmā’ti—

evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

These are all conceits: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’, ‘I will not be’, ‘I will have form’, ‘I will be formless’, ‘I will be percipient’, ‘I will be non-percipient’, ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient.’

‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, mānagatametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘na bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘saññī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ.

Conceit is a disease, a boil, a dart.

Mānagataṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, mānagataṁ gaṇḍo, mānagataṁ sallaṁ.

So bhikkhū, you should train yourselves like this: ‘We will live with a heart that has struck down conceit.’”

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘nihatamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti—

evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.

Āsīvisavaggo catuttho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Āsīviso ratho kummo,

dve dārukkhandhā avassuto;

Dukkhadhammā kiṁsukā vīṇā,

chappāṇā yavakalāpīti.

Saḷāyatanavagge catutthapaṇṇāsako samatto.

Tassa vagguddānaṁ

Nandikkhayo saṭṭhinayo,

samuddo uragena ca;

The Linked Discourses on the six sense fields are complete.

Catupaṇṇāsakā ete,