SN 35-44 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With the Six Sense Fields – Saḷāyatanavaggasaṁyutta > SN 42 Connected Discourses with Chiefs – Gāmaṇisaṁyutta > SN 42.3 A Warrior

Linked Discourses 42.3 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 42.3

1. Chiefs – 1. Gāmaṇivagga

SN 42.3 A Warrior – Yodhājīvasutta

Then Dustin the warrior chief went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

Atha kho yodhājīvo gāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho yodhājīvo gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, I have heard that the warriors of the past who were teachers of teachers said:

“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ yodhājīvānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ:

‘Suppose a warrior, while striving and struggling in battle, is killed and finished off by his foes. When his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in the company of the gods of the fallen.’

‘yo so yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati, tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti.

What does the Buddha say about this?”

Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?

“Enough, chief, let it be. Don’t ask me that.”

“Alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti.

For a second time …

Dutiyampi kho …pe…

And for a third time the warrior chief said to the Buddha:

tatiyampi kho yodhājīvo gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, I have heard that the warriors of the past who were teachers of teachers said:

“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ yodhājīvānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ:

‘Suppose a warrior, while striving and struggling in battle, is killed and finished off by his foes. When his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in the company of the gods of the fallen.’

What does the Buddha say about this?”

Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?

“Clearly, chief, I’m not getting through to you when I say:

“Addhā kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, na labhāmi:

‘Enough, chief, let it be. Don’t ask me that.’

‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’ti.

Nevertheless, I will answer you.

Api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi.

When a warrior strives and struggles in battle, their mind is already low, degraded, and misdirected as they think:

Yo so, gāmaṇi, yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati, tassa taṁ cittaṁ pubbe gahitaṁ dukkaṭaṁ duppaṇihitaṁ:

‘May these sentient beings be killed, slaughtered, slain, destroyed, or annihilated!’

‘ime sattā haññantu vā bajjhantu vā ucchijjantu vā vinassantu vā mā vā ahesuṁ iti vā’ti.

His foes kill him and finish him off, and

Tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti;

when his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in the hell called ‘The Fallen’.

so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajito nāma nirayo tattha upapajjatīti.

But if you have such a view:

Sace kho panassa evaṁ diṭṭhi hoti:

‘Suppose a warrior, while striving and struggling in battle, is killed and finished off by his foes. When his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in the company of the gods of the fallen.’ This is your wrong view.

‘yo so yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti, sāssa hoti micchādiṭṭhi.

An individual with wrong view is reborn in one of two places, I say:

Micchādiṭṭhikassa kho panāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, purisapuggalassa dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi—

hell or the animal realm.”

nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā”ti.

When he said this, Dustin the warrior chief cried and burst out in tears.

Evaṁ vutte, yodhājīvo gāmaṇi parodi, assūni pavattesi.

“This is what I didn’t get through to you when I said:

“Etaṁ kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, nālatthaṁ:

‘Enough, chief, let it be. Don’t ask me that.’”

‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’”ti.

“Sir, I’m not crying because of what the Buddha said.

“Nāhaṁ, bhante, etaṁ rodāmi yaṁ maṁ bhagavā evamāha;

But sir, for a long time I’ve been cheated, tricked, and deceived by the warriors of the past who were teachers of teachers, who said:

api cāhaṁ, bhante, pubbakehi ācariyapācariyehi yodhājīvehi dīgharattaṁ nikato vañcito paluddho:

‘Suppose a warrior, while striving and struggling in battle, is killed and finished off by his foes. When his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in the company of the gods of the fallen.’

Excellent, sir! Excellent! …

“Abhikkantaṁ, bhante …pe…

From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.