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Linked Discourses 42.7 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 42.7
1. Chiefs – 1. Gāmaṇivagga
SN 42.7 The Simile of the Field – Khettūpamasutta
At one time the Buddha was staying near Nālandā in Pāvārika’s mango grove.
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nāḷandāyaṁ viharati pāvārikambavane.
Then Asibandhaka’s son the chief went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:
Atha kho asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“Sir, doesn’t the Buddha live full of compassion for all living beings?”
“nanu, bhante, bhagavā sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī viharatī”ti?
“Yes, chief.”
“Evaṁ, gāmaṇi, tathāgato sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī viharatī”ti.
“Well, sir, why exactly do you teach some people thoroughly and others less thoroughly?”
“Atha kiñcarahi, bhante, bhagavā ekaccānaṁ sakkaccaṁ dhammaṁ deseti, ekaccānaṁ no tathā sakkaccaṁ dhammaṁ desetī”ti?
“Well then, chief, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.
“Tena hi, gāmaṇi, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.
What do you think? Suppose a farmer has three fields: one’s good, one’s average, and one’s poor—bad ground of sand and salt.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, idhassu kassakassa gahapatino tīṇi khettāni—ekaṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ, ekaṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ, ekaṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmi.
What do you think? When that farmer wants to plant seeds, where would he plant them first: the good field, the average one, or the poor one?”
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, asu kassako gahapati bījāni patiṭṭhāpetukāmo kattha paṭhamaṁ patiṭṭhāpeyya, yaṁ vā aduṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ, yaṁ vā aduṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ, yaṁ vā aduṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmī”ti?
“Sir, he’d plant them first in the good field, then the average, then he may or may not plant seed in the poor field.
“Asu, bhante, kassako gahapati bījāni patiṭṭhāpetukāmo yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ tattha patiṭṭhāpeyya. Tattha patiṭṭhāpetvā yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ tattha patiṭṭhāpeyya. Tattha patiṭṭhāpetvā yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmi tattha patiṭṭhāpeyyapi, nopi patiṭṭhāpeyya.
Why is that?
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Because at least it can be fodder for the cattle.”
Antamaso gobhattampi bhavissatī”ti.
“To me, the monks and nuns are like the good field.
“Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ; evameva mayhaṁ bhikkhubhikkhuniyo.
I teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.
Tesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ, sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.
Why is that?
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Because they live with me as their island, protection, shelter, and refuge.
Ete hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti.
To me, the laymen and laywomen are like the average field.
Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ; evameva mayhaṁ upāsakaupāsikāyo.
I also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.
Tesaṁ pāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ, sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.
Why is that?
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Because they live with me as their island, protection, shelter, and refuge.
Ete hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti.
To me, the ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers who follow other paths are like the poor field, the bad ground of sand and salt.
Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmi; evameva mayhaṁ aññatitthiyā samaṇabrāhmaṇaparibbājakā.
I also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.
Tesaṁ pāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.
Why is that?
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Hopefully they might understand even a single sentence, which would be for their lasting welfare and happiness.
Appeva nāma ekaṁ padampi ājāneyyuṁ taṁ nesaṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyāti.
Suppose a person had three water jars: one that’s uncracked and nonporous; one that’s uncracked but porous; and one that’s cracked and porous.
Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, purisassa tayo udakamaṇikā—eko udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī, eko udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī, eko udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī.
What do you think? When that person wants to store water, where would they store it first: in the jar that’s uncracked and nonporous, the one that’s uncracked but porous, or the one that’s cracked and porous?”
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, asu puriso udakaṁ nikkhipitukāmo kattha paṭhamaṁ nikkhipeyya, yo vā so udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī, yo vā so udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī, yo vā so udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī”ti?
“Sir, they’d store water first in the jar that’s uncracked and nonporous, then the one that’s uncracked but porous, then they may or may not store water in the one that’s cracked and porous.
“Asu, bhante, puriso udakaṁ nikkhipitukāmo, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī tattha nikkhipeyya, tattha nikkhipitvā, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī tattha nikkhipeyya, tattha nikkhipitvā, yo so udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī tattha nikkhipeyyapi, nopi nikkhipeyya.
Why is that?
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Because at least it can be used for washing the dishes.”
Antamaso bhaṇḍadhovanampi bhavissatī”ti.
“To me, the monks and nuns are like the water jar that’s uncracked and nonporous.
“Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī; evameva mayhaṁ bhikkhubhikkhuniyo.
I teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.
Tesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.
Why is that?
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Because they live with me as their island, protection, shelter, and refuge.
Ete hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti.
To me, the laymen and laywomen are like the water jar that’s uncracked but porous.
Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī; evameva mayhaṁ upāsakaupāsikāyo.
I teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.
Tesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.
Why is that?
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Because they live with me as their island, protection, shelter, and refuge.
Ete hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti.
To me, the ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers who follow other paths are like the water jar that’s cracked and porous.
Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yo so udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī; evameva mayhaṁ aññatitthiyā samaṇabrāhmaṇaparibbājakā.
I also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.
Tesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.
Why is that?
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Hopefully they might understand even a single sentence, which would be for their lasting welfare and happiness.”
Appeva nāma ekaṁ padampi ājāneyyuṁ, taṁ nesaṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā”ti.
When he said this, Asibandhaka’s son the chief said to the Buddha,
Evaṁ vutte, asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“Excellent, sir! Excellent! …
“abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante …pe…
From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”
upāsakaṁ maṁ bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.