SN 35-44 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With the Six Sense Fields – Saḷāyatanavaggasaṁyutta > SN 42 Connected Discourses with Chiefs – Gāmaṇisaṁyutta > SN 42.9 Families

Linked Discourses 42.9 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 42.9

1. Chiefs – 1. Gāmaṇivagga

SN 42.9 Families – Kulasutta

At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of bhikkhū when he arrived at Nāḷandā.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ yena nāḷandā tadavasari.

There he stayed near Nālandā in Pāvārika’s mango grove.

Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā nāḷandāyaṁ viharati pāvārikambavane.

Now that was a time of famine and scarcity in Nāḷandā, with blighted crops turned to straw.

Tena kho pana samayena nāḷandā dubbhikkhā hoti dvīhitikā setaṭṭhikā salākāvuttā.

At that time Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta was residing at Nāḷandā together with a large assembly of Jain ascetics.

Tena kho pana samayena nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto nāḷandāyaṁ paṭivasati mahatiyā nigaṇṭhaparisāya saddhiṁ.

Then Asibandhaka’s son the chief, who was a disciple of the Jains, went up to Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, bowed, and sat down to one side. Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta said to him:

Atha kho asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi nigaṇṭhasāvako yena nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho asibandhakaputtaṁ gāmaṇiṁ nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto etadavoca:

“Come, chief, refute the ascetic Gotama’s doctrine.

“ehi tvaṁ, gāmaṇi, samaṇassa gotamassa vādaṁ āropehi.

Then you will get a good reputation:

Evaṁ te kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchissati:

‘Asibandhaka’s son the chief refuted the doctrine of the ascetic Gotama, so mighty and powerful!’”

‘asibandhakaputtena gāmaṇinā samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁmahiddhikassa evaṁmahānubhāvassa vādo āropito’”ti.

“But sir, how am I to do this?”

“Kathaṁ panāhaṁ, bhante, samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁmahiddhikassa evaṁmahānubhāvassa vādaṁ āropessāmī”ti?

“Here, brahmin, go to the ascetic Gotama and say to him:

“Ehi tvaṁ, gāmaṇi, yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ vadehi:

‘Sir, don’t you in many ways praise kindness, protection, and compassion for families?’

‘nanu, bhante, bhagavā anekapariyāyena kulānaṁ anuddayaṁ vaṇṇeti, anurakkhaṁ vaṇṇeti, anukampaṁ vaṇṇetī’ti?

When he’s asked this, if he answers:

Sace kho, gāmaṇi, samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti:

‘Indeed I do, chief,’ say this to him:

‘evaṁ, gāmaṇi, tathāgato anekapariyāyena kulānaṁ anuddayaṁ vaṇṇeti, anurakkhaṁ vaṇṇeti, anukampaṁ vaṇṇetī’ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi:

‘So what exactly are you doing, wandering together with this large Saṅgha of bhikkhū during a time of famine and scarcity, with blighted crops turned to straw?

‘atha kiñcarahi, bhante, bhagavā dubbhikkhe dvīhitike setaṭṭhike salākāvutte mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ cārikaṁ carati?

The Buddha is practicing to annihilate, collapse, and ruin families!’

Ucchedāya bhagavā kulānaṁ paṭipanno, anayāya bhagavā kulānaṁ paṭipanno, upaghātāya bhagavā kulānaṁ paṭipanno’ti.

When you put this dilemma to him, the Buddha won’t be able to either spit it out or swallow it down.”

Imaṁ kho te, gāmaṇi, samaṇo gotamo ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho neva sakkhati uggilituṁ, neva sakkhati ogilitun”ti.

“Yes, sir,” replied Asibandhaka’s son. He got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, keeping him on his right. Then he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi nigaṇṭhassa nāṭaputtassa paṭissutvā uṭṭhāyāsanā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, don’t you in many ways praise kindness, protection, and compassion for families?”

“Nanu, bhante, bhagavā anekapariyāyena kulānaṁ anuddayaṁ vaṇṇeti, anurakkhaṁ vaṇṇeti, anukampaṁ vaṇṇetī”ti?

“Indeed I do, chief.”

“Evaṁ, gāmaṇi, tathāgato anekapariyāyena kulānaṁ anuddayaṁ vaṇṇeti, anurakkhaṁ vaṇṇeti, anukampaṁ vaṇṇetī”ti.

“So what exactly are you doing, wandering together with this large Saṅgha of bhikkhū during a time of famine and scarcity, with blighted crops turned to straw?

“Atha kiñcarahi, bhante, bhagavā dubbhikkhe dvīhitike setaṭṭhike salākāvutte mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ cārikaṁ carati?

The Buddha is practicing to annihilate, collapse, and ruin families!”

Ucchedāya bhagavā kulānaṁ paṭipanno, anayāya bhagavā kulānaṁ paṭipanno, upaghātāya bhagavā kulānaṁ paṭipanno”ti.

“Well, chief, I recollect ninety eons back but I’m not aware of any family that’s been ruined merely by offering some cooked almsfood.

“Ito so, gāmaṇi, ekanavutikappe yamahaṁ anussarāmi, nābhijānāmi kiñci kulaṁ pakkabhikkhānuppadānamattena upahatapubbaṁ.

Rather, rich, affluent, and wealthy families—with lots of gold and silver, lots of property and assets, and lots of money and grain—all acquired their wealth because of generosity, truth, and restraint.

Atha kho yāni tāni kulāni aḍḍhāni mahaddhanāni mahābhogāni pahūtajātarūparajatāni pahūtavittūpakaraṇāni pahūtadhanadhaññāni, sabbāni tāni dānasambhūtāni ceva saccasambhūtāni ca sāmaññasambhūtāni ca.

Chief, there are eight causes and conditions for the ruin of families.

Aṭṭha kho, gāmaṇi, hetū, aṭṭha paccayā kulānaṁ upaghātāya.

Their ruin stems from rulers, bandits, fire, or flood. Or their savings vanish. Or their business fails due to not applying themselves to work. Or a wastrel is born into the family who squanders and fritters away their wealth. And anicca is the eighth.

Rājato vā kulāni upaghātaṁ gacchanti, corato vā kulāni upaghātaṁ gacchanti, aggito vā kulāni upaghātaṁ gacchanti, udakato vā kulāni upaghātaṁ gacchanti, nihitaṁ vā ṭhānā vigacchati, duppayuttā vā kammantā vipajjanti, kule vā kulaṅgāroti uppajjati, yo te bhoge vikirati vidhamati viddhaṁseti, aniccatāyeva aṭṭhamīti.

These are the eight causes and conditions for the ruin of families.

Ime kho, gāmaṇi, aṭṭha hetū, aṭṭha paccayā kulānaṁ upaghātāya.

Given that these eight reasons are found, suppose someone says this:

Imesu kho, gāmaṇi, aṭṭhasu hetūsu, aṭṭhasu paccayesu saṁvijjamānesu yo maṁ evaṁ vadeyya:

‘The Buddha is practicing to annihilate, collapse, and ruin families!’

‘ucchedāya bhagavā kulānaṁ paṭipanno, anayāya bhagavā kulānaṁ paṭipanno, upaghātāya bhagavā kulānaṁ paṭipanno’ti,

Unless they give up that speech and thought, and let go of that view, they will be cast down to hell.”

taṁ, gāmaṇi, vācaṁ appahāya taṁ cittaṁ appahāya taṁ diṭṭhiṁ appaṭinissajjitvā yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye”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.