Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
117. ' If a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to be able to call to mind his various temporary states in days gone by; such as one birth, two births, 1 With this paragraph compare Sama«»a Phala Sutta, p. 146. 2 Compare M. P. S. I, 16, and Samara Phala Sutta, p. 147- 2l6 IF HE SHOULD DESIRE — . three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred or a thousand, or a hundred thousand births 1 ; his births in many an aeon of destruction, in many an aeon of renovation, in many an aeon of both destruction and renovation 2 ; (so as to be able to say), "In that place such was my name, such my family, such my caste 3 , such my subsistence, such my experience of comfort or of pain, and such the limit of my life ; and when I passed from thence, I took form again in that other place where my name was so and so, such my family, such my caste, such my subsistence, such my experience of comfort or of joy, and such my term of life ; and when I fell from thence, I took form in such and such a place 4 ; " — should he desire thus to call to mind his temporary states in days gone by in all their modes and all their details let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him be devoted to that quie- tude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive back the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him be much alone ! 9 i8. 6 ' If a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to see with pure and heavenly vision, surpassing that of 1 The Lalita Vistara (p. 442) characteristically carries this enu- meration further up into innumerable ko/is and niyutas of births. 2 This is based on the Buddhist theory of the periodical destruc- tion and renovation of the universe, each of which takes countless years to be accomplished. 3 Va»»a, colour. * The text of this clause recurs nearly word for word in the Brahma-^ala Sutta, pp. 17-21 : and in the Lalita Vistara, Chap. XXII, p. 442 ; and exactly in the Sdmaw^a Phala Sutta, p. 148. 5 This paragraph recurs in the Simaw^a Phala Sutta, p. 150, and in nearly the same words in the Lalita Vistara, Chap. XXII. Akankheyya sutta. 217 men, beings as they pass from one state of existence and take form in others ; beings base or noble, good-looking or ill-favoured, happy or miserable, according to the karma they inherit — (if he should desire to be able to say), " These beings, reverend sirs, by their bad conduct in action, by their bad conduct in word, by their bad conduct in thought, by their speaking evil of the Noble Ones 1 , by their adhesion to false doctrine, or by their acquiring the karma of false doctrine 2 , have been reborn, on the dissolution of the body after death, in some unhappy state of suffering or woe V " These beings, reverend sirs, by their good conduct in action, by their good conduct in word, by their good conduct in thought, by their not speaking evil of the Noble Ones, by their adhesion to right doctrine, by their acquiring the karma of right doctrine, have
2unhappy state of suffering or woe V " These beings, reverend sirs, by their good conduct in action, by their good conduct in word, by their good conduct in thought, by their not speaking evil of the Noble Ones, by their adhesion to right doctrine, by their acquiring the karma of right doctrine, have been reborn, on the dissolution of the body after death, into some happy state in heaven ; " — should he desire thus to see with pure and heavenly vision, sur- passing that of men, beings as they thus pass from one state of existence and take form in others; beings base or noble, good-looking or ill-favoured, happy or miserable, according to the karma they inherit ; let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him be devoted to that quietude of heart which springs 1 This is a collective term, meaning Buddhas, Pai^eka Buddhas, Arahats, An&gamins, Sakaddg&mins, and Sotdpannas; that is, those who are walking in the Noble Eightfold Path. 2 The Pali is mi&kha.- (and below sammd-) di/Mi-kamma- samadana; the Lalita Vistara, whose other expressions are identical with the Pali, has, very strangely, mithyd- (and below samyag-) di/Mi-karma-dharma-sam£d£na. 8 See note on M. P. S., Chap. I, § 23. 21 8 IF HE SHOULD DESIRE . from within, let him not drive back the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him be much alone ! ' 19. 1 * If a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, by the destruction of the great evils (Asavas 2 ), by him- self, and even in this very world, to know and realise and attain to Arahatship, to emancipation of heart, and emancipation of mind, let him then fulfil all right- eousness, let him be devoted to that quietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive back the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him be much alone ! ' 20. * Continue therefore, Brethren, in the practice of Right Conduct, adhering to the Rules of the Order; continue enclosed by the restraint of the Rules of the Order, devoted to uprightness in life ; train yourselves according to the Precepts, taking them upon you in the sense of the danger in the least offence. For to this end alone has all, that has been said, been said ! * 21. Thus spake the Blessed One. And those Brethren, delighted in heart, exalted the word of the Blessed One. End of the Akankheyya Sutta. 1 Compare S&ma##a Phala Sutta, p. 151 ; Mahdparinibbdna Sutta II, 7 ; and Lalita Vistara, Chap. XXII, p. 442. 2 Sensuality, individuality, delusion, and ignorance. ATETO KH ILA-SUTTA. INTRODUCTION TO THE ICE T O K H I LA SUTTA. The following translation has been made from a text, based on the Tumour and Phayre MSS. in the India Office, of which Dr. Morris was kind enough to allow me the use. The Suttas in the MsggAima.
3lity, delusion, and ignorance. ATETO KH ILA-SUTTA. INTRODUCTION TO THE ICE T O K H I LA SUTTA. The following translation has been made from a text, based on the Tumour and Phayre MSS. in the India Office, of which Dr. Morris was kind enough to allow me the use. The Suttas in the MsggAima. Nikdya are usually distin- guished by the way in which a single thought or one or two allied thoughts are stated shortly at the commence- ment, and are then elaborated and repeated through a number of consecutive and carefully-balanced paragraphs arranged in a literary form that would now be considered monotonous and tiresome in the extreme. The repetitions in the Suttas of the Digha Nik&ya are no doubt equally artificial, but the train of reasoning being longer and more varied, there is always the hope of a change in the form, or of a new departure in the thought, to sustain the reader's flagging interest. The argument of this Sutta may be shortly stated thus. The means by which freedom from barrenness and bondage of heart can be reached are zeal and determined effort. But that zeal will be crippled in its struggle against barren- ness by want of confidence in the teacher, his doctrine, his order, or his system of self-culture, and by want of concord with the brethren. And that zeal will be crippled in its struggle against bondage by sensuality, by sloth, or by a craving after a future life in any of its various forms. If the disciple be strenuously diligent in the struggle against these things he need not fear or doubt, he will never fail, but will assuredly reach even to the supreme security of Arahatship. When I first read this Sutta I was irresistibly reminded of that passage in the New Testament where the exhorta- tion to the disciple, ' giving all diligence ' to add to his faith 222 BARRENNESS AND BONDAGE. virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, and brotherly kindness, is followed by the figure that these things will make him to be 4 neither barren nor unfruitful ; ' and closes with the promise that if he do these things, giving diligence to make his calling and election sure, he shall never fall, but shall enter into that everlasting kingdom which is the supreme goal of the Christian life. The analogy is sufficiently close to throw considerable light upon our Sutta, but it touches only the barrenness. The bondage is specially Buddhistic, and is allied with the doctrine of the Sanyo^-anas, or fetters, which the pilgrim along the Noble Path has to break before he can reach the full fruit of Arahatship. It should be compared also with the fivefold bond mentioned in the Teviggu Sutta, Chap. I, §§ 26-28, the word there used being bandhanaw, as against vinibandhana/// here, and the fivefold bond being a fivefold division of our first bondage. The ten fetters are — 1. The delusion of self (sakk&ya-di/Mi). 2. Doubt (vikikikkASL). 3. Reliance on the efficacy of rites and ceremonies (silabbata-parimisa). 4.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
117. ' If a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to be able to call to mind his various temporary states in days gone by; such as one birth, two births, 1 With this paragraph compare Sama«»a Phala Sutta, p. 146. 2 Compare M. P. S. I, 16, and Samara Phala Sutta, p. 147- 2l6 IF HE SHOULD DESIRE — . three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred or a thousand, or a hundred thousand births 1 ; his births in many an aeon of destruction, in many an aeon of renovation, in many an aeon of both destruction and renovation 2 ; (so as to be able to say), "In that place such was my name, such my family, such my caste 3 , such my subsistence, such my experience of comfort or of pain, and such the limit of my life ; and when I passed from thence, I took form again in that other place where my name was so and so, such my family, such my caste, such my subsistence, such my experience of comfort or of joy, and such my term of life ; and when I fell from thence, I took form in such and such a place 4 ; " — should he desire thus to call to mind his temporary states in days gone by in all their modes and all their details let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him be devoted to that quie- tude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive back the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him be much alone ! 9 i8. 6 ' If a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to see with pure and heavenly vision, surpassing that of 1 The Lalita Vistara (p. 442) characteristically carries this enu- meration further up into innumerable ko/is and niyutas of births. 2 This is based on the Buddhist theory of the periodical destruc- tion and renovation of the universe, each of which takes countless years to be accomplished. 3 Va»»a, colour. * The text of this clause recurs nearly word for word in the Brahma-^ala Sutta, pp. 17-21 : and in the Lalita Vistara, Chap. XXII, p. 442 ; and exactly in the Sdmaw^a Phala Sutta, p. 148. 5 This paragraph recurs in the Simaw^a Phala Sutta, p. 150, and in nearly the same words in the Lalita Vistara, Chap. XXII. Akankheyya sutta. 217 men, beings as they pass from one state of existence and take form in others ; beings base or noble, good-looking or ill-favoured, happy or miserable, according to the karma they inherit — (if he should desire to be able to say), " These beings, reverend sirs, by their bad conduct in action, by their bad conduct in word, by their bad conduct in thought, by their speaking evil of the Noble Ones 1 , by their adhesion to false doctrine, or by their acquiring the karma of false doctrine 2 , have been reborn, on the dissolution of the body after death, in some unhappy state of suffering or woe V " These beings, reverend sirs, by their good conduct in action, by their good conduct in word, by their good conduct in thought, by their not speaking evil of the Noble Ones, by their adhesion to right doctrine, by their acquiring the karma of right doctrine, have
2unhappy state of suffering or woe V " These beings, reverend sirs, by their good conduct in action, by their good conduct in word, by their good conduct in thought, by their not speaking evil of the Noble Ones, by their adhesion to right doctrine, by their acquiring the karma of right doctrine, have been reborn, on the dissolution of the body after death, into some happy state in heaven ; " — should he desire thus to see with pure and heavenly vision, sur- passing that of men, beings as they thus pass from one state of existence and take form in others; beings base or noble, good-looking or ill-favoured, happy or miserable, according to the karma they inherit ; let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him be devoted to that quietude of heart which springs 1 This is a collective term, meaning Buddhas, Pai^eka Buddhas, Arahats, An&gamins, Sakaddg&mins, and Sotdpannas; that is, those who are walking in the Noble Eightfold Path. 2 The Pali is mi&kha.- (and below sammd-) di/Mi-kamma- samadana; the Lalita Vistara, whose other expressions are identical with the Pali, has, very strangely, mithyd- (and below samyag-) di/Mi-karma-dharma-sam£d£na. 8 See note on M. P. S., Chap. I, § 23. 21 8 IF HE SHOULD DESIRE . from within, let him not drive back the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him be much alone ! ' 19. 1 * If a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, by the destruction of the great evils (Asavas 2 ), by him- self, and even in this very world, to know and realise and attain to Arahatship, to emancipation of heart, and emancipation of mind, let him then fulfil all right- eousness, let him be devoted to that quietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive back the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him be much alone ! ' 20. * Continue therefore, Brethren, in the practice of Right Conduct, adhering to the Rules of the Order; continue enclosed by the restraint of the Rules of the Order, devoted to uprightness in life ; train yourselves according to the Precepts, taking them upon you in the sense of the danger in the least offence. For to this end alone has all, that has been said, been said ! * 21. Thus spake the Blessed One. And those Brethren, delighted in heart, exalted the word of the Blessed One. End of the Akankheyya Sutta. 1 Compare S&ma##a Phala Sutta, p. 151 ; Mahdparinibbdna Sutta II, 7 ; and Lalita Vistara, Chap. XXII, p. 442. 2 Sensuality, individuality, delusion, and ignorance. ATETO KH ILA-SUTTA. INTRODUCTION TO THE ICE T O K H I LA SUTTA. The following translation has been made from a text, based on the Tumour and Phayre MSS. in the India Office, of which Dr. Morris was kind enough to allow me the use. The Suttas in the MsggAima.
3lity, delusion, and ignorance. ATETO KH ILA-SUTTA. INTRODUCTION TO THE ICE T O K H I LA SUTTA. The following translation has been made from a text, based on the Tumour and Phayre MSS. in the India Office, of which Dr. Morris was kind enough to allow me the use. The Suttas in the MsggAima. Nikdya are usually distin- guished by the way in which a single thought or one or two allied thoughts are stated shortly at the commence- ment, and are then elaborated and repeated through a number of consecutive and carefully-balanced paragraphs arranged in a literary form that would now be considered monotonous and tiresome in the extreme. The repetitions in the Suttas of the Digha Nik&ya are no doubt equally artificial, but the train of reasoning being longer and more varied, there is always the hope of a change in the form, or of a new departure in the thought, to sustain the reader's flagging interest. The argument of this Sutta may be shortly stated thus. The means by which freedom from barrenness and bondage of heart can be reached are zeal and determined effort. But that zeal will be crippled in its struggle against barren- ness by want of confidence in the teacher, his doctrine, his order, or his system of self-culture, and by want of concord with the brethren. And that zeal will be crippled in its struggle against bondage by sensuality, by sloth, or by a craving after a future life in any of its various forms. If the disciple be strenuously diligent in the struggle against these things he need not fear or doubt, he will never fail, but will assuredly reach even to the supreme security of Arahatship. When I first read this Sutta I was irresistibly reminded of that passage in the New Testament where the exhorta- tion to the disciple, ' giving all diligence ' to add to his faith 222 BARRENNESS AND BONDAGE. virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, and brotherly kindness, is followed by the figure that these things will make him to be 4 neither barren nor unfruitful ; ' and closes with the promise that if he do these things, giving diligence to make his calling and election sure, he shall never fall, but shall enter into that everlasting kingdom which is the supreme goal of the Christian life. The analogy is sufficiently close to throw considerable light upon our Sutta, but it touches only the barrenness. The bondage is specially Buddhistic, and is allied with the doctrine of the Sanyo^-anas, or fetters, which the pilgrim along the Noble Path has to break before he can reach the full fruit of Arahatship. It should be compared also with the fivefold bond mentioned in the Teviggu Sutta, Chap. I, §§ 26-28, the word there used being bandhanaw, as against vinibandhana/// here, and the fivefold bond being a fivefold division of our first bondage. The ten fetters are — 1. The delusion of self (sakk&ya-di/Mi). 2. Doubt (vikikikkASL). 3. Reliance on the efficacy of rites and ceremonies (silabbata-parimisa). 4.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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