' Certainly not, Gotama ! '
30. 'And in the same way, Vise//^a, there are
these five hindrances, in the Discipline of the Noble
One, which are called " veils 1 " and are called " hin-
drances 2 ," arid are called " obstacles 3 ," and are callecL
" entanglements 4 ."
' Which are the five ? '
' The hindrance of lustful desire,
The hindrance of malice,
The hindrance of sloth and idleness,
The hindrance of pride and self-righteousness,
The hindrance of doubt.
' These are the five hindrances, V4se#^a, which,
in the Discipline of the Noble One, are called veils,
and are called hindrances, and are called obstacles,
and are called entanglements.
31. 'Now with these five hindrances, Vise/Z^a,
the Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas are veiled,
hindered, obstructed, and entangled.
32. 'And verily, V£se//^a, that Br&hmans versed
1 Avara«a\ 2 Ntvara»a\
5 All three MSS. onaha. S. V. reads onaddha/w in the text,
and explains it by on ah a\
4 All three MSS. pariyonaha\ S. V. reads pariyoddhaai in.
the text, and explains it by par iy onaha.
in the Three Vedas, but omitting the practice of
those qualities which really make a man a Brdhman,
and adopting the practice of those qualities which
really make men non-Brdhmans — veiled, hindered,
obstructed, and entangled by these Five Hindrances
— that these Brahmans should after death, on the
dissolution of the body, become united to Brahma —
such a condition of things has no existence/
33. ' Now what think you, VAse//^a 3 and what
have you heard from the Brahmans aged and well-
stricken in years, when the learners and teachers
are talking together ? Is BrahmS. in possession of
wives and wealth, or is he not 1 ? '
* He is not, Gotama.'
1 Is his mind full of anger, or free from anger ? '
* Free from anger, Gotama/
' Is his mind full of malice, or free from malice ? 9 ' Free from malice, Gotama/
* Is his mind depraved, or pure 2 ? ' ' It is pure, Gotama/
' Has he self-mastery, or has he not 3 ? ' 1 He has, Gotama/
34. 1 Now what think you, V£se#/fca, are the
1 Sapariggaho v& Brahm& apariggaho v£ ti. Buddhaghosa says on Vase/Ma's reply, ' Kdma^^andassa abh&vato itthi- pariggaheno apariggaho/ thus restricting the 'possession* to women, with especial reference to the first ' hindrance ; ' but the word in the text, though doubtless alluding to possession of women in particular, includes more. Compare, on the general idea of the passage, the English expression ' no encumbrances/
2 Asahkili/Ma-£itto. That is, says Buddhaghosa, 'free from mental sloth and idleness, self-righteousness, and pride/
8 Vasavattt va avasavatti vL Buddhaghosa says, in expla-
nation of the answer : ' By the absence of doubt he has his mind
under control* (vase vatteti).
184 ON KNOWLEDGE OF THE VEDAS. CH.
Brahmans versed in the Vedas in the possession of
wives and wealth, or are they not ? '
' They are, Gotama/
• Have they anger in their hearts, or have they not?'
• They have, Gotama/
• Do they bear malice, or do they not ? ' ' They do, Gotama/
' Are they pure in heart, or are they not ? '
' They are not, Gotama/
1 Have they self-mastery, or have they not ?'
' They have not, Gotama/
35. 'Then you say, Vase//^a, that the Brfihmans are
in possession of wives and wealth, and that Brahm&
is not. Can there, then, be agreement and likeness
between the Brahmans with their wives and pro-
perty, and BrahmcL, who has none of these things ? '
' Certainly not, Gotama ! '
36. 'Very good, V4se//^a. But, verily, that these
Brahmans versed in the Vedas, who live married
and wealthy should after death, when the body is dis-
solved, become united with BrahmS, who has none
of these things — such a condition of things has no
existence/
37. 'Then you say, too, VAse//^a, that the Br&h-
mans bear anger and malice in their hearts, and are
sinful and uncontrolled, whilst Brahma is free from
anger and malice, and sinless, and has self-mastery.
Now can there, then, be concord and likeness be-
tween the Br&hmans and Brahmi ? '
' Certainly not, Gotama ! '
38. ' Very good, V^se/Ma. That these Brihmans
versed in the Vedas and yet bearing anger and
malice in their hearts, sinful, and uncontrolled,
should after death, when the body is dissolved,
become united to Brahma, who is free from anger
and malice, sinless, and has self-mastery — such a
condition of things has no existence/
39. ' So that thus then, V£se//>fca, the Brihmans,
versed though they be in the Three Vedas, while
they sit down (in confidence), are sinking down (in
the mire) 1 ; and so sinking they are arriving only at
despair, thinking the while that they are crossing
over into some happier land.
' Therefore is it that the threefold wisdom of
the Br&hmans, wise in their Three Vedas, is called
a waterless desert, their threefold wisdom is called a
pathless jungle, their threefold wisdom is called
destruction ! '
40. When he had thus spoken, the young Brdh- man Vase//^a said to the Blessed One :
* It has been told me, Gotama, that the Samara
Gotama knows the way to the state of union with
Brahma.
41. ' What do you think, Vdse//^a, is not Manasi- ka/a near to this spot, not distant from this spot ? 9
c Just so, Gotama. Manasdka/a is near to, is not far from here/
42. 1 Now what think you, Vise/Ma, suppose there were a man born in Manas&ka/a, and people should
1 Asiditva sa/rcsidanti. I have no doubt the commentator is right in his explanation of these figurative expressions. Confi- dent in their knowledge of the Vedas, and in their practice of Vedic ceremonies, they neglect higher things ; and so, sinking into sin and superstition, ' they are arriving only at despair, thinking the while that they are crossing over into some happier land.'
1 86 ON KNOWLEDGE OF THE VEDAS. CH.
ask him, who never till that time had left ManasA-
ka/a, which was the way to Manas&ka/a. Would
that man, born and brought up in Manasaka/a, be
in any doubt or difficulty ? '
' Certainly not, Gotama ! And why ? If the man
had been born and brought up in Manas£ka/a, every
road that leads to Manasaka/a would be perfectly
familiar to him/
43. ' That man, V£se#>&a, born and brought up
at Manas^ka/a might, if he were asked the way
to Manasaka/a, fall into doubt and difficulty, but
to the Tath&gata, when asked touching the path
which leads to the world of BrahmS, there can be
neither doubt nor difficulty. For Brahm&, I know,
Vase/^a, and the world of Brahm&, and the path
which leadeth unto it. Yea, I know it even as
one who has entered the Brahmi world, and has
been born within it!'
44. When he had thus spoken, V&se/^a the young Br&hman said to the Blessed One :
* So has it been told me, Gotama, even that the
Samara Gotama knows the way to a state of union
with Brahma. It is well ! Let the venerable Gotama
be pleased to show us the way to a state of union
with Brahmi, let the venerable Gotama save the
Brahman race ! '
45. ' Listen then, V£se/Ma, and give ear atten- tively, and I will speak ! '
'So be it, Lord!' said the young Br&hman V&se#/£a, in assent, to the Blessed One.
46. Then the Blessed One spake, and said :
1 1 Know, Vase/^a, that 1 (from time to time) a
1 From here down to the end of p. 200 is a repetition word for
Tathdgata is born into the world, a fully Enlight-
ened One, blessed and worthy, abounding in wisdom
and goodness, happy, with knowledge of the world,
unsurpassed as a guide to erring mortals, a teacher
of gods and men, a Blessed Buddha 1 . He, by him-
self, thoroughly understands, and sees, as it were,
face to face this universe — the world below with all
its spirits, and the worlds above, of M4ra and of
Brahma — and all creatures, Samaras and Brah-
mans, gods and men, and he then makes his
knowledge known to others. The truth doth he
proclaim both in its letter and in its spirit, lovely
in its origin, lovely in its progress, lovely in its
consummation : the higher life doth he make
known, in all its purity and in all its perfectness.
47. 'A householder (gahapati), or one of his
children, or a man of inferior birth in any class,
listens to that truth 2 . On hearing the truth he has
faith in the Tathagata, and when he has acquired
that faith he thus considers with himself:
' " Full of hindrances is household life, a path
defiled by passion : free as the air is the life of
him who has renounced all worldly things. How-
difficult is it for the man who dwells at home to live
the higher life in all its fulness, in all its purity,
in all its bright perfection! Let me then cut off
my hair and beard, let me clothe myself in the
word of Samawwa Phala Sutta, pp. 133 and following; including the passages there parallel to those in Subha Sutta, p. 157, and in Brahma-^ala Sutta, pp. 5-16.
1 See above, § 7.
2 The point is, that the acceptance of this 4 Doctrine and Discipline' is open to all, not of course that Br&hmans never accept it.
1 88 ON KNOWLEDGE OF THE VEDAS. CH.
orange-coloured robes, and let me go forth from a household life into the homeless state!"
48. * Then before long, forsaking his portion of
wealth, be it great or be it small; forsaking his
circle of relatives, be they many or be they few, he
cuts off his hair and beard, he clothes himself in the
orange-coloured robes, and he goes forth from the
household life into the homeless state.
49. ' When he has thus become a recluse he passes
a life self-restrained according to the rules of the
Pdtimokkha ; uprightness is his delight, and he sees
danger in the least of those things he should avoid ;
he adopts and trains himself in the precepts ; he
encompasses himself with holiness in word and deed;
he sustains his life by means that are quite pure;
good is his conduct, guarded the door of his senses ;
mindful and self-possessed, he is altogether happy 1 !'
1 The argument is resumed after the Three Silas, or Descrip- tions of Conduct — a text, doubtless older than the Suttas in which it occurs, setting forth the distinguishing moral characteristics of a member of the Order.
The FirstSilaisan expansion of the Ten Precepts (' Buddhism/ p. 160), but omitting the fifth, against the use of intoxicating drinks. The Second Stla is a further expansion of the first and then of the last four, and finally of the fourth Precept. The Third Sila is directed against auguries, divinations, prophecies, astrology, quackery, ritualism, and the worship of Gods (including Brahma).
These Three Silas may perhaps have been inserted in the Sutta as a kind of counterpoise to the Three Vedas. Our Sutta really reads better without them ; but they are interesting in themselves, and the third is especially valuable as evidence of ancient customs and beliefs.
Chapter II. The Short Paragraphs on Conduct.
THE ZtfLA SlLA^ 1 .
1. ' Now wherein, Vase//^a, is his conduct good ?'
' Herein, O V£se/Ma, that putting away the mur-
der of that which lives, he abstains from destroying
life. The cudgel and the sword he lays aside ; and,
full of modesty and pity, he is compassionate and
kind to all creatures that have life !
' This is the kind of goodness that he has.
2. ' Putting away the theft of that which is not
his, he abstains from taking anything not given.
He takes only what is given, therewith is he con-
tent, and he passes his life in honesty and in purity
of heart !
' This, too, is the kind of goodness that he has.
3. ' Putting away inchastity, he lives a life of
chastity and purity, averse to the low habit of
sexual intercourse.
' This, too, (&c, see § II, 2.) 2
1 There is no division into actual chapters in the original, but it is convenient to arrange the following enumeration of moral pre- cepts separately, as they occur in various suttas in the same order; and are always divided into the three divisions of Lower, Medium, and Higher Morality.
2 The clause ' this, too, is the kind of goodness that he has ' is repeated in the text after each section. The clause, which differs
I90 ON KNOWLEDGE OF THE VEDAS.. CH,
4. ' Putting away lying, he abstains from speaking
falsehood; He speaks truth, from the truth he
never swerves ; faithful and trustworthy, he injures
not his fellow man by deceit.
5. ' Putting away slander, he abstains from ca-
lumny. What he hears here he repeats not else-
where to raise a quarrel against the people here:
what he hears elsewhere he repeats not here to
raise a quarrel against the people there. Thus he
lives as a binder together of those who are divided,
an encourager of those who are friends, a peace-
maker, a lover of peace, impassioned for peace, a
speaker of words that make for peace.
6. ' Putting away bitterness of speech, he abstains
from harsh language. Whatever word is humane,
pleasant to the ear, lovely, reaching to the heart,
urbane, pleasing to the people, beloved of the
people — such are the words he speaks.
7. ' Putting away foolish talk, he abstains from
vain conversation. In season he speaks ; he speaks
that which is ; he speaks fact ; he utters good doc-
trine ; he utters good discipline; he speaks, and at the
right time, that which redounds to profit, is well-
grounded, is well-defined, and is full of wisdom.