Saṁyutta Nikāya,
V: Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saṁyutta
VIII. Appakā-virataṁ
Part V: The Great Chapter
56: Kindred Sayings about the Truths
VIII. Few Abstain1
Suttas 71-80
Sutta 71
Pāṇa Suttaṁ
Life
THUS have I heard:
Then the Exalted One,
taking up a little dust
on the tip of his finger-nail,
said to the monks:
"Now what think ye, monks?
Which is the greater,
this little dust I have taken up
on the tip of my finger-nail,
or this mighty earth?"
"Greater, lord, is this mighty earth.
Exceeding small
is this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's fingernail:
it cannot be reckoned,
it cannot be compared therewith.
It does not come to the merest fraction
of a part of it
when set beside the mighty earth, -
this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's finger-nail."
"Just so, monks,
few are those beings that abstain from taking the life of creatures:
more numerous are these beings who do not so abstain.
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing four Ariyan truths.
What four?
The Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
Sutta 72
Adinna Suttaṁ
Not Given
THUS have I heard:
Then the Exalted One,
taking up a little dust
on the tip of his finger-nail,
said to the monks:
"Now what think ye, monks?
Which is the greater,
this little dust I have taken up
on the tip of my finger-nail,
or this mighty earth?"
"Greater, lord, is this mighty earth.
Exceeding small
is this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's fingernail:
it cannot be reckoned,
it cannot be compared therewith.
It does not come to the merest fraction
of a part of it
when set beside the mighty earth, -
this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's finger-nail."
"Just so, monks,
few are those beings that abstain from taking what is not given:
more numerous are these beings who do not so abstain.
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing four Ariyan truths.
What four?
The Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
Sutta 73
Kāmesu Suttaṁ
Sensual Lust
THUS have I heard:
Then the Exalted One,
taking up a little dust
on the tip of his finger-nail,
said to the monks:
"Now what think ye, monks?
Which is the greater,
this little dust I have taken up
on the tip of my finger-nail,
or this mighty earth?"
"Greater, lord, is this mighty earth.
Exceeding small
is this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's fingernail:
it cannot be reckoned,
it cannot be compared therewith.
It does not come to the merest fraction
of a part of it
when set beside the mighty earth, -
this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's finger-nail."
"Just so, monks,
few are those beings that abstain from wrong practice in sensual lust:
more numerous are these beings who do not so abstain.
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing four Ariyan truths.
What four?
The Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
Sutta 74
Musāvāda Suttaṁ
Falsehood
THUS have I heard:
Then the Exalted One,
taking up a little dust
on the tip of his finger-nail,
said to the monks:
"Now what think ye, monks?
Which is the greater,
this little dust I have taken up
on the tip of my finger-nail,
or this mighty earth?"
"Greater, lord, is this mighty earth.
Exceeding small
is this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's fingernail:
it cannot be reckoned,
it cannot be compared therewith.
It does not come to the merest fraction
of a part of it
when set beside the mighty earth, -
this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's finger-nail."
"Just so, monks, few are those beings that abstain from falsehood:
more numerous are these beings who do not so abstain.
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing four Ariyan truths.
What four?
The Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
Sutta 75
Pesuṇa Suttaṁ
Slander
THUS have I heard:
Then the Exalted One,
taking up a little dust
on the tip of his finger-nail,
said to the monks:
"Now what think ye, monks?
Which is the greater,
this little dust I have taken up
on the tip of my finger-nail,
or this mighty earth?"
"Greater, lord, is this mighty earth.
Exceeding small
is this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's fingernail:
it cannot be reckoned,
it cannot be compared therewith.
It does not come to the merest fraction
of a part of it
when set beside the mighty earth, -
this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's finger-nail."
"Just so, monks,
few are those beings
that abstain from slander:
more numerous are these beings who do not so abstain.
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing four Ariyan truths.
What four?
The Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
Sutta 76
Pharusa Suttaṁ
Harsh Speech
THUS have I heard:
Then the Exalted One,
taking up a little dust
on the tip of his finger-nail,
said to the monks:
"Now what think ye, monks?
Which is the greater,
this little dust I have taken up
on the tip of my finger-nail,
or this mighty earth?"
"Greater, lord, is this mighty earth.
Exceeding small
is this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's fingernail:
it cannot be reckoned,
it cannot be compared therewith.
It does not come to the merest fraction
of a part of it
when set beside the mighty earth, -
this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's finger-nail."
"Just so, monks,
few are those beings
that abstain from harsh speech:
more numerous are these beings who do not so abstain.
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing four Ariyan truths.
What four?
The Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
Sutta 77
Samphappalāpa Suttaṁ
Idle Chatter
THUS have I heard:
Then the Exalted One,
taking up a little dust
on the tip of his finger-nail,
said to the monks:
"Now what think ye, monks?
Which is the greater,
this little dust I have taken up
on the tip of my finger-nail,
or this mighty earth?"
"Greater, lord, is this mighty earth.
Exceeding small
is this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's fingernail:
it cannot be reckoned,
it cannot be compared therewith.
It does not come to the merest fraction
of a part of it
when set beside the mighty earth, -
this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's finger-nail."
"Just so, monks,
few are those beings
that abstain from idle chatter:
more numerous are these beings who do not so abstain.
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing four Ariyan truths.
What four?
The Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
[394]
Sutta 78
Bija Suttaṁ
Seed
THUS have I heard:
Then the Exalted One,
taking up a little dust
on the tip of his finger-nail,
said to the monks:
"Now what think ye, monks?
Which is the greater,
this little dust I have taken up
on the tip of my finger-nail,
or this mighty earth?"
"Greater, lord, is this mighty earth.
Exceeding small
is this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's fingernail:
it cannot be reckoned,
it cannot be compared therewith.
It does not come to the merest fraction
of a part of it
when set beside the mighty earth, -
this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's finger-nail."
"Just so, monks,
few are those beings
that abstain from spoiling2 the different sorts of crops3 and vegetation.4:
more numerous are these beings who do not so abstain.
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing four Ariyan truths.
What four?
The Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
Sutta 79
Vikāle Suttaṁ
Unseasonable
THUS have I heard:
Then the Exalted One,
taking up a little dust
on the tip of his finger-nail,
said to the monks:
"Now what think ye, monks?
Which is the greater,
this little dust I have taken up
on the tip of my finger-nail,
or this mighty earth?"
"Greater, lord, is this mighty earth.
Exceeding small
is this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's fingernail:
it cannot be reckoned,
it cannot be compared therewith.
It does not come to the merest fraction
of a part of it
when set beside the mighty earth, -
this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's finger-nail."
"Just so, monks,
few are those beings
that abstain from eating at unseasonable hours5:
more numerous are these beings who do not so abstain.
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing four Ariyan truths.
What four?
The Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
Sutta 80
Gandhavilepana Suttaṁ
Scents and Unguents
THUS have I heard:
Then the Exalted One,
taking up a little dust
on the tip of his finger-nail,
said to the monks:
"Now what think ye, monks?
Which is the greater,
this little dust I have taken up
on the tip of my finger-nail,
or this mighty earth?"
"Greater, lord, is this mighty earth.
Exceeding small
is this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's fingernail:
it cannot be reckoned,
it cannot be compared therewith.
It does not come to the merest fraction
of a part of it
when set beside the mighty earth, -
this little dust taken up
on the tip of the Exalted One's finger-nail."
"Just so, monks,
few are those beings
that abstain from the use of flowers,
scents,
unguents
as adornments and finery:
more numerous are these beings who do not so abstain.
What is the cause of that?
It is through not seeing four Ariyan truths.
What four?
The Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
1 For this chapter see D. i, 5 ff. (Brahmajāla-sutta); Dialogue. i, 5 (where the Buddha is represented as saying: 'These are the trifles of mere morality which the unconverted man, when praising the Tathāgata, would speak in praise of'). These are the practices deemed unfit for a monk.
2 Cf. A. ii, 197; DA. 77, 81. Comy. bīja-gāma = mūla-, khandha-, agga-, phalu-, bīja-bījaṅ.
3 Bhūta-gāma = nīla-tiṇa-rukkhādi (DA. reads alla-tiṇa).
4 Samārambha, 'uprooting or cutting down.'
5 I.e., after midday.