Saɱyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
35. Saḷāyatana Saɱyutta
§ III: Paññāsaka Tatiya
3. Gahapati Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
35. Kindred Sayings the Sixfold Sphere of Sense
§ III: The 'Third Fifty' Suttas
3. The Chapter on the Householders
Sutta 127
Bhāradvāja Suttaɱ
Bhāradvāja
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1][than][bodh] Thus have I heard:
Once the venerable Piṇḍola,[1] of Bhāradvāja,
was staying at Kosambī in Ghosita Park.
Then the rājah Udena went to see the venerable Piṇḍola,
and on coming to him
greeted him in friendly wise,
and after the exchange of courtesies and greetings
sat down at one side.
So seated the rājah Udena said to him: -
"What is the condition, Master Bhāradvāja,[2]
what is the cause
whereby the young Brethren,
who are mere lads with jet-black hair,
blessed with happy youth,
who in the flower of their life
have had no dalliance[3] with the passions,
yet practise the righteous life
in its fullness and perfection
and live out their span of life to the full?"[4]
■
"It has been said, Mahārājah, by that Exalted One
who knoweth,
who seeth,
by that Arahant who is a Fully Enlightened One:
"just mothers ... do ye call up the mother-mind" mātu-mattīsu mātu-cittaɱ upaṭṭhapetha 'for the mother-measured mother-heart set up'. Towards those considered (measured as, reckoned to be; Woodward's 'just' = 'a measure of') mothers, set up the heart as towards a mother. Per Bhk. Bodhi: "towards women old enough to be your mother set up the idea that they are your mother." Bhk. Thanissaro: "with regard to women who are old enough to be your mother, establish the attitude you would have toward your mother." The idea 'old enough,' presumably the translation for 'measured as,' is pushing a narrow idea onto the Pali. It's 'measuring'. Taking into consideration all impressions together there is a similarity to ... . Think of the custom in countries like China and India where those towards whom one has feelings as towards a mother, father, uncle, brother, sister, daughter, are so called even between strangers. The idea here is 'who are similar to'. Age will be one factor of many. The idea that the mental attitude is to be the one one has for one's own mother, etc. is also not indicated but is being picked up from commentary. That could be a dangerous proposition! (as is pointed out by the king in response right here). Both sons, brothers and fathers and mothers, sisters and daughters are subject to deviant thoughts and feelings about each other. The idea is to set up the ideal way one should consider mothers, etc.
— p.p.
'Come ye, brethren;
in the case of those who are just mothers,[5]
sisters
and daughters,
do ye call up the mother-mind,
the sister-mind,
the daughter-mind.'
That is the condition, Mahārājah,
that is the cause
whereby these young Brethren,
who are mere lads with jet-black hair,
blessed with happy youth,
who in the flower of their life
have had no dalliance with the passions,
yet practise the righteous life
in its fullness and perfection
and live out their span of life to the full."
§
"The heart is wanton, Bhāradvāja.
It may well be
that at times
mind-states that are wanton
arise in the case of those [69] who are mother,
sister
and daughter.
Pray, Bhāradvāja, is there any other condition,
any other cause
whereby these young Brethren,
who are mere lads with jet-black hair,
blessed with happy youth,
who in the flower of their life
have had no dalliance with the passions,
yet practise the righteous life
in its fullness and perfection
and live out their span of life to the full?"
■
"It has been said, Mahārājah, by that Exalted One
who knoweth,
who seeth,
by that Arahant who is a Fully Enlightened One:[6]
'Come ye, Brethren,
look upon this same body,
upwards from the soles of the feet,
downwards from the top of the head,
enclosed by skin,
full of manifold impurities.
There are in this body
hair of the head,
hair of the body,
nails,
skin,
teeth,
flesh,
nerves,
bones,
marrow,
kidneys,
heart,
liver,
pleura,
spleen,
lungs,
intestines,
mesentery,
stomach,
faeces,
bile,
phlegm,
matter,
blood,
sweat,
lymph,
fat,
tears,
lubricant,
saliva,
mucus,
oil,
urine.'
That, Mahārājah, is the condition,
that is the cause
whereby these young brethren,
who are mere lads with jet-black hair,
blessed with happy youth,
who in the flower of their life
have had no dalliance with the passions,
yet practise the righteous life
in its fullness and perfection
and live out their span of life to the full."
§
"Well, master Bhāradvāja,
that is easy for those brethren
who train the body,
who train in morals,
who train the mind
who train in insight,
but for those||
who do not train the body,
who do not train in morals,
who do not train the mind
who do not train in insight,
it is a hard thing.
Maybe at times, master Bhāradvāja,
when one is thinking:
'I will regard it as unlovely',
he comes to regard it as lovely.[7]
Pray, Bhāradvāja, is there any other condition,
any other cause
whereby these young Brethren,
who are mere lads with jet-black hair,
blessed with happy youth,
who in the flower of their life
have had no dalliance with the passions,
yet practise the righteous life
in its fullness and perfection
and live out their span of life to the full?"
■
"It has been said, Mahārājah, by that Exalted One
who knoweth,
who seeth,
by that Arahant who is a Fully Enlightened One:
'Come ye, Brethren,
do ye abide watchful over the doors of the faculties.
Seeing an object with the eye,[8]
be not misled by its outer view,
nor by its lesser details.
But since coveting and dejection,
evil,
unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the eye uncontrolled,
do ye apply yourselves to such control,
set a guard over the faculty of the eye
and attain control of it.
§
Hearing a sound with the ear,
be not misled by its outer view,
nor by its lesser details.
But since coveting and dejection,
evil,
unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the ear uncontrolled,
do ye apply yourselves to such control,
set a guard over the faculty of the ear
and attain control of it.
§
Smelling a scent with the nose,
be not misled by its outer view,
nor by its lesser details.
But since coveting and dejection,
evil,
unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the nose uncontrolled,
do ye apply yourselves to such control,
set a guard over the faculty of the nose
and attain control of it.
§
Tasting a savour with the tongue,
be not misled by its outer view,
nor by its lesser details.
But since coveting and dejection,
evil,
unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the tongue uncontrolled,
do ye apply yourselves to such control,
set a guard over the faculty of the tongue
and attain control of it.
§
Contacting tangibles with the body,
be not misled by its outer view,
nor by its lesser details.
But since coveting and dejection,
evil,
unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the body uncontrolled,
do ye apply yourselves to such control,
set a guard over the faculty of the body
and attain control of it.
§
Cognizing mind-states with the mind,
be not misled by its outer view,
nor by its lesser details.
[70] But since coveting and dejection,
evil,
unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the mind uncontrolled,
do ye apply yourselves to such control,
set a guard over the faculty of the mind
and attain control of it.
This, Mahārājah, is the condition, this is the cause whereby these young Brethren,
who are mere lads with jet-black hair,
blessed with happy youth,
who in the flower of their life
have had no dalliance with the passions,
yet practise the righteous life
in its fullness and perfection
and live out their span of life to the full."
§
"Wonderful, master Bhāradvāja!
Marvellous it is, master Bhāradvāja, how well spoken are these words of that Exalted One, who knoweth, who seeth, that Axahant who is a Fully Enlightened One.
Surely that is the condition,
that is the cause, master Bhāradvāja,
whereby these young brethren,
who are mere lads with jet-black hair,
blessed with happy youth,
who in the flower of their life
have had no dalliance with the passions,
yet practise the righteous life
in its fullness and perfection
and live out their span of life to the full.
I myself, master Bhāradvāja,
whenever I enter my palace with body,
speech
and mind unguarded,
with thought unsettled,
with my faculties uncontrolled, -
at such times lustful states overwhelm me.
But whenever, master Bhāradvāja,
whenever I enter my palace with body,
speech
and mind guarded,
with thought settled,
with my faculties controlled, -
at such times lustful states do not overwhelm me.
Excellent, master Bhāradvāja!
Excellent it is, master Bhāradvāja!
Even as one raises what is overthrown,
or shows forth what is hidden,
or points out the way
to him that wanders astray,
or holds up a light in the darkness,
so that they who have eyes may see objects, -
even so in divers ways
has the Norm been set forth by the worthy Bhāradvāja.
I myself, master Bhāradvāja,
do go for refuge to that Exalted One,
to the Norm
and to the Order of Brethren.
May the worthy Bhāradvāja accept me as a follower
from this day forth,
so long as life doth last,
as one who has so taken refuge."
[1] Formerly a brahmin of Bhāradvāja. See n. to Brethren, p. 110; Udana, iv, 6; Vin. Cullavagga, iii; Vinaya Texts, iii, 78; and K.S. i, 204 ('congey-man') and n. ad loc. Comy. followed by Dhammapāla on Udāna, describes him at length as a scrap-hunter with a huge bowl. The Master would not allow him a strap to carry it (ṭhavika), so it got knocked about and gradually reduced in size to a mere shred. Thus he learned continence and later became Arahant. For Piṇḍola ("scrap-gathcrer') see also Itivuttaka, § 91; K.S. iii, 93, [but ? should this not be SN 3 page 93 = KS 3 §80] Jāt. iv, 375. At A. i, 23 (A.A. 196) he is proclaimed by the Master as "best at the lion's roar'.
Bhāradvāja is on the river Jumna, the capital of the Vaṅsas, about 230 miles from Benares. See Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, p. 36.
[2] Giving him his clan-name.
[3] Anikīḷitavin. Cf. K.S. i, 15.
[4] Addhānaṅ āpādenti, or 'keep it going."Comy. 'Paveṇiṅ paṭipādenti.'
[5] Mātumattīsu = "Mātu-samānāsu." Comy. i.e. regard all women-folk as you would your own mother, sister, daughter. I cannot find the passage quoted. It does not occur in the Canon, as far as I know.
[7] Quoted at Pts. of Controv., p. 288 n.
