Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
19. Lakkhaṇa-Saṇuttaṃ
1. Paṭhama Vagga
Sutta 1
Aṭṭhi-Pesi
(Aṭṭhi-Saṇkhalika)
Suttaṃ
Flesh and Bones
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once Upon a Time, The Lucky Man, Rajagaha
Bamboo Grove,
the squirrels' feeding place
came-a revisiting.
One time there Old Man Lakkhaṇa and
Old Man Mahā-Moggallāna
were living on Vulture's Head Mountain.
There then Old Man Mahā-Moggallāna
having afore-time taken up his bowl and robes,
approached Old Man Lakkhaṇa
and drew near.
Having drawn near to Old Man Lakkhaṇa
he said this:
"Let us enter Rājagaha, friend Lakkhaṇa,
on our begging rounds."
"Let it be thus[1], friend"
replied Old Man Lakkhaṇa
to Old Man Mahā-Moggallāna.
There then Old Man Mahā-Moggallāna
while descending Vulture's Head Mountain and
reaching a certain place,
smiled.
There then Old Man Lakkhaṇa
said this to Old Man Mahā-Moggallāna:
"What then friend Moggallāna,
is the driving force,
what then the reason,
that you go so far as to smile?"
"It is not the time, friend Lakkhaṇa,
for this question,
put this question to me
in the presence of The Lucky Man."[2]
There then Old Man Lakkhaṇa and
Old Man Mahā-Moggallāna
went on their begging rounds in Rājagaha
ate their food
and after the meal
approached The Lucky Man
and drew near.
Having drawn near The Lucky Man,
and having exchanged polite salutations,
they took seats to one side.
Having taken a seat to one side, then,
Old Man Lakkhaṇa said this
to Old Man Mahā Moggallāna:
"Here, friend Mahā-Moggallāna
while descending Vulture's Head Mountain and
reaching a certain place,
smiled.
"What then friend Moggallāna,
is the driving force,
what then the reason,
that you went so far as to smile?"
Here friend,
as I was descending Vulture's Head Mountain and
reaching a certain place,
I saw a chain of bones
going through the air
oppressed by
attacks of
vultures,
crows,
hawks,
one after the other
pecking it clean
causing it torment.
At this, friend, I thought:
How full of wonder,
how great is the marvel,
that a being should come to such a form,
that a ghost should come to such a form,
that one who has taken on life
should come to such a form."
At this, then, The Lucky Man
said this to the beggars:
"Eye-become, beggars,
is the living of the follower,
knowledge become, beggars,
is the living of the follower,
since sucha one
will know, or
will see
the formation of such a thing
with his own eyes.
Before now, beggars,
I too saw this being
but I said nothing
for I predicted
that those in future
might not believe me.
Had they not believed me,
that would have been
for their disadvantage and pain
for many a long night.
This being, beggars,
was a cattle butcher[3]
here in Rājagaha
he, as the result of this kamma,
spent
many rains
many hundereds of rains
many thousands of rains
many hundreds of thousands of rains
boiling in Niraya Hell
then, as the residual power of this kamma
he has gained this form."
[1] Evam. Thus. Who hears Captain Jean-Luk Picard? "Make it so!
[2] That these visions would be believed far more readily if revealed face-to-face with the Buddha. Today [Wednesday, September 18, 2024 11:15 AM] they are almost automatically dismissed as either lies or madness or myths. Today [Friday, September 20, 2024 10:03 AM] it is unwise of one (at least here in the USA — in Thailand and Mexico and India, and China and Russia and many other places, it may be more reasonable) to make public claims of magic powers such as this clairvoyance.
[3] Ghātaka. Butcher as usually translated, but meaning a slayer, killer, murderer. Today a butcher may be two or more places removed from the actual killing, where in this case what was clearly intended was to show the fate of one who takes life.
