Aṇguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
I. Sambodha Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
IX. The Book of the Nines
Chapter I: The Awakening
Sutta 6
Sevitabb-ā-Sevitabba Suttaṃ
To Be Sought After
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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Once, when the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.[ed1]
Then the venerable Sāriputta addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks, reverend sirs."
"Reverend sir," they replied,
and the venerable Sāriputta said:
[243] "Reverend sirs, a person should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after[1]
or not to be sought after;
a robe in two ways:
to be sought after or not;
alms in two ways:
to be sought after or not;
a lodging in two ways:
to be sought after or not;
a village or market-town in two ways:
to be sought after or not;
the countryside should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not.
§
Reverend sirs, it is said:
A person should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after
or not to be sought after.
And why is this said?
■
Take the case of one who knows of someone:
'Following this man,
evil conditions increase in me,
good ones decline;
those requisites of life:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness -
which I, who have gone forth, must get,
are hard to come by;
and that promise[2] of recluseship,
for the sake of which I have left home
and gone forth into the homeless state,
moves not to the fulfilment
of making in me to become.'
In such case, reverend sir,
follow not that person,
but be it night or day,
depart[3] without a word.
■
Or, of one who knows of someone:
'Following this man,
evil conditions increase in me,
good ones decline;
but those requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness -
which I, who have gone forth, must get,
are gotten with little difficulty;
yet that promise of recluseship,
for the sake of which I have gone forth
for the sake of which I have left home
and gone forth into the homeless state,
moves not to the fulfilment
of making in me to become.'
In such case, reverend sirs,
follow not that person,
but depart deliberately without a word.[4]
■
Or, of one who knows of someone:
'Following this man,
evil conditions decline,
good ones increase;
but those requisites:
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness -
which I, who have gone forth, must get,
are gotten with[5] difficulty;
yet that promise of recluseship
for the sake of which I have gone forth
for the sake of which I have left home
and gone forth into the homeless state,
moves not to [244] the fulfilment
of making in me to become.'
In such case, sirs, deliberately follow that person and do not depart.
■
Or, of one who knows of someone:
'Following this man,
evil conditions decline,
good ones increase;
and those requisites
the robe,
alms,
lodging
and medicine for sickness -
which I, who have gone forth, must get,
are gotten with little difficulty;
and the promise of recluseship
for the sake of which I have left home
and gone forth into the homeless state,
moves to the fulfilment
of making in me to become.'
In such case, reverend sirs, follow that person all your life
and depart not,
even though you be repulsed.[6]
Reverend sirs, it is said:
a person should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not;
and it is on account of what has been said
that this is said.
§
Reverend sirs, it is said:
a robe should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not.
And why is this said?
■
Take the case of one who knows of a robe:
'Using this robe,
evil conditions increase,
good ones decline' -
such a robe is not to be sought after.
■
But if he know:
'Using this robe,
evil declines,
good increases' -
such a robe is to be sought after.
Reverend sirs, it is said:
a robe should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not;
and it is on account of what has been said
that this is said.
§
Reverend sirs, it is said:
alms should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not.
And why is this said?
■
Take the case of one who knows of[7] an alms:
'Using this alms,
evil conditions increase,
good ones decline' -
such alms are not to be sought after.
■
But if he know:
'Using this alms,
evil declines,
good increases' -
such alms are to be sought after.
Reverend sirs, it is said:
alms should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not;
and it is on account of what has been said
that this is said.
§
Reverend sirs, it is said:
a lodging should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not.
And why is this said?
■
Take the case of one who knows of a lodging:
'Using this lodging,
evil conditions increase,
good ones decline' -
such a lodging is not to be sought after.
■
But if he know:
'Using this lodging,
evil declines,
good increases' -
such a lodging is to be sought after.
Reverend sirs, it is said:
a lodging should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not;
and it is on account of what has been said
that this is said.
§
Reverend sirs, it is said:
a village or market-town should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not.
And why is this said?
■
Take the case of one who knows of a village or market-town:
'Using this village or market-town,
evil conditions increase,
good ones decline' -
such a village or market-town is not to be sought after.
■
But if he know:
'Using this village or market-town,
evil declines,
good increases' -
such a village or market-town is to be sought after.
Reverend sirs, it is said:
a village or market-town should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not;
and it is on account of what has been said
that this is said.
§
Reverend sirs, it is said:
a countryside should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not.
And why is this said?
■
Take the case of one who knows of a countryside:
'Using this countryside,
evil conditions increase,
good ones decline' -
such a countryside is not to be sought after.
■
But if he know:
'Using this countryside,
evil declines,
good increases' -
such a countryside is to be sought after.
Reverend sirs, it is said:
a countryside should be regarded in two ways:
to be sought after or not;
and it is on account of what has been said
that this is said."
[1] Sevitabba, 'followable,' 'suitable.' Cf. this sutta with A. v, 100 f., and for similar phraseology with D. ii, 278 and M. i, 104.
[2] Attha.
[3] Pakkamitabbaṃ, v.l. -tabbo; at M. i, 106, -tabbo. Trenckner considered this reading correct (see 539); S.e. -tabbaṃ; and so Comy. observing ad anāpucchā: idha pana taṃ puggalaṃ anāpucchā pakkamitabbaṃ-ti attho.
[4] The text reads: āpucchā, v.l. an-; M. i, 107, and Ang. S.e. an-.
[5] The text: appakasirena; so S.e.; but M. kasirena, making better sense.
[6] Cf. above, p. 18: api panujjamānena. Comy. api nikkaḍḍhiyamānena, and adds: Even if such a person inflict punishment (to the extent of making him collect), a hundred bundles of firewood or a hundred pots of water or a hundred 'amunas' of sand or have him thrown out, saying, 'You cannot live here' - let him excuse him and follow him all his life.
[7] The text repeats all in full. [Ed. Here expanded accorrding to the text following Hare's previous construction.]
[ed1] The text has 'Sāvatthī Nidānaṃ.' From the opening line, it looks like this sutta follows the previous in time and location.
