Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
10. Puppha Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
3. The Book Called the Khandhā-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the Elements of Sensory Existence and other Subjects
22. Kindred Sayings on Elements
10. On Flowers
Sutta 96
Gomaya-Piṇḍ'Upama Suttaṃ
Cowdung
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1][bodh][than] Thus have I heard:
The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī
at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then a certain brother came to ths Exalted One
and sat down at one side.
So seated, that brother thus addressed the Exalted One:
"Pray, lord, is there any body
that is permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast?
Pray, lord, is there any feeling
that is permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast?
Pray, lord, is there any perception
that is permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast?
Pray, lord, is there any activities
that is permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast?
Pray, lord, is there any consciousness
that is permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast?"
■
"No, brother, there is no material form
that is permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast.
There is no feeling
that is permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast.
There is no perception
that is permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast.
There are no activities
that is permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast.
There is no consciousness
that is permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast."
§
Then the Exalted One took up||
a little pellet of cowdung in his hand,
and said to that brother:
"Even the getting of a selfhood[1]
so small as this, brother,
is not permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it will stand fast.
If the getting of a selfhood
so small as this, brother,
were permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it would stand fast,
then the living of the holy life
for the best destruction of suffering
would not be set forth.
But inasmuch, brother,
as there is no getting of a selfhood
even so small as this,
permanent,
stable,
by nature lasting,
unchanging,
like unto the eternal,
so that thus it would stand fast,
therefore the living of the holy life
for the best destruction of suffering
is set forth.
§
Formerly, brother, I was a ruler,
a noble crowned,[2]
and (as such) I had eighty thousand townships,
chief of which [123] was the royal town, Kusāvatī.
When I was such, brother,
I had eighty thousand palaces,
chief of which was the Palace of Righteousness.
And I had eighty thousand halls,
chief of which tfas the Great Assembly Hall.
And I had eighty thousand couches of solid ivory,
of solid wood,
of solid gold
of solid silver,
furnished with woollen draperies,
with white draperies,
with flower-worked coverlets
and spread with choicest skins of antelopes,
with canopies above
and scarlet cushions at each end.
And when I was such, brethren,
I had four and eighty thousand elephants
with trappings of gold
and gilded harness,
covered, with nets of gold thread,
chief of which was the royal elephant called Sabbath.[3]
And I had four and eighty thousand steeds,
with trappings of gold
and gilded banners,
covered with nets of gold thread,
chief of which was the royal steed Thundercloud.[4]
And I had four and eighty thousand chariots,
with trappings of gold
and gilded banners,
covered with nets of gold thread,
chief which was the royal chariot The Conqueror.[5]
And I had four and eighty thousand jewels,
chief of which was the Gem.
And I had four and eighty thousand women,
chief of whom was Queen of Good Fortune.[6]
And I had four and eighty thousand vassals,[7]
chief of whom was the Crown Prince.
And I had four and eighty thousand cows,
with tethers of fine jute
and silver milk-pails.[8]
And I had four and eighty myriads of garments
woven of finest flax,
of finest silk,
of finest wool,
of finest cotton.
[124] And I had four and eighty myriad vessels,
in which both morning and evening
rice food was served.
Of those four and eighty thousand towns, brother,
this town Kusāvatī
was my royal residence in those days.
And of those four and eighty thousand palaces, brother,
the Palace of Righteousness
was where I dwelt in those days.
And of those four and eighty thousand halls,
the Great Hall of Assembly
was where I dwelt in those days.
And of those four and eighty thousand couches,
the couch of solid ivory,
of solid wood,
of solid gold
or of solid silver
was the one which I enjoyed.
And of the four and eighty thousand elephants,
the royal elephant called Sabbath
was the one I mounted in those days.
And of those four and eighty thousand steeds,
my royal steed called Thundercloud
was the one I mounted in those days.
And of those four and eighty thousand chariots,
the chariot Conqueror
was the one I mounted in those days.
And of those four and eighty thousand women,
Khattiyāni
or Velamikā
was the one who waited on me in those days.
And of those four and eighty myriads of garments,
one suit there was I donned in those days,
made of finest flax,
of finest silk,
of finest wool,
or of finest cotton.
And of those four and eighty myriad vessels
there was one from which I ate
a measure of choicest rice
and drank broth for seasoning thereto.
Thus all those things of the world,[9] brother,
are past and gone
and perished utterly.
Thus impermanent, brother,
are things of the world.
Thus mutable, brother, are they.
Thus doomed to perish, brother,
are they;
insomuch that there is enough
for disgust at all things of the world,
enough to be averse from them,
enough to be freed from them."
[1] Attabhāvo: the personality in any one span of life.
[2] Muddhāvasitto, 'whose head is anointed.' His name was Mahā-Sudsssana, 'The great king of glory.' Cf. Mahā-Sudassana-Sutta, D. ii, 169 ff.: Dialog. ii, 220, Introduction: 'What we really have is a wonderful fairy tale, a gorgeous poem, in which an attempt is made to describe in set terms the greatest possible glory and majesty of the greatest possible king, in order to show that all is vanity, save only righteousness - just such a poem as a Jewish prophet might have written of Solomon in all his glory.' At D. ii, 187 the descriptive part will be found with variations.
[3] Uposatha, or sabbath day.
[4] Valāhaka-assa.
[5] The name of Sakka's palace and car. R.D. trans.: 'flag of victory.'
[6] Subhaddā.
[7] Reading anuyantāni with text Cf. A. v, 22, where, as here, there is a v.l., anuyuttāni, 'devoted (attendants).' Comy. does not notice it. D. ii. 188 reads anuyuttāni, which R.D. trans. 'yeomen.'
[8] Kaṇs'upadhāraṇāni. Comy. rajatamaya-doho-bhajanāni, 'with silver milk-pails.' At Dialog. ii, 221, R.D. trans. 'with horns tipped with bronze.' See Pāli Dict., s.v.
[9] Sankhārā.
