Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
42. Gāmani Saṃyutta
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
42. Kindred Sayings about Headmen
Sutta 12
Rāsiya Suttaṃ
Rāsiya
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was staying among the Mallas at Uruvelakappa, a township of the Mallas.
Then Rāsiya,[1] the headman, came to visit the Exalted One,
and on coming to him
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
So seated, Rāsiya, the headman,
said to the Exalted One: -
"I have heard, lord, that Gotama the recluse
censures all ascetic ways,
that he downright chides and abuses
any ascetic who lives a rough life.[2]
Those who say thus, lord, -
that [235] Gotama the recluse
censures all ascetic ways,
that he downright chides and abuses
any ascetic who lives a rough life,
do they speak in conformity with the Exalted One's view,
without misrepresenting the Exalted One
by stating what is wrong?
Do they speak in conformity with his teaching,
so that no one who is of the same view,
a follower of his view,
could give opportunity for censure?"
"They who speak thus, headman,
saying that Gotama the recluse
censures all ascetic ways,
that he downright chides and abuses
any ascetic who lives a rough life, -
such speak not in accordance with my view,
such do misrepresent me
in so saying what is wrong.
1.
These two extremes,[3] headman,
should not be followed
by one who has gone forth from the world:
Devotion to the pleasures of sense, -
a low, pagan practice of the manyfolk,
not Ariyan,
not bound up with welfare;
and devotion to self-mortification,
which is painful,
not Ariyan,
not bound up with welfare.
Not following after these two extremes, headman,
is the Middle Way of approach,
fully known by the Tathāgata,
which giveth vision,
giveth knowledge,
leading to calm,
to supernormal knowledge,
to wisdom,
to Nibbāna.
And what,headman,
is that Middle Way of approach,
fully known by the Tathāgata,
which giveth vision,
giveth knowledge,
leading to calm,
to supernormal knowledge,
to wisdom,
to Nibbāna?
It is this Ariyan Eightfold Path, to wit:
Right view,
right aim,
right speech,
right action,
right living,
right effort,
right mindfulness,
right concentration.
This, headman, is that Middle Way of approach,
fully known by the Tathāgata,
which giveth vision,
giveth knowledge,
leading to calm,
to supernormal knowledge,
to wisdom,
to Nibbāna.
2.
There are found existing in the world, headman,
these three who are given to sensual pleasures.[4]
What three?
(i)
[236] Herein, headman, a certain one,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth unlawfully
and by violence.
Seeking wealth unlawfully
he gets no ease,
no pleasure for himself,
he shares it not with others,
he does no meritorious deeds.
(ii)
Herein, headman, a certain one,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth unlawfully
and by violence.
Seeking wealth unlawfully,
he gets ease and pleasure for himself,
but shares it not with others
and does no meritorious deeds.
(iii)
Herein, headman, a certain one,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth
and by violence.
Seeking wealth unlawfully,
he gets ease and pleasure for himself,
shares it with others
and does meritorious deeds.
(iv)
Herein, headman, a certain one,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
by violence and without violence.
Seeking wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
he gets no ease,
no pleasure for himself:
he shares it not with others
and does no meritorious deeds.
(v)
Herein, headman, a certain one,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
by violence and without violence.
Seeking wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
he gets ease,
gets pleasure for himself,
but shares it not with others
and does no meritorious deeds.
(vi)
Herein, headman, a certain one,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
by violence and without violence.
Seeking wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
he gets ease,
gets pleasure for himself,
shares it with others
and does meritorious deeds.
(vii)
Herein, headman, a certain one,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth by lawful means,
without violence.
Seeking wealth by lawful means,
he gets no ease,
gets no pleasure for himself,
shares it not with others
and does no meritorious deeds.
(viii)
Herein, headman, a certain one,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth by lawful means,
without violence.
Seeking wealth by lawful means,
he gets ease,
gets pleasure for himself,
but shares it not with others
and does no meritorious deeds.
(ix)
Herein, headman, a certain one,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth by lawful means,
without violence.
Seeking wealth by lawful means,
he gets ease,
gets pleasure for himself,
shares it with others
and does meritorious deeds.
But he makes use of his wealth
with greed and longing,
he is guilty of offence,
heedless of danger,
blind to his own salvation.[5]
(x)
Herein again, headman, a certain one,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth by lawful means,
without violence.
Seeking wealth by lawful means,
he gets ease,
gets pleasure for himself,
shares it with others
and does meritorious deeds.
But he makes use of his wealth
without greed and longing,
he is guiltless of offence,
he is heedful of danger
and alive to his own salvation.
3.
(i)
Now, headman, this one who,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth unlawfully
and by violence.
Seeking wealth unlawfully
he gets no ease,
no pleasure for himself,
he shares it not with others,
he does no meritorious deeds —
this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is blameworthy in three respects.
In what three?
He is blameworthy in the first instance
because he seeks wealth by unlawful means and violence.
He gets no ease, gets no pleasure for himself,
so he is to blame in the second instance.
He shares not with others and does no meritorious deeds,
so he is blameworthy in the third instance.
This one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is blameworthy in these three respects.
(ii)
Now, headman, this one who,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth unlawfully
and by violence.
Seeking wealth unlawfully,
he gets ease and pleasure for himself,
but shares it not with others
and does no meritorious deeds —
this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is blameworthy in two respects,
praiseworthy in one respect.
In what two respects is he blameworthy?
Seeking wealth by [238] unlawful means
and by violence,
he is first to blame for that.
Secondly, in seeking wealth by unlawful means
and by violence,
he shares it not
nor does meritorious deeds,
that is the second respect.
And what is the one respect
in which he is praiseworthy?
In getting ease
and pleasure for himself.
In this respect he is praiseworthy.
So this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is blameworthy in two respects,
praiseworthy in one.
(iii)
Now, headman, this one who,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth
and by violence.
Seeking wealth unlawfully,
he gets ease and pleasure for himself,
shares it with others
and does meritorious deeds —
this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is blameworthy in one respect,
praiseworthy in two.
In what respect is he blameworthy?
In seeking wealth by unlawful means
and by violence,
he is blameworthy in this one respect.
And in what two respects is he praiseworthy?
In getting ease
and pleasure for himself.
That is the first.
In sharing with others
and doing meritorious deeds.
That is the second respect
in which he is praiseworthy.
So this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is blameworthy in one respect,
praiseworthy in two.
(iv)
Now, headman, this one who,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
by violence and without violence.
Seeking wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
he gets no ease,
no pleasure for himself:
he shares it not with others
and does no meritorious deeds —
this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
in one respect is praiseworthy,
in three respects is blameworthy.
What is the one?
He seeks wealth lawfully,
without violence.
Thus in one respect he is praiseworthy.
In what three respects
is he blameworthy?
In seeking wealth unlawfully,
with violence.
That is the first.
In getting neither ease
nor pleasure for himself.
That is the second.
In not sharing or
doing meritorious deeds, -
that is the third.
Thus in one respect he is praiseworthy,
in three respects he is blameworthy.
(v)
Now, headman, this one who,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
by violence and without violence.
Seeking wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
he gets ease,
gets pleasure for himself,
but shares it not with others
and does no meritorious deeds —
this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
in two respects he is praiseworthy,
in two he is blameworthy.
In which two
is he praiseworthy?
By seeking wealth lawfully
and without violence, -
that is the first respect.
By getting ease
and pleasure for himself, -
that is the second respect
in which he is praiseworthy.
And in what two respects
is he blameworthy?
In seeking it unlawfully
and with violence, -
that is the first.
In not sharing
or doing meritorious deeds, -
that is the second respect
in which he is blameworthy.
So in these two respects
he is praiseworthy,
and in these two respects
he is blameworthy.
(vi)
Now, headman, this one who,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
by violence and without violence.
Seeking wealth both lawfully and unlawfully,
he gets ease,
gets pleasure for himself,
shares it with others
and does meritorious deeds —
this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is praiseworthy in three respects,
and in one respect blameworthy.
In what three?
By seeking wealth lawfully,
without violence, -
that is the first.
By getting ease
and pleasure for himself, -
that is the second.
By sharing it
and doing meritorious deeds, -
that is the third respect
in which he is praiseworthy.
And in what one respect
is he blameworthy?
By seeking it unlawfully
and by violence.
That is the one respect.
(vii)
Now, headman, this one who,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth by lawful means,
without violence.
Seeking wealth by lawful means,
he gets no ease,
gets no pleasure for himself,
shares it not with others
and does no meritorious deeds —
this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is praiseworthy in one respect,
blameworthy in two respects.
In what one respect
is he praiseworthy?
In seeking wealth lawfully,
without violence.
That is the one.
And what are the two?
In [240] getting neither ease
nor pleasure for himself, -
that is the first.
In not sharing
or doing meritorious deeds, -
that is the second respect
in which he is blameworthy.
So in this one respect
he is praiseworthy,
in these two blameworthy.
(viii)
Now, headman, this one who,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth by lawful means,
without violence.
Seeking wealth by lawful means,
he gets ease,
gets pleasure for himself,
but shares it not with others
and does no meritorious deeds —
this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is praiseworthy in two respects,
blameworthy in one.
In what two?
In seeking wealth lawfully
and without violence, -
that is the first.
In getting both ease
and pleasure for himself, -
that is the second.
Then in what one respect
is he blameworthy?
In not sharing
and not doing meritorious deeds.
That is the one respect.
So in these two respects
he is praiseworthy,
in this one blameworthy.
(ix)
Now, headman, this one who,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth by lawful means,
without violence.
Seeking wealth by lawful means,
he gets ease,
gets pleasure for himself,
shares it with others
and does meritorious deeds.
But he makes use of his wealth
with greed and longing,
he is guilty of offence,
heedless of danger,
blind to his own salvation —
this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is praiseworthy in three respects,
blameworthy in one.
In what three?
In seeking wealth lawfully
and without violence.
That is the first.
In getting both ease
and pleasure for himself.
That is the second.
In sharing it
and doing meritorious deeds.
That is the third.
And in what one respect is he blameworthy?
In using his wealth
with greed and longing,
in being guilty of offence,
heedless of danger
and blind to his own salvation.
That is the one respect
in which he is blameworthy.
So, headman, in these three respects
he is praiseworthy,
in this one respect he is blameworthy.
(x)
Now, headman, this one who,
given to sensual pleasures,
seeks wealth by lawful means,
without violence.
Seeking wealth by lawful means,
he gets ease,
gets pleasure [241] for himself,
shares it with others
and does meritorious deeds.
But he makes use of his wealth
without greed and longing,
he is guiltless of offence,
he is heedful of danger
and alive to his own salvation —
this one, headman,
given to sensual pleasures,
is praiseworthy in four respects.
In what four?
In seeking wealth lawfully,
without violence,
in getting both ease
and pleasure for himself,
in sharing it with others
and doing meritorious deeds
making use of his wealth
without greed and longing,
guiltless of offence,
heedful of danger
and in being alive to his own salvation.
So, headman,
this one who is given to sensual pleasures
is praiseworthy in these four respects.
4.
(i)
Now there are these three sorts of ascetics
who live a rougb life
to be found existing in the world, headman.
What three?
Herein, headman, a certain ascetic,
living a rough life,
in faith goes forth from the home-life
to the homeless as a Wanderer.
He thinks:
'Maybe I shall come to some profitable state.
Maybe I shall realize some superhuman experience,
some truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight.'
So he tortures himself,
goes to extremes in torturing himself.
But he wins thereby
no profitable state.
He realizes no superhuman experience,
no truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight.
(ii)
Here again, headman, some ascetic,
living a rough life,
in faith goes forth from the home-life
to the homeless as a Wanderer.
He thinks:
'Maybe I shall come to some profitable state.
Maybe I shall realize some superhuman experience,
some truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight.'
So he tortures himself,
goes to extremes in torturing himself,
and comes to some profitable state,
but he realizes no superhuman experience,
no truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight.
(iii)
Here again, headman, some ascetic,
living a rough life,
in faith goes forth from the home-life
to the homeless as a Wanderer.
He thinks:
'Maybe I shall come to some profitable state.
Maybe I shall realize some superhuman experience,
some truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight.'
So he tortures himself,
goes to extremes in torturing himself.
He both comes to some profitable state
and realizes some superhuman experience,
some truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight.
5.
(i)
Now herein, headman, this ascetic
who lives a rough life,
in faith having gone forth from the home-life
to the homeless as a Wanderer,
tortures himself,
goes to extremes in torturing himself
but comes to no profitable state
nor realizes any superhuman experience,
or truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight —
this ascetic so living is blameworthy in three respects.
In what three?
He tortures himself,
goes to extremes in torturing himself.
That is the first respect
in which he is blameworthy.
Then he comes to no profitable state.
That is the second.
Then he realizes no superhuman experience,
or truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight.
That is the third respect in which he is blameworthy.
So, headman, this ascetic
who lives a rough life,
in faith having gone forth from the home-life
to the homeless as a Wanderer,
torturing himself,
going to extremes in torturing himself
is blameworthy in these three respects.
(ii)
Now herein, headman, this ascetic
who lives a rough life,
in faith having gone forth from the home-life
to the homeless as a Wanderer,
tortures himself,
goes to extremes in torturing himself
does come to some profitable state,
but does not realize any superhuman experience,
or truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight.
Thus he is blameworthy in two respects
and is praiseworthy in one.
In what two?
He tortures himself,
goes to extremes in torturing himself.
That is the first respect
in which he is blameworthy.
He does not realize any superhuman experience,
or truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight.
That is the second respect in which he is blameworthy.
And in what one respect is he praiseworthy?
He comes to some profitable state.
That is the one respect in which he is praiseworthy.
So, headman, this ascetic
who lives a rough life,
in faith having gone forth from the home-life
to the homeless as a Wanderer,
torturing himself,
going to extremes in torturing himself
is blameworthy in two respects,
praiseworthy in one respect.
(iii)
Now herein, headman, this ascetic
who lives a rough life,
in faith having gone forth from the home-life
to the homeless as a Wanderer,
tortures himself,
goes to extremes in torturing himself
who comes to some profitable state,
who realizes some superhuman experience,
some truly Ariyan excellence
of knowledge and insight, -
this ascetic, headman, is blameworthy in one respect,
praiseworthy in two respects.
In what one respect is he blameworthy?
In torturing himself,
in going to extremes in torturing himself.
That is the one respect
in which he is blameworthy.
And in what two respects is he praiseworthy?
In coming to some profitable state.
That is the first.
And in realizing some superhuman experience,
some truly Ariyan [243] excellence
of knowledge and insight.
That is the second respect
in whicb be is praiseworthy.
So, headman, this ascetic
who lives a rough life,
in faith having gone forth from the home-life
to the homeless as a Wanderer,
torturing himself,
going to extremes in torturing himself
is in this one respect blameworthy,
in these two respects praiseworthy.
6.
There are these three things, headman,
belonging to this life,
that are undecaying,
not subject to time,
inviting to come and see,
leading onward (to Nibbāna),
to be realized each for himself
by the wise.
What three?
(i)
Since the lustful man,
because of his lust,
directs thought to his own harm,
directs thought to the harm of others,
to the harm both of himself and of others,
but when lust is abandoned
directs thought neither to his own harm
nor to that of others,
nor of both, -
thus these (results) belong to this life,
they are undecaying,
not subject to time,
inviting to come and see,
leading onward (to Nibbāna),
to be realized each for himself
by the wise.
(ii)
Since the depraved man,
because of his depravity,
directs thought to his own harm,
directs thought to the harm of others,
to the harm both of himself and of others,
but when depravity is abandoned
directs thought neither to his own harm
nor to that of others,
nor of both, -
thus these (results) belong to this life,
they are undecaying,
not subject to time,
inviting to come and see,
leading onward (to Nibbāna),
to be realized each for himself
by the wise.
(iii)
Since the deluded man,
because of his delusion,
directs thought to his own harm,
directs thought to the harm of others,
to the harm both of himself and of others,
but when delusion is abandoned
directs thought neither to his own harm
nor to that of others,
nor of both, -
thus these (results) belong to this life,
they are undecaying,
not subject to time,
inviting to come and see,
leading onward (to Nibbāna),
to be realized each for himself
by the wise.
(ii)
These, headman, are the three things
belonging to this life,
that are undecaying,
not subject to time,
inviting to come and see,
leading onward (to Nibbāna), to be realized eacb for himself
by the wise."
■
[244] At these words Rāsiya, the headman
said to the Exalted One: -
"Excellent, lord!
Excellent it is, lord!
Just as if one should raise what is overthrown,
or show forth what is hidden,
or point out the way
to him that wanders astray,
or hold up a light in the darkness
so that they who have eyes may behold objects, -
even so in divers ways
hath the Norm been set forth by the Exalted One.|| ||
To the exalted One, lord,
I go for refuge,
to the Norm
and to the Order of Brethren.
May the Exalted One accept me
as a lay disciple,
as one who hath gone to him for refuge,
from this day forth
so long as life doth last."
[1] "Heaper" was the name given him by the Elders who compiled the Texts.' Comy.
[2] Lūkha-jīviṇ For the ascetic see Intr. to Dialog. i.8, 206.
[3] Antā. Pāli Dict. 'standards of life.' Comy. koṭṭhāse For the first statment of these see The First Sermon; Vin. 1, 10 (Buddhist Suttas, Rhys Davids); and S v, 421.
[4] Kāmabhogin
[5] Gadhita-mucchita; ajjhāpanna; anādīnava-dassāvī; anissaraṇa-pañña, as at K.S. ii, 181, etc.
