Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
55. Sot'Āpatti Saṃyutta
1. Veḷu-Dvāra Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
55. Kindred Sayings on Streamwinning
1. Veḷudvāra
Sutta 7
Veḷu-Dvāreyyā Suttaṃ
Those of Bamboo Gate[1]
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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On a certain occasion the Exalted One was going his rounds among the Kosalans,
together with a great company of monks,
and had reached Bamboo Gate,
a brahmin village of the Kosalans.
Now the folk of Bamboo Gate,
both brahmins and housefathers,
heard the report:
"It is rumoured that[2] master[3] Gotama,
the recluse,
the Sakyan's son,
he who went forth from a Sakyan clan,
is on his rounds among the Kosalans
together with a great company of monks,
and has reached Bamboo Gate.
Now there is a goodly rumour gone abroad of Gotama
that Exalted One,
to this effect:
'He it is,
the Exalted One,
Arahant,
a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One.
He makes known this world,
together with the world of Devas,
Maras
and Brahmas,
with its host of recluses and brahmins,
both of devas and men,
having realized it with his own full knowledge.
He proclaims the Norm,
which is goodly in its beginning,
in its middle
and its ending,
both in its spirit and its letter;
he makes clear the holy life
in all its fullness and purity.'
It were well indeed
for us to have sight of such Arahants!"
■
So those brahmins and housefathers of Bamboo Gate
went to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him
some of them saluted the Exalted One
and sat down at one side:
some [308] conversed with the Exalted One, and,
after the exchange of greetings and courtesies,
they also sat down at one side.
Some stretched out their clasped hands towards the Exalted One
and sat down at one side.
Some announced their names and families to the Exalted One
and sat down at one side:
while some others just sat down at one side
without saying anything.
As they thus sat
the brahmins and housefathers
said this to the Exalted One:
"Master Gotama, we are people of such desires,
such wishes,
such intentions
as these:
'O may we live in a crowded[4] house
encumbered with children!
May we enjoy the use of Benares sandalwood!
May we deck ourselves with garlands and unguents!
May we handle gold and silver!
When body breaks up,
after death
may we be reborn in the Happy Lot,
the Heaven World!'
Pray let master Gotama teach us,
who have such desires,
such wishes
and such intentions,
a doctrine by which we may live in a crowded house
encumbered with children,
may enjoy the use of Benares sandalwood
may deck ourselves with garlands and unguents
may handle gold and silver
and when body breaks up,
after death
may we be reborn in the Happy Lot,
the Heaven World."
■
"Then, housefathers, I will teach you a Norm-method
which brings profit to oneself.
Do ye listen to it.
Pay close attention
and I will speak."
"Very well, master,"
replied the brahmins and housefathers
to the Exalted One.
Then the Exalted One said this:
"Now, housefathers, of what sort is the Norm-method
which brings profit to self?[5]
In this matter, housefathers,
the Ariyan disciple thus reflects:
'Here am I,
fond of my life,
not wanting to die,
fond of pleasure
and averse from pain.
Suppose someone should rob me of my life
(fond of life as I am
and not wanting to die,
fond of pleasure
and averse from pain),
it would not be a thing
pleasing or delightful to me.
If I, in my turn,
should rob of his life
one fond of his life,
not wanting to die,
one fond of pleasure
and averse from pain,
it would not be a thing
pleasing or delightful to him.
For a state that is not pleasant or delightful to me
[309] must be so to him also:
and a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, -
how could I inflict[6] that upon another?
As a result of such reflection
he himself abstains
from taking the life of creatures
and he encourages others so to abstain,
and speaks in praise of so abstaining.
Thus as regards bodily conduct
he is utterly pure.[7]
■
Then again, housefathers,
the Ariyan disciple thus reflects:
If someone should take
with thievish intent
what I have not given him,
it would not be a thing pleasing or delightful to me.
If I, in my turn,
should take from another
with thievish intent
what he has not given me,
it would not be a thing pleasing or delightful to him:
and a state that is not pleasant,
that is not delightful to me
must be so to him also.
What does not please me,
what does not delight me, -
how could I inflict that upon another?
As a result of this reflection,
he himself abstains from taking what is not given,
and he encourages others so to abstain,
he speaks in praise of so abstaining.
Thus as regards bodily conduct
he is utterly pure.
■
Again, housefathers, the Ariyan disciple thus reflects:
If someone should have intercourse with my wives,
it would not be a thing pleasing or delightful to me.
If I, in my turn,
should so behave with another's wives,
it would not be a thing pleasing or delightful to him:
and a state that is not pleasant,
that is not delightful to me
must be so to him also.
What does not please me,
what does not delight me, -
how could I inflict that upon another?
As a result of this reflection,
he himself abstains from wrong practice in respect of sense desires,
and he encourages others to do so,
he speaks in praise of such abstinence.
Thus as regards personal conduct
he is utterly pure.
■
Again, housefathers,
the Ariyan disciple thus reflects:
If someone should spoil my fortune[8]
by lying speech,
it would not be a thing pleasant or delightful to me.
If I, in my turn,
should spoil another's fortune
by lying speech,
it would not be a thing pleasant or delightful to him:
and a state that [310] is not pleasant,
that is not delightful to me
must be so to him also.
What does not please me,
what does not delight me, -
how could I inflict that upon another?
As a result of this reflection
he himself abstains from lying speech,
he encourages another so to abstain,
speaks in praise of abstaining therefrom.
Thus as regards conduct in speech
he is utterly pure.
■
Again, housefathers,
the Ariyan disciple thus reflects:
If someone should estrange me from my friends[9] by slander,
it would not be a thing pleasant or delightful to me.
If I in my turn
should estrange him from his friends,
it would not be a thing pleasant or delightful to him:
and a state that is not pleasant,
that is not delightful to me
must be so to him also.
What does not please me,
what does not delight me, -
how could I inflict that upon another?
As a result of this reflection,
he himself abstains from slander
he encourages anoher so to abstain,
speaks in praise of abstaining therefrom.
Thus as regards conduct in speech
he is utterly pure.
■
Again, housefathers,
the Ariyan disciple thus reflects:
If someone should treat me with harsh speech
it would not be a thing pleasant or delightful to me.
If I in my turn
should treat another with harsh speech,
it would not be a thing pleasant or delightful to him:
and a state that is not pleasant,
that is not delightful to me
must be so to him also.
What does not please me,
what does not delight me, -
how could I inflict that upon another?
As a result of this reflection,
he himself abstains from harsh speech,
he encourages anoher so to abstain,
speaks in praise of abstaining therefrom.
Thus as regards conduct in speech
he is utterly pure.
■
Again, housefathers,
the Ariyan disciple thus reflects:
If someone should treat me with pointless,[10] frivolous talk,
it would not be a thing pleasant or delightful to me.
If I in my turn should so treat him,
it would not be pleasant or delightful to him.
For a state that is unpleasant,
not delightful to me
must be so to him also,
and a state that is not pleasant,
not delightful to me, -
how could I inflict that upon another?
As a result of this reflection,
he himself abstains from pointless, frivolous talk:
he encourages another to do so,
he speaks in praise of so doing.
Thus as regards conduct in speech
he is utterly pure.
■
[311] Then he is blessed
with unwavering loyalty to the Buddba, thus:
He it is the Exalted One,
Arahant,
a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer
of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One.
He is blessed
with unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:
Well proclaimed by the Exalted One
is the Norm,
seen in this very life,
a thing not involving time,
inviting one to come and see,
leading onward,
to be known for themselves
by the wise.
He is blessed
with unwavering loyalty to the Order,
thus:
Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order,
walking uprightly,
walking in the right way,
walking dutifully
is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples:
namely,
the four pairs of men,
the eight sorts of men.
That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.
Worthy of honour are they,
worthy of reverence,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of salutations with clasped hands, -
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.
He is blessed
with the virtues dear to the Ariyans,
virtues unbroken,
whole,
unspotted,
untarnished,
giving freedom,
praised by the wise:
virtues untainted (by craving or delusion),
which lead to concentration of the mind.'
Now, housefathers,
since the Ariyan disciple is blessed with these seven good conditions
and these four desirable points of vantage,[11]
if he so desired,
he could himself
declare with surety of himself:
'Cut off for me is Purgatory,
cut off the Way of Woe
and the Downfall!
Stream-winner am I,
not doomed to the Downfall,
assured am I,
bound for enlightenment!'"[12]
At these words
the brahmins and housefathers of Bamboo Gate
exclaimed to the Exalted One:
"Excellent, master Gotama!
Excellent, master Gotama!
Just as if one should raise up what is fallen,
or show forth what is hidden,
or point 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 diners ways
has the Norm been set forth by the worthy Gotama.
We go for refuge to the worthy Gotama,
to the Norm
and to the Order of monks.
Let the worthy Gotama accept us
as lay-disciples
from this day forth,
so long as life may last,
who have taken refuge in him!"
[1] Lit. 'Bamboo-by-the-gate.' I find no other mention of this brahmin village. Comy. says: 'So called owing to the tradition of a bamboo-thicket at the entrance of the village.' This chapter is called Veḷu-dvāra-vagga. Comy. has nothing to say about the earlier part, which occurs at Ud. vii, 9 (I give some extracts from UdA. 377).
[2] Khalu (anussav'attke nipāto, a particle meaning ut aiunt).
[3] Bho, a term used by brahmins.
[4] Text has putta-sambādha-sayanaṇ (as at UdA. 331), which would mean, 'a bed crammed with children.' I read with S. i, 78 samayaṇ, 'a crowd or company.'
[5] Attūpanāyikaṇ.
[6] Sanyojeyyaṇ. Cf. D. ii, 355; lit. 'saddle with.'
[7] Koṭi-parisuddho (like koṭippatto).
[8] Atthaṇ bhañjeyya, as at S. iv, 347.
[9] Text mittehi bhindeyya; v.l. mitte bh. For these terms, cf. DA. i, 74-6.
[10] Text has sampabhāsena, which seems to occur here only. It does not appear in the usual lists of sorts of speech. Comy. says it is samanta-bhāsena. I take it to mean 'all round the question, off the point.'
[11] Ṭhānehi.
[12] See next Sutta.
