Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saṃyutta
5. Papāta Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
56. Kindred Sayings about the Truths
5. The Precipice
Sutta 45
Paṭhama Chiggaḷa Suttaṃ
The Keyhole[1]
Translated by F. L. Woodward
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[1][bodh][than] Thus have I heard:
On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying at Vesālī
in Great Grove,
at the Hall of the Peaked Gable.
Now the venerable Ānanda,
robing himself in the forenoon
and taking bowl and outer robe,
went into Vesālī to beg.
Then the venerable Ānanda
saw a number of Licchavi youths in the gymnasium,[2]
making practice at archery,[3]
shooting even at a distance
through a very small keyhole,
and splitting an arrow,[4]
shot after shot,
without ever a miss.
Now when the venerable Ānanda saw it he exclaimed to himself:
"Practised shots are these Licchavi youths!
Well practised shots indeed are these Licchavi youths,
to be able to shoot like this even at a distance!"
So when the venerable Ānanda
had gone his rounds in Vesālī,
had returned and eaten his meal,
he went to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
So seated
the venerable Ānanda said this to the Exalted One:
"Here, lord, robing myself in the forenoon
and taking bowl and outer robe
I set out for Vesālī on my begging rounds.
Then, lord, I saw a number of Licchavi youths
in the gymnasium
making practice at archery,
shooting even from a distance
through a very small keyhole,
and splitting an arrow,
shot after shot,
with never a miss.
And I said to myself, lord:
'Practised shots are these Licchavi youths!
Well practised shots indeed
are these Licchavi youths,
to be able even at a distance
to splinter an arrow
through a very small keyhole,
shot after shot,
with never a miss!'"
"Now what think you, Ānanda?
Which is the harder,
which is the harder task to compass:
To shoot like that
or [382] to pierce one strand of a hair,
a hundred times divided,
with another strand?"[5]
"Why, lord, of course
to split a hair,
a hundred times divided,
with another strand is the harder,
much the harder task."
"Just so, Ānanda,
they who penetrate the meaning of:
'This is Ill',
'This is the arising of Ill',
'This is the ceasing of Ill',
'This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill',
pierce through something much harder to pierce.
Wherefore, Ānanda, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill.
This is the arising of Ill.
This is the ceasing of Ill.
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'
[1] Chiggaḷa. In next Sutta it has a different meaning.
[2] Santhāgāre. Comy. sippa-gaṇhana-sālāyaṇ.
[3] Upāsanaṇ karonte. For amazmg feats of archery see JA. v, 130 ff., referred to below.
[4] Asanaṇ atipātente = kaṇḍaṇ atikkamente: 'getting the better of a shaft' Comr. (who explams that the arrow following split the one before it).
[5] Comy. (referring to the feats of Jotipāla at JA. v, 130), if I under stand it aright, says: 'Splitting a hair into a hundred strands he takes (? strand) and binds an egg-plant (vātmgaṇa, misinterpreted at JA. trans. in the Cambridge Series) on its middle, and binds another strand to the tip of his arrow. Then standing at the distance of one usabha (? 140 cubits) he pierces, with the end tied on his arrow, that which is tied to the egg-plant.' Cf. DhpA. i, 288.
