SN 17.1 · Grim
SN 17.1 · Dāruṇasutta
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!”
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.
“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim, bitter, and harsh. They’re an obstacle to reaching the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
So you should train like this: ‘We will give up arisen possessions, honor, and popularity, and we won’t let them occupy our minds.’ That’s how you should train.”
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ pajahissāma, na ca no uppanno lābhasakkārasiloko cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Paṭhamaṁ.
SN 17.2 · A Hook
SN 17.2 · Baḷisasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim, bitter, and harsh. They’re an obstacle to reaching the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
Suppose an angler was to cast a baited hook into a deep lake. Seeing the bait, a fish would swallow it. And so the fish that swallowed the hook would meet with tragedy and disaster, and the angler can do what he wants with it.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, bāḷisiko āmisagataṁ baḷisaṁ gambhīre udakarahade pakkhipeyya. Tamenaṁ aññataro āmisacakkhu maccho gileyya. Evañhi so, bhikkhave, maccho gilabaḷiso bāḷisikassa anayaṁ āpanno byasanaṁ āpanno yathākāmakaraṇīyo bāḷisikassa.
‘Angler’ is a term for Māra the Wicked. ‘Hook’ is a term for possessions, honor, and popularity. Whoever enjoys and likes arisen possessions, honor, and popularity is called a mendicant who has swallowed Māra’s hook. They’ve met with tragedy and disaster, and the Wicked One can do with them what he wants.
Bāḷisikoti kho, bhikkhave, mārassetaṁ pāpimato adhivacanaṁ. Baḷisanti kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasilokassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ assādeti nikāmeti, ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gilabaḷiso mārassa anayaṁ āpanno byasanaṁ āpanno yathākāmakaraṇīyo pāpimato.
So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity—bitter and harsh, an obstacle to reaching the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
So you should train like this: ‘We will give up arisen possessions, honor, and popularity, and we won’t let them occupy our minds.’ That’s how you should train.”
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ pajahissāma, na ca no uppanno lābhasakkārasiloko cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Dutiyaṁ.
SN 17.3 · A Turtle
SN 17.3 · Kummasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.
Once upon a time, in a certain lake there was a large family of turtles that had lived there for a long time. Then one of the turtles said to another, ‘My dear turtle, don’t you go to that place.’
Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, aññatarasmiṁ udakarahade mahākummakulaṁ ciranivāsi ahosi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, aññataro kummo aññataraṁ kummaṁ etadavoca: ‘mā kho tvaṁ, tāta kumma, etaṁ padesaṁ agamāsī’ti.
But that turtle did go to that place, and a hunter pierced her with a harpoon.
Agamāsi kho, bhikkhave, so kummo taṁ padesaṁ. Tamenaṁ luddo papatāya vijjhi.
Then that turtle went back to the other turtle. When the other turtle saw her coming off in the distance, he said, ‘My dear turtle, I hope you didn’t go to that place!’
Atha kho, bhikkhave, so kummo yena so kummo tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho, bhikkhave, so kummo taṁ kummaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna taṁ kummaṁ etadavoca: ‘kacci tvaṁ, tāta kumma, na taṁ padesaṁ agamāsī’ti?
‘I did.’
‘Agamāsiṁ khvāhaṁ, tāta kumma, taṁ padesan’ti.
‘But my dear turtle, I hope you’re not hurt or injured!’
‘Kacci panāsi, tāta kumma, akkhato anupahato’ti?
‘I’m not hurt or injured. But this cord keeps dragging behind me.’
‘Akkhato khomhi, tāta kumma, anupahato, atthi ca me idaṁ suttakaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandhan’ti.
‘Indeed, my dear turtle, you’re hurt and injured! Your father and grandfather met with tragedy and disaster because of such a cord. Go now, you are no longer one of us.’
‘Tagghasi, tāta kumma, khato, taggha upahato. Etena hi te, tāta kumma, suttakena pitaro ca pitāmahā ca anayaṁ āpannā byasanaṁ āpannā. Gaccha dāni tvaṁ, tāta kumma, na dāni tvaṁ amhākan’ti.
‘Hunter’ is a term for Māra the Wicked.
Luddoti kho, bhikkhave, mārassetaṁ pāpimato adhivacanaṁ.
‘Harpoon’ is a term for possessions, honor, and popularity.
Papatāti kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasilokassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘Cord’ is a term for greed and relishing.
Suttakanti kho, bhikkhave, nandīrāgassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
Whoever enjoys and likes arisen possessions, honor, and popularity is called a mendicant who has been pierced with a harpoon. They’ve met with tragedy and disaster, and the Wicked One can do with them what he wants.
Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ assādeti nikāmeti— ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu giddho papatāya anayaṁ āpanno byasanaṁ āpanno yathākāmakaraṇīyo pāpimato.
So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Tatiyaṁ.
SN 17.4 · A Fleecy Sheep
SN 17.4 · Dīghalomikasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.
Suppose a fleecy sheep was to enter a briar patch. She’d get caught, snagged, and trapped at every turn, coming to ruin.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dīghalomikā eḷakā kaṇṭakagahanaṁ paviseyya. Sā tatra tatra sajjeyya, tatra tatra gayheyya, tatra tatra bajjheyya, tatra tatra anayabyasanaṁ āpajjeyya.
In the same way, take a certain mendicant whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity. They robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter the village or town for alms. They get caught, snagged, and trapped at every turn, coming to ruin.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu lābhasakkārasilokena abhibhūto pariyādiṇṇacitto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisati. So tatra tatra sajjati, tatra tatra gayhati, tatra tatra bajjhati, tatra tatra anayabyasanaṁ āpajjati.
So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Catutthaṁ.
SN 17.5 · A Dung Beetle
SN 17.5 · Mīḷhakasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.
Suppose there was a dung-eating beetle full of dung, stuffed with dung, and before her was a big pile of dung. She’d look down on other beetles, thinking: ‘For I am a dung-eating beetle full of dung, stuffed with dung, and before me is a big pile of dung.’
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mīḷhakā gūthādī gūthapūrā puṇṇā gūthassa. Purato cassa mahāgūthapuñjo. Sā tena aññā mīḷhakā atimaññeyya: ‘ahamhi gūthādī gūthapūrā puṇṇā gūthassa, purato ca myāyaṁ mahāgūthapuñjo’ti.
In the same way, take a certain mendicant whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity. They robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter the village or town for alms. There they eat as much as they like, get invited back tomorrow, and have plenty of almsfood. When they get back to the monastery, they boast in the middle of a group of mendicants: ‘I ate as much as I liked, got invited back tomorrow, and had plenty of almsfood. I get robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. But these other mendicants have little merit or significance, so they don’t get these things.’ With a mind overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity, they look down on other good-hearted mendicants. This will be for their lasting harm and suffering.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu lābhasakkārasilokena abhibhūto pariyādiṇṇacitto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisati. So tattha bhuttāvī ca hoti yāvadattho, nimantito ca svātanāya, piṇḍapāto cassa pūro. So ārāmaṁ gantvā bhikkhugaṇassa majjhe vikatthati: ‘bhuttāvī camhi yāvadattho, nimantito camhi svātanāya, piṇḍapāto ca myāyaṁ pūro, lābhī camhi cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ, ime panaññe bhikkhū appapuññā appesakkhā na lābhino cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānan’ti. So tena lābhasakkārasilokena abhibhūto pariyādiṇṇacitto aññe pesale bhikkhū atimaññati. Tañhi tassa, bhikkhave, moghapurisassa hoti dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya.
So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Pañcamaṁ.
SN 17.6 · A Bolt of Lightning
SN 17.6 · Asanisutta
At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.
Let forked lightning fall on whom? Let possessions, honor, and popularity come to a trainee who has not achieved their heart’s desire.
Kaṁ, bhikkhave, asanivicakkaṁ āgacchatu, sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇātu.
‘Forked lightning’ is a term for possessions, honor, and popularity.
Asanivicakkanti kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasilokassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Chaṭṭhaṁ.
SN 17.7 · A Poisoned Arrow
SN 17.7 · Diddhasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.
Let whom be pierced by a poisoned arrow? Let possessions, honor, and popularity come to a trainee who has not achieved their heart’s desire.
Kaṁ, bhikkhave, diddhagatena visallena sallena vijjhatu, sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇātu.
‘Arrow’ is a term for possessions, honor, and popularity.
Sallanti kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasilokassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Sattamaṁ.
SN 17.8 · A Jackal
SN 17.8 · Siṅgālasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.
Mendicants, did you hear an old jackal howling at the crack of dawn?”
Assuttha no tumhe, bhikkhave, rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ jarasiṅgālassa vassamānassā”ti?
“Yes, sir.”
“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“That old jackal has the disease called mange. He’s not happy in his den, or at the root of a tree, or out in the open. Wherever he goes, stands, sits, or lies down he meets with tragedy and disaster.
“Eso kho, bhikkhave, jarasiṅgālo ukkaṇḍakena nāma rogajātena phuṭṭho neva bilagato ramati, na rukkhamūlagato ramati, na ajjhokāsagato ramati; yena yena gacchati, yattha yattha tiṭṭhati, yattha yattha nisīdati, yattha yattha nipajjati; tattha tattha anayabyasanaṁ āpajjati.
In the same way, take a certain mendicant whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity. They’re not happy in an empty hut, at the root of a tree, or out in the open. Wherever they go, stand, sit, or lie down they meet with tragedy and disaster.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu lābhasakkārasilokena abhibhūto pariyādiṇṇacitto neva suññāgāragato ramati, na rukkhamūlagato ramati, na ajjhokāsagato ramati; yena yena gacchati, yattha yattha tiṭṭhati, yattha yattha nisīdati, yattha yattha nipajjati; tattha tattha anayabyasanaṁ āpajjati.
So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Aṭṭhamaṁ.
SN 17.9 · Gale-force Winds
SN 17.9 · Verambhasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.
High in the atmosphere there are gale-force winds blowing. Any bird that flies there is flung about by those gale-force winds. Their feet go one way, their wings another, their head another, and their body another.
Upari, bhikkhave, ākāse verambhā nāma vātā vāyanti. Tattha yo pakkhī gacchati tamenaṁ verambhā vātā khipanti. Tassa verambhavātakkhittassa aññeneva pādā gacchanti, aññena pakkhā gacchanti, aññena sīsaṁ gacchati, aññena kāyo gacchati.
In the same way, take a certain monk whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity. He robes up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, enters the village or town for alms without guarding body, speech, and mind, without establishing mindfulness, and without restraining the sense faculties. There he sees a lady scantily clad, with revealing clothes. Lust infects his mind. He resigns the training and returns to a lesser life. Some take his robe, others his bowl, others his sitting cloth, others his needle case, just like the bird flung about by the gale-force winds.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu lābhasakkārasilokena abhibhūto pariyādiṇṇacitto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisati arakkhiteneva kāyena arakkhitāya vācāya arakkhitena cittena, anupaṭṭhitāya satiyā, asaṁvutehi indriyehi. So tattha passati mātugāmaṁ dunnivatthaṁ vā duppārutaṁ vā. Tassa mātugāmaṁ disvā dunnivatthaṁ vā duppārutaṁ vā rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁseti. So rāgānuddhaṁsitena cittena sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati. Tassa aññe cīvaraṁ haranti, aññe pattaṁ haranti, aññe nisīdanaṁ haranti, aññe sūcigharaṁ haranti, verambhavātakkhittasseva sakuṇassa.
So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Navamaṁ.
SN 17.10 · With Verses
SN 17.10 · Sagāthakasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.
Take a case where I see a certain individual whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by honor. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.
Idhāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ekaccaṁ puggalaṁ passāmi sakkārena abhibhūtaṁ pariyādiṇṇacittaṁ, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannaṁ.
Take another case where I see a certain individual whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by lack of honor. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.
Idha panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ekaccaṁ puggalaṁ passāmi asakkārena abhibhūtaṁ pariyādiṇṇacittaṁ, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannaṁ.
And take another case where I see a certain individual whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by both honor and lack of honor. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.
Idha panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ekaccaṁ puggalaṁ passāmi sakkārena ca asakkārena ca tadubhayena abhibhūtaṁ pariyādiṇṇacittaṁ, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannaṁ.
So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:
Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:
“Whether they’re honoredor not honored, or both,their immersion doesn’t waveras they abide in the immeasurables.
“Yassa sakkariyamānassa,asakkārena cūbhayaṁ;Samādhi na vikampati,appamāṇavihārino.
They persistently meditatewith subtle view and discernment.Rejoicing in the ending of grasping,they’re said to be a true person.”
Taṁ jhāyinaṁ sātatikaṁ,sukhumaṁ diṭṭhivipassakaṁ;Upādānakkhayārāmaṁ,āhu sappuriso itī”ti.
Dasamaṁ.
Paṭhamo vaggo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Dāruṇo baḷisaṁ kummaṁ,dīghalomi ca mīḷhakaṁ;Asani diddhaṁ siṅgālaṁ,verambhena sagāthakanti.