Sutta Pitaka
Saṃyutta Nikāya
Division II –– Nidāna
Book 16 –– Lābhasakkāra Saṃyutta
Chapter 1 –– Dāruṇa (Pathama) Vagga
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā sambuddhassa
16. 1. 1.
(1) Dāruṇo –– Cruel
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.
2. The Blessed One addressed the monks from there.
3. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
4. “Therefore, monks, you should train thus: ‘We will get rid of arisen gain, honor and fame. Arisen gain, honor and fame will not take control of our minds.’
5. “Monks, you should train in this manner.”
16. 1. 2.
(2) Balisaṃ –– Bait
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.
2. The Blessed One addressed the monks from there. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
3. “Monks, like the fish greedy for matter would swallow the bait thrown into deep water, would come to misfortune and disaster in the hands of the fisherman.
4. “Monks, fisherman is a synonym for Death and bait is a synonym for gain, honor and fame.
5. “Monks, whoever monk enjoys and desires gain honor and fame, is said, has swallowed Death’s bait and would come to misfortune and disaster in the hands of Death, the Evil One.
6. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
7. “Therefore, monks, you should train thus: ‘We will get rid of arisen gain, honor and fame. Arisen gain, honor and fame will not take control of our minds.’
8. “Monks, you should train in this manner.”
16. 1. 3.
(3) Kumma –– A Tortoise
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.
2. The Blessed One addressed the monks from there. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
3. “Monks, in the past a large clan of tortoises continually lived in a certain deep water hole.
4. “Monks, a certain tortoise said to another tortoise: ‘Dear one, do not go to that region.”
5. “That tortoise went to that region and the hunter shot him to fall forward.
6. “Then that tortoise approached his clan.
7. “Seeing him approaching in the distance the other tortoise said: ‘Dear one, didn’t you go to that region?’
‘Dear tortoise, I went to that region.’
8. ‘Dear one, aren’t you harmed and destroyed?’
‘Am not harmed or destroyed, yet there is this cord which follows me close.’
9. ‘Dear tortoise, there, you are harmed and destroyed. In this same manner your father and grandfather were harmed and destroyed. Dear tortoise, go away! Now you do not belong here.’
10. “Monks, hunter is a synonym for Death, the Evil One. To fall forward is a synonym for gain, honor and fame. The cord is a synonym for interest and greed.
11. “Monks, when the monk enjoys and desires gain honor and fame, it is said that he has greedily fallen forward and is harmed and destroyed and has fallen into the hands of Death.
12. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
13. “Therefore, monks, you should train thus: ‘We will get rid of arisen gain, honor and fame. Arisen gain, honor and fame will not take control of our minds.’ Monks, you should train in this manner.”
16. 1. 4.
(4) Dīghalomī –– Long Fleece
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.
2. The Blessed One addressed the monks from there. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
3. “Monks, when the goat with long fleece enters a thicket with thorns, she gets entangled, seized, bound, harmed and destroyed here and there.
4. “In the same manner, monks, a certain monk with a mind consumed and overpowered by gain, honor and fame wears robes in the morning and taking bowl and robes enters a village or hamlet for alms food. And he gets entangled, seized, bound, harmed and destroyed here and there.
5. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
6. “Therefore, monks, you should train thus: ‘We will get rid of arisen gain, honor and fame. Arisen gain, honor and fame will not take control of our minds.’ Monks, you should train in this manner.”
16. 1. 5.
(5) Pīlhaka –– Dung Beetle
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.
2. The Blessed One addressed the monks from there. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
3. “Monks, the dung beetle is covered with dung, full of dung and has a heap of dung in front of him.
4. “And it belittles other dung beetles saying ‘I am covered with dung, full of dung, and have a heap of dung in front of me.’
5. “In the same manner, monks a certain monk with a mind consumed and overpowered by gain, honor and fame wears robes in the morning and taking bowl and robes enters a village or hamlet for alms food. There he partakes all the food offered to him, is invited for the next day and his bowl is also full.
6. “He returns to the monastery and boasts in front of the monks. ‘I partook food as much as I was offered, am invited for the next day and my bowl is also full. I am a gainer of robes, morsel food, dwellings and requisites when ill. These other monks are not so lucky, not capable not the gainers of robes, morsel food, dwellings and requisites when ill.’
7. “That monk with a mind consumed and overpowered by gain, honor and fame belittles other well behaved monks. Monks, it will be for the undoing and unpleasantness of that foolish man for a long time.
8. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
9. “Therefore, monks, you should train thus: ‘We will get rid of arisen gain, honor and fame. Arisen gain, honor and fame will not take control of our minds.’ Monks, you should train in this manner.”
16. 1. 6.
(6) Asani –– A Thunderbolt
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.
2. The Blessed One addressed the monks from there. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
3. “Monks, what is a thunderbolt thought process, which comes with gain, honor and fame, to the trainer who has not attained his aim yet.
4. “Monks, a thunderbolt thought process is a synonym for gain, honor and fame.
5. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
6. “Therefore, monks, you should train thus: ‘We will get rid of arisen gain, honor and fame. Arisen gain, honor and fame will not take control of our minds.’ Monks, you should train in this manner.”
16. 1. 7.
(7) Ditthaṃ –– A Vision
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.
2. The Blessed One addressed the monks from there. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
3. “Monks, what is to be shot with the arrow of a vision, which comes with gain, honor and fame, to the trainer who has not yet attained his aim.
4. “Monks, an arrow is a synonym for gain, honor and fame.
5. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
6. “Therefore, monks, you should train thus: ‘We will get rid of arisen gain, honor and fame. Arisen gain, honor and fame will not take control of our minds.’ Monks, you should train in this manner.”
16. 1. 8.
(8) Singalo –– A Jackal
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.
2. The Blessed One addressed the monks from there. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
3.“Monks, have you heard of the barking of the jackal in the last watch of the night?”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
4. “Monks, the decayed jackal suffering from a disease called erected ears is not happy in a hiding, at the root of a tree or even in open space. Wherever it goes, stands, sits or lies, comes to harm and destruction.
5. “Monks, in the same manner a certain monk does not enjoy seclusion in an empty house, at the root of a tree or in open space Wherever he goes, stands, sits or lies he comes to harm and destruction.
6. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
7. “Therefore, monks, you should train thus: ‘We will get rid of arisen gain, honor and fame. Arisen gain, honor and fame will not take control of our minds.’ Monks, you should train in this manner.”
16. 1. 9.
(9) Veramba –– Winds Blowing in High Altitudes
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.
2. The Blessed One addressed the monks from there. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
3. “Monks, there is a wind blowing in high altitudes. If birds fly there, they drop down. Anyone seized by that wind does not use his feet to go, birds cannot fly caught in it they move on top of that wind.
4. “Monks, in the same manner a certain monk with a mind overcome and consumed by gain, honor and fame, wears robes in the morning and taking bowl and robes enters a village or hamlet for alms food, with body, words and mind not protected, mindfulness not established and mental faculties not controlled.
5. “There he sees a woman carelessly dressed and covered and his mind is consumed by greed. With a mind consumed by greed he steps down to the lower life. His robe is carried away by someone bowl by another, seat is carried away by another and the needle-case by another. Like the bird dropped by the winds of the high altitude.
6. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
7. “Therefore, monks, you should train thus: “We will get rid of arisen gain, honor and fame. Arisen gain, honor and fame will not take control of our minds. Monks, you should train in this manner.”
16. 1. 10.
(10) Sagāthakaṃ –– With A Stanza
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi.
2. The Blessed One addressed the monks from there. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
3. “Monks, I see a certain person with a mind consumed and overcome, by receiving respect and hospitality, after death born in decrease, in loss in hell.
4. “Monks, I see a certain person with a mind consumed and overcome, by not receiving respect and hospitality, after death born in decrease, in loss in hell.
5. “Monks, I see a certain person with a mind consumed and overcome, by receiving both respect disrespect, after death born in decrease, in loss in hell.
6. “Monks, gain, honor and fame are severe, cruel and dangerous for him who wants to end unpleasantness.
7. “Therefore, monks, you should train thus: “We will get rid of arisen gain, honor and fame. Arisen gain, honor and fame will not take control of our minds. Monks, you should train in this manner.”
8. Having said thus the Teacher further said this stanza:
Does not waver, respected or disrespected
Always with a higher state of mind,
He reflects impermanence,
He is called a Great Being.”
