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AN 3.91PTS AN 1.236Saṅkavā3 min read

At Paṅkadhā

Saṅkavāsutta

A monk is critical of the Buddha, but later feels remorse.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.91Numbered Discourses 3.91
  • 0.29. Samaṇavagga9. Ascetics

0.3SaṅkavāsuttaAt Paṅkadhā

1.1PTS 1.237Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ yena saṅkavā nāma kosalānaṁ nigamo tadavasari.At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants. He arrived at a town of the Kosalans named Paṅkadhā,1.2Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā saṅkavāyaṁ viharati.and stayed there.

1.3Tena kho pana samayena kassapagotto nāma bhikkhu saṅkavāyaṁ āvāsiko hoti.Now, at that time a monk named Kassapagotta was resident at Paṅkadhā.1.4Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti.There the Buddha educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired the mendicants with a Dhamma talk about the training rules.1.5Atha kho kassapagottassa bhikkhuno bhagavati sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:Kassapagotta became quite impatient and bitter, thinking,1.6“adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo”ti.“This ascetic is much too strict.”

1.7Atha kho bhagavā saṅkavāyaṁ yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā yena rājagahaṁ tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi.When the Buddha had stayed in Paṅkadhā as long as he pleased, he set out for Rājagaha.1.8Anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena rājagahaṁ tadavasari.Traveling stage by stage, he arrived at Rājagaha,1.9Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati.and stayed there.

2.1Atha kho kassapagottassa bhikkhuno acirapakkantassa bhagavato ahudeva kukkuccaṁ ahu vippaṭisāro:Soon after the Buddha left, Kassapagotta became quite remorseful and regretful, thinking,2.2“alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ;“It’s my loss, my misfortune,2.3yassa me bhagavati sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:that when the Buddha was talking about the training rules I became quite impatient and bitter, thinking2.4‘adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo’ti.he was much too strict.2.5Yannūnāhaṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato santike accayaṁ accayato deseyyan”ti.Why don’t I go to the Buddha and confess my mistake to him?”

2.6Atha kho kassapagotto bhikkhu senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena rājagahaṁ tena pakkāmi.Then Kassapagotta set his lodgings in order and, taking his bowl and robe, set out for Rājagaha.2.7Anupubbena yena rājagahaṁ yena gijjhakūṭo pabbato yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho kassapagotto bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Eventually he came to Rājagaha and the Vulture’s Peak. He went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened, saying:

3.1PTS 1.238“Ekamidaṁ, bhante, samayaṁ bhagavā saṅkavāyaṁ viharati, saṅkavā nāma kosalānaṁ nigamo.3.2Tatra, bhante, bhagavā sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi.3.3Tassa mayhaṁ bhagavati sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:3.4‘adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo’ti.3.5Atha kho bhagavā saṅkavāyaṁ yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā yena rājagahaṁ tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi. (…)3.6Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, acirapakkantassa bhagavato ahudeva kukkuccaṁ ahu vippaṭisāro:3.7‘alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ;3.8yassa me bhagavati sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:3.9“adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo”ti.3.10Yannūnāhaṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato santike accayaṁ accayato deseyyan’ti.3.11Accayo maṁ, bhante, accagamā yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ yassa me bhagavati sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:“I made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of me to become impatient and bitter when the Buddha was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants with a Dhamma talk about the training rules, and to think,3.12‘adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo’ti.‘This ascetic is much too strict.’3.13Tassa me, bhante, bhagavā accayaṁ accayato paṭiggaṇhātu, āyatiṁ saṁvarāyā”ti.Please, sir, accept my mistake for what it is, so I will restrain myself in future.”

4.1“Taggha taṁ, kassapa, accayo accagamā yathābālaṁ yathāmūḷhaṁ yathāakusalaṁ, yassa te mayi sikkhāpadapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya bhikkhū sandassente samādapente samuttejente sampahaṁsente ahudeva akkhanti ahu appaccayo:“Indeed, Kassapa, you made a mistake.4.2‘adhisallikhatevāyaṁ samaṇo’ti.4.3Yato ca kho tvaṁ, kassapa, accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikarosi, taṁ te mayaṁ paṭiggaṇhāma.But since you have recognized your mistake for what it is, and have dealt with it properly, I accept it.4.4Vuddhihesā, kassapa, ariyassa vinaye yo accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikaroti, āyatiṁ saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.For it is growth in the training of the Noble One to recognize a mistake for what it is, deal with it properly, and commit to restraint in the future.

5.1Thero cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti na sikkhākāmo na sikkhāsamādānassa vaṇṇavādī, ye caññe bhikkhū na sikkhākāmā te ca na sikkhāya samādapeti, ye caññe bhikkhū sikkhākāmā tesañca na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena, evarūpassāhaṁ, kassapa, therassa bhikkhuno na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.Kassapa, take the case of a senior mendicant who is not eager to train and doesn’t praise taking up the training. They don’t encourage other mendicants who are not eager to train to take up the training. And they don’t truthfully and correctly praise at the right time those mendicants not eager to train. I don’t praise that kind of senior mendicant.5.2Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?5.3Satthā hissa vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇatīti aññe naṁ bhikkhū bhajeyyuṁ, ye naṁ bhajeyyuṁ tyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ, yyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ tesaṁ taṁ assa dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāyāti.Because, hearing that I praised that mendicant, other mendicants might want to keep company with them. Then they might follow their example, which would be for their lasting harm and suffering.5.4Tasmāhaṁ, kassapa, evarūpassa therassa bhikkhuno na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.That’s why I don’t praise that kind of senior mendicant.

6.1PTS 1.239Majjhimo cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti …pe…Take the case of a middle mendicant who doesn’t want to train …

6.2navo cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti na sikkhākāmo na sikkhāsamādānassa vaṇṇavādī, ye caññe bhikkhū na sikkhākāmā te ca na sikkhāya samādapeti, ye caññe bhikkhū sikkhākāmā tesañca na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena, evarūpassāhaṁ, kassapa, navassa bhikkhuno na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.Take the case of a junior mendicant who is not eager to train …6.3Taṁ kissa hetu?6.4Satthā hissa vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇatīti aññe naṁ bhikkhū bhajeyyuṁ, ye naṁ bhajeyyuṁ tyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ, yyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ tesaṁ taṁ assa dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāyāti.6.5Tasmāhaṁ, kassapa, evarūpassa navassa bhikkhuno na vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.That’s why I don’t praise that kind of junior mendicant.

7.1Thero cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti sikkhākāmo sikkhāsamādānassa vaṇṇavādī, ye caññe bhikkhū na sikkhākāmā te ca sikkhāya samādapeti, ye caññe bhikkhū sikkhākāmā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena, evarūpassāhaṁ, kassapa, therassa bhikkhuno vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.Kassapa, take the case of a senior mendicant who is eager to train and praises taking up the training. They encourage other mendicants who are not eager to train to take up the training. And they truthfully and correctly praise at the right time those mendicants who are eager to train. I praise that kind of senior mendicant.7.2Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?7.3Satthā hissa vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇatīti aññe naṁ bhikkhū bhajeyyuṁ, ye naṁ bhajeyyuṁ tyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ, yyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ tesaṁ taṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyāti.Because, hearing that I praised that mendicant, other mendicants might want to keep company with them. Then they might follow their example, which would be for their lasting welfare and happiness.7.4Tasmāhaṁ, kassapa, evarūpassa therassa bhikkhuno vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.That’s why I praise that kind of senior mendicant.

8.1Majjhimo cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti sikkhākāmo …pe…Take the case of a middle mendicant who is eager to train …

8.2navo cepi, kassapa, bhikkhu hoti sikkhākāmo sikkhāsamādānassa vaṇṇavādī, ye caññe bhikkhū na sikkhākāmā te ca sikkhāya samādapeti, ye caññe bhikkhū sikkhākāmā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena, evarūpassāhaṁ, kassapa, navassa bhikkhuno vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmi.Take the case of a junior mendicant who is eager to train …8.3Taṁ kissa hetu?8.4Satthā hissa vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇatīti aññe naṁ bhikkhū bhajeyyuṁ, ye naṁ bhajeyyuṁ tyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ, yyāssa diṭṭhānugatiṁ āpajjeyyuṁ tesaṁ taṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyāti.8.5Tasmāhaṁ, kassapa, evarūpassa navassa bhikkhuno vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇāmī”ti.That’s why I praise that kind of junior mendicant.”

8.6Ekādasamaṁ.

8.7Samaṇavaggo catuttho.

9.0Tassuddānaṁ

9.1Samaṇo gadrabho khettaṁ,9.2vajjiputto ca sekkhakaṁ;9.3Tayo ca sikkhanā vuttā,9.4dve sikkhā saṅkavāya cāti.