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SN 47.8PTS SN 5.1492 min read

Cooks

Sūdasutta

The parable of the cook. They present different kinds of dishes to the king, and observe which the king likes. In the same way, a mendicant observes why their meditation succeeds or fails. When the four kinds of mindfulness meditation succeeds it leads to giving up hindrances and entering immersion.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 47.8Linked Discourses 47.8
  • 0.21. Ambapālivagga1. In Ambapālī’s Mango Grove

0.3SūdasuttaCooks

1.1“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo sūdo rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattaṁ vā nānaccayehi sūpehi paccupaṭṭhito assa—“Mendicants, suppose a foolish, incompetent, unskillful cook was to serve a ruler or their chief minister with an excessive variety of curries:11.2ambilaggehipi, tittakaggehipi, kaṭukaggehipi, madhuraggehipi, khārikehipi, akhārikehipi, loṇikehipi, aloṇikehipi.chiefly sour, bitter, pungent, and sweet; hot and mild, and salty and bland.2

2.1PTS 5.150Sa kho so, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo sūdo sakassa bhattu nimittaṁ na uggaṇhāti:But that cook didn’t take their master’s hint:32.2‘idaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, imassa vā abhiharati, imassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, imassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati.‘Today my master preferred this sauce, or he reached for it, or he took a lot of it, or he praised it.2.3Ambilaggaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, ambilaggassa vā abhiharati, ambilaggassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, ambilaggassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati. Tittakaggaṁ vā me ajja … kaṭukaggaṁ vā me ajja … madhuraggaṁ vā me ajja … khārikaṁ vā me ajja … akhārikaṁ vā me ajja … loṇikaṁ vā me ajja … aloṇikaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, aloṇikassa vā abhiharati, aloṇikassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, aloṇikassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsatī’ti.Today my master preferred the chiefly sour or bitter or pungent or sweet or hot or mild or salty sauce. Or he preferred the bland sauce, or he reached for the bland one, or he took a lot of it, or he praised it.’

3.1Sa kho so, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo sūdo na ceva lābhī hoti acchādanassa, na lābhī vetanassa, na lābhī abhihārānaṁ.That foolish, incompetent, unskillful cook doesn’t get presented with clothes, wages, or bonuses.3.2Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?3.3Tathā hi so, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo sūdo sakassa bhattu nimittaṁ na uggaṇhāti.Because they don’t take their master’s hint.

3.4Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bālo abyatto akusalo bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.In the same way, a foolish, incompetent, unskillful mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.3.5Tassa kāye kāyānupassino viharato cittaṁ na samādhiyati, upakkilesā na pahīyanti.As they meditate observing an aspect of the body, their mind doesn’t enter immersion, and their corruptions aren’t given up.43.6So taṁ nimittaṁ na uggaṇhāti.But they don’t take the hint.3.7Vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati …pe…They meditate observing an aspect of feelings …3.8citte cittānupassī viharati …pe…mind …3.9dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.3.10Tassa dhammesu dhammānupassino viharato cittaṁ na samādhiyati, upakkilesā na pahīyanti.As they meditate observing an aspect of principles, the mind doesn’t enter immersion, and the corruptions aren’t given up.3.11So taṁ nimittaṁ na uggaṇhāti.But they don’t take the hint.

4.1PTS 5.151Sa kho so, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo bhikkhu na ceva lābhī hoti diṭṭheva dhamme sukhavihārānaṁ, na lābhī satisampajaññassa.That foolish, incompetent, unskillful mendicant doesn’t get blissful meditations in this very life, nor do they get mindfulness and situational awareness.4.2Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?4.3Tathā hi so, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo bhikkhu sakassa cittassa nimittaṁ na uggaṇhāti.Because they don’t take their mind’s hint.

5.1Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo sūdo rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattaṁ vā nānaccayehi sūpehi paccupaṭṭhito assa—Suppose an astute, competent, skillful cook was to serve a ruler or their chief minister with an extravagant variety of curries:5.2ambilaggehipi, tittakaggehipi, kaṭukaggehipi, madhuraggehipi, khārikehipi, akhārikehipi, loṇikehipi, aloṇikehipi.chiefly sour, bitter, pungent, and sweet; hot and mild, and salty and bland.

6.1Sa kho so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo sūdo sakassa bhattu nimittaṁ uggaṇhāti:And that cook took their master’s hint:6.2‘idaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, imassa vā abhiharati, imassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, imassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati.‘Today my master preferred this sauce, or he reached for it, or he took a lot of it, or he praised it.6.3Ambilaggaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, ambilaggassa vā abhiharati, ambilaggassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, ambilaggassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati. Tittakaggaṁ vā me ajja … kaṭukaggaṁ vā me ajja … madhuraggaṁ vā me ajja … khārikaṁ vā me ajja … akhārikaṁ vā me ajja … loṇikaṁ vā me ajja … aloṇikaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, aloṇikassa vā abhiharati, aloṇikassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, aloṇikassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsatī’ti.Today my master preferred the chiefly sour or bitter or pungent or sweet or hot or mild or salty sauce. Or he preferred the bland sauce, or he reached for the bland one, or he took a lot of it, or he praised it.’

7.1PTS 5.152Sa kho so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo sūdo lābhī ceva hoti acchādanassa, lābhī vetanassa, lābhī abhihārānaṁ.That astute, competent, skillful cook gets presented with clothes, wages, and bonuses.7.2Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?7.3Tathā hi so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo sūdo sakassa bhattu nimittaṁ uggaṇhāti.Because they take their master’s hint.

7.4Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco paṇḍito byatto kusalo bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.In the same way, an astute, competent, skillful mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.7.5Tassa kāye kāyānupassino viharato cittaṁ samādhiyati, upakkilesā pahīyanti.As they meditate observing an aspect of the body, their mind enters immersion, and their corruptions are given up.7.6So taṁ nimittaṁ uggaṇhāti.They take the hint.7.7Vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati …pe…They meditate observing an aspect of feelings …7.8citte cittānupassī viharati …pe…mind …7.9dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.7.10Tassa dhammesu dhammānupassino viharato cittaṁ samādhiyati, upakkilesā pahīyanti.As they meditate observing an aspect of principles, their mind enters immersion, and their corruptions are given up.7.11So taṁ nimittaṁ uggaṇhāti.They take the hint.

8.1Sa kho so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo bhikkhu lābhī ceva hoti diṭṭheva dhamme sukhavihārānaṁ, lābhī hoti satisampajaññassa.That astute, competent, skillful mendicant gets blissful meditations in this very life, and they get mindfulness and situational awareness.8.2Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?8.3Tathā hi so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo bhikkhu sakassa cittassa nimittaṁ uggaṇhātī”ti.Because they take their mind’s hint.”

8.4Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. Nānāccaya appears only here. I take it as nānā + accaya, “excessive variety”, which suits the context. The commentary takes it as a variant of nānācaya, “consisting of various mixtures”.

    ↩ sn47.8:1.1
  2. Elsewhere madhuragga means a “sweet tip” (SN 1.71:3.4) or the “superbly sweet” mango (Ja 511:6.4).

    Sour, sweet, and bitter flavors are remembered at Thag 16.2:8.1.

    ↩ sn47.8:1.2
  3. “Hint” here is nimitta, found in the same sense at AN 5.80:6.3 and DN 16:3.4.1. As usual in early Pali, nimitta is used in the sense of a feature or quality that, when focused on, promotes the growth of similar or related qualities. If the Master’s hint were taken, the cook would serve more of what he likes and less of what he dislikes. Similarly, a meditator who takes the mind’s hint will experience a growth of wholesome and decline of unwholesome qualities.

    ↩ sn47.8:2.1
  4. Here we see the primary purpose of satipaṭṭhāna, namely, as the basis for samādhi (MN 44:12.3).

    ↩ sn47.8:3.5