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1. Sattajatila Sutta
Discourse on the Seven Ascetics
Dutiya Vagga, Kosala Samyutta,
Sagatha Vagga Samyutta,
Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka
SOURCE: "FIVE SAMYUTTAS FROM SAGATHAVAGGA SAMYUTTA"
Translated by U Tin U (Myaung), Yangon
Edited by the Editorial Committee, Burma (Myanmar) Tipitaka Association, 1998
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122. At one time the Bhagava was staying at
Savatthi, at a terraced building in the Pubbrama monastery-complex of
Migaramata (i.e., Visakha). Then, in the evening, the Bhagava rose from
mediating in seclusion and sat outside the doorway of the terraced building. At
that time King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Bhagava, made obeisance, and
sat at a suitable place. It was just then that there went past at a short
distance from the Bhagava seven hermits with plaited hair, seven members of the
Nigantha sect, seven naked ascetics, seven single-robed ascetics, and seven
wandering ascetics; all with long arm pit hairs, long nails, long hair, long
moustaches, long beard, and carrying various requisites of ascetics.
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala rose from his
seat and placing the outer robe on one shoulder, putting the right knee on the
ground, with joined palms made obeisance towards the seven hermits with plaited
hair, the seven members the Nigantha sect, the seven naked ascetics, the seven
single-robed ascetics, and the seven wandering ascetics. He called out his name
to them three times: "Your reverences! This is me,
the King, Pasenadi of Kosala ...p... Your reverences! This is me, the King,
Pasenadi of Kosala!" Not long after the seven hermits with plaited
hair, the seven members of the Nigantha sect, the seven naked ascetics, the
seven single-robed ascetics and the seven wandering ascetics had passed by,
King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Bhagava, made obeisance and sat at a
suitable place. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Bhagava: "Venerable Sir, in the world there are arahats and noble
ones who have attained arahatta magga, and those (who had just passed by) are
among them."
"Great King, it
is difficult for you as a layman, enjoying sensual pleasures, living a confined
family life, making use of sandalwood from Kasi, adorning yourself with
flowers, perfumes and cosmetics, and liking gold and silver, to know 'those
persons are arahats or those persons are noble ones who have attained arahatta
magga'."
"It is only by
living together, Great King, that one can know whether a person has
morality or not; and that too can be known only after a long time, not
in a short time, only by one who pays proper attention, not by one who does not
pay proper attention, and only by a wise person, not by one who lacks
wisdom."
"It is only by
his talk, Great King, that the purity of a person can be known; and that
too can be known only after a long time, not in a short time, only by one who
pays proper attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only
by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."
"It is only in
times of crisis that a person's resourcefulness can be known; and that
too can be known only after along time, not in a short time, only by one who
pays proper attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only
by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."
"It is only by
discussion that a person's wisdom or lack of it can be known; and that
too can be known only after a long, not in a short time, only by one who pays
proper attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a
wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."
"Wonderful,
Venerable Sir! Marvellous, Venerable Sir. What the Bhagava has said is really
true. You have said: 'Great King, it is difficult for you as a layman, enjoying
sensual pleasures, living a confined family life, making use of sandalwood from
kasi, adorning yourself with flowers, perfumes and cosmetics, and liking gold
and silver, to know: those persons are arahats or those persons are noble ones
who have attained arahatta magga."
"It is only by
living together, Great King, that one can know whether a person has morality or
not; and that too can be known only after a long time, not in a short time,
only by one who pays proper attentions not by one who does not pay proper
attention, and only by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."
"It is only by his
talk, Great King, that the purity of a person can be known; and that too can be
known only after a long time, not in a short time, only by one who pays proper
attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a wise
person, not by one who lacks wisdom."
"It is only in
times of crisis that person's resourcefulness can be known; and that too can be
known only after a long time, not in a short time, only by one who pays proper
attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a wise
person, not by one who lacks wisdom."
"It is only by
discussion that a person's wisdom or lack of it can be known; and that too can
be known only after a long time, not in a short time, only by one who pays
proper attentions, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a
wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."
"Venerable Sir,
these secret agents of mine who wander about have come back from gathering
intelligence in the countryside. What they have first investigated, I dispose
of later. Now, they will clean off the dirt, take a good bath, anoint
themselves with unguents, trim the hair and beard, dress themselves in clean
clothes, and enjoy the five sensual pleasures fully and
thoroughly."
The Bhagava, understanding the matter,
uttered these verses on that occasion:
"It is not easy
to know a man by his appearance only; there should be no intimacy on mere
acquaintance-ship; for there are those lacking self-control who roam this world
with the appurtenances of those who have full self-control."
"Like imitation
earrings made of clay, or like gold- plated copper trinkets which are of little
value, those with the trappings of the virtuous go about in the world,
outwardly respectable, but impure within"
End of the Sattajatila Sutta,
the first in this vagga.
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