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巴利文 PTS edition by Dines Andersen and Helmer SmithK.R.NormanBikkhu Bodhi The Suttanipata: An Ancient Collection of the Buddha's Discourses Together with Its Commentaries郭良鋆 汉译Bikkhu Bodhi The Suttanipata: An Ancient Collection of the Buddha's Discourses Together with Its Commentaries - A Guide to the SuttasMahāniddesa 《大義釋》
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3. Khaggavisāṇasutta.

[F._6] 35. Sabbesu bhūtesu nidhāya daṇḍaṃ

aviheṭhayaṃ aññataram pi tesaṃ

na puttam iccheyya kuto sahāyaṃ,

eko care khaggavisāṇakappo. || Sn_I,3.1 ||


care* - opt. should go about; should lead (one’s life); should conduct oneself [√car e] ✓

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1.3 The Rhinoceros-horn
35. Laying aside voilence in respect of all beings, not harming even one of them, one should not wish for a son, let alone a companion. One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
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35. Having put down the rod toward all beings,
not harming a single one among them,
one should not desire a son, how then a companion? One should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (1)
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第三章 犀牛角經
35 “不向眾生施加棍棒,
不傷害他們之中任何一個,
不渴望兒子,更不渴望朋友,讓他像犀牛角
一樣獨自遊蕩。
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Chapter 1381
The first verse
35. Here the origination of this verse should be understood
as follows. It is said that this paccekabuddha, when entering
the stage of a paccekabodhisatta, fulfilled the pāramīs for two
incalculables and 100,000 eons, and then, having gone forth
in the teaching of the Blessed One Kassapa, he became a for-
est dweller and performed the ascetic’s duty by fulfilling the
observance of going and returning. It is said that there is no
one who attains pacceka enlightenment without having ful-
filled this observance.
But what is this observance of going and returning? Taking and
bringing back. We will explain so that it becomes clear.382
(1) Here, one bhikkhu takes it but does not bring it back. (2)
One brings it back but does not take it. (3) One neither takes it
nor brings it back. (4) And one takes it and brings it back.
[1. The bhikkhu who takes it but does not bring it back]
Among these, one bhikkhu, having risen early, does the duties
connected with the cetiya terrace and the bodhi tree terrace,
waters the bodhi tree, fills the pot for drinking water, and puts
it on its stand. He then does all the duties toward his teacher
and preceptor, and the eighty-two duties of the Khandhakas
and the fourteen major duties.383
Having taken care of his physical needs, he enters his lodg-
ing and passes his time sitting in meditation until the time
comes to walk for alms. When he knows the time has arrived,
he puts on his lower robe, fastens the waistband, puts on the
upper robe, and places the outer robe over his shoulder. He ties
the bowl in its bag, [53] and while attending to the meditation
subject, he sets out. When he reaches the cetiya terrace, he ven-
erates the cetiya and the bodhi tree, and on the outskirts of the
village, he fully covers himself with the upper robe, and taking
the bowl, he enters the village for alms.
When he has entered in this way, a meritorious bhikkhu who
gains offerings, who is honored and respected by lay followers,
returns to a family of lay supporters or the rest hall, where he
is asked various questions by the lay followers. By the time
he departs, because he had been answering questions and
was distracted by teaching the Dhamma, he has discarded the
attention to his meditation subject. When he has arrived back
at the monastery, too, he answers questions posed by the bhik-
khus, preaches the Dhamma, and becomes engaged in various
tasks. In the afternoon, the first watch of the night, and the
middle watch, he is detained by the bhikkhus in the same way.
In the last watch, overcome by physical inertia, he goes to sleep
and does not attend to his meditation subject. This is called one
who takes it but does not bring it back.
[2. One who brings it back but does not take it]
But one who is often ill has not digested his meal even by
the end of the night. Having risen early in the morning, he
is not able to perform the aforementioned duties or attend to
his meditation subject. Wishing for nothing else but porridge
or medicine, as soon as it is time he takes his bowl and robe
and enters the village. Having obtained porridge, medicine,
or rice, having completed his meal,384 he sits down in a pre-
pared seat and attends to his meditation subject. Whether or
not he attains distinction, when he returns to the monastery,
he continues with the same kind of attention. This is called one
who brings it back but does not take it. Such bhikkhus in the Bud-
dha’s Teaching who, after drinking porridge, have undertaken
insight and attained arahantship are beyond counting. In the
island of Sri Lanka, in the sitting halls in its villages, there is
not a seat where a bhikkhu has not attained arahantship after
drinking porridge.
[3. One who neither takes it nor brings it back]
But one who dwells heedlessly and negligently, who violates
all the duties, whose mind is constantly overcome by the five
kinds of mental barrenness and bondage,385 who is not intent
on attending to a meditation subject, enters the village for alms.
He is detained by talking with laypeople and leaves empty.
This is called one who neither takes it nor brings it back.
[4. One who both takes it and brings it back]
But there is one who [54] rises early, fulfills all his duties in the
aforesaid way, sits down crosslegged, and attends to his medi-
tation subject until it is time to walk for alms.
A meditation subject is of two kinds: the generally useful and
the personalized.386 Those generally useful are loving-kindness
and recollection of death. Loving-kindness is recognized as
generally useful when directed toward the monastic abodes
and so forth. For a bhikkhu who dwells with loving-kindness
toward the monastic abodes is dear to his fellow monks and
thereby lives in comfort, without friction.387 One who dwells
with loving-kindness toward the deities lives happily, protected
and guarded by them. One who dwells with loving-kindness
toward the king and his chief ministers lives happily, cherished
by them. One who dwells with loving-kindness toward the vil-
lages and towns and other regions lives happily, honored and
respected everywhere by the people when walking for alms
and so forth. By developing the recollection of death, one aban-
dons attachment to life and lives heedfully.
But the “personalized” subject is one taken up in accordance
with one’s temperament and which is to be always maintained.
It is called pārihāriya because it is to be always maintained, pro-
tected, and developed. It may be one of the ten unattractive
objects, the kasiṇas, or the recollections, or the delineation of
the four elements. It is also called one’s root meditation subject.
Having first attended to the meditation subjects that are gen-
erally useful, afterward one attends to the personalized medi-
tation subject, which we will explain by way of the delineation
of the four elements.388
One reflects upon this body, in whatever way it is situated
or disposed, by way of the elements thus: “In this body, what-
ever is hard and rough in the twenty solid parts is the earth
element. Whatever is moist and has the function of cohesion
in the twelve liquid parts is the water element. That which is
warmth and has the function of maturation in four ways is the
fire element. And that which is gaseous and has the function of
distension in six ways is the air element. But any hole or open-
ing not occupied by the four primary elements is the space
element. The mind that cognizes them is the consciousness
element. 389 Beyond these, there is no other being or individual.
This is just [55] a heap of bare conditioned things.”
Having attended to the meditation subject by way of its
beginning, middle, and end, when one knows it is time, one
rises from one’s seat, dresses, and goes to the village for alms
in the way explained earlier. And when going, one is not
deluded in regard to going forward and the other activities,
like blind foolish worldlings who think: “A self goes forward,
the going forward is caused by a self,” or “I go forward, the
going forward is caused by me.” Rather, one understands:
“When the thought ‘Let me go forward’ is arising, along with
that thought the mind-originated air element arises, keeping
the body upright. This is diffused throughout this collection
of bones considered to be a body, the residence of the earth
element and the other elements. Then, because of the diffusion
of the air element arisen from mental activity, this collection
of bones considered a body goes forward. When it is going
forward, in each act of lifting the foot, the fire element accom-
panied by the air element is dominant; the others are weak. In
bringing the foot forward and in shifting it away, the air ele-
ment accompanied by the fire element is dominant; the others
are weak. In dropping the foot, the water element accompa-
nied by the earth element is dominant; the others are weak.
In putting the foot on the ground and pressing it against the
ground, the earth element accompanied by the water element
is dominant; the others are weak. Together with each thought
giving rise to them, these elements break up right on the spot:
‘Who in this is the one that goes forward, or for whom is there
going forward?’ In this way, the elements arisen in each phase
among the phases in each step—the lifting of the foot and so
forth—along with the remaining phenomena inseparable from
them, are the phenomena of form; the mind that produces
these activities together with the remaining mental phenom-
ena associated with it are the mental phenomena. Together
these are the material and mental phenomena. Following that
phase of lifting, they do not reach any other phase, such as
bringing the foot forward and so forth, but they break up right
there. Therefore they are impermanent. Whatever is imperma-
nent is suffering. What is suffering is non-self.” Thus he walks
along attending only to his meditation subject complete in all
aspects.
[For young men who desire their good, having gone forth in
the teaching, living together as a group of ten, twenty, thirty,
forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, or a hundred, make a pact: “Friends,
you have not gone forth because you were oppressed by debt,
or oppressed by fear, or to earn a living; but you have gone
forth because you wish to be liberated from suffering. There-
fore, if a defilement has arisen when you are walking, sup-
press it even while you are walking; likewise if a defilement
has arisen when you are standing, sitting, or lying down, sup-
press it even while you are lying down.” Having made such a
pact, while walking for alms, they walk along just attending
to their meditation subject, noting the distance by the marker
stones at intervals along the road to the alms resort. If a defile-
ment arises in anyone while he is walking, he suppresses it
right there. If he is unable to do so, he stands still; then the one
coming behind him also stands still. The former reproves him-
self: “This bhikkhu behind you knows that such a thought has
arisen in you; that isn’t suitable for you.” Then, having devel-
oped insight, he enters the plane of the noble ones right there.
If he is unable to do so, he sits down; then the one coming
behind him also sits down; the same method applies. If he is
unable to enter the plane of the noble ones, having suppressed
that defilement, he continues on his way, just attending to the
meditation subject.]390
He does not lift a foot with a mind dissociated from the
meditation subject. If he lifts it, having turned back, he goes
to the former place, like the Elder Mahāphussadeva the Veran-
dah Dweller in Sīhaḷadīpa (Sri Lanka). [56] It is said that he
fulfilled the observance of going and returning for nineteen
years. People who were plowing, sowing, threshing, and doing
other tasks along the road, having seen the elder going along
in such a way, would speak about him: “This elder turns back
again and again. Has he lost his way or forgotten something?”
Unconcerned about this, doing the ascetic’s duty with a mind
yoked to his meditation subject, he attained arahantship within
his twentieth rains retreat. And on the very day he attained
arahantship, a deity dwelling at the end of his walkway stood
there radiating light from his fingers. The four divine kings,
too, and Sakka the ruler of the devas, and Brahmā Sahampati
came to attend on him. And having seen that radiance, the for-
est dwelling Elder Mahātissa asked him the next day: “During
the night there was a radiance near your place. What was that
radiance?” The Elder Mahāphussa, diverting the conversation,
said, “Radiance is the radiance of a lamp, the radiance of jew-
els,” and so forth. Pressed, “Are you concealing something?”
he admitted it and reported his attainment.
And like the Elder Mahānāga who resided at the Black
Creeper Pavilion. He, too, it is said, while fulfilling the obser-
vance of going and returning, decided, “I will first honor the
Blessed One’s great exertion,” and resolved to maintain only
the postures of standing and walking for seven years. Having
again fulfilled the observance of going and returning for six-
teen years, he attained arahantship.
While lifting his foot with a mind yoked to his meditation
subject, if he lifted a foot with a mind dissociated from the sub-
ject, he would turn around, go back to the vicinity of the village,
and stand in an area that would make people wonder: “Is that
a cow or a monk?” Having put on his outer robe and taken his
bowl, on reaching the gate of the village he would take water
from his water bottle, fill his mouth with water, and enter the
village, thinking: “When people approach to give almsfood or
venerate me, let me not be distracted from the meditation sub-
ject even by merely having to say: ‘May you live long.’” But if
they asked him about the date, “Is today, Bhante, the seventh
or the eighth?” he would swallow the water and answer. If no
one asked about the date, [57] at the time of leaving, he would
spit out the water near the village gate and go.
And like the fifty bhikkhus who entered the rains retreat at
the Galambatittha391 Vihāra in Sri Lanka. It is said that on the
day of the uposatha, before entering upon the rains retreat,
they made a pact: “As long as we haven’t attained arahantship,
we will not converse with one another.” And when entering the
village for alms, they first filled their mouths with water at the
village gate. If they were asked about the date or other matters,
they swallowed the water and answered; but if no one asked,
they would spit out the water by the village gate and go back to
the monastery. When people saw the spots where they had spit
out the water, they knew: “Today one has come, today two.”
And they thought: “Are we the only ones with whom they do
not speak or do they also not speak with one another? If they
do not even speak with one another, surely they must have had
a dispute. Come, let us make them pardon each other.” They
all went to the monastery. Of the fifty bhikkhus there who had
entered upon the rains, they did not see even two in one place.
Then one astute man among them said: “Sirs, the dwelling
place of those who are quarreling is not like this. The cetiya
terrace and the bodhi tree terrace are well swept, the brooms
neatly stored, drinking water and washing water neatly set
up.” They then returned home. Within the three months of the
rains retreat, those bhikkhus had undertaken insight, attained
arahantship, and held the Pavāraṇā ceremony of purity at the
great Pavāraṇā.392
One thus walks along with a mind yoked to the medita-
tion subject, like the Elder Mahānāga who dwelt at the Black
Creeper Pavilion and the bhikkhus who entered the rains
retreat at the Galambatittha Vihāra. Having reached the vicin-
ity of the village, one fills the mouth with water, checks out
the streets, and enters a street where there are no quarrelsome
drunkards or derelicts and no wild elephants or horses and so
forth. Walking for alms there, one does not go quickly as if in
a hurry. For the ascetic practice of going on alms round is not
to be done quickly. [58] But one goes steadily, like a water cart
that has reached uneven ground.
And when one has entered among the houses one waits for
an appropriate time to determine whether or not the person
wishes to give. Having obtained almsfood, one sits down in a
suitable place, and while attending to the meditation subject,
one establishes the perception of the repulsiveness in nutri-
ment and eats, reflecting on the food by way of the similes of
grease on an axle, ointment on a wound, and son’s flesh.393 One
eats the food after considering it by way of eight factors, as
“neither for amusement nor for intoxication,” and so forth.394
And after one has eaten and washed up, one takes a short rest
to remove fatigue after the meal. Then, as in the forenoon, one
attends to the meditation subject in the afternoon, the first
watch of the night, and the last watch.395 This is called one who
takes it and brings it back. It is in this way that one fulfills this
observance of going and returning, which is explained as tak-
ing and bringing back.
Now one fulfilling this practice, if he has supporting con-
ditions, attains arahantship in the prime of life. If he does not
attain it in the prime of life, then he attains it in middle age. If
he does not attain it in middle age, then he attains it at the time
of death. If he does not attain it at the time of death, then he
attains it [in the next life] after becoming a deity. If one does not
attain it as a deity, then one attains final nibbāna as a pacceka-
buddha. If one does not attain final nibbāna as a paccekabud-
dha, then one attains it in the presence of the buddhas, as one
of quick understanding like the Elder Bāhiya or as one with
great wisdom like the Elder Sāriputta.
But this paccekabodhisatta396 went forth in the teaching of the
Blessed One Kassapa, became a forest dweller, and fulfilled the
observance of going and returning for 20,000 years. Having
passed away, he arose in a desire-sphere deva world. Having
passed away from there, he was reborn in the womb of the
chief queen of the king of Bārāṇasī. Now she was one of those
clever women who know the very day they conceive, so she
informed the king that she was pregnant. It is in the nature of
things that when a meritorious being has been conceived in the
womb, [59] the woman obtains special protection of the fetus.
Therefore the king gave her special protection for her fetus.
From then on, she did not get to swallow anything too hot or
too cold, too sour or too salty, too pungent or too bitter. For if
the mother swallows something too hot, the fetus feels as if it is
in the abode of the Copper Cauldron;397 if it is too cold, it is like
the abode of intersteller space; if the food she has eaten is too
sour, salty, pungent, or bitter, the limbs of the fetus experience
sharp pains, as if they were cut open with a knife and sprinkled
with sour substances and so forth.
The guardians prevent the woman from excessive walking,
standing, sitting, and lying down, telling her: “Don’t upset the
child in your womb by moving around.” She is allowed merely
to walk back and forth on ground that has been spread over
with a soft carpet, and she gets to eat delicious and nutritious
food and drink beverages with a good color, fragrance, and
flavor. Encircling her, they help her walk back and forth, sit
down, and get up.
Being protected in such a way, when the time for her delivery
came, she entered the delivery chamber and, just before dawn,
gave birth to a son who possessed meritorious characteristics
and looked like a ball of red arsenic mixed with champaka
oil.398 On the fifth day they had him adorned and presented
him to the king. The king, rejoicing, assigned sixty-six nurses
to attend on him. Growing up with all endowments, before
long he reached maturity. As soon as he was sixteen years of
age, the king consecrated him to kingship and had the three
kinds of dancers attend on him.399 When the prince was con-
secrated, under the name Brahmadatta he ruled over the
entire Jambudīpa with its 20,000 cities. For in the past, there
were 84,000 cities in Jambudīpa. Those diminished until there
were 60,000; then they diminished still further to 40,000; and
in the last period of diminution, there were 20,000. And this
Brahmadatta arose during the last period of diminution, so he
had 20,000 cities, 20,000 palaces, and 20,000 each of elephants,
horses, chariots, [60] infantrymen, and women—consorts and
dancing girls—and 20,000 ministers.
While ruling over the great kingdom, he did the preparatory
work on a kasiṇa and attained the five superknowledges and
the eight meditative attainments. Now since a consecrated king
must preside over legal cases, one day, after an early breakfast,
he sat in the judgment hall. There they were making an uproar.
Thinking, “This noise is an obstacle to meditative attainment,”
he went up to the terrace of his palace and sat down, thinking
to enter a meditative attainment. However, he could not attain
it, for he had been distracted by the duties of kingship. He
reflected: “What is better, kingship or the ascetic’s duty?” He
then knew: “The happiness of kingship is limited and fraught
with many dangers, but the happiness of the ascetic’s duty is
vast and rich in many benefits; it is the resort of supreme per-
sons.” He instructed one of his ministers: “You administer this
kingdom righteously and justly. Do not do anything unrigh-
teous.” Having handed over everything, he went up to the top
of his palace and dwelled in the bliss of the meditative attain-
ments. He did not permit anyone to approach him except those
who gave him toothwood for cleaning his mouth and those
who brought his meals.
When he had passed half a month in this way, his chief
queen asked: “The king is not seen anywhere, whether going
to the park or to see the army or among the dancers. Where has
he gone?” They informed her about the matter. She sent for the
minister and said to him: “When you accepted the kingdom,
you also accepted me. Come, make love to me.” He closed both
ears and rejected her, saying: “This should not even be heard.”
But she sent for him a second and a third time, and threat-
ened him if he refused: “If you do not do as I say, I will get
you deposed and even have you executed.” He was afraid, for
“women are firm in their decisions and she may someday have
this done.” So one day, he went to her in private and made
love to her in her bedroom. She was splendid and pleasant to
the touch, and he was excited by the lust that arose through
contact with her. He often went to her very fearfully, [61] but
in time he began to enter her room confidently, as if he were
her husband.
Then the king’s men reported this news to the king. He did
not believe them. They reported this to him a second and a
third time. Then, while hidden, he saw this for himself. He
assembled all his ministers and informed them. They said,
“This adulterer against the king deserves to have his hands
cut off; he deserves to have his feet cut off,” and thus, starting
with impalement on a stake, they described to him all kinds of
punishment. But the king said: “If I were to have him executed,
imprisoned, or whipped, that would be violence on my part. If
I were to take his life, that would be the destruction of life. If I
were to confiscate his wealth, that would be stealing. Enough
with such deeds! Expel him from my kingdom.” The ministers
expelled him.
The minister took his wealth and valuables, as well as his
wife and children, and went to another realm. The king there,
having heard about him, asked him: “Why have you come?” –
“Lord, I wish to attend on you.” The king accepted him. After
a number of days, the minister won his trust and told the king:
“Great king, I see honey without flies, and no one is eating
it.” The king did not heed him, thinking: “Is he saying this
because he wishes to ridicule me?” Having found the king’s
weak spot,400 having again praised him even more highly, the
minister reported the matter to the king, who asked: “What
is it?” – “The kingdom of Bāraṇasī, lord.” The king said: “Do
you want to lead me there and have me killed?” The minis-
ter replied: “Do not speak like that, lord. If you don’t believe
me, send your men.” The king sent his men. They went, dug
beneath the town gate, and stood in the king’s bedroom.
Having seen them, the king asked: “Why have you come
here?”
“We are thieves, great king.”
The king gave them money, told them not to repeat this
behavior, and dismissed them. They went and reported to
their own king. He investigated in the same way a second and
a third time, until he was convinced: “King [Brahmadatta] is
virtuous but not astute.” Then he marshaled a four-division
army and approached a city across the border, where he sent
a message to the minister: “Give me the city or fight!” He
reported the matter to Brahmadatta, asking: “Command me,
lord. Should I fight or surrender the city?” The king sent him
a message: “Do not fight. Surrender the city and come here.”
He did so. The enemy king, having taken the city, repeated
the process with the remaining cities. [62] Each of the minis-
ters there reported the matter to Brahmadatta and received the
same reply: “Do not fight, but come back here.” And so they
returned to Bārāṇasī.
Then the ministers told Brahmadatta: “Great king, let us fight
him.” But he prohibited them, saying: “That would require me
to destroy life.”
The ministers said: “Great king, we will take him alive and
bring him here.” Thus, with various methods, they convinced
the king, and began to leave, saying: “Come, great king.”
The king said: “If you do not kill, strike, or plunder any
beings, I will go.”
The ministers replied: “We won’t do that, lord. We’ll frighten
them and chase them away.” Then they marshaled a four-
division army and, having put lamps into pots, they went
at night. That day the enemy king had captured a city near
Bārāṇasī. At night, thinking that there was now nothing to
worry about, he took off his armor and, being heedless, he and
his troops fell asleep. Just then the ministers, having brought
along the king of Bārāṇasī, went to the campsite of the enemy
king. Taking the lamps out from all the pots, with the army
appearing to be a single mass of light, they made a noise. When
the minister of the enemy king saw the large army, he was
frightened. He went to his own king and shouted: “Get up! Eat
the honey without flies!” A second and a third minister did the
same. The enemy king, awakened by the noise, was frightened
and terrified. Shouts by the hundreds arose. All night long he
blabbered, saying: “I believed that minister’s word and have
now fallen into the hands of my foe.”
The next day he considered: “The king is righteous and won’t
do any harm. Let me go to him and apologize.” He then went
to Brahmadatta, got down on his knees, and said: “Forgive me,
great king. It was my fault.” King Brahmadatta exhorted him
and said: “Get up, I forgive you.” As soon as the king said this,
the enemy king felt utterly relieved. He obtained from the king
of Bārāṇasi rulership over a neighboring country and the two
became fast friends.
Then when Brahmadatta saw the two armies standing as
one, welcoming each other, he thought: “Because I could pro-
tect the mind of one person—my own—this great mass of
people has not shed a drop of blood even small enough for a
tiny fly to lick. [63] How wonderful! How excellent! May all
beings be happy, without enmity, free from affliction!” In this
way, he attained the jhāna of loving-kindness, and taking it as
a basis, he explored conditioned things, realized the knowl-
edge of pacceka enlightenment, and attained the state of a self-
accomplished one.401
While he was sitting on the back of his elephant absorbed in
the bliss of the path and fruit, his ministers prostrated to him
and said: “It is time to go, great king. The victorious troops
are to be honored and the gift of a meal is to be given to the
defeated troops.”
He replied: “I’m not a king, men. I’m a paccekabuddha.”
“What are you saying, lord? Paccekabuddhas don’t look like
this.”
“Then what do paccekabuddhas look like?”
“Paccekebuddhas have hair and whiskers two-inches in
length and possess the eight requisites.”402
He then touched his head with his right hand and at once
the marks of a layman vanished and he appeared in the garb
of a monk, with hair and whiskers two inches in length and
with the eight requisites, looking just like an elder of a hundred
years. He then entered the fourth jhāna, rose up from the back
of his elephant into the air, and sat on a lotus flower. The min-
isters venerated him and asked: “Bhante, what is your medi-
tation subject? How did you achieve this?” Since he had used
the jhāna of loving-kindness as his meditation subject and had
achieved realization by practicing insight on it, showing this
matter, he pronounced this verse as both a joyful utterance and
an explanation: “Having put down the rod toward all beings.”
Here, all: without exception. Having put down: having laid
down. Beings (bhūtāni): sentient beings; this is a brief account,
but we will explain the word in detail in the commentary on
the Discourse on Gems (see p. 679). The rod is the bodily, ver-
bal, and mental rod; this is a designation for bodily, verbal, and
mental misconduct. For bodily misconduct is a rod because it
strikes, oppresses; it inflicts misery and disaster. And so too
verbal and mental misconduct. Or the rod is simply giving
blows.
One should not desire a son: One should not desire any
kind of son among these four kinds of sons: a biological son, a
territorial son, an adopted son, and a pupil.403 [64] How then
a companion?: How is it that one might desire a companion?
Alone: alone consisting in the going forth; alone in the sense
of being companionless; alone through the abandoning of
craving; alone by being entirely rid of defilements; and alone
by having awakened to pacceka enlightenment. For even if one
is staying in the midst of a thousand ascetics, by the severing
of the fetter of lay life one is alone: such is alone consisting in the
going forth. Alone in the sense of being companionless means that
one stands alone, walks alone, sits alone, and sleeps alone; one
moves alone and acts alone. Alone in the sense of the abandon-
ing of craving is seen here:
With craving as partner, a person,
wandering on this long journey,
does not transcend saṃsāra,
with its becoming thus, becoming otherwise.
Having known this danger,
“Craving is the origin of suffering,”
a bhikkhu should wander mindfully,
free of craving, without grasping. (740–41)
Alone by being entirely rid of defilements is expressed thus:
“All his defilements have been abandoned, cut off at the root,
made like a palm stump, abolished, so they are incapable of
arising in the future.”
Alone by having awakened to pacceka enlightenment is stated
thus: “Without a teacher, self-accomplished, by himself he has
awakened to pacceka enlightenment.”
• Nidd II 210–12. Alone: The paccekasambuddha is alone
in the way designated the going forth; alone in the sense of
being without a companion; alone in the sense of the aban-
doning of craving; alone as utterly devoid of lust, hatred, and
delusion, as utterly without defilements; alone by having gone
to the one-way path; alone by having awakened to the unsur-
passed pacceka enlightenment.
How is a paccekasambuddha alone in the way designated the
going forth? The paccekabuddha cuts off the impediment of
the household life, the impediment of wife and children, the
impediment of relatives, the impediment of possessions; he
shaves off his hair and beard, puts on ochre robes, goes forth
from the household life into homelessness, approaches the state
of ownerlessness, and lives alone, dwells, carries on, and main-
tains himself alone. How is he alone in the sense of being with-
out a companion? When he goes forth, alone he resorts to forest
groves, remote lodgings with little sound, little noise, unpopu-
lated, uninhabited, suitable for seclusion. There he lives alone,
travels alone, stands alone, sits alone, sleeps alone. How is a
paccekasambuddha alone in the sense of abandoning craving?
Being thus alone, without a partner, dwelling heedful, ardent,
and resolute, he undertakes the great striving, disperses Māra
together with his army, abandons the net of craving, exten-
sive and adhesive; he dispels it, terminates it, and eliminates
it. How is a paccekasambuddha alone as utterly devoid of lust?
He is alone, utterly devoid of lust through the abandoning of
lust; alone, utterly devoid of hatred through the abandoning of
hatred; alone, utterly devoid of delusion through the abandon-
ing of delusion; alone, utterly devoid of defilements through
the abandoning of defilements. How is a paccekasambuddha
alone by having gone to the one-way path? The one-way path is
the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right kinds
of striving, the four bases for spiritual potency, the five facul-
ties, the five powers, the seven enlightenment factors, the noble
eightfold path.404
How is a paccekasambuddha alone by having awakened to
the unsurpassed pacceka enlightenment? “Enlightenment” is the
knowledge in the four paths, the faculty of wisdom, the power
of wisdom, the enlightenment factor of discrimination of qual-
ities, investigation, insight, right view. By that knowledge of
enlightenment, a paccekasambuddha awakens to the truth
that “all conditioned things are impermanent, all conditioned
things are suffering, all phenomena are non-self.” He awakens
to: “With ignorance as condition, volitional activities [come to
be] . . . with the cessation of birth, there is
(1)
(2)
36. Saṃsaggajātassa bhavati sneho,6
snehanvayaṃ dukkham idam7 pahoti,
ādīnavaṃ snehajaṃ pekkhamāno
eko care khaggavisāṇakappo. || Sn_I,3.2 ||
(2)
36. Affection comes into being for one who has associations; following on affection, this misery arises. Seeing the peril [which is] born from affection, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(2)
36. For one who has formed bonds, there is affection;66 following on affection, this suffering arises. Discerning the danger born of affection,
one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (2)
(2)
36 愛念從交往中產生,而痛苦伴隨愛念產生。他看到愛念帶來的危險,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊
蕩。
(2)
The verse on forming bonds
36. What is the origin? This paccekabodhisatta, too, did the
ascetic’s duty for 20,000 years in the teaching of the Blessed
One Kassapa, in the way stated earlier. Having done the pre-
liminary work on the kasiṇa,415 he attained the first jhāna,
determined the nature of name-and-form, and explored the
characteristics. However, since he did not reach the noble path,
he was reborn in the brahma world. Having passed away from
there, he arose in the womb of the chief queen of the king of
Bārāṇasī. Growing up in the aforesaid way, from the time he
could distinguish, “This is a woman, that is a man,” he was not
happy in the hands of his nurses and could not even endure
being massaged, bathed, ornamented, and so forth. Only men
fed him, and at the time to breastfeed him, his nurses [68]
bound him in a bodice and breastfed him while wearing the
attire of men. When he smelled the odor of women or heard
their voices, he cried, and even when he reached maturity, he
did not want to see women. Because of this, they named him
Anitthigandha (“Non-Odor of Women”).
When the prince turned sixteen, the king thought, “I will
establish the family lineage,” and he brought suitable girls from
various families for him. He ordered a minister: “Make them
please the prince.” The minister, wishing by some means to get
them to please the prince, had an area not far from him encircled
by a cloth screen and sent dancers there. The prince, hearing
the sounds of singing and musical instruments, asked: “Who
is making this sound?” The minister said: “That is the sound of
your dancers, lord. Those with merit have such dancers. Rejoice,
lord, you are one of great merit.” The prince had the minister
beaten with a rod and expelled him. The minister reported this
to the king. The king, along with the prince’s mother, went and
apologized to the prince and again sent the minister away.
The prince, feeling extremely troubled by all this, gave fine
gold to goldsmiths and commanded them: “Make a statue of a
beautiful woman.” They made the statue of a woman decked
out with all adornments, like one created by the divine crafts-
man Vissakamma. They showed it to the prince. When the
prince saw it, he shook his head with astonishment and sent
for his parents. He told them: “If I get a woman like this, I
will take her.” His parents thought: “Our son has great merit.
Surely, there must be some girl in the world who did meritori-
ous deeds with him in past lives.” They had the golden statue
mounted on a chariot and sent the ministers off, instructing
them: “Go, search for a girl like this.”
Taking the statue, they traveled through the sixteen major
countries, going to each village. They looked over each place,
and wherever they saw a crowd of people assembled, at the
fords and so forth, they set up the golden statue as if it were
a deity, worshiped it with various flowers, fabrics, and adorn-
ments, set up a canopy over it, and stood to one side, think-
ing: “If anyone has seen such a girl, he will start a conversation
about it.” In such a way, they traveled to all the countries except
the realm of Madda, [69] thinking it was just a small country.
And so without going there, they turned back.
Then it occurred to them. “Let’s go to Madda, too, or else the
king will send us out again after we have returned to Bārāṇasī.”
So they went to the city of Sāgala in the Madda country. Now
the king in the city of Sāgala, who was named Maddava, had
a daughter sixteen years of age who was very beautiful. Her
slave girls had gone to the ford in order to fetch water for her
bath. When they saw in the distance the golden statue set up
by the ministers, they said: “The princess sent us to get water,
yet she has come herself.” However, when they got close, they
said: “This isn’t our mistress. Our mistress is even more beau-
tiful than this.” The ministers, on hearing this, approached the
king and in a suitable way requested his daughter. He gave her.
They then sent a message to the king of Bārāṇasī: “The girl has
been found. Will you come yourself or should we bring her?”
The king sent back a message: “If I were to come, there would
be trouble for the country. Bring her yourselves.”
Having taken the girl, the ministers left the city and sent a
message to the prince: “We have found a girl similar to the
golden statue.” When the prince heard this, he was overcome
by lust and lost the first jhāna.416 He sent a series of messengers,
urging them: “Bring her quickly, bring her quickly.” Every-
where along the way they spent only one night, and when they
reached Bārāṇasī, staying outside the city, they sent a message
to the king: “Should we enter today or not?” The king com-
manded them: “A girl brought from an eminent family should
be led in with great honor after we have performed auspi-
cious rites. Take her first to the park.” They did so. However,
being extremely delicate, she was shaken up by the jolting of
the vehicle and fatigued by the journey. Thus she contracted a
wind sickness,wilted like a flower, and passed away that very
night.
The ministers wept, saying: “We have missed out on our hon-
ors.” The king and citizens wept, saying: “Our family lineage
has perished.” There was great mayhem in the city. As soon as
the prince heard the news, he was stricken with grief. Then the
prince set about digging up the root of sorrow. He reflected:
“This sorrow does not occur in one who has not been born but
only in one who has been born. Therefore, sorrow is condi-
tioned by birth. [70] But by what is birth conditioned?” He then
saw: “Birth is conditioned by existence.” Attending carefully
in such a way, through the spiritual might of his past devel-
opment, he saw dependent origination in direct and reverse
order, and then, even while sitting there exploring conditioned
things, he realized pacceka enlightenment.
The ministers, having seen him sitting with peaceful fac-
ulties and peaceful mind enjoying the bliss of the path
and fruit, prostrated to him and said: “Do not sorrow, lord.
Jambudīpa is large. We will bring a girl even more beautiful
than her.” He replied: “I am not sorrowing. I am a sorrowless
paccekabuddha.”
From this point on, we will comment on the verse, omitting
whatever is similar to what was said about the first verse. But
in the commentary on the verse, it is said, For one who has
formed bonds. Here, there are five kinds of bonding: by way of
sight, hearing, the body, conversation, and shared enjoyment.417
Bonding through sight is the lust arisen when they see one
another by way of an eye-consciousness process. In this con-
nection, in Sri Lanka, a landowner’s daughter saw a young
bhikkhu, a reciter of the Dīgha Nikāya residing in the Kalyāṇa
Vihāra, walking on alms round in Kāḷadīghagāma. She fell
in love with him. Since she could not win him over, she died.
When he saw a piece of her sarong, thinking, “I did not get
to live together with the girl who wore this cloth,” he became
heartbroken and died. That youth is an example.418
Bonding through hearing is the lust arisen when, by way of
an ear-consciousness process, one hears a woman endowed
with beauty being described by others or one has personally
heard the sound of her laughing, talking, or singing. An exam-
ple is the youth Tissa, residing at the Pañcaggaḷa Grotto. The
daughter of the resident smith of Girigāma, along with five
other girls, had gone to a lotus pond, where they bathed and
decorated themselves with garlands. While he was traveling
through the sky, he heard the girl singing with a loud voice.
When he heard her voice he was overcome by sensual lust, lost
his distinction, and came to misery and disaster.
Bonding through the body is the lust arisen by caressing one
another’s bodies. [71] And here the example is a young bhikkhu
who preached the Dhamma. It is said that a young bhikkhu at
the Mahāvihāra was preaching the Dhamma. When a crowd
had come, the king together with his harem arrived. Then
the king’s daughter was overcome by strong lust based on his
form and voice, and he felt the same for her. Having seen this,
the king took note of it and erected a screen around her. But
they caressed one another and embraced. Having removed the
screen, when people looked, they saw that the two had died.
Bonding through conversation is the lust arisen by address-
ing and conversing with one another. Bonding through shared
enjoyment is the lust arisen when bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs
use things in common. An example is that of the bhikkhu and
bhikkhunī who in these two ways fell into a Pārājika.419 It is
said that at the festival of the Maricavaṭṭi Mahāvihāra, King
Duṭṭhagāmiṇi the Fearless prepared a great alms offering,
which he presented to both Sanghas.420 When hot porridge was
offered, since the youngest sāmaṇera did not have a stand to
receive it, the youngest sāmaṇerī gave him her ivory bracelet.421
The two conversed. Later, after both had received full ordina-
tion and had spent sixty years as monastics, they met in India.
As they spoke, they remembered their past conversation. At
once affection arose in them and they transgressed the training
rule, falling into a Pārājika.
When one has formed bonds in any of these ways, there is
affection,
422 that is, strong lust arises conditioned by the ear-
lier lust. Then, following on affection, this suffering arises:
Following upon that affection, various kinds of suffering per-
taining to the present life and future lives, such as sorrow and
lamentation, arise, are produced, come to be, are born. But
others say “bonding” is the fixing of the mind on the object.
From this comes affection, and from affection comes this suf-
fering. [72]
• Nidd II 213–14. Bonding: There are two kinds of bonding:
bonding through sight and bonding through hearing. What is
bonding through sight? Here, someone sees a woman or a girl
who is beautiful, lovely, graceful, possessing an extremely
beautiful complexion. Having seen her, he grasps the sign
through her features: the beauty of her hair, face, eyes, ears,
nose, lips, teeth, mouth, and other features. Having seen this,
he delights in her, welcomes her, yearns for her, longs for her,
and becomes bound by lust. What is bonding through hearing?
Here, someone hears: “In such and such a village or town there
is a woman or girl who is beautiful, lovely, graceful, possess-
ing an extremely beautiful complexion.” Having heard this, he
delights in her, welcomes her, yearns for her, longs for her, and
becomes bound by lust.
Nidd II 214. Affection: There are two kinds of affection,
affection through craving and affection through views. What
is affection through craving? Setting a boundary through crav-
ing, setting a limit, one takes possession and claims it as one’s
own: “This is mine, that is mine; this much is mine, that extent
is mine.” One claims ownership over forms, sounds, odors,
tastes, tactile objects; over bedsheets, coverings, male and
female slaves . . . realms and countries and even over the great
earth, as far as the 108 streams of craving. What is affection
through views? The twentyfold view of the personal entity, the
tenfold wrong view, the tenfold extreme view, any such view
. . . as far as the sixty-two views.423 •
Having spoken this half-verse with the meaning as ana-
lyzed, the paccekabuddha said: “Since the suffering of sor-
row and so forth arises following on this affection, digging up
the root of that suffering, I achieved pacceka enlightenment.”
When he had spoken the ministers said to him: “Then what
are we to do now, Bhante?” He replied: “Whoever wishes to be
free from this suffering—whether yourselves or anyone else—
discerning the danger born of affection, one should live alone
like a rhinoceros horn.” And here it should be understood that
“discerning the danger born of affection” is said with reference
to the statement “following on affection, this suffering arises.”
Or alternatively, [what is meant is that] “I achieved this while
discerning as it really is this danger born of affection, that ‘for
one who has formed bonds’ by the aforementioned kinds of
bonding ‘there is affection’ [and] ‘following on affection, this
suffering arises.’” Having connected the lines together in such
a way, the fourth line should be understood to have been stated
as a joyful utterance, in the way explained earlier. Everything
following this is similar to what was explained in relation to
the previous verse.
(2)
(3)
37. Mitte suhajje anukampamāno
hāpeti atthaṃ paṭibaddhacitto,8
etaṃ bhayaṃ santhave pekkhamāno
eko care khaggavisāṇakappo. || Sn_I,3.3 ||
(3)
37. Sympathising with friends [and] companions one misses one's goal, being shackled in mind. Seeing this fear in acquaintance [with friends], one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(3)
37. Sympathizing with friends dear to one’s heart, with mind attached, one forsakes the good. Seeing this peril in intimacy,
one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (3)
(3)
37 同情朋友,思想受縛,便會失去目標。他看到交往的危險,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(3)
The verse on friends dear to one’s heart
37. What is the origin? This paccekabodhisatta, having arisen
in the way explained in connection with the previous verse,
was exercising kingship in Bārāṇasī. Having attained the first
jhāna, he investigated: “Which is better, the ascetic’s duty or
kingship?” He then handed his kingdom over to four of his
ministers and did the ascetic’s duty. Though he had told the
ministers to rule righteously and justly, they took bribes and
ruled unrighteously. Having taken a bribe while prosecuting
the owners, one day they banished a favorite of the king. He
entered along with the king’s meal stewards and reported
everything. The next day the king himself went to the judg-
ment hall. A great crowd of people was making a commotion
as if there were a big fight, crying out: “The ministers are tak-
ing from the owners what is rightfully theirs.” Then the king,
having emerged from the judgment hall, went to the top of his
palace and sat down, intending to enter a meditative attain-
ment. However, because his mind was distracted by the noise,
[73] he could not attain it. Thinking, “What good is kingship
when the ascetic’s duty is better?” he abandoned his zeal for
kingship424 and again reached a meditative attainment. Prac-
ticing insight in the way explained earlier, he realized pacceka
enlightenment, and when asked about his meditation subject,
he recited this verse.
In this verse, friends are such by way of befriending; those
dear to one’s heart are such by winning one’s heart. For some
people are just friends, because they wish exclusively for one’s
welfare, but they are not dear to one’s heart. Some are just dear
to one’s heart, because they bring happiness to one’s heart
when coming, going, standing, sitting, and conversing, but
they are not friends. And some are both dear to one’s heart
and also friends, for both those reasons.425
These are twofold: householders and homeless ones.
Householder friends are of three kinds: the helper, the one
who shares one’s happiness and suffering, and the one who
is sympathetic. Homeless ones are especially those who point
out what is good.426 These each possess four factors. As it is
said:427
“In four cases, householder’s son, a helpful friend
can be understood. He protects you when you are
heedless; he looks after your property when you are
heedless; he is a refuge when you are frightened; and
when some need arises, he gives you twice the wealth
required.”
So too:
“In four cases a friend who shares one’s happiness and
suffering can be understood. He reveals his secrets to
you; he guards your own secrets; he does not abandon
you when you are in trouble; and he would even sac-
rifice his life for your sake.”
So too:
“In four cases a sympathetic friend can be under-
stood. He does not rejoice in your misfortune; he
rejoices in your good fortune; he stops those who
speak dispraise of you; and he commends those who
speak praise of you.”
So too:
“In four cases a friend who points out what is good
can be understood. He restrains you from evil; he
enjoins you in the good; he informs you of what you
have not heard; and he points out to you the path to
heaven.”
Of those, it is householders that are intended here. But in
regard to the meaning, it applies to all.
• Nidd II 218. Friends: There are two kinds of friends,
householder friends and homeless friends. What is a house-
holder friend? Here, someone gives what is hard to give, relin-
quishes what is hard to relinquish, does what is hard to do,
endures what is hard to endure. He reveals his secrets to you;
he conceals your secrets; he does not abandon you when you
are in trouble; he would even sacrifice his life for your sake; he
does not despise you when you are poor.
What is a homeless friend? Here, a bhikkhu is dear and agree-
able, respected and esteemed, a speaker and one who endures
speech, who gives deep talks; he does not enjoin you in what
is wrong but encourages you in the higher good behavior, in
developing the four establishments of mindfulness . . . the four
right strivings . . . the four bases for spiritual power . . . the five
faculties . . . the five powers . . . the seven enlightenment factors
. . . the noble eightfold path. •
Sympathizing with those friends dear to one’s heart, one
wishes to promote their happiness [74] and to remove their
suffering. One forsakes the good: one forsakes, destroys, the
good that is threefold by way of this present life, future lives,
and the supreme good; and again threefold by way of one’s
own good, the good of others, and the good of both. One for-
sakes, destroys, the good in two ways: by destroying that which
has been obtained and by failing to produce that which has not
been obtained. With mind attached: One is attached in mind
when one puts oneself in a low position, thinking: “I cannot
live without him; he is my resort; he is my support.” One is
also attached in mind when one puts oneself in a high position,
thinking: “They cannot live without me; I am their resort; I am
their support.” But here it is one attached in mind in such a way
[by putting oneself in a high position] that is intended.
This peril: this peril of forsaking the good, which he said
with reference to the loss of his own meditative attainment. In
intimacy: Intimacy is threefold, by way of intimacy with crav-
ing, views, and friends. “Intimacy with craving” is craving in
its 108 divisions (see AN II 212–13). “Intimacy with views” is
views in their sixty-two divisions.428 “Intimacy with friends” is
sympathy with friends because one’s mind is attached to them.
It is the latter that is intended here, for it was because of this
that his attainment was lost. Hence he said: “Seeing this peril
in intimacy, I achieved [this state].” The rest should be under-
stood as similar to what was already explained.
(3)
(4)
38. Vaṃso visālo va9 yathā visatto
puttesu dāresu ca yā apekhā,10|

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Bi gopiyo, Pj. gomiyo.
2 Bai nirup-.
3 Ba gopiko, Bi gopiyo.
4 Cb Bai nirup-.
5 Bi hi.
6 So Ckb Pj.; Bai bhavanti snehā (in accordance with metre).
7 Bai -aṃ.
8 Bai -bandh-.
9 Bi ca.
10 Bi apekkhā.


vaṃsākaḷīro1 va asajjamāno
eko care --pe--. || Sn_I,3.4 ||
(4)
38. The consideration which [exists] for sons and wives is like a very wide-spreading bamboo tree entangled [with others]. <7> Like a [young] bamboo shoot not caught up [with others], one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(4)
38. As widespread bamboo becomes entwined, just so is concern for wives and sons. [7]
But like a bamboo shoot, not getting stuck,67 one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (4)
(4)
38 愛憐妻子和兒子,就像高大的竹子互相糾纏。猶如幼嫩的竹子互不糾纏,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨
自遊蕩。
(4)
The verse on the bamboo shoot

38. What is the origin? In the past, it is said, three paccekabodhi-
sattas had gone forth in the teaching of the Blessed One Kas-
sapa. Having fulfilled the observance of going and coming
for 20,000 years, they arose in the deva world. Having passed
away from there, the eldest was reborn in the family of the king
of Bārāṇasī, the others in families of provincial kings. These
two learned a meditation subject, abandoned their kingdoms,
and went forth into homelessness, and eventually they became
paccekabuddhas. While living on the Nandamūlaka Slope, one
day, after emerging from a meditative attainment, they asked
themselves: “What was the kamma by reason of which we have
attained this world-transcending bliss?” Reflecting, they saw
their own practice in the time of the Buddha Kassapa. Then
they asked themselves, “Where is the third?” [75] and they saw
that he was ruling over Bārāṇasī. They remembered his excel-
lent qualities thus: “He was naturally possessed of excellent
qualities such as fewness of desires and so forth. He used to
exhort us, speak to us, endure our words, and censure evil.
Let us now show him an object and release him.” Seeking an
opportunity, one day they saw him going to the park decked
out with all adornments. Coming through the sky, they stood
at the foot of a cluster of bamboos by the entrance to the park.
The multitude looked at the king, insatiable with the sight of
him. Just then the king thought: “Is there anyone not interested
in seeing me?” Looking around, he saw the paccekabuddhas.
As soon as he caught sight of them, he felt affection for them.
He descended from the back of his elephant, approached
them with a peaceful demeanor, and asked: “Bhante, what are
you?” They said: “Great king, we are called ‘not getting stuck’.”
– “What is the meaning of ‘not getting stuck’?” – “Not held fast,
great king.”
Then, pointing to the cluster of bamboos, they said: “Great
king, just as this cluster of bamboos stands with its roots,
trunks, limbs, and branches completely woven together, such
that a man with a knife in his hand would not be able to cut the
roots, pull on them, and draw them out, so you yourself have
become entangled inside and out, stuck and entwined, and
held fast there. But just as this bamboo shoot, though arisen
in their midst, is not held fast by anything because it has not
sent forth branches, and it is possible to cut it at the top or at
the root and draw it out, so, not getting stuck anywhere, we go
freely in all directions.”
Immediately they attained the fourth jhāna, and while the
king looked on, they returned to the Nandamūlaka Slope
through the sky. The king then reflected: “When will I, too, be
one who does not get stuck?” Having sat down right there, he
developed insight and realized pacceka enlightenment. When
asked about his meditation subject, in the way explained ear-
lier, he recited this verse. [76]
In this verse, entwined: fastened, entangled, woven
together.429 For wives and sons: for wives, sons, and daugh-
ters.430 Concern: craving and affection. What is meant? “Just
as widespread bamboo becomes entwined, so concern for
wives and sons entangles one with those objects and one thus
becomes entwined with them. In this way, because of that con-
cern, I was entwined just like the widespread bamboo. Having
seen such danger in concern, cutting off that concern with the
knowledge of the path, like this bamboo shoot, without getting
stuck in forms and so forth, or in things seen and so forth, or
in greed and so forth, or in regard to desire-realm existence
and so forth because of craving, conceit, and views, I achieved
pacceka enlightenment.” The rest should be understood in the
way explained earlier.
(4)
(5)
39. Migo araññamhi yathā abaddho2
yenicchakaṃ ghacchati gocarāya,
viññū3 naro seritaṃ4 pekkhamāno
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.5 ||
(5)
39. As a deer which is not tied up goes wherever it wishes in the forest for pasture, an understanding man, having regard for his indepence, should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(5)
39. As a deer unbound in the forest
goes off to graze wherever it wants,
so a wise person, looking out for freedom, should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (5)
(5)
39 就像鹿兒不受羈絆,在林中隨意覓食,聰明人追求自由,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(5)
The verse on the deer in the forest
39. What is the origin? It is said that in the teaching of the Blessed
One Kassapa a meditating bhikkhu passed away and arose in a
rich, wealthy, affluent family of a financier in Bārāṇasī. He was
well off. Then he committed adultery, and when he died he
was born in hell. Having experienced torment there, through
the residual result, he took rebirth as a female in the womb of
a financier’s wife. Now the bodies of those who come from hell
are still hot, and thus the financier’s wife carried the embryo
in her womb with trouble and difficulty, as if the womb were
burning. In time she gave birth to a girl. From the day she was
born, she was despised by her parents and the other relatives
and family members. When she reached maturity, her husband
and in-laws in the family into which she married also despised
her and considered her unpleasant and disagreeable.
When the Constellation Festival was announced,431 her hus-
band did not want to celebrate with her; instead, he brought
along a prostitute. Having heard of this from her slave women,
she went to her husband and, having mollified him in various
ways, she said: “Husband, even if a woman is the youngest
daughter of ten kings, or the daughter of a wheel-turning mon-
arch, she is still the servant of her husband. When her husband
does not speak to her, she feels as much pain as she would if
she had been impaled on a stake. [77] If I deserve to be cared
for, I should be cared for. If not, then I should be dismissed, and
I will return to my own family.”
Her husband replied: “Let it be, dear. Do not sorrow. Get
prepared to celebrate. We will celebrate the Constellation
Festival.” Elated merely by being spoken to just this much,
thinking, “Tomorrow I will get to celebrate the Constellation
Festival,” she prepared many dishes and snacks. On the fol-
lowing day her husband went to the festival grounds without
informing her. She kept on looking down the path, thinking,
“Now he will send for me, now he will send for me,” but see-
ing that it was already afternoon, she sent people to find him.
They returned and informed her: “Your husband has gone.”
She took all the food she had prepared, mounted a vehicle, and
set out for the park.
Just then a paccekabuddha on Nandamūlaka Slope, having
emerged from cessation432 on the seventh day, washed his face
in Lake Anotatta, chewed on a toothwood of the nāga creeper,
and pondered: “Where shall I walk for alms today?” Having
seen that financier’s daughter, he knew: “When she shows
me honor, that kamma will be exhausted.” Having stood on
the Red Arsenic Terrace, which extends for sixty yojanas in
proximity to the slope, he robed himself, and taking his bowl
and extra robe, he entered the jhāna that is the basis for super-
knowledge. Having come through the sky, he descended on the
path opposite her, facing in the direction of Bārāṇasī. The slave
women saw him and reported this to the financier’s daughter.
She descended from her vehicle, paid homage to him, took his
bowl, and filled it with flavorful foods of various kinds. She
covered it with a lotus flower, placed a lotus flower beneath
it, and taking a bouquet of flowers in her hand, she returned
to the paccekabuddha. She gave him the bowl, paid homage
to him, and then, holding the bouquet of flowers, she made
the wish: “Bhante, like these flowers, may I be dear and agree-
able to the multitude wherever I arise.” Having made such a
wish, she made a second wish: “Bhante, dwelling in the womb
is painful. May I avoid such a fate and be reborn in a lotus
flower.” She then made a third wish: “Bhante, womanhood
is repulsive. Even the daughter of a wheel-turning monarch
must come under the control of another. Therefore, having
abandoned womanhood, may I become a man.” [78] She also
made a fourth wish: “Bhante, having overcome this suffering
of saṃsāra, in the end may I attain the deathless which you
have attained.”
Having made these four wishes, she gave the bouquet of
lotus flowers to the paccekabuddha, prostrated herself fully
before him,433 and made this fifth wish: “May my scent and
color be similar to those of a flower.” Then the paccekabuddha,
having taken the bowl and the bouquet of flowers, stood in the
sky and said:
“Whatever you wish for and desire,
may it quickly reach success.
May all your aspirations be fulfilled
like the moon on the fifteenth.”434
Having blessed the financier’s daughter with this verse, he
resolved: “Let the financier’s daughter see me as I am going.”
He then returned to Nandamūlaka Slope. When the finan-
cier’s daughter saw him, she was filled with great rapture. The
unwholesome kamma she had done in an earlier existence,
failing to find an opportunity to ripen, was exhausted, and
she became as pure as a copper pot washed with tamarind.
At once, everyone in her husband’s family and her own family
appreciated her, and ashamed of their behavior, they sent her
presents accompanied by endearing words.
Her husband sent his men, telling them: “Quickly, quickly,
bring my wife. I forgot about her when I came to the park.”
From then on, he cherished her as if she were sandalwood
applied on the breast, a string of pearls, and a garland of flow-
ers. She enjoyed the pleasure of authority and wealth for the
rest of her life, and after death she arose as a male in a lotus
flower in the deva world. When that young deva went any-
where, he went in the cup of a lotus flower; and so too when
standing, sitting, and lying down, he lay down in the cup of a
lotus flower. They named him “the young deva Great Lotus.”
Through the might of his psychic power, he wandered through
the six deva worlds in direct and reverse order. [79]
The king of Bārāṇasī at that time had 20,000 women, but he
did not obtain a son from even one. The ministers informed
the king: “Lord, a son is needed to continue the family lineage.
If you don’t have a biological son, then a territorial one will
maintain the family lineage.” The king replied: “Except for the
chief queen, make the remaining dancing girls engage in righ-
teous prostitution for seven days.”435 He sent them outside to
carry on in any way they wished, but even then he did not
gain a son. Again the ministers said to him: “Great king, your
chief queen is foremost among all the women in merit and wis-
dom. Perhaps our lord may obtain a son from her.” The king
reported this matter to the chief queen. She said: “Great king,
a woman who is virtuous and truthful in speech may obtain a
son. How can a son come to one devoid of moral shame and
moral dread?” She then ascended the palace, undertook the
five precepts, and pondered them again and again.
While the virtuous queen was pondering the five precepts,
as soon as the wish for a son arose in her, Sakka’s seat became
hot. Seeking the reason for this, Sakka understood the situa-
tion and decided: “I will grant the virtuous queen the boon
of a son.” He arrived through space, stood before the queen,
and asked her: “What boon will you choose, O queen?” – “A
son, great king.” – “I will grant you a son, O queen. Do not
be morose.” He returned to the deva world and considered:
“Is there anyone here whose life span is at an end?” He then
knew: “Great Lotus is about to pass away from here and arise
in a higher deva world.” So he went to his palace and made
a request: “Dear Great Lotus, go to the human world.” Great
Lotus replied: “Do not speak in such a way, great king. The
human world is repulsive.” – “Dear, it was because you had
done merit in the human world that you have been reborn here.
While living there, you should fulfill the pāramīs. So go, dear.”
– “Staying in the womb is painful, great king. I can’t endure
it.” – “Why should you have to stay in the womb, dear? For
you have created such kamma that you will be reborn in the
cup of a lotus flower. Go, dear!” Being asked again and again,
he consented.
Then, having passed away from the deva world, Great Lotus
[80] was reborn in the cup of a lotus flower in the Stone Slab
Pond in the park of the king of Bārāṇasī. And that night, just
before dawn, the chief queen saw in a dream that she had gone
to the park accompanied by her retinue of 20,000 women and
seemed to obtain a son in the Stone Slab Pond, a lake of lotuses.
When it became light, observing the precepts, she went there
just as in the dream and saw a single lotus flower, which was
neither by the bank nor in deep water. As soon as she saw it,
affection toward a son arose in her. She entered the pond her-
self and grabbed the flower. As soon as she took hold of the
flower it blossomed. There she saw a boy looking like a golden
statue seated on a platter.436 At the sight of him she cried out:
“I’ve gained a son.” The multitude congratulated her a thou-
sand times and sent a message to the king. When the king
heard the news, he asked: “Where did she get him?” When he
heard what happened, he said: “The park, the pond, and the
lotus are surely ours. Therefore, because he has been born in
our territory, he’s a territorial son.” Having brought him into
the city, he had 20,000 women nurse him. Whatever woman
understood the boy’s preference and gave him the kind of food
he wished for received a thousand coins as a reward. All of
Bārāṇasī was astir with excitement, and all the people sent
thousands of presents to the prince.
Having had various foods brought to him, and being told,
“Eat this, have a bite of that,” the prince felt harassed and dis-
gusted with the food, so he went to the palace entrance and
played with a red ball. At the time a certain paccekabuddha
was living in Isipatana and depended on Bārāṇasī for alms.
Having risen early, he completed all his tasks—the duties con-
nected with his lodging, the needs of the body, and so forth—
emerged from seclusion, and considered: “Where will I receive
alms today?” Having seen the prosperity of the prince, he inves-
tigated: “What kamma did he do in the past?” He understood:
“He gave almsfood to one like me and made four wishes. Three
of these have been fulfilled, but one remains.437 By some means
I will show him an object.” [81]
While walking for alms he went by near the prince. When the
prince saw him, he said: “Ascetic! Ascetic! Do not come here;
for these people will trouble you, too: ‘Eat this, have a bite of
that.’” With just this one statement, the paccekabuddha turned
back and entered his lodging. The prince said to his retinue:
“This ascetic turned back as soon as I spoke to him. Is he angry
with me?” Even though they told him, “Those who have gone
forth, lord, do not get angry but maintain themselves on what-
ever the faithful give them,” he informed his parents: “That
ascetic is really vexed with me. I will apologize to him.” Then
he mounted an elephant and with the full pomp of royalty he
proceeded to Isipatana. There he saw a herd of deer and asked:
“What are these?” They told him: “These, master, are called
deer.” – “Do people pamper them, saying: ‘Eat this, have a bite
of that, taste this’?” – “No, master. They live wherever they
can easily obtain grass and water.” The prince took this as his
object of thought, reflecting: “When can I live in such a way as
they do, living wherever they wish without being guarded by
others?”
The paccekabuddha, knowing that the prince was coming,
swept his walkway and the path to his lodging, making them
smooth,438 and then he walked back and forth one or two times,
leaving visible footprints. Then he swept the areas around his
daytime dwelling place and his leaf hut, making them smooth,
and then he left visible footprints of his entering but did not
leave footprints of his departure. Then he went elsewhere.
When the prince arrived there, he saw that the area had been
swept and made smooth. He heard it said by the people in his
retinue: “It seems that the paccekabuddha lives here.” He said:
“Just this morning that ascetic was vexed. Now, if he were to see
the area where he lives trampled upon by elephants and horses,
he would be even more vexed. You stay here.” He descended
from his elephant and entered the lodging all alone. When he
saw the footprints in the area that had been made thoroughly
smooth as though in fulfillment of a duty, [82] he thought:
“This ascetic who had been walking back and forth here did
not think of working at business and so forth. Surely, he must
have thought only of his own welfare.”439 Still investigating, he
went to his daytime dwelling place. There he saw his footprints
and reflected in the same way. He again followed the footprints
[to the hut], opened the door, and entered. He looked around
without seeing the paccekabuddha, but he saw the stone slab
that the paccekabuddha used as his seat. He again reflected:
“The ascetic who had been sitting here did not think of work-
ing at business and so forth. Surely, he must have thought only
of the ascetic’s duty for the sake of his own welfare.” He sat
down and, reflecting carefully, fulfilled in sequence serenity
and insight and realized pacceka enlightenment. Enjoying the
world-transcending bliss, he did not come out.
The ministers said: “The king’s command is serious. He
might even punish us, saying: ‘You took my son and delayed
long in the forest.’ Let’s take the prince and go.” When they
entered the hut, they did not see the paccekabuddha but only
the prince sitting in such a way. They discussed the situation:
“Since he did not see the paccekabuddha, he is just sitting
and reflecting.” They said to him: “Lord, the paccekabuddha
surely lives here; he has not gone anywhere. Tomorrow we will
come back and apologize to him. Don’t think: ‘I did not see the
paccekabuddha.’ Come, let’s go.” The prince said: “I am not
thinking. I am beyond thought.” – “What did you do, master?”
– “I have become a paccekabuddha.” When asked about his
meditation subject, in the way explained earlier, he recited this
verse: “As a deer unbound in the forest.”
In this verse, a deer (miga): there are two kinds of deer, the
antelope and the spotted deer.440 Further, miga is a designation
for all four-footed animals that dwell in the forest, but here the
spotted deer is intended. In the forest: [83] apart from a village
and the vicinity of a village, the rest is considered forest (see
Vin III 46,30); but here a park is intended. Therefore, what is
meant is “in a park.” Unbound: not bound by anything such as
a rope and so forth; by this he shows living freely. Goes off to
graze wherever it wants: It goes to graze in whatever region it
wants. It goes as far as it wants. And it eats whatever it wants.
For this was said by the Blessed One:
“Suppose, bhikkhus, a forest deer is wandering in the
forest wilds: it walks confidently, stands confidently,
sits confidently, lies down confidently. Why is that?
Because it is out of the hunter’s range. So too, quite
secluded from sensual pleasures . . . a bhikkhu enters
upon and dwells in the first jhāna. This bhikkhu is
said to have blindfolded Māra, to have deprived
Māra’s eye of its opportunity, to have become invisi-
ble to the Evil One,” and so on in detail. (MN I 174–75)
A wise person: an intelligent person. Freedom is acting
in accordance with one’s own will, without being subject to
others. Looking out for means looking upon with the eye of
wisdom. Or alternatively, it means with an eye for free qual-
ities and free persons. For the world-transcending qualities—
and the persons who possess them—are free because they do
not come under the control of the defilements. Freedom is a
description of their state. One looks out for that.
• Nidd II 223. Free: Two kinds of free: a quality that is free
and a person that is free. What quality is free? The four establish-
ments of mindfulness, the four right kinds of striving, the four
bases for spiritual potency, the five faculties, the five powers,
the seven factors of enlightenment, the noble eightfold path.
What person is free? One possessing this free quality is called a
person who is free. A wise person, looking out for freedom: A
wise person looking out for the state of freedom, seeing it, sur-
veying it, meditating upon it, examining it—“a wise person,
looking out for freedom, should live alone like a rhinoceros
horn.” •
What is meant [by the verse]? “I was thinking: ‘When can I
move about like a deer unbound in the forest, which goes off
to graze wherever it wants?’ While you were surrounding me
on all sides, I was bound and could not go wherever I want.
[84] Because I could not go wherever I want, I saw the benefit
in being able to go wherever one wants. When my serenity and
insight gradually reached fulfillment, I then realized pacceka
enlightenment. Therefore any other wise man, looking out for
his freedom, should live alone like a rhinoceros horn.” The rest
should be understood in the way stated.
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(6)
40. Āmantanā5 hoti sahāyamajjhe6
vāse ṭhāne7 gamane cārikāya,
anabhijjhitaṃ8 seritaṃ9 pekkhamāno
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.6 ||
(6)
40. In the midst of companions, whether one is resting, standing, going [or] wandering, there are requests [from others]. Having regard for the independence [which is] not coveted [by others], one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(6)
40. One is addressed in the midst of companions, whether resting, standing, going, or traveling. Looking out for the freedom that is not coveted, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (6)
(6)
40 朋友之間互相問候起居行止。而他追求別人不追求的獨立無羈,讓他像犀牛角一樣的獨自遊蕩。
(6)
The verse on being addressed
40. What is the origin? In the past, it is said, there was a king
named Ekavajjika (“Spoken-to-Alone”)Brahmadatta, who was
of a gentle nature. When his ministers wished to consult with
him about whether something was right or wrong, they each
led him off separately to one side. Then one day, while he was
taking his siesta, a certain man asked him to go off to one side,
saying: “Lord, I have something you must hear.” He got up and
went. Again, one asked him while he was sitting in the great
assembly hall; one while he was on the back of his elephant;
one while he was on horseback; one when he was in a golden
chariot; one when he was sitting in a palanquin on the way to
the park. The king descended and went off to one side. Another
asked him while he was making a tour of the country, and to
hear what he had to say, he descended from his elephant and
went off to one side.
In this way, having become known as “Spoken-to-Alone,” he
became disenchanted and went forth.441 The ministers increased
in power. One of them went to the king and said: “Great king,
give me such and such a country.” The king replied: “But so
and so governs it.” He did not accept the king’s word, but
thinking, “I will take it and govern it,” he went there and pro-
voked a quarrel. Both ministers came to the king and reported
each other’s faults. Having realized, “There is no way to sat-
isfy them,” seeing the danger in their greed, the king devel-
oped insight and realized pacceka enlightenment. In the way
explained earlier, he recited this verse as a joyful utterance. [85]
This is its meaning: “While staying in the midst of compan-
ions, when resting at one’s siesta, and standing in the great
assembly hall, and going to the park, and traveling on a tour
of the country, one is addressed in various ways: ‘Listen to
me about this, give me this,’ and so forth. Therefore, hav-
ing become disenchanted with this, I chose the going forth,
which is resorted to by noble people, has numerous benefits, is
extremely blissful, and yet is not coveted, not desired, by vile
persons who are overcome by greed and other defilements.
Looking out for the freedom that is not coveted—[free] by
way of qualities and persons, and [free] because it does not
come under the control of others—I undertook insight and
gradually achieved pacceka enlightenment.” The rest by the
method explained.
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41. Khiḍḍā ratī10 hoti sahāyamajjhe6
[F._7] puttesu ca vipulaṃ hoti pemam,
parissayānaṃ sahitā achambhī14
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.7 ||
(7)
41. In the midst of companions there are sports, enjoyment, and great love for sons. [Although] loathing separation from what is dear, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(7)
41. There is play and delight in the midst of companions, and affection for one’s sons is vast.
Averse to separation from those who are dear,
one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (7)
(7)
41 朋友之間有娛樂,兒子身上有摯愛。他不願與親人離別(指獨自生活就不會有離別之苦),讓他
像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(7)
The verse on play and delight
41. What is the origin? In Bārāṇasī there was a king named
Ekaputtaka (“One-Son”) Brahmadatta. He had one son, who
was as dear and agreeable to him as his own life. He would
take his son along whenever he engaged in any of his activities.
One day, when he went to the park, he left his son behind. That
same day, the prince fell ill and died. The ministers cremated
the body without informing the king, afraid that because of
his affection for his son, the news would break the king’s heart.
In the park, the king got drunk and did not even think of his
son. So too the next day when bathing and eating. Then, as he
was sitting after his meal, he remembered his son and said:
“Bring me my son.” In a suitable manner, they reported the
news to him.
Then, while overcome by sorrow, the king attended care-
fully: “When this exists, that comes to be. With the arising of
this, that arises.” In this way, he gradually explored depen-
dent origination in direct and reverse order [86] and realized
pacceka enlightenment. The rest, except for the commentary
on the verse, is similar to what was said in connection with the
verse on bonding (see pp. 427–28).
But in the commentary on the meaning, play is twofold:
bodily and verbal. Bodily play is playing with elephants,
horses, bows, and swords, and so forth. Verbal play is sing-
ing, reciting stanzas, playing the mouth harp, and so forth.442
Delight means delight in the five strands of sensual pleasure.
[Affection for a son] is vast in that it penetrates one’s whole
being, right down to the bone marrow.443 The rest is clear. The
sequence, and everything that follows, should be understood
in the way explained in relation to the verse on bonding.
(7)
(8)
42. Cātuddiso appatigho12 ca hoti
santussamāno13 itarītarena,
parissayānaṃ sahitā achambhī14
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.8 ||
(8)
42. One is man of the four quarters and not hostile, being pleased with whatever comes one's way. A fearless bearer of dangers, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(8)
42. At home in the four directions, unrepelled, contented with anything whatsoever,
enduring obstacles, fearless,
one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (8)
(8)
42 周遊四方,毫無怨忿,事事滿意,克服險阻,無所畏懼,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(8)
The verse on at home in the four directions

42. What is the origin? In the past, it is said, five paccekabodhi-
sattas had gone forth in the teaching of the Blessed One Kassapa.
Having fulfilled the observance of going and coming for 20,000
years, they arose in the deva world. Having passed away from
there, the eldest became the king of Bārāṇasī, and the others
became provincial kings. The four provincial kings learned a
meditation subject, abandoned their kingship, and gradually
became paccekabuddhas. While living on the Nandamūlaka
Slope, one day, having emerged from meditative attainment,
they directed their attention to their own kamma and their
friend, in the way explained in connection with the verse on the
bamboo shoot (see pp. 433–34). Having known, they sought in
some way to show an object to the king of Bārāṇasī.
Three times during the night the king woke up frightened,
and in his fear he cried out and ran to the rooftop. His chap-
lain, having risen early, asked him whether he had slept well.
“How could I sleep well, teacher?” he replied and told him all
the news. The chaplain thought: “It isn’t possible to remove
this illness by any medical treatment such as an emetic. [87]
But I need a means to earn my keep.” He then said to the
king, frightening him even more: “Great king, this is a por-
tent that you will lose your kingdom, face an obstacle to your
life, or undergo some other calamity.” Then, to pacify him,
the chaplain instructed the king to perform a sacrifice: “You
should perform a sacrifice and make an offering of so many
elephants, horses, chariots, and so forth, and so much bullion
and gold.”
Then the paccekabuddhas, having seen many thousands of
animals being amassed for the sacrifice, realized: “If this deed
is done, it will be hard for him to become enlightened. Let’s go
there quickly and see him.” So they came in the way explained
in connection with the verse on the bamboo shoot, and while
walking for alms, went in file into the king’s court. The king,
while standing at his window looking down at the courtyard,
saw them down below, and as soon as he spotted them affec-
tion arose in him. He summoned them, invited them to seats
prepared on the upper terrace, and respectfully fed them.
When the meal was finished, he asked: “Who are you?” – “We
are called ‘those at home in the four directions,’ great king.”
– “What does this mean, Bhante, ‘at home in the four direc-
tions’?” – “We have no fear or anxiety anywhere in the four
directions, great king.” – “How is it, Bhante, that you have no
fear?” – “Great king, we develop loving-kindness, compassion,
altruistic joy, and equanimity. Hence we have no fear.” Having
said this, they got up from their seats and returned to their own
dwelling place.
The king then reflected: “These ascetics say that they have no
fear because they develop loving-kindness and the other vir-
tues, but the brahmins commend the slaughter of many thou-
sands of animals. Whose statement is true?” It then occurred to
him: “The ascetics wash off what is impure with what is pure,
but the brahmins wash off what is impure with what is impure.
It isn’t possible to wash off what is impure with what is impure,
so the statement of the monks must be true.” He developed the
four divine abodes, beginning with loving-kindness, according
to the method, “May all beings be happy!” and so forth. Then,
with a mind pervaded by benevolence, [88] he ordered his
ministers: “Release all the animals. Let them drink cool water
and eat green grass. Let a cool breeze blow upon them.”444 They
did so.
Then, while sitting right there, the king reflected: “Because
of the advice of my good friends, I am free from an evil deed.”
Having developed insight, he realized pacceka enlightenment.
At his meal time, his ministers told him, “It is time to eat,
great king,” but he replied, “I am not a king,” all in the way
explained earlier. Then he recited this verse as a joyful utter-
ance and explanation.
In this verse, at home in the four directions: dwelling at ease
in the four directions. One “at home in the four directions”
[can be understood] also as one for whom the four directions
have been pervaded by the development of the divine abodes,
according to the method, “He dwells pervading one direction,”
and so forth.445 Unrepelled: not repelled by beings or condi-
tioned things anywhere in those directions because of fear.
Contented: contented by way of the twelve kinds of content-
ment.446 With anything whatsoever: with a superior or inferior
requisite. Obstacles: This is a designation for bodily and men-
tal disasters, both external ones such as lions and tigers and
so forth, and internal ones such as sensual desire and so forth.
Enduring obstacles: One endures those obstacles by patient
acceptance and by such qualities as energy and so forth. Fear-
less through the absence of paralyzing fear.
What is meant? “Like those four ascetics, ‘being content with
any kind of requisite,’ one is established in contentment, the
foundation of the practice. One is ‘at home in the four direc-
tions’ through the development of loving-kindness and so
forth toward the four directions, and ‘unrepelled’ through the
absence of fear that causes repulsion toward beings and condi-
tioned things.447 Because one is at home in the four directions,
one can endure any obstacles of the kind stated above, and
because one is unrepelled one is fearless. Having seen these
excellent qualities of the practice, having practiced carefully,
I have achieved pacceka enlightenment.” Or alternatively:
[89] “Having known, ‘By being contented with anything like
those ascetics, one is at home in the four directions in the way
explained,’ desiring to be at home in the four directions, I prac-
ticed carefully and have achieved it. Therefore, anyone else
who desires such a state, enduring obstacles by being at home
in the four directions, and being fearless through the absence
of repulsion, should wander alone like the horn of a rhinoc-
eros.” The rest in the way already explained.
• Nidd II 225–26. At home in the four directions: The
paccekabuddha dwells pervading one quarter with a mind
imbued with loving-kindness, likewise the second quarter, the
third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Thus above, below, across,
and everywhere and with all his heart, he dwells pervading
the entire world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness,
vast, exalted, measureless, without enmity, without ill will. He
dwells pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with com-
passion . . . with a mind imbued with altruistic joy . . . with a
mind imbued with equanimity . . . vast, exalted, measureless,
without enmity, without ill will.
Unrepelled: Because he has developed loving-kindness,
beings in the eastern quarter are not repulsive to him . . . beings
below are not repulsive to him, beings above are not repulsive
to him. Because he has developed compassion . . . altruistic joy
. . . equanimity, beings in the eastern quarter are not repulsive
to him . . . beings below are not repulsive to him, beings above
are not repulsive to him.
Contented with anything whatsoever: The paccekabuddha
is content with any kind of robe, and he speaks in praise of
contentment with any kind of robe, and he does not engage
in a wrong search, in what is improper, for the sake of a robe.
If he does not get a robe he is not agitated, and if he gets one
he uses it without being tied to it, uninfatuated with it, not
blindly absorbed in it, seeing the danger in it, understanding
the escape. Yet because of this he does not extol himself or dis-
parage others. One who is skillful in this, diligent, clearly com-
prehending and ever mindful, is said to be a paccekabuddha
who stands in an ancient, primal noble lineage. He is content
with any kind of almsfood . . . with any kind of lodging . . . with
any kind of medicinal requisites . . . He is said to be a pacceka-
buddha who stands in an ancient, primal noble lineage.448
Nidd II 226–27. Obstacles. There are two kinds of obsta-
cles: obvious obstacles and hidden obstacles. What are obvious
obstacles? Lions, tigers, leopards, bears, hyenas, wolves, thieves,
hoodlums, various diseases,449 cold, heat, hunger, thirst, defeca-
tion, urination, gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, a burning sun, and
contact with serpents. What are hidden obstacles? Bodily, ver-
bal, and mental misconduct; the hindrances of sensual desire,
ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and regret, and
doubt; lust, hatred, delusion, anger, hostility, denigration,
insolence, envy, miserliness, hypocrisy, deceitfulness, obsti-
nacy, rivalry, conceit, arrogance, vanity, and heedlessness;450 all
defilements, all misconduct, all distress, all fevers, all torments,
all unwholesome volitional activities.
Obstacles. In what sense are these obstacles? They are obsta-
cles because they overwhelm, because they lead to decline,
and because their repository is right there (tatrāsayāti paris-
sayā). How are they obstacles because they overwhelm? Those
obstacles subdue that person, overcome him, overwhelm him,
obsess him, crush him. How are they obstacles because they
lead to decline? Those obstacles lead to the decline of whole-
some qualities. What wholesome qualities? The right practice,
the practice in conformity, the practice that does not go con-
trary, the practice that accords with the good, the practice that
accords with the Dhamma; the fulfillment of good behavior,
guarding the doors of the sense faculties, moderation in eating,
devotion to wakefulness, mindfulness and clear comprehen-
sion; the dedicated development of the four establishments of
mindfulness, the four right kinds of striving, the four bases for
spiritual potency, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven
factors of enlightenment, the noble eightfold path. How are
they obstacles because “their repository is right there”? These
bad unwholesome qualities that arise are based upon one’s
own person. Just as beings that dwell in caves sleep in a cave,
as beings that live in water sleep in water, as beings that live
in the woods sleep in the woods, as beings that live in a tree
sleep in a tree, so these bad unwholesome qualities that arise
are based upon one’s own person.
Nidd II 229. Fearless: That paccekabuddha is courageous,
fearless, intrepid, bold, one who dwells with fear and terror
abandoned, rid of trepidation. •
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(9)
43. Dussaṅgahā15 pabbajitā pi eke
atho gahatthā gharam āvasantā,
appossukko paraputtesu hutvā
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.9 ||
(9)
43. Even some wanderers are not kindly disposed, and also [some] householders dwelling in a house. Having little concern for the children of others, oen should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(9)
43. Even some monastics are hard to please;
so, too, householders living at home.
Being unconcerned about others’ sons,
one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (9)
(9)
43 有些出家人,還有住在家裏的在家人,他們難以相處,不必為他人的兒子操心,讓他像犀牛角
一樣獨自遊蕩。
(9)
The verse on those hard to please
43. What is the origin? It is said that the chief queen of the king
of Bārāṇasī had died. When his days of grieving had passed,
one day his ministers requested him: “A chief queen is needed
in such and such duties of kings. It would be good if our lord
would take another queen.” The king replied: “In that case,
men, find one.” While they were searching, the king in the
neighboring kingdom died. His queen ruled the kingdom, and
she was pregnant. The ministers, knowing she would be suit-
able for the king, asked her to come. She replied: “A pregnant
woman is disagreeable to people. If you can wait until I give
birth, so be it. If not, seek another queen.”
They reported this matter to the king. The king said: “It
does not matter that she is pregnant. Bring her anyway.” They
brought her. The king made her chief queen and gave her all
the accessories of a queen, and he treated her entourage to vari-
ous presents. In time she gave birth to a son. The king regarded
him like his own son, cuddling him on his breast and lap even
while engaged in all his activities.
The women of the queen’s entourage thought: “The king is
treating the prince extremely well. The hearts of kings are not
trustworthy.451 Let us divide him.”
They told the prince: “You, dear, are the son of our king, not
of this king. Do not trust him.” Then, even when the prince was
being addressed as “son” by the king, and even when the king
took his hand and drew him close, he did not cling to the king as
he did in the past. The king wondered: “What is this all about?”
Having found out, he thought: “Ah! Even when I treated them
well, [90] they have become hostile.” Disenchanted, he aban-
doned the kingdom and went forth. Many of the ministers and
members of his entourage, seeing that the king had gone forth,
also went forth. People, thinking, “The king and his entourage
have gone forth,” offered them excellent requisites. The king
had the excellent requisites distributed according to seniority.
Those who received things of fine quality were content, but
the others complained: “Even though we do all the tasks such
as sweeping the cells, we obtain poor food and old clothes.”
When the king learned of this, he thought: “Ah! They com-
plain even when the items are being given according to senior-
ity. Truly, this community is hard to please.” Having taken his
bowl and robe, he entered the forest alone, undertook insight,
and realized pacceka enlightenment. When those who came
asked him about his meditation subject, he recited this verse.
The meaning is clear, but this is the construal: “Even some
monastics are hard to please; those overcome by discontent
are like this, and so, too, householders living at home. Being
disgusted with the difficulty of pleasing them, I undertook
insight and achieved pacceka enlightenment.” The rest should
be understood by the previous method.
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44. Oropayitvā gihivyañjanāni
saṃsīnapatto16 yathā koviḷāro|

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Cb -līro, Pj. vaṃsakaḷīro, Bai vaṃsakaḷiro.
2 Bai -bandh-.
3 Bai -ññu.
4 Bi -ta.
5 Ba -taṇa.
6 So Bai Nidd.; Ckb sabhāya-.
7 Ba vāseyyathāne (Pj. divāseyyāsaṃkhāte vāse).
8 Ba anaticchitaṃ, Bi anabhicchitaṃ.
9 Bi -ta.
10 Bai -ti.
11 Ck jigucch-, Bi pi jig-.
12 Bai appati-.
13 Bai santusa-,
14 Ckb Bai -bhi, Pj.acchambhī.
15 Bai dusaṅg-.
16 Cb saṃhīna- corr. to saṃsīna-; Ba saṃbhinna-; Bi saṃchinna-
[Nidd. yathā koviḷārassa pattāni sīnānī chinnāni patitāni].


chetvāna vīro1 gihibandhanāni
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.10 ||
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44. Having removed the marks of a householder, like a Koviḷāra tree whose leaves have fallen, <8> a hero, having cut the householder's bonds, should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(10)
44. Having discarded the marks of a layman like a koviḷāra tree whose leaves are shed,68 [8] having cut off a layman’s bonds, the hero should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (10)
(10)
44 拋棄在家人的標誌,猶如俱毗陀羅樹葉落盡;果敢地斬斷在家人的束縛,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨
自遊蕩。
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The verse on the koviḷāra tree
44. What is the origin? In Bārāṇasī, it is said, the king named
Cātumāsika (“Four-Month”) Brahmadatta went to the park in
the first month of the summer. There he saw a koviḷāra tree452
covered with thick green leaves in a delightful area. He ordered
his bedding to be prepared at the foot of the tree. After he had
played in the park, in the evening he lay down there. He went
again to the park in the middle month of the summer, when
the koviḷāra tree was blossoming, and did the same. He went
again in the last month of the summer, when the koviḷāra tree
had shed its leaves and appeared like a dried-out tree. He did
not notice the tree, but in accordance with his habit he ordered
his bedding to be prepared in the same place. Though the min-
isters knew the situation, from fear of the king’s order they
prepared his bedding there.
When he finished playing in the park, [91] lying down there
in the evening, the king noticed the tree and reflected: “Ah! In
the past when this tree was covered with leaves it was beauti-
ful, as if made of jewels. Thereafter, when it had flowers like
coral sprouts placed on jewel-colored branches, it was glori-
ous to behold. The area below was strewn with sand as if with
pearls; when covered with flowers that had dropped from their
stems, it seemed to have been draped in a red blanket. But
today it is like a dried-out tree with only its branches left. Alas,
the koviḷāra tree is stricken with old age!” He then gained the
perception of impermanence: “When even what is insentient is
stricken by old age, how much more is the sentient!” Following
upon this, he contemplated with insight all conditioned things
as suffering and non-self, wishing: “Oh, just as this koviḷāra
tree has shed its leaves, so may I discard the marks of a lay-
man!” In stages, even while he was lying on his right side there
in his resting area, he realized pacceka enlightenment.
When it was time to go, his ministers said to him, “It’s time to
go, great king,” but he replied, “I am not a king,” and so forth,
and in the way explained earlier, he recited this verse.
Here, having discarded: having removed; the marks of a
layman: hair, beard, white clothes, ornaments, garlands, scents,
ointments, women, children, male and female slaves, and so
forth. For these mark the state of a layman; therefore they are
called “the marks of a layman.” Whose leaves are shed: whose
leaves have dropped off.453 Having cut off: having cut off with
the knowledge of the path. The hero: one possessing the energy
of the path. A layman’s bonds: the bonds of sensual pleasures;
for sensual pleasures are the bonds of laymen. This, firstly, is
the meaning of the terms. But this is the purport: “Thinking,
‘Oh, may I discard the marks of a layman, like the koviḷāra
tree whose leaves are shed!’ I undertook insight and achieved
pacceka enlightenment.” The rest should be understood by the
previous method. [92]
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45. Sace labhetha nipakaṃ2 sahāyaṃ
saddhiṃcaraṃ sādhuvihāri3 dhīraṃ,
abhibhuyya sabbāni parissayāni
careyya ten'; attamano satīmā.4 || Sn_I,3.11 ||
(11)
45. If one can obtain a zealous companion, an associate of good disposiiton, [who is] resolute, overcoming all dangers one should wander with him, with elated mind, mindful.
(11)
45. If one should find a judicious companion, a fellow wanderer, of good behavior, resolute, having overcome all obstacles, one should live with him, satisfied and mindful.69 (11)
(11)
45 如果得到一位聰明睿智的朋友,品行端正的同伴,那就應該克服一切險阻,愉快地,自覺地與
他同行。
(11)
Chapter 2
The verses on a companion

45–46. What is the origin? In the past, it is said, two pacceka-
bodhisattas went forth in the teaching of the Blessed One
Kassapa. Having fulfilled the observance of going and com-
ing for 20,000 years, they arose in the deva world. When they
passed away from there, the elder became the son of the king
of Bārāṇasī, the younger the son of his chaplain. The two were
conceived on the same day and came out from their mothers’
wombs on the same day, and they became childhood friends.
The chaplain’s son was wise. He said to the king’s son: “Friend,
after your father passes away, you will gain the kingdom and
I will gain the position of chaplain, and it is possible454 for one
who has been well trained to administer a kingdom easily.
Come, let’s learn a craft.” Then, having been invested with the
sacred thread around their necks,455 the two walked for alms
among the villages and towns until they reached a village in
the frontier region.
Paccekabuddhas had entered that village at the time to
walk for alms. People, having seen the paccekabuddhas, were
enthusiastic. They prepared seats for them, offered them excel-
lent food of various kinds, and esteemed and venerated them.
It then occurred to the two youths: “They are not from high
families like us, yet these people may give us alms or not,
depending on their wishes, but they show such honor to these
monks. Surely, they must know some craft. Let’s learn a craft
from them.”
After the people had left, when they gained an opportunity,
they asked the paccekabuddhas: “Bhante, teach us the craft
that you know.” The paccekabuddhas replied: “It isn’t possible
to train one who has not gone forth.” The two youths asked
for the going forth and obtained it. Then the paccekabuddhas
taught them the principles of proper behavior, such as how
to wear the lower robe and how to cover themselves with the
upper robe. They gave them each a separate leaf hut and told
them: “Success in this craft depends on delighting in solitude.
Therefore you should sit alone, walk back and forth alone,
stand alone, and sleep alone.” They each entered their own leaf
hut and sat down. [93] From the time he sat down, the chap-
lain’s son gained concentration of mind and attained jhāna. But
after a short while the king’s son became discontent and went
to his friend. The other asked: “What’s the matter, friend?” He
replied: “I’m discontent.” The other said: “Then sit here.”
Having sat down there, after a short while he said: “It’s
said, friend, that success in this craft depends on delighting in
solitude.”
“So it is, friend. Therefore, go to your own sitting place, and
we will acquire success in this craft.”
The other went back, but after a short while he again became
discontent and went to see his friend. This happened, as above,
three times.
Having enjoined the king’s son in this way, when he had
left the chaplain’s son thought: “He neglects his own work and
repeatedly comes over to me.” So he left his hut and entered
the forest. The king’s son, while sitting in his own hut, again
became discontent after a while and went to his friend’s hut.
He searched for him here and there but did not see him. Then
he reflected: “When we were laymen, he would come to me
bringing presents, but still he would not get to see me. But now,
when I come, not wishing to give me a chance to see him, he
has departed. Ah! You mind, you have no shame, since you
led me here four times. Now I will no longer come under your
control, but rather I will bring you under my control.”
Having entered his own lodging, he undertook insight and
realized pacceka enlightenment. He then went through the sky
to Nandamūlaka Slope. Meanwhile, after the chaplain’s son
had entered the forest, he undertook insight, realized pacceka
enlightenment, and went to the same place. As they sat on
the Red Arsenic Terrace, both separately recited these joyful
utterances.
In these verses, judicious: one with natural astuteness, wise,
skilled in the preparation of the kasiṇa and so forth.456 Of

good behavior (sādhuvihāriṃ): dwelling in absorption (appanā-
vihārena) or access concentration.457 Resolute: endowed with

resoluteness.458 Endowment with resoluteness is indicated
there [in the first line] by judiciousness, but here the meaning
is simply one endowed with resoluteness. Resoluteness (dhiti)
is unrelenting exertion, a designation for the energy that occurs
thus: “Willingly, [94] let my skin and sinews remain” and so
forth (MN I 481,1; AN I 50,9).459 There is also an explanation of
dhīra as one who has reproached evil.460
Like a king who has abandoned a conquered realm: As a
hostile king, having known “The realm that one has conquered
leads to harm,” would abandon the kingdom and live alone,
so, having abandoned a foolish companion, one should live
alone. Or else: Like a king . . . the realm: As King Sutasoma,
having abandoned the realm that he conquered, lived alone,
and as King Mahājanaka did, so one should live alone. This,
too, is its meaning.461 The rest can be understood in accordance
with what was already explained, so it is not elaborated.
• Nidd II 233. Like a king who has abandoned a con-
quered realm: A head-anointed khattiya king who is victori-
ous in battle, who has slain his enemies, achieved his purpose,
and filled his treasury and storerooms, having relinquished
the realm and country, the treasury and storerooms, and the
city abounding in bullion and gold, shaves off hair and beard,
puts on ochre robes, goes forth from the household life into
homelessness, approaches the state of ownerlessness, and lives
alone, dwells, carries on, and maintains himself alone; so too
the paccekabuddha cuts off the impediment of the household
life, the impediment of wife and children, the impediment of
relatives, the impediment of friends and companions, shaves
off his hair and beard, puts on ochre robes, goes forth from the
household life into homelessness, approaches the state of own-
erlessness, and lives alone, dwells, carries on, and maintains
himself alone. •
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(12)
46. No ce labhetha nipakaṃ sahāyaṃ
saddhiṃcaraṃ sādhurihāri dhīraṃ,
rājā va raṭṭhaṃ vijitam5 pahāya
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.12 ||
(12)
46. If one cannot obtain a zealous companion, an associate of good disposition, [who is] resolute, [then] like a king quitting the kingdom [which he has] conquered, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(12)
46. But if one does not find a judicious companion, a fellow wanderer, of good behavior, resolute,
like a king who has abandoned a conquered realm,70 one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn.71 (12)
(12)
46 如果得不到一位聰明睿智的朋友,品行端正的同伴,那就像國王拋棄征服的王國,讓他像犀牛
角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(12)
(12)
(13)
47. Addhā pasaṃsāma sahāyasampadaṃ:
seṭṭhā samā sevitabbā sahāyā,
ete aladdhā anavajjabhojī6
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.13 ||
(13)
47. Assuredly let us praise the good fortune of [having] a companion; friends better [than oneself] or equal [to oneself] are to be associated with. If one does not obtain these, [then] enjoying [only] blameless things, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(13)
47. Surely, we praise the excellence of companionship: one should resort to companions one’s equal or better. Not obtaining these, as one who eats blamelessly
one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (13)
(13)
47 確實,我們稱讚朋友的益處,應該結交高於自己或同于自己的朋友,得不到這樣的朋友,也應
該過清白的生活,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(13)
The verse on eating blamelessly
47. The origin of this verse is similar to that of the verse on
the four directions (see pp. 444–45) up to the point where the
paccekabuddhas have been seated in seats prepared on the
upper terrace. But there is this difference: Unlike the king in
that story, this one did not wake up in fear three times during
the night, nor did he prepare a sacrifice. After inviting the
paccekabuddhas to sit down in the seats prepared on the upper
terrace, he asked them: “Who are you?”
They replied: “Great king, we are called ‘those who eat
blamelessly.’” – “What, Bhante, is the meaning of ‘those who
eat blamelessly’?” – “Whether we obtain what is good or what
is bad, we remain unruffled, great king.”
When the king heard this, he thought: “Let me examine
them to find out whether or not this is so.” That day, he served
them broken rice with sour gruel as a side dish. The pacceka-
buddhas ate it unruffled, as if they were eating ambrosia. The
king thought: “That they aren’t ruffled this one day is because
of their claim. I’ll find out tomorrow.” He invited them for
the next day’s meal. On the second day he did the same, and
they ate it in the same way. Then the king thought, “Now I’ll
investigate after I have given them good food,” and he again
invited them. Over the next two days he showed them great
honor and served them with various kinds of delicious food.
Again, they ate it in the same way, unruffled, and after reciting
a blessing for the king, they left. Soon after they departed, the
king reflected: “These ascetics indeed eat blamelessly! Oh, that
I too [95] might be one who eats blamelessly!”
Then, having abandoned his large kingdom, he went forth,
undertook insight, and became a paccekabuddha. In the midst
of the paccekabuddhas at the foot of the Mañjūsaka tree, eluci-
dating his own object, he recited this verse.
The verse is clear with regard to the meaning of its terms, but
only the expression the excellence of companionship should
be understood to mean the excellence of companionship with
companions who possess the aggregate of good behavior and
other virtues of those beyond training. This is the construal
here: “Surely we praise the excellence of companionship:
We definitely extol this excellence of companionship as stated.
How? One should resort to companions one’s equal or better.
Why? When one resorts to those who are better than oneself
in regard to good behavior and other virtues, one’s own good
behavior and other virtues, if unarisen, will arise, and if arisen
will come to growth, increase, and maturity. When one resorts
to those who are one’s equal, by supporting one another and
dispelling remorse, one will not fall away from what one has
obtained. Not obtaining these: If one does not gain compan-
ions who are better than oneself or equal to oneself, one should
avoid wrong livelihood by scheming and so forth, and eat food
that has been acquired justly and righteously.462 One who eats
blamelessly: Not arousing aversion or attachment in regard
to food, a clansman desiring the good should live alone like
the horn of a rhinoceros. For I too, living in such a way, have
achieved this attainment.”
• Nidd II 234–35. Not obtaining these, as one who eats
blamelessly. There is a person who eats blamefully and a per-
son who eats blamelessly. Who is the person that eats blamefully?
Here, someone earns his living by scheming, talking, hinting,
belittling, pursuing gain with gain; with a gift of wood, a gift
of bamboo, a gift of leaves, a gift of flowers, a gift of fruit463 . . .
by going on errands, by delivering messages, by undertaking
commissions on foot, by medical service, by construction ser-
vice, by providing a gift of almsfood; he has gained [his means
of living] contrary to Dhamma, unrighteously. Who is the per-
son that eats blamelessly? Here, someone does not earn his living
by scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, pursuing gain with
gain; nor with a gift of wood, a gift of bamboo, a gift of leaves,
a gift of flowers, a gift of fruit . . . nor by going on errands, by
delivering messages, by undertaking commissions on foot, by
medical service, by construction service; nor by providing a
gift of almsfood; he has gained [his means of living] in accor-
dance with Dhamma, righteously. •
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(14)
48. Disvā suvaṇṇassa pabhassarāni
kammāraputtena suniṭṭhitāni
[F._8] saṃghaṭṭamānāni duve bhujasmiṃ
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.14 ||
(14)
48. Seeing shining [bracelets] of gold, well-made by a smith, clashing together [when] two are on [one] arm, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(14)
48. Having seen radiant [bracelets] of gold, skillfully fashioned by a goldsmith,
clashing together in pairs on the arm,
one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (14)
(14)
48 看到金匠精心製造的一對明晃晃的金鐲,在同一條手臂上互相碰撞,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊
蕩。
(14)
The verse on bracelets of gold
48. What is the origin? A certain king of Bārāṇasī had gone
for his siesta during the summertime. Nearby one of his
concubines was grinding gosīsa sandalwood. On one of her
arms she wore a single golden bracelet, on the other two
bracelets. These clashed together, while the single one did not
make a noise. Having seen this, looking at the concubine again
and again, the king reflected: “Just so, there are clashes when
one lives in a group, but no clashes when one lives alone.”
Now on that occasion the queen, decked in all her ornaments,
was fanning him. She thought: “It seems the king has fallen
in love with that concubine.” She then dismissed the concu-
bine and started to grind the sandalwood herself. There were
many golden bracelets on both her arms, and as they clashed
together they made a loud noise.
The king, even more disenchanted, even while he was lying
on his right side [96] undertook insight and realized pacceka
enlightenment. As he was lying there enjoying the unsur-
passed bliss, the queen approached him with sandalwood in
her hands and said: “Let me anoint you, great king.” The king
said: “Go away. Don’t anoint me.” She asked: “Why is this,
great king?” He answered: “I am not a king.” The ministers,
having overheard their conversation, approached. When they
also addressed him as “great king,” he said: “I am not a king.”
The rest is similar to the explanation given in relation to the
first verse.
In the commentary on the verse, “bracelets” (valayāni)
should be added to “of gold,” for the reading is incomplete.
This is the construal: “Having seen bracelets of gold on the
arm,464 reflecting thus: ‘There are clashes when living in a
group, but no clashes when living alone,’ I undertook insight
and achieved pacceka enlightenment.” The rest by the method
already explained.
(14)
(15)
49. Evaṃ dutiyena sahā7 mam'; assa
vācābhilāpo abhisajjanā vā,
etaṃ bhayaṃ āyatiṃ8 pekkhamāno
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.15 ||
(15)
49. 'In the same way, with a companion there would be objectionable talk or abuse for me.' Seeing this fear for the future, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(15)
49. Thus if I had a partner, I would incur
[fond] words of address or verbal friction.
Looking out for this peril in the future,
one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (15)
(15)
49 同樣,我與同伴在一起,也會胡說和謾駡。看到這種將會出現的危險,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自
遊蕩。
(15)
The verse on future peril
49. What is the origin? A certain king of Bārāṇasī, wishing to go
forth even while young, ordered his ministers: “Having taken
the queen, maintain the kingdom. I will go forth.” But the min-
isters appealed to him: “It is not possible for us, great king, to
protect a kingless kingdom. The neighboring states will come
and plunder the land. Please wait until you beget a son.” The
king, being flexible, agreed.
Then the queen became pregnant. The king again ordered
his men: “The queen is pregnant. Having anointed the boy to
kingship, maintain the kingdom. I will go forth.” The ministers
again appealed to him: “It’s hard to know, great king, whether
the queen will give birth to a son or a daughter. Please wait
until she gives birth.”
She gave birth to a son. The king then ordered his ministers
as before, and with many reasons they again appealed to the
king: “Wait, great king, until he is capable.” When the prince
was capable, [97] the king assembled the ministers and said:
“He is now capable. Anoint him to kingship and carry on.”
And without giving the ministers a chance to reply, he had
all the requisites—ochre cloth and so forth—brought from the
market. He went forth right in the inner quarters and departed
like Mahājanaka (Ja VI 52). His entire entourage, weeping and
wailing, followed the king.
The king went to the boundary of his own kingdom. There
he made a line with his staff and said: “You should not cross
this line.” The people lay down on the ground with their
heads on the line, weeping, but they made the prince cross
the line, telling him: “Now, dear, the command of the king is
yours. What can he do?” The prince, crying, “Father, father,”
ran after the king and caught up with him. Having seen the
prince, the king thought to himself: “I ruled the kingdom, tak-
ing care of this multitude. Why shouldn’t I now be able to
take care of one child?” So he took the prince and entered the
forest.
There, having seen a leaf hut that had been used by former
paccekabuddhas, he dwelled in it together with his son. From
then on the prince, who was accustomed to sleeping on luxuri-
ous beds, cried because he had to sleep on a straw mat or a bed
of ropes. When cold winds blew on him, and he faced other
adversities, he cried: “Its cold, father. It’s hot, father. Flies are
biting me. I’m hungry, I’m thirsty.” The king would pass the
whole night trying to reason with him. During the day, too,
the king would bring him food that he had gathered by walk-
ing for alms. The food was a mixture with a lot of millet, black
beans, mung beans, and other things. Though the prince was
repelled by it, he ate it to satisfy his appetite, and after a few
days he wilted like a lotus flower exposed to heat. But by his
power of reflection the paccekabodhisatta ate it unruffled.
Then, trying to reason with the prince, he said: “Delicious
food can be obtained in the city, dear. Let’s go there.” The
prince said: “Yes, father.” Then, putting him in front, the king
returned along the path on which he had come. The queen, the
prince’s mother, had reflected: “Having taken the prince, now
the king won’t live long in the forest. After a few days he will
return.” [98] She had a lookout post465 built at the place where
the king had made a line with his staff and set up her dwelling
there. Then the king, standing not far from her dwelling place,
told his son: “Your mother, dear, is sitting here. Go to her.” And
he sent the boy. He stood there looking on until the boy reached
that spot, concerned that someone might harm him. The boy
ran toward his mother. The guards, having seen him, informed
the queen. Accompanied by her retinue of 20,000 dancing girls,
she went out and received him and asked for news about the
king. When she heard that the king was coming behind, she
sent the people forth. But the king immediately went back to
his own dwelling, and the people, not seeing him, turned back.
Having lost hope, the queen took her son, returned to the city,
and anointed him to the kingship. But the former king, hav-
ing reached his own dwelling, sat down, developed insight,
and realized pacceka enlightenment. Later, in the midst of the
paccekabuddhas at the foot of the Mañjūsaka tree, he recited
this verse as a joyful utterance.
The verse is clear with regard to the meaning of its terms,
but this is the purport here: “When I tried reasoning with this
partner—the prince—as he complained about the cold and
heat and so forth, that was my addressing with words; and
clinging466 arose on account of affection for him: Thus if I had
a partner, I would incur [fond] words of address or verbal
friction. If I did not relinquish this, then in the future, just as
now, both would be obstacles to the achievement of distinction.
So looking out for this peril in the future, I discarded them,
practiced carefully, and achieved pacceka enlightenment.” The
rest in the way already explained.
(15)
(16)
50. Kāmā hi citrā madhurā manoramā
virūparūpena mathenti cittaṃ,
ādīnavaṃ kāmaguṇesu disvā
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.16 ||
(16)
50. For sensual pleasures, variegated, sweet [and] delightful, disturb the mind with their manifold form. Seeing peril in the strands of sensual pleasure, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(16)
50. Sensual pleasures are colorful, sweet, delightful, but in their diversity they agitate the mind. Having seen danger in the strands of sensual pleasure, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (16)
(16)
50 愛欲花樣繁多,甜蜜迷人,以醜陋或美麗的形式攪亂人心。看到愛欲的危險,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(16)
The verse on sensual pleasures

50. What is the origin? In Bārāṇasī, it is said, the son of a finan-
cier, even while young, obtained the post of financier. He had
three mansions for each of the three seasons. There he enjoyed
himself with all enjoyments, just like a celestial youth. But
though he was young, he told his parents: “I will go forth.”
They prohibited him. He insisted, but again they prohibited
him in various ways: “Dear, you are delicate, and the going
forth is as hard as walking on the edge of a razor blade.” He
insisted as before. They considered: [99] “If he goes forth, we
will be upset; but if we prohibit him, he will be upset. Let us be
upset, but not him.” And so they gave him permission.
While his retinue were lamenting, he traveled to Isipatana
and went forth under the paccekabuddhas. He did not obtain
a fine dwelling but slept on a straw mat spread out on a bed.
Since he was accustomed to a fine bed, he was extremely
uncomfortable the whole night. In the morning, after attend-
ing to his bodily needs, he took his bowl and robe and entered
the town for alms along with the paccekabuddhas. There, the
elders received the best seat and the best almsfood, while the
youngsters were given any old seat and coarse food. He was
also extremely miserable because of the coarse food. After a
few days, he became thin and pale and grew disenchanted,
since the ascetic’s duty had not yet reached maturity for him.
He then sent a message to his parents and disrobed. But after
a few days, he regained his strength and again wished to go
forth. In this way, he again went forth and again disrobed. But
after going forth the third time, practicing properly, he realized
pacceka enlightenment. Having recited this verse as a joyful
utterance, in the midst of the paccekabuddhas he again recited
this same verse as an explanation.
In this verse, sensual pleasures are of two kinds: sensual
objects and sensual defilements. Sensual objects are things
like agreeable forms and so forth. Sensual defilements are all
types of lust, such as desire and so forth.467 But here sensual
objects are intended. They are colorful because of the diver-
sity of forms and so forth, sweet because they are relished by
the world, and delightful because they delight the minds of
foolish worldlings. In their diversity: What is meant is in their
manifold nature through the diverse kinds of forms. For those
are colorful by way of forms and other sense objects, and forms,
too, show diversity by way of blue and other colors. Having
thus shown the gratification in them by way of their diversity,
he says they agitate the mind because they do not allow one
to rejoice in the going forth. The rest is clear. Having connected
the conclusion with two or three lines, it should be understood
in the way explained in relation to the earlier verses.468 [100]
(16)
(17)
51. ‘Itī8 ca gaṇḍo ca upaddavo ca
rogo ca sallañ9 ca bhayañ10 ca11 m'; etaṃ,'
etaṃ bhayaṃ kāmaguṇesu disvā
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.17 ||
(17)
51. 'This for me is a calamity, and a tumour, and a misfortune. and a disease, and a barb, and a fear.' Seeing this fear in the strands of sensual pleasure, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(17)
51. “This is adversity, a boil, disaster, an illness, a dart, and peril for me”: having seen this peril in the strands of sensual pleasure, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (17) [9]
(17)
51 這種愛欲對我來說是瘟疫、膿瘡、災禍、疾病、利箭和恐懼。看到這種愛欲的可怕,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(17)
The verse on adversity
51. What is the origin? It is said that the king of Bārāṇasī had
gotten a boil and was experiencing severe pain. Physicians
told him: “There won’t be relief without surgery.” The king
promised them safety469 and had the surgery performed. They
split open the boil, removed pus and blood, soothed the pain,
and covered the wound with a bandage. Then they gave him
proper advice regarding food and behavior. The king became
thin because of the coarse food, but his boil vanished. When
he thought he was well, he ate rich food, and with his health
restored he indulged in the objects he enjoyed. His boil returned
to its former condition. In this way, he had the physicians per-
form surgery on him three times. Shunned by the physicians,
he became disenchanted, abandoned the large kingdom, and
went forth. Entering the forest, he undertook insight and after
seven years realized pacceka enlightenment. Having recited
this verse as a joyful utterance, he went to the Nandamūlaka
Slope.
In this verse, adversity is a designation for adventitious
causes of ruin that pertain to the unwholesome. Therefore the
strands of sensual pleasures, too, are adversity in the sense that
they bring many kinds of ruin and in the sense that they are
densely packed. A boil oozes impurity, becomes swollen and
putrid, and then bursts open. Therefore these sensual pleasures
are a boil because they ooze with the impurity of defilements,
and because they become swollen, putrid, and burst by way of
arising, decay, and dissolution.
Disaster is what overcomes and spreads out by producing
what is harmful. This is a designation for such things as pun-
ishment by kings and so forth. Therefore these sensual plea-
sures are a disaster because they bring terrible unpredictable
harm;470 and because they are the basis for all kinds of disasters.
Since they plunder one’s natural state of health, producing
the affliction of defilements, and cause greediness, attacking
one’s health that consists in good behavior, they are illness in
this sense of plundering one’s health. They are a dart in the
sense of entering deeply inside, in the sense of piercing within,
and in the sense of being hard to remove. [101] They are peril
because they bring peril in this present life and in future lives.
The rest is clear. The conclusion should be understood in the
way explained earlier.
(17)
(18)
52. Sītañ ca uṇhañ ca, khudaṃ¹ pipāsaṃ,
vātātāpe ḍaṃsasiriṃsape2 ca
sabbāni p'; etāni abhisambhavitvā3
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.18 ||
(18)
52. <9> Cold and heat. hunger [and] thirst. wind and the heat [of the sun], gadflies and snakes, having endured all these, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(18)
52. Cold and heat, hunger, thirst, wind, the hot sun, gadflies, and serpents: having patiently endured all these, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (18)
(18)
52 冷熱饑渴,風吹日曬,牛虻長蟲,克服這一切,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(18)
The verse on sensitive to cold
52. What is the origin? It is said that in Bārāṇasī there was a
king named Sītāluka (“Sensitive-to-Cold”) Brahmadatta. Hav-
ing gone forth, he lived in a forest hut. Because that region
was exposed, when the weather was cold it was really cold
and when it was hot it was really hot. In the nearby village he
did not obtain as much almsfood as he needed. Potable water,
too, was hard to obtain, and the wind, the sun’s heat, flies, and
snakes also bothered him. It occurred to him: “Merely half a
yojana from here there is a prosperous region where none of
these obstacles exist. I should go there. I can live comfortably
and achieve distinction.” But he then considered: “Monks are
not servants to the requisites. They exercise control over the
mind; they do not come under the control of the mind. I will
not go.” Having reflected thus, he did not go. He thought of
leaving three times, but each time he reflected and returned.
Then, having lived there for seven years, practicing rightly, he
realized pacceka enlightenment. Having recited this verse as a
joyful utterance, he went to Nandamūlaka Slope.
In this verse, cold is twofold: due to a disturbance of the
internal elements [in the body] and due to a disturbance of
the external elements. So too for heat. Gadflies are brownish
flies. Serpents are long creatures that creep along. The rest is
clear. The conclusion, too, should be understood in the way
explained earlier.
(18)
(19)
53. Nāgo va yūthāni4 vivajjayitvā
sañjātakhandho padumī ulāro5
yathābhirantaṃ vihare6 araññe,
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.19 ||
(19)
53. As an elephant with massive shoulders, spotted, noble, may leave the herds and live as it pleases in the forest, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(19)
53. As an elephant that has abandoned the herd— with massive back, lotus-like, eminent—may live in the forest as he pleases, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (19)
(19)
53 猶如一頭魁偉的花斑大象離開象群,在林中隨意生活,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(19)
The verse on the elephant
53. What is the origin? It is said that in Bārāṇasī there was a
certain king who died after ruling for twenty years. He was
then tormented in hell for twenty years, after which he was
reborn as an elephant on a slope in the Himalayas. [102] He
was a huge bull elephant, eminent, the chief of the herd, with
a massive back,471 and his whole body was the color of a lotus
flower. The baby elephants ate his bundle of bent and twisted
branches, and in the pool, too, the female elephants splashed
him with mud—all just as in the case of the Pārileyyaka bull
elephant (Ud 41–42). Disgusted with the herd, he departed, but
the herd followed his tracks. Even up to a third time, whenever
he departed, they would follow him.
Then he thought: “Now my grandson is ruling in Bārāṇasī.
Let me go to the park that was mine in my former birth. He will
protect me there.” Then at night, when the herd was asleep,
he abandoned the herd and entered the park. The park guard,
having seen him, informed the king. The king surrounded him
with his army, thinking: “I will capture the elephant.” The ele-
phant went straight toward the king. Thinking, “He’s coming
straight at me,” the king drew an arrow. The elephant, afraid
of being shot, spoke to the king with a human voice: “Brahma-
datta, don’t shoot me. I am your grandfather.” The king said,
“What are you saying?” and asked about everything, and the
elephant told him all the news: about the kingdom, his rebirth
in hell, and his birth as an elephant. The king said to him: “Do
not be afraid, and do not frighten anyone.” And he established
an estate, guards, and provisions for the elephant.
Then one day, while the king was mounted on the elephant,
he reflected: “He exercised kingship for twenty years, was tor-
mented in hell, and as the residue of the result, he was reborn
in the animal realm. Even there, unable to endure the friction
of living in a group, he has come here. Oh, living in a group is
miserable! But solitude is indeed blissful!” Then right there he
undertook insight and realized pacceka enlightenment. While
he was absorbed in the world-transcending bliss, his ministers
approached him, prostrated before him, and said: “It is time to
go, great king.” He replied, “I am not a king,” and then, in the
way explained earlier, he recited this verse. [103]
The verse is clear with regard to the meaning of the terms.
This is how to construe the purport, and this is by way of reason-
ing, not by oral tradition: “Reflecting in this way, I undertook
insight and achieved pacceka enlightenment: ‘As this elephant
is a nāga because, tamed in the ways of good behavior loved by
people, he does not go to the plane of the untamed, or because
of the great size of his body, just so, when will I, too, become
a nāga because, tamed in the ways of good behavior loved by
the noble ones, I do not go to the plane of the untamed, and do
not commit any crime, and do not come back again to this state
of being, or because of the great size of the body (collection) of
my excellent qualities?’”472
• Nidd II 242. Nāga: A large elephant is called a nāga, and a
paccekabuddha is also called a nāga. In what way is a pacceka-
buddha a nāga? He is a nāga because he does not commit
crime; a nāga because he does not go; a nāga because he does
not come.473
How is the paccekabuddha a nāga because he does not commit
crime? “Crime” refers to bad unwholesome qualities that are
defiling, lead to renewed exisence, that are troublesome, result
in suffering, and conduce to future birth, old age, and death.
One who does not commit any crime in the world,
having discarded all yokes and bondages,
who is not tied down anywhere, liberated:
such a one is truthfully called a nāga. (522)
How is the paccekabuddha a nāga in the sense that he does
not go? The paccekabuddha does not go under the influence of
desire, under the influence of hatred, under the influence of
delusion, under the influence of fear; he does not go under the
influence of conceit, views, restlessness, or doubt; he does not
go on account of the latent tendencies; he is not moved, led on,
swept away, driven by divisive ideas.
How is the paccekabuddha a nāga in the sense that he does
not come? He does not return to those defilements that have
been abandoned by the path of stream-entry, by the path of the
once-returner, by the path of the non-returner, by the path of
arahantship. •
“Just as he, being one who has abandoned the herd, may
live in the forest as he pleases, enjoying the bliss of solitude,
and wander alone like a rhinoceros horn, when will I, too, hav-
ing abandoned my group, live in the forest as I please, exclu-
sively enjoying the bliss of solitude and the bliss of jhāna, and
wander alone like a rhinoceros horn, dwelling in the forest in
whatever way I wish and for as long as I wish? Just as he has
a massive back, because of his well-shaped hump, when will
I, too, have a massive hump, because of the great size of my
back [which consists in] the aggregate of good behavior of one
beyond training?474 Just as he is lotus-like because his body is
similar to a lotus flower or because he has arisen in the lotus
family,475 when will I too be lotus-like because of the greatness
of the enlightenment factors, which are similar to lotuses, or
because I will have arisen in a lotus through a noble birth? Just
as he is eminent, endowed with strength, power, and speed,
when will I too be eminent, because of my purified bodily con-
duct and so forth or because of good behavior, concentration,
and penetrative wisdom, and so forth?”
• Nidd II 243. Just as a bull elephant has a massive back
(sañjātakkhandha), seven or eight ratanas high, a pacceka-
buddha too has a massive back consisting in the aggregate
(khandha) of good behavior, concentration, wisdom, liberation,
and knowledge and vision of liberation of one beyond train-
ing. Just as a bull elephant is lotus-like, a paccekabuddha too is
lotus-like through the flowers of the seven factors of enlighten-
ment. Just as a bull elephant is eminent because of his strength,
power, speed, and courage, a paccekabuddha too is eminent
on account of his good behavior, concentration, wisdom, lib-
eration, and knowledge and vision of liberation. Just as the
bull elephant dwells in the forest as he pleases, so a pacceka-
buddha dwells in the forest as he pleases: that is, in the forest
of the four jhānas; in the liberation of mind by loving-kindness,
compassion, altruistic joy, and equanimity; in the base of the
boundlessness of space . . . the base of neither-perception-nor-
nonperception; in the attainment of cessation, in the attain-
ment of the fruit. •
(19)
(20)
54. Aṭṭhāna7 taṃ saṃgaṇikāratassa,
yam phassaye8 sāmayikaṃ9 vimuttiṃ, --
Ādiccabandhussa vaco nisamma || Sn_I,3.20 ||
[F._9]
(20)
54. It is an impossibility for one who delights in company to obtain [ even J temporary release. Having heard the word of the sun's kinsman, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(20)
54. It is impossible that one who delights in company might attain even temporary liberation. Having attended to the word of the Kinsman of the Sun, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (20)
(20)
54 熱衷交往並不能獲得片刻解脫,聽從太陽親屬(指佛陀)的話,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(20)
The verse on the impossible
54. What is the origin? It is said that the son of the king of
Bārāṇasī, even while young, wanted to go forth. He asked his
parents for permission, but they prohibited him. He insisted:
“I will go forth.” What follows is all similar to the story of
the financier’s son, already described (see pp. 458–59). [104]
Finally they gave him permission, but they made him promise
that after going forth he would live in their own park. He did
so. In the morning, his mother would go to the park, accompa-
nied by 20,000 dancing girls, and after giving her son porridge
and snacks, she would chat with him until midday, when she
would enter the city. Then his father would come at midday,
feed him, and eat his own meal, after which he would chat
with him until evening. Then he set up watchmen and entered
the city. In this way the young man passed his days and nights,
never alone.
Now on that occasion a paccekabuddha named Ādicca-
bandhu (“Kinsman of the Sun”) dwelled on the Nandamūlaka
Slope.476 Directing his attention he saw the young man and
thought: “This youth was able to go forth, but he cannot cut
his entanglement.” Then he pondered: “Will he become dis-
enchanted on his own or not?” Having known, “It will be too
long before he becomes disenchanted on his own,” he decided:
“Let me show him an object.” Having come from the Red Arse-
nic Terrace, in the way explained earlier, he stood in the park.
The king’s man saw him and informed the king: “A pacceka-
buddha has come, great king.” The king, delighted at the
thought, “Now my son will live contentedly in the company
of the paccekabuddha,” respectfully attended on the pacceka-
buddha and requested him to live there. He built everything to
accommodate him—a leaf hut, a daytime dwelling, a walkway,
and so forth—and made him settle there.
While living there, one day the paccekabuddha found an
opportunity to ask the youth: “Who are you?” He replied: “I
am a monk.” – “But monks aren’t like this.” – “But, Bhante,
what are they like? What is unsuitable for me?”
“You don’t recognize what is unsuitable for yourself? Doesn’t
your mother come in the morning with 20,000 women and ruin
your seclusion? And doesn’t your father come in the evening
with a large mass of troops? And don’t watchmen remain here
all night long? Real monks are not like you. They are like this.”
Then, even while he was standing there, by means of spiritual
power he showed him a certain dwelling in the Himalayas. The
prince saw paccekabuddhas there [105] leaning against a ban-
ister,477 and some walking back and forth, and some engaged
in such tasks as dyeing and mending their robes. Having seen
this, the prince said: “You do not come here. Is the going forth
permitted by you?”
“Yes, the going forth is permitted. From the time they have
gone forth, ascetics can go to whatever region they wish in
order to work out their own release. Just this much is proper.”
Having said this, the paccekabuddha stood in the sky and
spoke this half-verse:
“It is impossible that one who delights in company
might attain even temporary liberation.”
Then, while the youth was watching, he went bodily to the
Nandamūlaka Slope. When the paccekabuddha had gone, the
prince entered his own hut and laid down. The guard thought:
“The prince is asleep, so where can he go now?” and he too fell
asleep. Knowing that the guard was not paying attention, the
prince took his bowl and robe and entered the forest. There, in
seclusion, he undertook insight and realized pacceka enlight-
enment, and then went to the place of the paccekabuddhas.
And there, when he was asked, “How did you achieve this?”
he spoke the verse, completing the half-verse spoken by
Ādiccabandhu.
This is its meaning: Temporary liberation is a mundane
meditative attainment. It is called “temporary liberation”
because one is liberated from the opposing states only on the
occasion when one is actually absorbed in it. [So he said:] “Hav-
ing attended to this word of the paccekabuddha Kinsman of
the Sun (Ādiccabandhu)—‘It is impossible, there is no case
where one who delights in company might, with this as the
cause, attain this temporary liberation’—I abandoned delight
in company, practiced carefully, and achieved this.” The rest in
the way stated. [106]
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55. Diṭṭhīvisūkāni10 upātivatto
patto niyāmaṃ paṭiladdhamaggo,
‘uppannañāṇo 'mhi11 anaññaneyyo'
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.21 ||
(21)
55. Gone beyond the contortions of wrong view, arrived at the fixed course [to salvation], having gained the way, [thinking] 'I have knowledge arisen [in me]; I am not to be led by others', one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(21)
55. “I have transcended the contortions of views, reached the fixed course, obtained the path. I have aroused knowledge, I’m not to be led by others”: one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (21)
(21)
55 我已經超越爭論,找到法門,走上正道,獲得智慧,無須他人指引,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(21)
Chapter 3
The verse on the contortions of views
55. What is the origin? It is said that in Bārāṇasī a certain
king reflected in private: “Just as heat and so forth are the
opposites of cold and so forth, is there or isn’t there an ending
of the round of existence, a state opposed to the round?”478
He asked his ministers: “Do you know of an ending of the
round?” They answered: “We know, great king.” – “What is
it?” They answered by explaining the eternalist and annihila-
tionist views, such as “The world is finite,” and so forth (DN
I 22–24).
But the king realized that their answers were deviant and
incorrect and concluded: “They do not know but have just
taken up views.” Having considered, “There is an ending of
the round opposed to the round, and I must seek it,” he aban-
doned his kingdom, went forth, and by developing insight,
realized pacceka enlightenment. He recited this verse as a joy-
ful utterance and as a verse of explanation in the midst of the
paccekabuddhas.
This is its meaning: The contortions of views: the sixty-two
views; for those are “contortions” in the sense that they con-
tradict,479 pierce, and run contrary to the right view of the path.
Thus they are “contortions of view”; or the views themselves
are contortions—hence “contortion-views.” Transcended:
overcome by the path of seeing.480 Reached the fixed course:
achieved the definitive state because of being incapable of [tak-
ing rebirth in] the lower world and being bound for enlighten-
ment; or [this signifies] the first path, called the fixed course of
rightness.481 At this point what is being referred to is the accom-
plishment of the function of the first path and his attainment
of it.
Now, by the expression obtained the path, he shows his
attainment of the remaining paths. I have aroused knowledge:
I have aroused the knowledge of pacceka enlightenment. By
this he shows the fruit. Not to be led by others: He is not to
be guided by others thus, “This is true, that is true.” By this
he shows he is self-accomplished, or he shows his auton-
omy, because he has no need to be guided in the knowledge
of pacceka enlightenment, which he has already attained. Or
alternatively: He has “transcended the contortions of views”
by insight482 and “reached the fixed course” by the first path.
[107] He is “one who has obtained the path” through the
remaining paths; by the knowledge of the fruit he is “one who
has aroused knowledge”; and he is “not to be led by others”
because he has achieved all that by himself. The rest should be
understood in the way already explained.
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56. Nillolupo nikkuho12 nippipāso
nimmakkho niddhantakasāvamoho
nirāsayo sabbaloke bhavitvā
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.22 ||
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56. Being without covetousness, without deceit, without thirst, without hypocrisy, with delusion and faults blown away, without aspirations in the whole world, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(22)
56. Without greed, without scheming, without thirst, not denigrating, with stains and delusion blown away, without wishes for anything in all the world, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (22)
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56 不貪婪,不欺騙,不渴求,不虛偽,摒除污濁和癡迷,對整個世界無所企求,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(22)
56. What is the origin? It is said that the chef of the king of
Bārāṇasī had prepared a snack and offered it to the king—a
snack that was delicious and agreeable to look at—hoping
that the king would give him a reward. Just by its smell, the
dish whetted the king’s appetite and made his mouth water.
As soon as he put the first bite into his mouth, his 7,000 taste
buds were stimulated as if by nectar. The chef kept on think-
ing: “Now he will give me something.” The king, too, thought,
“The chef deserves to be rewarded,” but then he considered: “If
I reward him because of the taste of this food, I might acquire a
bad reputation as a king who is greedy, obsessed with tastes.”
Thus he did not say anything. Right up until the end of the
meal the chef kept on hoping for a reward, but the king still did
not say anything from fear of criticism.
Then the chef, thinking, “This king does not have a sense of
taste,” the next day offered him tasteless food. While eating,
the king thought, “Today the chef needs to be punished,” but
having reflected as on the previous day, he did not say any-
thing from fear of criticism. The chef considered, “The king
does not know what is good and what is bad,” and having
taken all his wages, he cooked something at random and gave
it to the king. The king then became disenchanted, thinking:
“Oh, the greed for wealth! I rule over 20,000 cities, but because
of his greed, I do not even get a simple meal!” Having aban-
doned his kingdom, he went forth and, developing insight,
realized pacceka enlightenment. In the way stated earlier, he
recited this verse.
In this verse, without greed: greedless. One who is over-
come by craving for tastes, who longs for them intensely, longs
for them repeatedly, is on that account said to be greedy. There-
fore, rejecting this, he says: “without greed.” Without schem-
ing: One who is without the three kinds of scheming is said
to be “without scheming.”483 But in this verse, the purport is:
“One is without scheming by not becoming astonished over
agreeable food and so forth.” [108] Without thirst: Thirst is a
wish to drink, so its absence is stated as “without a desire to
drink.” But here it means that one is devoid of a desire to eat
from greed for delicious tastes. Not denigrating: The charac-
teristic of “denigration” is disparaging the excellent qualities
of others. With its absence, one is “not denigrating.” This is
said with reference to his own denigration of the chef’s excel-
lent qualities484 at the time he [the king] was a layman.
With stains and delusion blown away: Here six qualities
should be understood as “stains”: the three of greed, [hatred,
and delusion], and the three of bodily, [verbal, and mental] mis-
conduct. These are called stains in the sense of lack of clarity
according to the situation, in the sense that they obscure one’s
own nature and ascribe a different nature, and in the sense that
they are tarnished. As it is said:
Here, what are the three stains? The stain of lust, the
stain of hatred, and the stain of delusion. These are
the three stains. What are another three stains here?
The bodily stain, the verbal stain, and the mental
stain. (Vibh 427, §924,22–23)
It is said, “With stains and delusion blown away,” because
one has blown away the other five stains along with delusion,
which is the root of all stains. Or else “With stains and delusion
blown away” [is said] because one has blown away delusion
and just the three stains—the bodily, verbal, and mental stains.
Of the others, the blowing away of the stain of lust is indicated
by being without greed and so forth, the blowing away of the
stain of hatred by the absence of denigration. Without wishes:
without craving; for anything in all the world: in regard to the
entire world. The meaning is that one is devoid of craving for
existence and nonexistence in regard to the three realms or the
twelve sense bases. The rest should be understood in the way
stated earlier. Or alternatively, after stating the first three lines,
the connection [of the last line to the others] can be posited
thus: eko care means “one is able to live alone.”485
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57. Pāpaṃ sahāyaṃ parivajjayetha
anatthadassiṃ visame niviṭṭhaṃ,
sayaṃ na seve13 pasutaṃ14 pamattaṃ,
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.23 ||
(23)
57. One should avoid an evil companion, who does not see the goal, [ who has] entered upon bad conduct. One should not oneself associate with one who is intent [upon wrong views, and is] negligent. One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(23)
57. One should avoid an evil companion, who shows what is harmful, one settled in unrighteousness. One should not freely associate with one who is intent and heedless; one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (23) [10]
(23)
57 避開心術不正、行為不端的壞朋友,不要與執著的、懈怠的人交往,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(23)
The verse on the evil companion
57. What is the origin? In Bārāṇasī, it is said, a certain king was
making a tour of the city with the full pomp of royalty when
he saw people removing old grain from the granary. He asked
his ministers: “What is this, men?”
“Now, great king, fresh grain has been harvested. To make
room for it, these people are discarding the old grain.”
“How is it, men? Are the grounds of the women’s quarters
and the troops and so forth full?” [109]
“Yes, great king, they are full.”
“Then, men, have an alms hall built. I will give alms. Don’t
let this grain go to waste without being of benefit.”
Then a certain minister of wrong view prevented him, say-
ing, “Great king, there is no giving,” and so on up to: “Fools
and the wise, having roamed and wandered in the round of
rebirths, will make an end of suffering.”486 Having seen a gra-
nary being emptied for a second and a third time, the king gave
the same command. For a third time the minister prevented
him, saying: “Great king, giving is a doctrine of fools.”
He became disenchanted, thinking, “Ah! I don’t even get to
give away my own belongings. What good to me are these evil
companions?” Having abandoned the kingdom, he went forth,
developed insight, and realized pacceka enlightenment. Then,
censuring that evil companion, he recited this verse as a joyful
utterance.
This is its concise meaning: A clansman who desires the good
should avoid an evil companion, who shows what is harm-
ful, one settled in unrighteousness—one who is “evil because
he holds to the tenfold evil view”;487 who “shows what is harm-
ful” because he shows what is harmful to others, too;488 who
is “settled in unrighteousness,” in bodily misconduct and so
forth. One should not freely associate: One should not associ-
ate with him of one’s own will, but if one is subject to another’s
control, what can one do? Intent: stuck here and there by way
of view.489 Heedless: one whose mind indulges in the strands of
sensual pleasure or who is devoid of wholesome development.
One should not associate with one like this, should not resort
to him, should not attend upon him, but rather one should live
alone like a rhinoceros horn.
& Nidd II 250. Intent: One who seeks sensual pleasures,
who searches for them, who is disposed to them, who fre-
quents them, reveres them, leans, bends, and inclines toward
them, who is resolved on them and dominated by them is
intent upon sensual pleasures. One who, on account of crav-
ing, seeks forms, sounds, odors, tastes, and tactile objects, who
is disposed to them, frequents them, reveres them . . . is also
intent upon sensual pleasures. One who, on account of craving,
obtains forms . . . who enjoys forms . . . who is dominated by
them is intent upon sensual pleasures. •
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58. Bahussutaṃ dhammadharaṃ bhajetha
mittaṃ uḷāraṃ1 patibhānavantaṃ,2
aññāya atthāni vineyya kaṃkhaṃ
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.24 ||
(24)
58. <10> One should cultivate one of great learning, expert in the doctrine, a noble friend possessed of intelligence. Knowing one's goals, having dispelled doubt, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(24)
58. One should resort to the learned, a bearer of Dhamma, an eminent friend gifted with ingenuity. Having known the benefits and removed doubt, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (24)
(24)
58 應該結交學問淵博、恪守正法、高尚聰明的朋友;應該明瞭事義,消除疑慮,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(24)
The verse on the learned

58. What is the origin? In the past, it is said, eight pacceka-
bodhisattas had gone forth in the teaching of the Blessed One
Kassapa. Having fulfilled the observance of going and coming
for 20,000 years, they arose in the deva world—all is similar
to what was said about the verse on eating blamelessly (see
p. 454), but there is this difference: After inviting the pacceka-
buddhas to sit down in the seats prepared on the upper terrace,
the king asked them: “Who are you?”
“Great king, we are called the learned ones.” [110]
The king was delighted, thinking: “I am named the Learned
Brahmadatta, yet I am never satisfied with learning. Come,
let me hear from them a variegated teaching on the good
Dhamma.” So, having given the water offering, having served
them, at the conclusion of the meal he took the Sangha elder’s
bowl, paid homage to him, sat down in front of him, and said:
“Bhante, please give a Dhamma talk.”
The elder said, “May you be happy, great king. Let there be
the destruction of lust,” then he got up. The king thought: “He
isn’t learned. The second one must be learned. Tomorrow I will
hear a variegated discourse on the Dhamma from him.” He
invited them for the next day’s meal. In this way, he invited
them until all had the chance to speak. Each one spoke only
one statement, just as the first one had, and then they got up.
The only difference is that they said in order: “Let there be the
destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion, the destruc-
tion of rebirth, the destruction of the round, the destruction of
acquisitions, the destruction of craving.”
Then the king thought: “They say, ‘We are learned,’ yet they
do not give a variegated talk. What did they mean?” He began
to examine the meaning of their statements. As he examined
the statement “Let there be the destruction of lust,” he under-
stood: “When lust is destroyed, hatred, delusion, and all other
defilements are also destroyed.” He was pleased and reflected:
“These ascetics are learned in the direct sense. Just as a person
who points out the great earth or space with his finger does
not point out a region merely the size of his finger but points
out the entire earth and the whole of space, so too, when they
pointed out one principle, unlimited principles were pointed
out.” Then he thought: “When will I too become learned in
such a way?” Desiring such a state of learning, he abandoned
his kingdom, went forth, and developing insight, he realized
pacceka enlightenment. He then recited this verse as a joyful
utterance.
This is the concise meaning here: Learned: learned in a two-
fold way: completely learned in the scriptures, by knowing the
three Piṭakas by way of their meaning, and learned in penetra-
tion, by having penetrated the paths, the fruits, the clear knowl-
edges, and the superknowledges. The same for a bearer of
Dhamma.
490 Eminent: one endowed with eminent bodily, ver-
bal, and mental action. [111] Gifted with ingenuity: one whose
ingenuity is incisive, whose ingenuity is fluent, and whose
ingenuity is both incisive and fluent (see AN II 135,5). Or else
the three kinds of “gifted with ingenuity” should be under-
stood by way of learning, inquiry, and achievement. One who
understands the scriptures is gifted with ingenuity by way of
learning. One who knows how to answer inquiries about the
meaning, knowledge, the characteristic, and matters possible
and impossible is one endowed with ingenuity in inquiry. One
who has penetrated the paths and so forth is one endowed
with ingenuity in achievement. One such as this is learned, a
bearer of Dhamma, an eminent friend gifted with ingenuity.
• Nidd II 251–52. Gifted with ingenuity: There are three
gifted with ingenuity: one with ingenuity in learning, in inter-
rogation, and in achievement. What is ingenuity in learning?
Here, someone is naturally learned in the discourses, mixed
prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quo-
tations, birth stories, amazing accounts, and questions-and-
answers, and displays ingenuity based on this learning. What
is ingenuity in interrogation? Here, someone displays ingenuity
when interrogated about the meaning, the method, character-
istics, causes, and matters possible and impossible. What is
ingenuity in achievement? Here, someone has achieved the four
establishments of mindfulness . . . the noble eightfold path,
the four noble paths, the four fruits of the ascetic life, the four
analytical knowledges, the six superknowledges. He knows the
meaning, the doctrine, linguistic expression, and he is inge-
nious in regard to the meaning known, the doctrine known,
and the linguistic expression known. The knowledge regard-
ing the previous three knowledges is the analytical knowledge
of ingenuity. He is endowed with this analytical knowledge of
ingenuity; hence he is said to be gifted with ingenuity. That
paccekabuddha possesses that analytical knowledge of inge-
nuity; therefore he is “endowed with ingenuity.” •
Having known the benefits: Through one’s spiritual might,
[one knows] the numerous benefits distinguished as one’s own
benefit, the benefit of others, and the benefit of both, or the
benefit pertaining to the present life, pertaining to the future
life, and the supreme benefit. Having removed doubt: having
removed and destroyed doubt about the grounds of doubt,
such as “Did I exist in the past?” and so forth (MN I 8,4, SN II
26,28). Being one accomplished in all such tasks, one should
live alone like a rhinoceros horn.
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59. Khiḍḍaṃ ratiṃ3 kāmasukhañ ca loke
analaṃkaritvā anapekkhamāno
vibhūsanaṭṭhānā virato saccavādī4
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.25 ||
(25)
59. Not finding satisfaction in sport and enjoyment, nor in the happiness [which comes] from sensual pleasures in the world, [and] paying no attention [to them], abstaining from adornment, speaking the truth. one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(25)
59. Having found no satisfaction in the world with play, delight, and sensual pleasures, not taking any interest in them,
refraining from ornaments, a speaker of truth, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (25)
(25)
59 不裝飾打扮,不嚮往世間的娛樂和欲愛,不涉足繁華之地,言語真實,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(25)
The verse on ornaments
59. What is the origin? In Bārāṇasī there was a king named
Vibhūsaka (“Ornamenter”) Brahmadatta. In the morning,
after eating porridge or rice, he would get himself adorned
with various ornaments. Having inspected his entire body in
a large mirror, if he did not like anything, he would remove it
and have it replaced with another ornament. One day, while he
was so engaged, the time for his midday meal arrived. With-
out having adorned himself, he wrapped a turban around his
head, ate, and went for his siesta. Having arisen again, he con-
tinued in the same way until sunset. This happened on the
second day and the third day. Then, while he was adorning
himself, he got a backache. He thought: “Ah, while I have
been busy adorning myself, discontent with ornaments of this
kind, I gave rise to greed. But this greed, it is said, leads to the
plane of misery. Come, now, let me suppress greed.” Having
abandoned the kingdom and gone forth, developing insight,
he realized pacceka enlightenment and recited this verse as a
joyful utterance. [112]
In this verse, play and delight have already been explained.
“Sensual pleasure” is the pleasure of sensual objects.491 For
sensual objects, too, are called “pleasure” because they are the
objective domain of pleasure; as it is said: “Form is pleasant,
immersed in pleasure” (SN III 69,16). Thus having found no
satisfaction in this physical world with this play, delight, and
sensual pleasures, one does not grasp upon them thus: “This
is gratifying” or “This is essential.”492 Not taking any interest
in them: because one finds no satisfaction,493 one behaves with-
out interest, without yearning, without craving.
Refraining from ornaments, a speaker of truth, one should
live alone. Here, there are two kinds of ornaments: the orna-
ments of a householder and the ornaments of a homeless one.
The ornaments of a householder are clothing, turban, garlands,
perfumes, and so forth; the ornaments of a homeless one are
decorations of the alms bowl and other requisites. Therefore,
the meaning should be understood thus: one refrains from
ornaments by means of the three kinds of abstinence;494 one is
a speaker of truth by not uttering deceptive statements.
• Nidd II 252. Sensual pleasure: This is said by the Blessed
One: “There are, bhikkhus, these five strands of sensual plea-
sure. What five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are desir-
able, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, tantalizing.
Sounds cognizable by the ear . . . Odors cognizable by the nose
. . . Tastes cognizable by the tongue . . . Tactile objects cogniza-
ble by the body that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing,
sensually enticing, tantalizing. These are the five strands of
sensual pleasure. Now the pleasure and joy that arise depen-
dent on these five strands of sensual pleasure are the gratifica-
tion in sensual pleasures.” Having found no satisfaction . . .
not taking any interest in them: having abandoned, dispelled,
eliminated, and terminated amusement, delight, and sensual
pleasures in the world.
Nidd II 252–53. Ornaments: There are two kinds of orna-
ments, those of householders and those of homeless ones.
What are the ornaments of householders? Hair and beard, gar-
lands and fragrances, ointments, necklaces, earrings, clothing,
headwraps, rubbing, massages, bathing, bodywork, mirrors,
collyrium, garlands, fragrances, and ointments, facial pow-
der, lipstick, gloves, ribbons, staff, rod, sword, parasol, deco-
rative sandals, turban, jewelry, fans, white clothes, and long
nails. What are the ornaments of homeless ones? Decoration of the
robes, decoration of the alms bowl, decoration of the lodging,
decoration and ornamentation of this putrid body or of exter-
nal requisites.
Nidd II 253. A speaker of truth: The paccekabuddha is a
speaker of truth, one bound to truth, trustworthy and reliable,
no deceiver of the world. •
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60. Puttañ ca dāraṃ pitarañ ca mataraṃ
dhanāni dhaṇṇāni ca bandhavāni ca5
hitvāna kāmāni yathodhikāni6
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.26 ||
(26)
60. Leaving behind son and wife, and father and mother, and wealth and grain, and relatives, and sensual pleasures to the limit, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
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60. Having abandoned children and wife, father and mother, wealth, grain, and relatives, sensual pleasures according to the limit, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (26)
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60 拋棄兒子,妻子,父親和母親,拋棄錢財,穀物和親屬,拋棄一切愛欲,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(26)
The verse on sons and wife
60. What is the origin? The son of the king of Bārāṇasī, even
in his youth, was appointed to rule the kingdom. As with the
paccekabodhisatta spoken of in relation to the first verse, one
day, while enjoying the splendor of royalty, he reflected: “While
exercising kingship, I create suffering for many. What use do I
have for this evil, all for the sake of a single meal? Come now, let
me produce happiness.” Having abandoned the kingdom and
gone forth, developing insight, he realized pacceka enlighten-
ment and recited this verse as a joyful utterance.
In this verse, wealth is precious substances such as pearls,
jewels, crystal, conch stone, coral, silver, gold, and so forth.
Grain is of seven kinds: hill rice, paddy, barley, wheat, millet,
varaka, and kudrūsaka.
495 Relatives are of four kinds: close rela-
tives, clan members, friends, and colleagues. [113] According
to the limit: by way of one’s own respective limits.496 The rest
in the way stated.
• Nidd II 254. To the limit. The defilements abandoned
by the path of stream-entry do not recur, do not come back,
do not return. The defilements abandoned by the path of the
once-returner . . . The defilements abandoned by the path of
the non-returner . . . The defilements abandoned by the path of
arahantship do not recur, do not come back, do not return. •
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61. ‘Saṅgo7 eso, parittam ettha sokhyaṃ,
app'; assādo,8 dukkham ettha bhiyyo,
gaḷo9 eso'; iti {ñatvā} mutīmā
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.27 ||
[F._10]
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61. 'This is an attachment; here there is Jittle happiness, [and] little satisfaction; here there is very much misery; this is a hook.' Knowing this, a thoughtful man should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(27)
61. “This is a tie, the happiness here is slight, giving little gratification; the suffering here is more, this is a hook”: having known thus, a thoughtful person should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (27)
(27)
61 智者懂得:“這是束縛,其中幸福很少,快樂很少,痛苦倒是很多。這是釣鉤。”讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(27)
The verse on a tie
61. What is the origin? In Bārāṇasī, it is said, there was a king
named Pādalola (“Footloose”) Brahmadatta. In the morning,
after eating porridge or rice, he would visit the three compa-
nies of dancers in his three palaces. The three companies of
dancers were those who came from previous kings, those who
came from his immediate predecessor, and those procured in
his own time. One morning, he went to the palace of the young
dancers. Wishing to please the king, the dancers, who were like
the nymphs of Sakka, ruler of the devas, applied themselves
to extremely enchanting dance, song, and instrumental music.
The king, however, was discontent with them, thinking: “This
is nothing special for young ones.” So he went to the palace of
the middle dancers. Those dancers performed in the same way.
There, too, the king was discontent and went to the palace of
the eldest dancers. Those dancers too performed in the same
way. Because of their age—since they had passed through the
reigns of two or three kings—he regarded their dancing as like
a play of bones and found their singing disagreeable. Thus he
strolled back to the palace of the young dancers, and then to
the palace of the middle dancers, without finding contentment
anywhere.
He reflected: “These dancers, who are like the nymphs of
Sakka, apply themselves with all their might to dancing, song,
and instrumental music because they wish to please me. How-
ever, I’m discontented everywhere and I just become more
greedy. Now this greed, it is said, leads to the plane of misery.
Come, now, let me suppress greed.” Having abandoned the
kingdom and gone forth, developing insight, he realized pac-
ceka enlightenment and recited this verse as a joyful utterance.
This is its meaning: This is a tie: he describes his own object
of enjoyment. For that is a tie because living beings become
attached to it, just like an elephant stuck in the mud. The hap-
piness here is slight: At the time that he was enjoying the five
strands of sensual pleasure, the happiness there was slight in
the sense of being base, because it is to be aroused through
an inverted perception or because it is included among desire-
sphere phenomena. It is transient, like the pleasure that comes
from watching a dance illuminated by a flash of lightning; [114]
what is meant is that it is temporary. Giving little gratification,
the suffering here is more: In this connection it is said: “The
pleasure and joy, bhikkhus, that arise in dependence on these
five strands of sensual pleasure: this is the gratification in sen-
sual pleasures.” The suffering in this connection is explained
in this way: “And what, bhikkhus, is the danger in sensual
pleasures? Here, whatever be the craft by which a clansman
earns his living, whether by computation, by accounting,” and
so forth (MN I 85,28). Comparing them, [the gratification is]
slight, a mere drop of water, but the suffering is much more,
like the water in the four oceans. Hence it is said: “giving little
gratification, the suffering here is more.” This is a hook: The
five strands of sensual pleasure are like a fisherman’s hook
because they drag one along with a promise of gratification.
Having known thus, a thoughtful person: having known this
in such a way, a wise and intelligent person should abandon all
this and live alone like a rhinoceros horn.
(27)
(28)
62. Sandālayitvā10 saṃyojanāni
jālaṃ va bhetvā11 sālil'; ambucārī12
aggīva daḍḍhaṃ anivattamāno
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.28 ||
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62. Having torn one's fetters asunder, like a fish breaking a net in the water, not returning, like a fire [not going back] to what is [already] burned, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
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62. Having sundered the fetters, like a fish in the water that has broken a net, like a fire not returning to what has been burnt, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (28)
(28)
62 衝破這些桎梏,猶如水中魚兒衝破魚網。猶如火苗不再返回燃燒過的地方,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(28)
The verse on sundering
62. What is the origin? In Bārāṇasī, it is said, there was a king
named Anivatta (“Not-Retreating”) Brahmadatta. They called
him thus because, when he entered a battle he did not retreat
until he was victorious, or if he had undertaken any other task,
he did not retreat until he had completed it. One day he went
to the park. Now on that occasion a forest fire arose. The fire
spread, burning up the dry pastures and the grass, without
turning back. Having seen this, the king gave rise to the cor-
responding counterpart sign497 and reflected: “Like this forest
fire, the elevenfold fire498 spreads without retreating, burning
up all beings, and it produces great suffering. For the sake
of turning back this suffering, when will I proceed without
retreating, like this fire, burning up the defilements with the
fire of the knowledge of the noble path?”
Having gone a little further, he saw fishermen catching fish in
a river. [115] Among the fish that had entered the net, one large
fish broke the net and escaped. The fishermen shouted: “A fish
has broken the net and gone!” Having heard their cry, the king
gave rise to the corresponding counterpart sign and reflected:
“When will I, too, having broken through the net of craving
and views with the knowledge of the noble path, escape with-
out getting stuck?” Having abandoned the kingdom and gone
forth, having undertaken insight, he realized pacceka enlight-
enment and recited this verse as a joyful utterance.
In the second line, a net is made of cord. Ambucārī is a fish,
so called because it lives (carati) in water (ambu). What is meant
is: “Like a fish that has broken the net in the water of the river.”
In the third line, what has been burnt means the place that has
been burnt. As a fire does not retreat to a burnt place, never
comes back there, just so one does not retreat to the strands
of sensual pleasure that have been burnt by the fire of path
knowledge. What is meant is that one does not return to them.
The rest in the way explained earlier.
• Nidd II 256. Like a fire not returning to what has been
burnt: As a fire spreads without turning back, burning up its
fuel—grass and wood—just so the defilements abandoned by
the paccekabuddha with the path of stream-entry . . . with the
path of the once-returner . . . with the path of the non-returner
. . . with the path of arahantship do not recur, do not come back,
do not return. •
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63. Okkhitacakkhū13 na ca pādalolo
guttindriyo rakkhitamānasāno14
amavassuto apariḍayhamāno15
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.29 ||
(29)
63. With downcast eye and not foot-loose, with sense-faculties guarded, with mind protected, not overflowing [with defilement], not burning, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
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63. With downcast gaze, not footloose, with guarded faculties, with protected mind, unpolluted, not feverish with passion, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (29)
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63 目不斜視,足不躊躇,守住感官,保護思想,不懷欲望,不受燒烤,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(29)
The verse on the downcast gaze
63. What is the origin? In Bārāṇasī, it is said, there was a king
named Cakkhulola (“Roaming-Eyes”) Brahmadatta. Like Foot-
loose Brahmadatta, he was always intent on seeing his danc-
ers, with this difference: When he was discontent, he went here
and there, and on seeing this or that dancer, he was extremely
delighted, again and again, so that, by looking at his circle of
dancers, his craving ever increased. It is said that he saw a
landowner’s wife who had come to see the dancers and he was
smitten by lust for her. He then acquired a sense of urgency,
thinking: “Ah,499 if my craving increases, I will fill up the hells.
Come now, let me suppress it.”
Having abandoned the kingdom and gone forth, developing
insight, he realized pacceka enlightenment and, censuring his
own former conduct, he recited this verse as a joyful utterance
that illustrates the excellent qualities directly opposed to it.
[116]
In this verse, with downcast gaze: with eyes cast down.
What is meant is: “Having set in order the seven vertebrae of
the neck, looking a mere yoke’s distance ahead in order to see
whatever should be abandoned by avoidance.”500 But one does
not let the jawbone strike the chest, for such a way of keeping
the eyes downcast is not suitable for an ascetic. Not footloose:
One’s feet do not itch from a desire to join a group, that is, to
pair up with a single person or to make a pair a threesome; or
one refrains from long journeys and unsettled travel.501 With
guarded faculties: Of the six sense faculties, one guards the
faculties other than the one that is mentioned separately (the
mind faculty). With protected mind: One protects the mind so
that it is not plundered by defilements; thus one has a protected
mind. Unpolluted: By this practice502 one is not inundated by
defilements [arisen] in relation to various objects. Not feverish
with passion: Since one is not inundated, one does not become
feverish with the fires of defilements. Or alternatively, “unpol-
luted” refers to the external, “not feverish” to the internal. The
rest in the way stated earlier.
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64. Ohārayitvā gihivyañjanāni
saṃchinnapatto Yathā pārichatto|kāsāyavattho abhinikkhamitvā
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.30 ||
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64. Having discarded the marks of a householder, like a coral tree a whose leaves have fallen, <11> having gone out [from the house] wearing the saffron robe, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros born.
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64. Having cast off the marks of a layman like a pāricchattaka tree that has shed its leaves,72 [11] clothed in ochre robes, having renounced, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (30)
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64 拋棄在家人的標誌,猶如波利質多樹(指天國中的珊瑚樹)拋棄樹葉,穿上黃袈裟出家,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(30)
The verse on the pāricchattaka tree
64. What is the origin? In Bārāṇasī, it is said, there was another
king named Cātumāsika (“Four-Months”) Brahmadatta, who
used to go play in his garden every four months. One day in
the middle month of the summer, while entering the park, he
saw a pāricchattaka koviḷāra tree covered with leaves and a
canopy adorned with flowers. He picked a flower and entered
the park. Then one of his ministers, thinking, “The king has
picked the best flower,” stood on the back of an elephant and
picked a flower. In just this way, all the troops picked flowers.
Those who did not get to enjoy flowers [117] picked the leaves.
Thus the tree was stripped of leaves and flowers, and only the
trunk was left. As he was leaving the park in the evening the
king saw this and thought: “What has happened to this tree?
When I arrived it was adorned with coral-like flowers among
its jewel-colored branches, but now it has been stripped of its
leaves and flowers.”
Not far away he saw another tree that was flowerless and
covered with foliage. It occurred to him: “Because its branches
were decked with flowers, the pāricchattaka tree was an object
of greed for many people, and hence in an instant it has gone
to ruin. But that other tree, which is not an object of greed,
stands just as it was. This kingdom, too, like the flowering tree,
is an object of greed. But the state of a bhikkhu, like the flower-
less tree, is no object of greed. Therefore this kingdom is sim-
ilar to the pāricchattaka tree, which, like the flowerless tree,
was covered with leaves until it was plundered. Thus, like the
pāricchattaka tree, having covered myself in the ochre robe, I
should go forth.” Having abandoned the kingdom and gone
forth, developing insight, he realized pacceka enlightenment
and recited this verse as a joyful utterance.503
In this verse, the meaning of the line clothed in ochre robes,
having renounced (kāsāyavattho abhinikkhamitvā) should be
understood thus: “Having renounced the home life, having
become clothed in ochre robes.”504 The rest can be understood
in the way stated, so it is not elaborated.
• Nidd II 261–62. Like a pāricchattaka tree covered with
leaves: As that pāricchattaka koviḷāra tree had dense foliage
and cast a thick shade, just so the paccekabuddha bears his
complete set of robes and alms bowl.505 Clothed in ochre robes,
having renounced: Having cut off the impediment of dwelling
in a house, having cut off the impediment of wife and chil-
dren, having cut off the impediment of relatives, having cut
off the impediment of friends and companions, having cut off
the impediment of property, having shaved off hair and beard,
having put on ochre robes, having gone forth from the house-
hold life into homelessness, having reached the state of own-
erlessness, the paccekabuddha lives, dwells, conducts himself
alone. •
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65. Rasesu gedhaṃ akaraṃ alolo
anaññaposī1 sapadānacārī2
kule kule appaṭibakkhacitto3
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.31 ||
(31)
65. Showing no greed for flavours, not wanton, not supporting others, going on an uninterrupted begging round, not shackled in mind to this family or that, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
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65. Not arousing greed for tastes, not hankering for them; not nourishing others, walking for alms without skipping houses;with a mind unbound to this or that family, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (31)
(31)
65 不貪圖美味,不猶豫動搖,不養育他人;挨戶行乞,心無牽掛,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(31)
Chapter 4
The verse on greed for tastes
65. What is the origin? A certain king of Bārāṇasī, it is said,
accompanied by his ministers’ sons, was playing in the stone
slab lotus pond in the park. His chef offered him a snack, which
was like ambrosia, extremely well prepared, imbued with the
taste of all kinds of meats. The king became greedy for it and
ate it all by himself, without sharing it with anyone else. When
he came out from his water sports very late in the day, he ate it
quickly, without considering any of those with whom he had
shared food in the past. Then he later reflected: “Oh, I have
done something evil. I was so overcome by craving for tastes
that I forgot about the others [118] and ate everything myself.
Come, now, let me suppress craving for tastes.” Having aban-
doned the kingdom and gone forth, developing insight, he
realized pacceka enlightenment and recited this verse as a joy-
ful utterance, criticizing his former behavior and showing the
opposite virtues.
In this verse, tastes are flavors distinguished as sour, sweet,
pungent, bitter, salty, alkaline, astringent, and so forth. Not
arousing greed: not giving rise to craving. Not hankering for
them: not being agitated by various tastes, such as “I will taste
this, I will taste that.” Not nourishing others: without anyone
who has to be nourished, such as a pupil and so forth; what is
meant is that one is content simply with maintaining the body.
Or alternatively, he shows: “Unlike formerly in the park,
when I did not nourish another because I was greedy and han-
kered for tastes, I won’t be thus, but having abandoned the
craving because of which one hankers for tastes, I will ‘not
nourish another’ by not producing another individual exis-
tence in the future, an existence rooted in craving.” Or alterna-
tively, the defilements are called “other” in the sense that they
are damaging to one’s good. By not nourishing them, “one
does not nourish another.” This, too, is the meaning here.
Walking for alms without skipping houses: One walks
without deviating; one walks in sequence. This means that
when one enters [a village] for alms, one goes without depart-
ing from the order of the houses; one goes to rich families and
poor families without skipping any.506 With a mind unbound
to this or that family: One’s mind is not attached anywhere, to
families of khattiyas and so forth, because of the defilements,
but one is similar to the moon, always like a newcomer. The rest
in the way already stated.
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66. Pahāya pañcāvaraṇāni cetaso
upakkilese4 vyapanujja5 sabbe
anissito chetvā sinebadosaṃ6
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.32 ||
(32)
66. Having left behind the five hindrances of the mind, having thrust away all defilements, not dependent, having cut off affection and hate, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(32)
66. Having abandoned the five obstructions of mind, having dispelled all mental defilements, independent, having cut off affection and hatred, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (32)
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66 摒棄心中五蓋,清除一切污點,獨立不羈,斬斷愛和恨,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(32)
The verse on obstructions
66. What is the origin? A certain king of Bārāṇasī, it is said, was
an obtainer of the first jhāna. In order to maintain the jhāna, he
abandoned the kingdom and went forth. Developing insight,
he realized pacceka enlightenment and recited this verse as a
joyful utterance.
In this verse, the obstructions are simply the hindrances. The
meaning of these has already been explained in relation to the
Discourse on the Serpent (see pp. 379–80). [119] Because they
obstruct the mind as clouds obstruct the sun and moon, they
are called obstructions of mind. Having abandoned them by
access concentration or absorption. Mental defilements: the
unwholesome qualities that encroach on the mind and oppress
it, or such qualities as covetousness and so forth spoken of in the
Simile of the Cloth (MN 7) and elsewhere. Having dispelled:
having scattered, having destroyed; the meaning is, “hav-
ing abandoned by the path of insight.” All: without remain-
der. One equipped with serenity and insight is independent
because of the abandoning of dependence on views by means
of the first path. Having cut off, by the remaining paths, affec-
tion and hatred (the fault of affection) pertaining to the three
realms. What is meant is craving and lust.507 For affection itself
is called “the fault of affection” because it is the opposite of
excellent qualities. The rest in the way already stated.
• Nidd II 265. Independent, having cut off affection and
hatred. Independent: There are two dependencies: depen-
dency on craving and dependency on views. Affection: There
are two kinds of affection: affection on account of craving and
affection on account of views. Hatred: mental resentment,
repugnance, aversion, irritation, hatred, antipathy, anger, ill
will, resistance, animosity, ferocity, displeasure, dissatisfac-
tion of the mind. Independent, having cut off affection and
hatred: The paccekabuddha, having cut off, eradicated, aban-
doned, dispelled, terminated, and eliminated affection on
account of craving, affection on account of views, and hatred,
is not dependent on the eye, ear . . . not dependent on things
seen, heard, sensed, and cognized; he dwells independent,
unattached, freed, detached, with a mind rid of barriers. •
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67. Vipiṭṭhikatvāna sukhaṃ dukhañ7 ca
pubbe va ca somanadomanassaṃ8
laddhān'; upekhaṃ9 samathaṃ visuddhaṃ
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.33 ||
(33)
67. Having put happiness and misery behind oneself, and joy and dejection already, having gained equanimity [which is] purified calmness, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
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67. Having left behind pleasure and pain and previously [discarded] joy and dejection, having gained purified equanimity and serenity, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (33)
(33)
67 拋棄快樂和痛苦,也拋棄從前的喜悅和煩惱,達到無憂無樂,安寧純潔,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(33)
The verse on leaving behind
67. What is the origin? A certain king of Bārāṇasī, it is said,
was an obtainer of the fourth jhāna. In order to maintain the
jhāna, he abandoned the kingdom and went forth. Developing
insight, he realized pacceka enlightenment and, indicating the
success of his practice, he recited this verse as a joyful utterance.
In this verse, having left behind: having put at one’s back;
the meaning is “having discarded, having cast off.” Pleasure
and pain: bodily comfort and discomfort. Joy and dejection:
mental comfort and discomfort. Purified: purified because
freed from nine contrary qualities, namely, the five hindrances,
thought, examination, rapture, and pleasure; rid of defilements
like refined gold. Equanimity: the equanimity of the fourth
jhāna. Serenity: the serenity of the fourth jhāna.
This is the construal: “Having left behind pleasure and
pain”: The purport is that pain has been put away earlier on the
plane of access to the first jhāna and pleasure on the plane of
access to the third jhāna. Having taken the word “and” stated
at the beginning [and inserted it] again afterward, [the sense
becomes]: “And having left behind joy [120] and dejection.”
“Earlier” is a governing word (adhikāra). Hence he shows: Joy is
put away at the access to the fourth jhāna and dejection already
at the access to the second jhāna. For these places of abandon-
ing are stated in an expository sense.508 But in the direct sense,
the place for the abandoning of pain is the first jhāna; for the
abandoning of dejection, the second jhāna; for the abandon-
ing of pleasure, the third jhāna; and for the abandoning of joy,
the fourth jhāna. As it is said: “When one enters and dwells
in the first jhāna, here the arisen pain faculty ceases without
remainder,” and so forth (SN V 207–16). All this is explained in
the Atthasālinī, the commentary to the Dhammasaṅgaha (As
176–77). Since previously, in the first jhāna and [in the second
and third jhānas], one has already left behind pain, dejection,
and pleasure [respectively], in that case, having left behind joy
in the fourth jhāna and having gained purified equanimity and
serenity by this practice, one should live alone. The rest is clear.
• Nidd II 266. Having left behind pleasure and pain
and previously [discarded] joy and dejection: Here, with
the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous
passing away of joy and dejection, the paccekabuddha enters
and dwells in the fourth jhāna, neither painful nor pleasant,
which has purification of mindfulness by equanimity. Having
gained purified equanimity and serenity: In the fourth jhāna
equanimity and serenity are purified, cleansed, spotless, with-
out defilement, malleable, wieldy, firm, and imperturbable.
Having gained the equanimity and serenity pertaining to the
fourth jhāna, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. •
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68. Āraddhaviriyo paramatthapattiyā
alīnacitto akusītavutti10
[F._11] daḷhanikkamo thāmabalūpapanno
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.34 ||
(34)
68. Resolute for the attainment of the supreme goal, with intrepid mind, not indolent, of firm exertion, furnished with strength and power, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(34)
68. With energy aroused to attain the supreme goal, with unsluggish mind and robust practice, firmly persistent, equipped with strength and power, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (34)
(34)
68 竭力獲得至善,誠心誠意,行動積極,勤奮努力,堅韌不拔,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(34)
The verse on energy aroused
68. What is the origin? A certain frontier king, it is said, whose
army consisted of a thousand warriors, had a small realm
but great wisdom. One day he reflected, “Although I am of
minor stature, because I am wise I can capture the whole of
Jambudīpa.” He then sent a messenger to a neighboring king,
telling him: “You must surrender your kingdom to me within
seven days or fight.” He then gathered his own ministers and
said to them: “Without asking for your permission, I acted
rashly and sent this message to such and such a king. What’s to
be done?” They said: “Is it possible, great king, to call back the
messenger?” – “It’s not possible. He must have already gone.”
– “If so, you have destroyed us. It’s painful to die by another’s
sword. Come, let’s die by each other’s sword, let’s stab our-
selves, let’s hang ourselves, let’s take poison.” In this way, each
of them spoke in praise of death. Then the king said: “What use
are these to me? I have my warriors, men.”
Then the thousand warriors rose up, each saying: “I’m a war-
rior, great king! I’m a warrior, great king!” The king thought
to himself: “I’ll investigate them.” [121] He then had a funeral
pyre prepared and said: “I acted rashly, men. My ministers
have rejected what I did. I myself will enter the funeral pyre.
Who will enter along with me? Who will surrender his life to
me?” When he had spoken, five hundred warriors rose up and
said: “Let us enter, great king.” Then the king said to the other
five hundred: “What will you do now, dear ones?”
They said: “That is not the act of a man, great king. That’s
womanly conduct. Since the king has sent a messenger to the
opponent king, we will die fighting alongside the king.” The
king replied: “You are the ones who have surrendered your
lives to me.” Then he equipped his fourfold army, went out
accompanied by the thousand warriors, and settled at the
boundary of his realm. When the opponent king heard the
news, he became angry and thought: “Ah! That little king
couldn’t even be my slave!” Then he took all his troops and
departed for battle. When the minor king saw them arrayed,
he said to his troops: “Dear ones, there are not many of you.
You should all mass together, take your swords and shields,
and quickly advance straight toward the other king.” They did
so. Then the opposing army split in two, allowing them to pass
in between. They captured the opponent king alive, while the
enemy warriors fled. The minor king ran in front, saying: “I’m
going to kill you.” But the opponent king pleaded for mercy.
The minor king granted him mercy, made him take an oath,
and made him his own man. Then, together with him, he pro-
ceeded against another king, and while stationed at the bound-
ary of the kingdom, he sent a message: “Give me your kingdom
or fight!” He surrendered the kingdom, thinking: “I am not
capable even of fighting one.” Having captured all the kings
in this way, in the end he even captured the king of Bārāṇasī.
While ruling over the whole of Jambudīpa accompanied by
a hundred kings, he reflected: “In the past I was a minor king,
but now, through my own ingenuity, I have become the ruler of
all Jambudīpa. [122] But that ingenuity of mine, accompanied
by mundane energy, does not lead to disenchantment or dis-
passion. It would indeed be good for me to use this ingenuity
to seek the world-transcending Dhamma.” He then gave the
kingdom to the king of Bārāṇasī, sent his wife and children
back to his own country, and went forth. Having undertaken
insight, he realized pacceka enlightenment and then, indicat-
ing the success of his own endeavor, he recited this verse as a
joyful utterance.
In this verse, by with energy aroused he shows his own
arousing of energy, initial energy. The supreme goal is nibbāna;
to attain the supreme goal: for its attainment. By this he shows
the fruit to be attained by arousing energy. With unsluggish
mind: by this he shows the unsluggishness of the mind and
mental factors fortified by powerful energy. Robust conduct:
by this he shows the absence of bodily indolence when stand-
ing, sitting, walking back and forth, and so on.
Firmly persistent: by this he shows the energy of striv-
ing that occurs thus: “Willingly, let only my skin and sinews
remain” (AN I 50,9–13), which is referred to when it is said,
in relation to one striving in the gradual training, “he realizes
the supreme truth with the body and sees it by piercing it
with wisdom” (MN I 480,9). Or alternatively, by this he shows
the energy associated with the path. For that is firm, since it
has reached fulfillment by development, and it is persistence,
because it has entirely departed from opposition. Therefore the
person endowed with that, whose persistence is firm, is called
“one firmly persistent.”
Equipped with strength and power: equipped with bodily
strength and the power of knowledge at the moment of the
path. Or alternatively: “equipped with strength and power”
means equipped with power that consists in strength. What
is meant is “equipped with the power of sturdy knowledge.”
By this expression, indicating that his energy is accompanied
by insight knowledge, he demonstrates careful striving. The
three lines should also be construed by way of preliminary,
intermediate, and superior energy. The rest in the way already
explained.
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(35)
69. Paṭisallāṇaṃ11 jhānam ariñcamāno12
dhammesu niccaṃ anudhammacārī13
ādīnavaṃ sammasitā bhavesu
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.35 ||
(35)
69. Not giving up seclusion [and] meditation, constantly living in accordance with the doctrine in the world of phenomena, understanding the peril [which is] in existences, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(35)
69. Not neglecting seclusion and jhāna, always acting in accordance with the teachings, having explored the danger in states of existence, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (35)
(35)
69 堅持隱居和修禪(指靜慮沉思),堅持正法,洞察生存的危險,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(35)
The verse on seclusion
69. What is the origin? The origin of this verse is similar to
that of the verse on obstructions; there is no difference. But
in the commentary on its meaning, seclusion [123] is separa-
tion by turning away from these and those beings and condi-
tioned things—resorting to aloneness, solitude;509 the meaning
is bodily seclusion. Jhāna: It is mental seclusion that is called
jhāna, because of burning up the contrary states and because
of closely contemplating the object and the characteristics.510
Here, the eight meditative attainments are called jhāna because
of burning up the contrary states such as the hindrances and
because of closely contemplating the object; insight, the paths,
and the fruits are called jhāna because of burning up the con-
trary states such as the perception of a being, and because of
closely contemplating the characteristics.511 But here it is the
close contemplation of the object that is intended. Thus not
neglecting this seclusion and jhāna, not ignoring them.512
• Nidd II 269. Not neglecting seclusion and jhāna. Seclu-
sion: The paccekabuddha is one who delights in seclusion,
who is delighted with seclusion, who is intent upon internal
serenity of mind, who does not neglect jhāna, who possesses
insight, who frequents empty houses, a meditator who is
delighted with jhāna, intent upon solitude, who esteems his
own good. Not neglecting jhāna: The paccekabuddha does
not neglect jhāna in two ways: he is intent upon arousing the
first jhāna that he has not yet attained . . . the fourth jhāna that
he has not yet attained; in this way he does not neglect jhāna.
And he pursues, develops, and cultivates the first jhāna that he
has already attained . . . the fourth jhāna that he has already
attained; in this way too he does not neglect jhāna. •
Always acting in accordance with the teachings: in regard
to the phenomena such as the five aggregates that come into
the range of insight.513 Always: constantly, continuously, with-
out interruption. Acting in accordance with: practicing the
teaching of insight that accords with conduct514 in regard to
those teachings. Or alternatively, the teachings here means the
nine world-transcending states,515 and “in accordance with” is
the teaching that is in harmony with those states. This is a des-
ignation for insight.
• Nidd II 269. Always acting in accordance with the teach-
ings: The teachings (dhammā) are the four establishments of
mindfulness . . . the noble eightfold path. What is in accor-
dance with the teachings (anudhamma)? The right practice, the
practice in conformity, the unopposed practice, the practice in
accordance with the goal, the practice in accordance with the
Dhamma, the fulfillment of good behavior, guarding the doors
of the sense faculties, moderation in eating, devotion to wake-
fulness, mindfulness and clear comprehension. Always act-
ing in accordance with the teachings, constantly, consistently,
continuously, without interruption, repetitively, like waves on
water, in unbroken continuity, in the morning and the after-
noon, in the first, middle, and last watches of the night, in the
dark fortnight and the bright fortnight, in the rainy season,
the cold season, and the hot season, in the first, middle, and
final stages of life, one lives, dwells, behaves, conducts oneself
accordingly. •
Having explored the danger in states of existence: This
means contemplating with that insight—which is designated
“conduct in accordance with”—the fault in the three states of
existence, consisting in their impermanence and so forth.516
The construal should be understood thus: “Not neglecting this
bodily seclusion and mental seclusion, one can be said to have
achieved this [pacceka enlightenment] by the practice consist-
ing in insight that has reached its peak; he should live alone
like a rhinoceros horn.”
• Nidd II 269. Having explored the danger in states of exis-
tence: One who explores the danger in states of existence thus,
“All conditioned things are impermanent” . . . [see pp. 1060–61,
Nidd I 67–68] . . . “Whatever is subject to origination is all sub-
ject to cessation,” should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. •
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70. Taṇhakkhayaṃ patthayaṃ appamatto
anelamūgo14 sutavā satīmā
saṃkhātadhammo niyato15 padhānavā
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.36 ||
(36)
70. Desiring the destruction of craving, not negligent, not foolish, learned, possessing mindfulness, having considered the doctrine, restrained, energetic, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(36)
70. Yearning for craving’s destruction, heedful, intelligent, learned, mindful, having comprehended the Dhamma, fixed in destiny, vigorous in striving, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (36) [12]
(36)
70 企求滅寂欲望,謹慎、聰明、博學、深思、知法、自制、努力,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(36)
The verse on the destruction of craving
70. What is the origin? A certain king of Bārāṇasī, it is said,
made a tour of the city with the full pomp of royalty. Because
of his physical splendor, those people walking in front, their
hearts drawn, turned around and looked up at him alone. So
too those walking behind him and those walking on both sides.
For it is just natural that people in the world are never satiated
in looking at a buddha and in looking at the full moon, the
ocean, and a king. Then the wife of a certain landowner, who
had gone to the upper story of her mansion, opened the win-
dow and stood there looking down. As soon as the king saw
her, he was smitten with her and ordered his minister: “Find
out, man, whether or not that woman is married.” He [124]
found out and reported: “She is married.”
Then the king reflected: “These 20,000 dancing girls, who are
like heavenly nymphs, try to please me alone. But now I have
passed over them and crave another man’s wife. This crav-
ing is dragging me to the plane of misery.” Having seen the
danger in craving, he decided: “Let me suppress it.” Having
abandoned the kingdom and gone forth, developing insight,
he realized pacceka enlightenment and recited this verse as a
joyful utterance.
Here, craving’s destruction is nibbāna, the non-occurrence of
that craving whose danger has been seen. Heedful: acting con-
stantly and carefully; intelligent:
517 wise, competent; learned:
one who has the learning that promotes well-being and happi-
ness. What is meant is one endowed with the heritage of learn-
ing; mindful: able to recollect what was done [and said] long
ago. Comprehended the Dhamma: one who, by investigation
of the Dhamma, has fully understood the Dhamma. Fixed in
destiny: attained the fixed course through the noble path.518
Vigorous in striving: possessed of right striving and energy.
• Nidd II 270. Comprehended the Dhamma: The pac-
cekabuddha has comprehended the Dhamma, known the
Dhamma, assessed the Dhamma, scrutinized the Dhamma,
recognized the Dhamma, clarified the Dhamma thus: “All
conditioned things are impermanent” . . . “Whatever is sub-
ject to origination is all subject to cessation.” Or alternatively,
for the paccekabuddha the aggregates have been compressed,
the elements have been compressed, the sense bases have been
compressed, the destinations have been compressed, rebirth
has been compressed, conception has been compressed, exis-
tence has been compressed, saṃsāra has been compressed, the
round has been compressed.519 Or alternatively, the pacceka-
buddha abides at the limit of the aggregates, at the limit of the
elements . . . at the limit of the round, at the limit of conditioned
things; he abides in his final existence, in his final body; he
maintains his final body.
This is his last existence;
this is his final body.
For him there is no more renewed existence,
no wandering on in birth and death.
Fixed in destiny: It is the four noble paths that are called
the fixed course (niyāma). One possessing the four noble paths
is fixed in destiny (niyata). He has attained, achieved, experi-
enced, realized the fixed course. •
This line should be construed out of sequence.520 Thus, one
who possesses those qualities such as heedfulness is vigor-
ous in the striving conducive to the fixed course. By means of
that striving he becomes fixed in destiny on attaining the fixed
course. Then, with the attainment of arahantship, he becomes
one who has comprehended the Dhamma. For the arahant is called
“one who has comprehended the Dhamma” because he has
nothing that needs to be comprehended again. As it is said:
“Those who have comprehended the Dhamma, and the diverse
trainees here” (1038). The rest in the way already explained.
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(37)
71. Sīho va saddesu asantasanto
vāto va jālamhi asajjamāno
padumaṃ va toyena alippamāno1
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.37 ||
(37)
71. <12> Not trembling, as a lion [does not tremble) at sounds, not caught up [with others], as the wind [is not caught up] in a net, not defiled [by passion], as a lotus [is not defiled] by water, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(37)
71. Like a lion unalarmed among sounds, like the wind not caught in a net, untainted like a lotus by water, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (37)
(37)
71 猶如獅子不怕聲響,風兒不怕羅網,蓮花不怕污水,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(37)
The verse on being unalarmed by sounds
71. What is the origin? A certain king of Bārāṇasī, it is said,
owned a park some distance away. One day he rose early and
was going to the park when along the way he got down from
his vehicle and went to a pond [125] to wash his face. In that
place a lioness had given birth to a cub and had gone off to
search for prey. The king’s man saw it and reported to the king:
“There is a lion cub, lord.” The king thought: “It is said that
a lion is not afraid of anyone.” Wishing to investigate this, he
ordered the drums to be beaten. The lion cub heard the sound
but just continued to lie there. The king repeated this three
times. On the third occasion the cub raised its head and looked
over the entire retinue but just continued to lie there. Then the
king said: “Let’s go before the mother returns.” As he was trav-
eling he reflected: “The lion cub has just been born this day yet
it is not alarmed or frightened. When will I too, having con-
quered521 the agitation of craving and views, not be alarmed or
frightened?”
Having taken that as an object, he continued on. Next he
saw that fishermen had caught fish and had hung the net
on branches. He noticed that the wind passed through the
net without getting stuck. He took this, too, as an object and
thought: “When will I, too, split the net of craving and views or
the net of delusion and go along without getting stuck?”
Having come to the park, while sitting on the bank of the
Stone-Slab lotus pond he saw lotuses being blown on by the
wind. The lotuses bent down and touched the water, but when
the wind subsided they again stood up in their original places,
untainted by the water. He took that, too, as an object and
thought: “When will I, too, though born in the world, stand
untainted by the world, just as these lotuses, though born in
the water, stand untainted by the water?” Having reflected
again and again, “Like a lion, the wind, and the lotuses, respec-
tively, I should be unalarmed, unattached, and untainted,” he
abandoned the kingdom and went forth. Developing insight,
he realized pacceka enlightenment and recited this verse as a
joyful utterance.
Here, as to a lion, there are four kinds of lions: the savannah
lion, the yellow lion, the black lion, and the maned lion. Of
these, the maned lion is declared to be foremost, and that is
the kind intended here. Wind is manifold, such as the east-
ern wind and so forth. The lotus may be red, white, and so
forth. Any kind of wind and any kind of lotus among these
is appropriate. Here, terror exists because of self-love, and
self-love is the stain of craving; that [stain of craving] exists
because of greed—whether associated with views or dissoci-
ated from views—and it is itself also craving. But attachment
exists because of the delusion of one who lacks investigation
into this, [126] and delusion is ignorance. Here, the abandon-
ing of craving occurs by means of serenity and the abandoning
of ignorance by means of insight. Therefore, having abandoned
self-love by means of serenity, [one is not alarmed] by imper-
manence, suffering, and so forth, like a lion unalarmed among
sounds. Having abandoned delusion by means of insight,
one is unattached to the aggregates and sense bases like the
wind not caught in a net. And having abandoned greed and
views associated with greed by means of serenity alone, one
is untainted by greed for wealth and all states of existence,
untainted like a lotus by water.
And in this case, good behavior is the basis for serenity;
serenity is concentration; and insight is wisdom. Thus, when
those two qualities (serenity and insight) are accomplished,
the three aggregates are achieved.522 Among these, through
the aggregate of good behavior one becomes gentle. Like a
lion among sounds, one is not alarmed because of a desire to
lash out in anger at those who provoke resentment. Like the
wind in the net, one who has penetrated their real nature by
means of the aggregate of wisdom is not attached to phenom-
ena classified into the aggregates and so forth. Like the lotus
untainted by water, one free of lust by means of the aggregate
of concentration is not tainted by lust. In this way, it should
be understood, one is unalarmed, unattached, and untainted
through the abandoning of ignorance and craving and the
three unwholesome roots by means of serenity and insight and
the aggregates of good behavior, concentration, and wisdom,
respectively. The rest in the way stated earlier.
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72. Sīho yathā dāṭhabalī pasayha
rājā migānaṃ abhibhuyyacārī2
sevetha pantāni3 senāsanāni,
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.38 ||
(38)
72. Wandering victorious, having overcome like a strong-toothed lion, the king of beasts, one should resort to secluded lodgings, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(38)
72. Like the lion, king of beasts, who has fangs as its strength, who lives by attacking and overpowering, one should resort to remote lodgings; one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (38)
(38)
72 猶如獸王獅子四處遊蕩,以利牙征服眾獸,而棲息在僻靜之處,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(38)
The verse on one whose strength is in its fangs
72. What is the origin? It is said that a certain king of Bārāṇasī,
in order to suppress a frontier rebellion, set forth with a large
army, avoiding village and town paths and taking instead a
path straight through a forest. Now on that occasion a lion
was lying down at the foot of a mountain warming himself in
the morning sun. Having seen him, the king’s man reported
this to the king. The king thought, “It is said that a lion is not
alarmed by sound,” and he ordered a noise to be made by the
drums, trumpets, hand drums, and other instruments. The lion
just continued to lie there. The king repeated this three times.
On the third occasion the lion thought, “An opponent of mine
is here,” and he steadied himself with his four paws on the
ground and roared his lion’s roar.
As soon as they heard this, the elephant riders descended
from their elephants [127] and rushed into the bushes. The
hosts of elephants and horses fled in various directions. The
king’s elephant, too, took the king and fled, crashing through
the jungle. Unable to control him, the king caught the branch
of a tree and dropped to the ground. Going along a narrow
footpath, he arrived at the dwelling place of paccekabuddhas.
There he asked the paccekabuddhas: “Bhante, did you hear the
sound?” – “Yes, great king.” – “The sound of what, Bhante?”
– “First the sound of drums and trumpets, and so forth; after-
ward, the sound of a lion.” – “Weren’t you afraid, Bhante?”
– “No, great king, we aren’t afraid of any sound.” – “Is it pos-
sible, Bhante, for me to be so fearless?” – “It is possible, great
king, if you go forth.” – “Then let me go forth, Bhante.”
Then the paccekabuddhas gave him the going forth and
trained him in proper behavior, in the way explained earlier.
And in the way explained earlier, he developed insight, real-
ized pacceka enlightenment, and recited this verse as a joyful
utterance.
In this verse, the lion is so called because it conquers and
kills, and because of its speed.523 It is the maned lion that is
intended here. [By attacking and overpowering]: The word
“lives” should be construed with both “attacking” and “over-
powering,” yielding “lives attacking” and “lives overpow-
ering.” Here, “lives attacking” is said because it lives having
attacked, having suppressed, having carried away.524 “Lives
overpowering” is said because it overpowers, terrifies, and
subjugates. It attacks through its bodily strength, it overpow-
ers through its splendor. If anyone should ask, “What does
it attack and overpower?” by taking the genitive “of beasts”
in an accusative sense,525 one should answer: “It attacks and
overpowers beasts.” Remote means far away, and lodgings are
dwelling places. The rest can be understood in the way stated
earlier so it is not elaborated.
• Nidd II 272. As the lion, king of beasts, who has fangs as
its strength, lives by attacking and overpowering: As the lion,
the king of beasts, who has fangs as its strength, fangs as its
3 The Rhinoceros Horn (Khaggavisāṇa Sutta) 493
weapon, lives having overpowered, overwhelmed, exhausted,
and crushed all other animals, the paccekabuddha, too, who
has wisdom as his strength, wisdom as his weapon, lives hav-
ing overpowered, overwhelmed, exhausted, and crushed all
other persons by means of wisdom. •
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(39)
73. Mettaṃ upekhaṃ karuṇaṃ vimuttiṃ
āsevamāno muditañ ca kāle
sabbena lokena avirujjhamāno
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.39 ||
(39)
73. Cultivating at the right time loving-kindness, equanimity, pity, release and [sympathetic] joy, unimpeded by the whole world, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(39)
73. At the right time pursuing liberation by loving-kindness,equanimity, compassion, and altruistic joy,73 not antagonized by the whole world, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (39)
(39)
73 始終保持仁慈,寧靜,憐憫,超脫和忻悅,不受整個世界干擾,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(39)
The verse on the immeasurables526
73. What is the origin? A certain king, it is said, was an obtainer
of jhāna through loving-kindness. Thinking, “Kingship is an
obstacle to the bliss of jhāna,” [128] in order to maintain the
jhāna, he abandoned the kingdom and went forth. Develop-
ing insight, he realized pacceka enlightenment and recited this
verse as a joyful utterance.
Here, loving-kindness is the wish to bring well-being and
happiness in the way stated thus: “May all beings be happy!”
and so forth. Compassion is the wish to remove harm and
suffering in the way stated thus: “Oh, may all beings be free
from this suffering!” and so forth. Altruistic joy is the wish
that they not be separated from well-being and happiness in
the way stated thus: “They rejoice! How good and excellent it
is that beings rejoice!” and so forth. Equanimity is looking on
impartially at happiness and suffering, thinking: “They will be
known through their own kamma.” For ease in composing the
verse,527 equanimity has been stated out of sequence, just after
loving-kindness, while altruistic joy is stated last. Liberation:
the four are also liberations because they are liberated from
their own contrary qualities. Hence it is said: “At the right time
pursuing liberation by loving-kindness, equanimity, compas-
sion, and altruistic joy.”528
Here, pursuing means developing the first three by way of
three or four jhānas,529 and equanimity by way of the fourth
jhāna. At the right time: When it is said “pursuing at the
right time,” this means that having pursued loving-kindness
and emerged from it, one pursues compassion; then, hav-
ing emerged from it, one pursues altruistic joy; then, having
emerged from the others or from the jhāna without rapture,
one pursues equanimity. Or it means at a time when it is con-
venient to pursue them. Not antagonized by the whole world:
without animosity toward all the world of beings in the ten
directions. For through the development of loving-kindness
and so forth, beings are unrepulsive. And aversion, which is
opposition to beings, subsides. Hence it is said: “not antag-
onized by the whole world.” This here is a brief account. A
detailed discussion of loving-kindness and so forth is given in
the Atthasālinī (As 192–97), the commentary to the Dhamma-
saṅgaha. The rest is similar to what has already been stated.
(39)
(40)
74. Rāgañ ca dosañ4 ca pahāya mohaṃ
sandālayitvā5 saṃyojanāni
asantasaṃ jīvitasaṃkhayamhi
eko care . . . || Sn_I,3.40 ||
(40)
74. Leaving behind passion, hatred, and delusion, having torn the fetters apart, not trembling at [the time of] the complete destruction of life, one should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.
(40)
74. Having abandoned lust, hatred, and delusion, having sundered the fetters [that keep one bound], not terrified at the extinction of life, one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (40)
(40)
74 摒棄愛欲,忿怒和癡迷,斬斷種種束縛,不懼怕生命的滅寂,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。
(40)
The verse on the extinction of life

74. What is the origin? It is said that there was a paccekabud-
dha named Mātaṅga who lived in dependence on Rājagaha;
[129] he was the very last of paccekabuddhas. When our bodhi-
satta had arisen, the deities coming to worship the bodhisatta
saw him and said: “Dear sir, dear sir! A buddha has arisen in
the world.” While emerging from the attainment of cessation,
he heard that sound. Having seen that the time for the extinc-
tion of his own life had come, he traveled through the sky to the
mountain in the Himalayas called “the Great Precipice,” the
place where paccekabuddhas attain final nibbāna. He threw
into the precipice the skeleton of a paccekabuddha who had
attained final nibbāna earlier, sat down on a stone slab, and
recited this verse as a joyful utterance.530
In this verse, lust, hatred, and delusion were explained in
commenting on the Discourse on the Serpent. The fetters: the
ten fetters. And having sundered them by this and that path.
Not terrified at the extinction of life: It is passing away, the
dissolution of the mind, that is called the extinction of life.
Because he had abandoned attachment to life, he was not terri-
fied over the extinction of life. Having shown at this point his
own attainment of the nibbāna element with residue remain-
ing, at the conclusion of the verse he attained final nibbāna
through the nibāna element without residue remaining.
(40)
(41)
75. Bhajanti sevanti ca kāraṇatthā,6
nikkāraṇā7 dullabhā dullabhā ajja mittā,
[F._12] āttaṭṭhapaññā8 asucī manussā, --
eko care khaggavisāṇakappo {ti} || Sn_I,3.41 ||

Khaggavisāyasuttaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ.
4. Kasibhāradvājasūtta9.
Evam10 me sutaṃ:
Ekaṃ samayaṃ Bhagavā Magadhesu viharati Dakkhiṇā-girismiṃ Ekanālāyaṃ brāhmaṇagāme. Tena kho pana
samayena Kasibhāradvājassa1 brāhmaṇassa pañcamattāni
naṅgalasatāni2 payuttāni honti vappakāle. Atha kho
Bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṃ mivāsetvā pattacīvaraṃ3 ādāya
yena Kasibhāradvājassa brāhmaṇassa kammanto ten'
upasaṃkami.4 Tena kho pana samayena Kasibhāradvā-
jassa brāhmaṇassa parivesanā vattati.5 Atha kho Bhagavā
vena parivesanā ten'; upasaṃkami, upasaṃkamitvā ekam-
antaṃ aṭṭhāsi. Addasā kho Kasibhāradvājo brāhmaṇo
Bhagavantaṃ piṇḍāya ṭhitaṃ, disvāna6 Bhagavantam etad
avoca: "ahaṃ kho7 samaṇa kasāmi ca vapāmi8 ca, kasitvā
ca vapitvā ca bhuñjāmi, tvam9 pi samana kasassu ca
vapassu ca, kasitvā ca vapitvā ca bhuñjassū"10 ti. "Aham9
pi kho brāhmaṇa kasāmi ca vapāmi ca, kasitvā ca vapitvā ca
bhuñjāmī" ti. "Na kho pana mayaṃ passāma bhoto
Gotamassa yugaṃ vā naṅgalaṃ [F._13]vā phālaṃ vā
pācanaṃ11 vā balivadde12 vā, atha ca pana bhavaṃ Gotamo
evam āha: aham9 pi kho brāhmaṇa kasāmi ca vapāmi ca,
kasitvā ca vapitvā ca bhuñjāmī" ti. Atha kho Kasibhā-
radvājo brāhmaṇo Bhagavantaṃ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
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75. [People] associate with and resort to [others] for some motive; nowadays friends without a motive are hard to find. Wise as to their own advantage, men are impure. One should wander solitary as a rhinoceros horn.

1.4. Kasibhāradvāja

Thus I have heard. Once the Blessed One was staying among the Magadhans at Dakkhināgiri <13> in the brahman village Ekanālā. At that time the brahman Kasibhāradvāja's five hundred ploughs were fastened [to the yokes] at the sowing-time. Then in the morning, having dressed himself and taken bowl and robe, the Blessed One went to where the brahman Kasibhāradvāja was at work. At that time the brahman Kasibhāradvāja's food-distribution was taking place. Then the Blessed One went to where the food-distribution (Was taking place], and stood on one side. The brahman Kasibhāradvāja saw the Blessed One standing there for alms, and said this: 'I, ascetic, plough and sow, and when I have ploughed and sown I eat. You too, ascetic, should plough and sow, and eat when you have ploughed and sown.' 'l too, brahman, do plough and sow, and when I have ploughed and sown, I eat.' 'But we do not see the venerable Gotama's yoke, or plough, or ploughshare, or goad, or oxen. but nevertheless the venerable Gotama speaks thus: "I too, brahman, do plough and sow, and when I have ploughed and sown, I eat". 'Then the brahman Kasibhāradvāja addressed the Blessed One with a verse.
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75. They resort to you and serve you for a motive; friends without motive are today very rare. Impure people are wise about their own good: one should live alone like a rhinoceros horn. (41)

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Magadhans [13] at Dakkhiṇāgiri near the brahmin village Ekanālā. Now on that occasion five hundred plows had been yoked for the brahmin Kasibhāradvāja at the time of sowing.

Then in the morning the Blessed One dressed, took his bowl and robe, and went to the place where the brahmin Kasibhāradvāja was working. Now on that occasion the brahmin Kasibhāradvāja’s food distribution was taking place. The Blessed One then approached the food distribution and stood to one side. The brahmin Kasibhāradvāja saw the Blessed One standing for alms and said to him: “I plow and sow, ascetic, and having plowed and sown, I eat. You too, ascetic, must plow and sow, and having plowed and sown, you can eat.”

“I too, brahmin, plow and sow, and having plowed and
sown, I eat.”

“But we do not see Master Gotama’s yoke or plow or plowshare or goad or oxen, yet Master Gotama says this: ‘I too, brahmin, plow and sow, and having plowed and sown, I eat.’”

Then the brahmin Kasibhāradvāja addressed the Blessed One in verse:
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75 人與人交往為謀私利,不謀私利的朋友今日難得,謀私利的人不純潔,讓他像犀牛角一樣獨自遊蕩。

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The verse on ulterior motive
75. What is the origin? A certain king of Bārāṇasī, it is said,
ruled over a prosperous kingdom of the kind described in rela-
tion to the first verse (p. 415). He contracted a severe illness
and painful feelings arose in him. Twenty thousand women
surrounded him and massaged his hands and feet. The min-
isters reflected: “Now this king won’t live. Let us look out for
ourselves.” So they went to another king and offered to serve
him. Though they served him, they didn’t get any reward.
Meanwhile, the first king recovered and asked: “Where is this
one, where is that one?” When he heard the news, he shook his
head and fell silent.
Since they did not get anything from the second king, the
ministers sank into extreme poverty, so when they heard that
the first king had recovered, they returned to him, paid hom-
age to him, and stood to one side. [130] When the king asked
them: “Where did you go, dear ones?” they replied: “When
we saw that the king had become weak, from fear for our live-
lihoods, we went to such and such a country.” The king shook
his head and reflected: “Let me investigate to find out whether
or not they would do such a thing again.”
He pretended that he had contracted an oppressive illness531
as before and acted as if he were experiencing severe pain. The
women surrounded him and treated him as before. The min-
isters, too, departed as before, taking even more people with
them. In this way, even up to the third time, the king acted in the
same way, and each time the ministers departed. Then, when
he saw that they had returned the fourth time, he reflected:
“Oh, they have acted badly, in that they abandoned me when
I was sick and left me without concern!” Disenchanted, he
abandoned the kingdom and went forth. Developing insight,
he realized pacceka enlightenment and recited this verse as a
joyful utterance.
Here, they resort to you: They adhere bodily and attend
on you. They serve you: They perform services, with rever-
ential salutation and a display of deference. For a motive: for
their own benefit as the reason. They have no other reason for
resorting to you and serving you but their own benefit. What is
meant is that they serve you for their own sake. Friends with-
out motive are today very rare: Those without motive are those
who are not motivated by some benefit, [who do not serve one
thinking]: “I will get something from him.” Such friends who
possess the quality of noble friendship are today very rare.
They are described thus:
There is the friend who is a helper,
the friend in happiness and suffering,
the friend who points out the good,
and the friend who is sympathetic. (DN III 188,1–4)
Since their wisdom is set up in regard to themselves, they
look out only for themselves, not others.532 Thus it is said: Wise
about their own good. It is said there is also this ancient read-
ing: Wise about the visible good. [131] What is meant is that
they have wisdom in regard to the present, visible good; they
do not look out for the future.533 Impure: They are possessed
of impure, ignoble action of body, speech, and mind. The rest
should be understood in the way already stated.
Conclusion
Thus the Discourse on the Rhinoceros Horn, which consists of
forty-one verses, should be understood in terms of sequence
and meaning, having construed all the verses in the appropri-
ate way, using the method of construal that was stated only in
some cases. We did not construe them in every case from fear
of too much elaboration.
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