Synopsis |
gāvī-upamā-suttaṃ (AN 9.35) |
The Cow: Gāvī Sutta (9:35) |
(cst4) |
(thanissaro trans.) |
♦ 35. “seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gāvī pabbateyyā bālā abyattā akhettaññū akusalā visame pabbate carituṃ. tassā evamassa — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ agatapubbañceva disaṃ gaccheyyaṃ, akhāditapubbāni ca tiṇāni khādeyyaṃ, apītapubbāni ca pānīyāni piveyyan’ti. sā purimaṃ pādaṃ na suppatiṭṭhitaṃ patiṭṭhāpetvā pacchimaṃ pādaṃ uddhareyya. sā na ceva agatapubbaṃ disaṃ gaccheyya, na ca akhāditapubbāni tiṇāni khādeyya, na ca apītapubbāni pānīyāni piveyya; yasmiṃ cassā padese ṭhitāya evamassa — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ agatapubbañceva disaṃ gaccheyyaṃ, akhāditapubbāni ca tiṇāni khādeyyaṃ, apītapubbāni ca pānīyāni piveyyan’ti tañca padesaṃ na sotthinā paccāgaccheyya. taṃ kissa hetu? tathā hi sā, bhikkhave, gāvī pabbateyyā bālā abyattā akhettaññū akusalā visame pabbate carituṃ. |
“Suppose there was a mountain cow—foolish, incompetent, unfamiliar with her pasture, unskilled in roaming on rugged mountains—and she were to think, ‘What if I were to go in a direction I have never gone before, to eat grass I have never eaten before, to drink water I have never drunk before!’ She would lift her hind hoof without having placed her front hoof firmly and (as a result) would not get to go in a direction she had never gone before, to eat grass she had never eaten before, or to drink water she had never drunk before. And as for the place where she was standing when the thought occurred to her, ‘What if I were to go where I have never been before… to drink water I have never drunk before,’ she would not return there safely. Why is that? Because she is a foolish, incompetent mountain cow, unfamiliar with her pasture, unskilled in roaming on rugged mountains. |
evamevaṃ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu bālo abyatto akhettaññū akusalo vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ vivekajaṃ pītisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati; so taṃ nimittaṃ na āsevati na bhāveti na bahulīkaroti na svādhiṭṭhitaṃ adhiṭṭhāti. |
“In the same way, there are cases where a monk—foolish, incompetent, unfamiliar with his pasture, unskilled in being quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities, and entering & remaining in the first jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation—doesn’t stick with that theme, doesn’t develop it, pursue it, or establish himself firmly in it. |
♦ “tassa evaṃ hoti — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ vitakkavicārānaṃ vūpasamā ajjhattaṃ sampasādanaṃ cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ avitakkaṃ avicāraṃ samādhijaṃ pītisukhaṃ dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti. so na sakkoti vitakkavicārānaṃ vūpasamā ... pe ... dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharituṃ. tassa evaṃ hoti — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ vivekajaṃ pītisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti. so na sakkoti vivicceva kāmehi ... pe ... paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharituṃ. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhu ubhato bhaṭṭho ubhato parihīno, seyyathāpi sā gāvī pabbateyyā bālā abyattā akhettaññū akusalā visame pabbate carituṃ’”. |
The thought occurs to him, ‘What if I, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, were to enter & remain in the second jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation—internal assurance.’ He is not able… to enter & remain in the second jhāna.… The thought occurs to him, ‘What if I… were to enter & remain in the first jhāna.… He is not able… to enter & remain in the first jhāna. This is called a monk who has slipped & fallen from both sides, like the mountain cow, foolish, incompetent, unfamiliar with her pasture, unskilled in roaming on rugged mountains. |
♦ “seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gāvī pabbateyyā paṇḍitā byattā khettaññū kusalā visame pabbate carituṃ. tassā evamassa — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ agatapubbañceva disaṃ gaccheyyaṃ, akhāditapubbāni ca tiṇāni khādeyyaṃ, apītapubbāni ca pānīyāni piveyyan’ti. sā purimaṃ pādaṃ suppatiṭṭhitaṃ patiṭṭhāpetvā pacchimaṃ pādaṃ uddhareyya. sā agatapubbañceva disaṃ gaccheyya, akhāditapubbāni ca tiṇāni khādeyya, apītapubbāni ca pānīyāni piveyya. yasmiṃ cassā padese ṭhitāya evamassa — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ agatapubbañceva disaṃ gaccheyyaṃ, akhāditapubbāni ca tiṇāni khādeyyaṃ, apītapubbāni ca pānīyāni piveyyan’ti tañca padesaṃ sotthinā paccāgaccheyya. taṃ kissa hetu? tathā hi sā, bhikkhave, gāvī pabbateyyā paṇḍitā byattā khettaññū kusalā visame pabbate carituṃ. |
“But suppose there was a mountain cow—wise, competent, familiar with her pasture, skilled in roaming on rugged mountains—and she were to think, ‘What if I were to go in a direction I have never gone before, to eat grass I have never eaten before, to drink water I have never drunk before!’ She would lift her hind hoof only after having placed her front hoof firmly and (as a result) would get to go in a direction she had never gone before… to drink water she had never drunk before. And as for the place where she was standing when the thought occurred to her, ‘What if I were to go in a direction I have never gone before… to drink water I have never drunk before,’ she would return there safely. Why is that? Because she is a wise, competent mountain cow, familiar with her pasture, skilled in roaming on rugged mountains. |
evamevaṃ kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu paṇḍito byatto khettaññū kusalo vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ vivekajaṃ pītisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. so taṃ nimittaṃ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti svādhiṭṭhitaṃ adhiṭṭhāti. |
“In the same way, there are some cases where a monk—wise, competent, familiar with his pasture, skilled in being quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities, and entering & remaining in the first jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation—sticks with that theme, develops it, pursues it, & establishes himself firmly in it. |
♦ “tassa evaṃ hoti — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ vitakkavicārānaṃ vūpasamā ajjhattaṃ sampasādanaṃ cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ avitakkaṃ avicāraṃ samādhijaṃ pītisukhaṃ dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti. so dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ anabhihiṃsamāno vitakkavicārānaṃ vūpasamā... dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. so taṃ nimittaṃ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti svādhiṭṭhitaṃ adhiṭṭhāti. |
“The thought occurs to him, ‘What if, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, I were to enter & remain in the second jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation—internal assurance.’ Without jumping at the second jhāna, he—with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations—enters & remains in the second jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation—internal assurance. He sticks with that theme, develops it, pursues it, & establishes himself firmly in it. |
♦ “tassa evaṃ hoti — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca vihareyyaṃ sato ca sampajāno, sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṃvedeyyaṃ yaṃ taṃ ariyā ācikkhanti — upekkhako satimā sukhavihārīti tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti. so tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ anabhihiṃsamāno pītiyā ca virāgā ... pe ... tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. so taṃ nimittaṃ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti svādhiṭṭhitaṃ adhiṭṭhāti. |
“The thought occurs to him, ‘What if, with the fading of rapture, I… were to enter & remain in the third jhāna’.… Without jumping at the third jhāna, with the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body, entering & remaining in the third jhāna, of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.’ He sticks with that theme, develops it, pursues it, & establishes himself firmly in it. |
♦ “tassa evaṃ hoti — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṃ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṃ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṃ catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti. so catutthaṃ jhānaṃ anabhihiṃsamāno sukhassa ca pahānā ... pe ... catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. so taṃ nimittaṃ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti svādhiṭṭhitaṃ adhiṭṭhāti. |
“The thought occurs to him, ‘What if I… were to enter & remain in the fourth jhāna’.… Without jumping at the fourth jhāna, with the abandoning of pleasure & pain—as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress—he enters & remains in the fourth jhāna: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. He sticks with that theme, develops it, pursues it, & establishes himself firmly in it. |
♦ “tassa evaṃ hoti — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ sabbaso rūpasaññānaṃ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṃ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṃ amanasikārā ananto ākāsoti ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti. so ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ anabhihiṃsamāno sabbaso rūpasaññānaṃ samatikkamā ... pe ... ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati. so taṃ nimittaṃ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti svādhiṭṭhitaṃ adhiṭṭhāti. |
“The thought occurs to him, ‘What if I… were to enter & remain in the dimension of the infinitude of space.’ Without jumping at the dimension of the infinitude of space, he, with the complete transcending of perceptions of (physical) form, with the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, and not attending to perceptions of multiplicity, (perceiving,) ‘Infinite space,’ enters & remains in the dimension of the infinitude of space. He sticks with that theme, develops it, pursues it, & establishes himself firmly in it. |
♦ “tassa evaṃ hoti — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ samatikkamma anantaṃ viññāṇanti viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti. so viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ anabhihiṃsamāno sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ samatikkamma ‘anantaṃ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati. so taṃ nimittaṃ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti svādhiṭṭhitaṃ adhiṭṭhāti. |
“The thought occurs to him, ‘What if I… were to enter & remain in the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness.’ Without jumping at the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, he, with the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of space, (perceiving,) ‘Infinite consciousness,’ enters & remains in the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness. He sticks with that theme, develops it, pursues it, & establishes himself firmly in it. |
♦ “tassa evaṃ hoti — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ samatikkamma natthi kiñcīti ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti. so ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ anabhihiṃsamāno sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ samatikkamma ‘natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati. so taṃ nimittaṃ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti svādhiṭṭhitaṃ adhiṭṭhāti. |
“The thought occurs to him, ‘What if I… were to enter & remain in the dimension of nothingness.’ Without jumping at the dimension of nothingness, he, with the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, (perceiving,) ‘There is nothing,’ enters & remains in the dimension of nothingness. He sticks with that theme, develops it, pursues, it & establishes himself firmly in it. |
♦ “tassa evaṃ hoti — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti. so nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ anabhihiṃsamāno sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati. so taṃ nimittaṃ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti svādhiṭṭhitaṃ adhiṭṭhāti. |
“The thought occurs to him, ‘What if I… were to enter & remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.’ Without jumping at the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he, with the complete transcending of the dimension of nothingness, enters & remains in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. He sticks with that theme, develops it, pursues it, & establishes himself firmly in it. |
♦ “tassa evaṃ hoti — ‘yaṃnūnāhaṃ sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṃ upasampajja vihareyyan’ti. so saññāvedayitanirodhaṃ anabhihiṃsamāno sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṃ upasampajja viharati. |
“The thought occurs to him, ‘What if I, with the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, were to enter & remain in the cessation of perception & feeling.’ Without jumping at the cessation of perception & feeling, he, with the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, enters & remains in the cessation of perception & feeling. |
♦ “yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu |
“When a monk |
taṃ tadeva samāpattiṃ samāpajjatipi vuṭṭhātipi, |
enters & emerges from that very attainment, |
tassa mudu cittaṃ hoti kammaññaṃ. |
his mind is pliant & malleable. |
mudunā kammaññena cittena |
With his pliant, malleable mind, |
appamāṇo samādhi hoti subhāvito. |
limitless concentration is well developed. |
so appamāṇena samādhinā subhāvitena |
With his well-developed, limitless concentration, |
yassa yassa abhiññāsacchikaraṇīyassa dhammassa |
then whichever of the six higher knowledges |
cittaṃ abhininnāmeti abhiññāsacchikiriyāya |
he turns his mind to know & realize, |
tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati sati āyatane. |
he can witness them for himself whenever there is an opening. |
♦ “so sace ākaṅkhati — ‘anekavihitaṃ iddhividhaṃ paccanubhaveyyaṃ, ekopi hutvā bahudhā assaṃ, bahudhāpi hutvā eko assaṃ ... pe ... yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṃ vatteyyan’ti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati sati āyatane. |
“If he wants, he wields manifold supranormal powers. Having been one he becomes many; having been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space. He dives in and out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land. Sitting cross-legged he flies through the air like a winged bird. With his hand he touches and strokes even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful. He exercises influence with his body even as far as the Brahmā worlds. He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening. |
♦ “so sace ākaṅkhati — dibbāya sotadhātuyā ... pe ... sati sati āyatane. |
“If he wants, he hears—by means of the divine ear-element, purified and surpassing the human—both kinds of sounds: divine & human, whether near or far. He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening. |
♦ “so sace ākaṅkhati — ‘parasattānaṃ parapuggalānaṃ cetasā ceto paricca pajāneyyaṃ, sarāgaṃ vā cittaṃ sarāgaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, vītarāgaṃ vā cittaṃ vītarāgaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, sadosaṃ vā cittaṃ sadosaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, vītadosaṃ vā cittaṃ vītadosaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, samohaṃ vā cittaṃ samohaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, vītamohaṃ vā cittaṃ... saṃkhittaṃ vā cittaṃ... vikkhittaṃ vā cittaṃ... mahaggataṃ vā cittaṃ... amahaggataṃ vā cittaṃ... sauttaraṃ vā cittaṃ... anuttaraṃ vā cittaṃ... samāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ... asamāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ... vimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ... avimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ avimuttaṃ cittanti pajāneyyan’ti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati sati āyatane. |
“If he wants, he knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with his own awareness. He knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with his own awareness. He discerns a mind with passion as ‘a mind with passion,’ and a mind without passion as ‘a mind without passion.’ He discerns a mind with aversion as ‘a mind with aversion,’ and a mind without aversion as ‘a mind without aversion.’ He discerns a mind with delusion as ‘a mind with delusion,’ and a mind without delusion as ‘a mind without delusion.’ He discerns a restricted mind as ‘a restricted mind,’ and a scattered mind as ‘a scattered mind.’ He discerns an enlarged mind as ‘an enlarged mind,’ and an unenlarged mind as ‘an unenlarged mind.’ He discerns a surpassed mind [one that is not at the most excellent level] as ‘a surpassed mind,’ and an unsurpassed mind as ‘an unsurpassed mind.’ He discerns a concentrated mind as ‘a concentrated mind,’ and an unconcentrated mind as ‘an unconcentrated mind.’ He discerns a released mind as ‘a released mind,’ and an unreleased mind as ‘an unreleased mind.’ He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening. |
♦ “so sace ākaṅkhati — ‘anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussareyyaṃ, seyyathidaṃ — ekampi jātiṃ dvepi jātiyo ... pe ... iti sākāraṃ sauddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussareyyan’ti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati sati āyatane. |
“If he wants, he recollects his manifold past lives [literally: previous homes], i.e., one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion, many eons of cosmic contraction and expansion, (recollecting,) ‘There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.’ Thus he remembers his manifold past lives in their modes and details. He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening. |
♦ “so sace ākaṅkhati — ‘dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena ... pe ... yathākammūpage satte pajāneyyan’ti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati sati āyatane. |
“If he wants, he sees—by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human—beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: ‘These beings—who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of wrong views—with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. But these beings—who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, and mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views—with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in a good destination, a heavenly world.’ Thus—by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human—he sees beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their kamma. He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening. |
♦ “so sace ākaṅkhati — ‘āsavānaṃ khayā anāsavaṃ cetovimuttiṃ paññāvimuttiṃ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati sati āyatane”ti. |
“If he wants, then through the ending of effluents, he enters & remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having directly known and realized them for himself right in the here & now. He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening.” |
catutthaṃ. |
(end of sutta) |