{"id":"an7.74","title":"About Araka","languageCodes":["en","pi"],"languageNotes":{"en":"Bhikkhu Sujato · CC0","pi":"Mahāsaṅgīti edition · SuttaCentral"},"chapters":[{"id":"an7.74","title":"About Araka","units":[{"id":"an7.74:0","sourceIds":["an7.74:0.1","an7.74:0.2","an7.74:0.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.74\n7. Mahāvagga\nArakasutta","en":"Numbered Discourses 7.74\n7. The Great Chapter\nAbout Araka"}},{"id":"an7.74:1","sourceIds":["an7.74:1.1","an7.74:1.2","an7.74:1.3","an7.74:1.4"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, arako nāma satthā ahosi titthakaro kāmesu vītarāgo.\nArakassa kho pana, bhikkhave, satthuno anekāni sāvakasatāni ahesuṁ.\nArako satthā sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:\n‘appakaṁ, brāhmaṇa, jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.","en":"“Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a teacher named Araka. He was a religious founder and was free of desire for sensual pleasures.\nHe had many hundreds of disciples,\nand he taught them like this:\n‘Brahmins, life as a human is short, brief, and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no one born can escape death."}},{"id":"an7.74:2","sourceIds":["an7.74:2.1","an7.74:2.2"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, tiṇagge ussāvabindu sūriye uggacchante khippaṁyeva paṭivigacchati, na ciraṭṭhitikaṁ hoti;\nevamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, ussāvabindūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.","en":"It’s like a drop of dew on a grass tip. When the sun comes up it vanishes right away and doesn’t last long.\nIn the same way, life as a human is like a dewdrop. It’s brief and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no one born can escape death."}},{"id":"an7.74:3","sourceIds":["an7.74:3.1","an7.74:3.2"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, thullaphusitake deve vassante udakabubbuḷaṁ khippaṁyeva paṭivigacchati, na ciraṭṭhitikaṁ hoti;\nevamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, udakabubbuḷūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.","en":"It’s like when the heavens rain heavily. The bubbles vanish right away and don’t last long.\nIn the same way, life as a human is like a bubble. …"}},{"id":"an7.74:4","sourceIds":["an7.74:4.1","an7.74:4.2","an7.74:4.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, udake daṇḍarāji khippaṁyeva paṭivigacchati, na ciraṭṭhitikā hoti;\nevamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, udake daṇḍarājūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ …pe…\nnatthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.","en":"It’s like a line drawn in water. It vanishes right away and doesn’t last long.\nIn the same way, life as a human is like a line drawn in water. …"}},{"id":"an7.74:5","sourceIds":["an7.74:5.1","an7.74:5.2","an7.74:5.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, nadī pabbateyyā dūraṅgamā sīghasotā hārahārinī, natthi so khaṇo vā layo vā muhutto vā yaṁ sā āvattati, atha kho sā gacchateva vattateva sandateva;\nevamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, nadīpabbateyyūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ …pe…\nnatthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.","en":"It’s like a mountain river traveling far, flowing fast, carrying all before it. It doesn’t turn back—not for a moment, a second, an hour—but runs, rolls, and flows on.\nIn the same way, life as a human is like a mountain river. …"}},{"id":"an7.74:6","sourceIds":["an7.74:6.1","an7.74:6.2","an7.74:6.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, balavā puriso jivhagge kheḷapiṇḍaṁ saṁyūhitvā akasireneva vameyya;\nevamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, kheḷapiṇḍūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ …pe…\nnatthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.","en":"It’s like a strong man who has formed a glob of spit on the tip of his tongue. He could easily spit it out.\nIn the same way, life as a human is like a glob of spit. …"}},{"id":"an7.74:7","sourceIds":["an7.74:7.1","an7.74:7.2","an7.74:7.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, divasaṁsantatte ayokaṭāhe maṁsapesi pakkhittā khippaṁyeva paṭivigacchati, na ciraṭṭhitikā hoti;\nevamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, maṁsapesūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ …pe…\nnatthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.","en":"Suppose there was an iron cauldron that had been heated all day. If you tossed a scrap of meat in, it would vanish right away and not last long.\nIn the same way, life as a human is like a scrap of meat. …"}},{"id":"an7.74:8","sourceIds":["an7.74:8.1","an7.74:8.2"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, gāvī vajjhā āghātanaṁ nīyamānā yaṁ yadeva pādaṁ uddharati, santikeva hoti vadhassa santikeva maraṇassa;\nevamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, govajjhūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇan’ti.","en":"It’s like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse. With every step she comes closer to the slaughter, closer to death.\nIn the same way, life as a human is like a cow being slaughtered. It’s brief and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no one born can escape death.’"}},{"id":"an7.74:9","sourceIds":["an7.74:9.1","an7.74:9.2","an7.74:9.3","an7.74:9.4","an7.74:9.5"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ saṭṭhivassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi, pañcavassasatikā kumārikā alaṁpateyyā ahosi.\nTena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ chaḷeva ābādhā ahesuṁ—\nsītaṁ, uṇhaṁ, jighacchā, pipāsā, uccāro, passāvo.\nSo hi nāma, bhikkhave, arako satthā evaṁ dīghāyukesu manussesu evaṁ ciraṭṭhitikesu evaṁ appābādhesu sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ desessati:\n‘appakaṁ, brāhmaṇa, jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇan’ti.","en":"Now, mendicants, at that time human beings had a lifespan of 60,000 years. Girls could be married at 500 years of age.\nAnd human beings only had six afflictions:\ncold, heat, hunger, thirst, and the need to defecate and urinate.\nBut even though humans were so long-lived with so few afflictions, Araka still taught in this way:\n‘Life as a human is short, brief, and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no one born can escape death.’"}},{"id":"an7.74:10","sourceIds":["an7.74:10.1","an7.74:10.2","an7.74:10.3","an7.74:10.4","an7.74:10.5","an7.74:10.6","an7.74:10.7","an7.74:10.8","an7.74:10.9","an7.74:10.10","an7.74:10.11","an7.74:10.12","an7.74:10.13"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Etarahi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya:\n‘appakaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇan’ti.\nEtarahi, bhikkhave, yo ciraṁ jīvati so vassasataṁ appaṁ vā bhiyyo.\nVassasataṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, jīvanto tīṇiyeva utusatāni jīvati—\nutusataṁ hemantānaṁ, utusataṁ gimhānaṁ, utusataṁ vassānaṁ.\nTīṇi kho pana, bhikkhave, utusatāni jīvanto dvādasayeva māsasatāni jīvati—\ncattāri māsasatāni hemantānaṁ, cattāri māsasatāni gimhānaṁ, cattāri māsasatāni vassānaṁ.\nDvādasa kho pana, bhikkhave, māsasatāni jīvanto catuvīsatiyeva addhamāsasatāni jīvati—\naṭṭhaddhamāsasatāni hemantānaṁ, aṭṭhaddhamāsasatāni gimhānaṁ, aṭṭhaddhamāsasatāni vassānaṁ.\nCatuvīsati kho pana, bhikkhave, addhamāsasatāni jīvanto chattiṁsaṁyeva rattisahassāni jīvati—\ndvādasa rattisahassāni hemantānaṁ, dvādasa rattisahassāni gimhānaṁ, dvādasa rattisahassāni vassānaṁ.\nChattiṁsaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, rattisahassāni jīvanto dvesattatiyeva bhattasahassāni bhuñjati—\ncatuvīsati bhattasahassāni hemantānaṁ, catuvīsati bhattasahassāni gimhānaṁ, catuvīsati bhattasahassāni vassānaṁ saddhiṁ mātuthaññāya saddhiṁ bhattantarāyena.","en":"These days it’d be right to say:\n‘Life as a human is short, brief, and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no one born can escape death.’\nFor these days a long life is a hundred years or a little more.\nLiving for a hundred years, there are just three hundred seasons,\na hundred each of the winter, summer, and rains.\nLiving for three hundred seasons, there are just twelve hundred months,\nfour hundred in each of the winter, summer, and rains.\nLiving for twelve hundred months, there are just twenty-four hundred fortnights,\neight hundred in each of the winter, summer, and rains.\nLiving for 2,400 fortnights, there are just 36,000 days,\n12,000 in each of the summer, winter, and rains.\nLiving for 36,000 days, you just eat 72,000 meals,\n24,000 in each of the summer, winter, and rains, including when you’re suckling at the breast, and when you’re prevented from eating."}},{"id":"an7.74:11","sourceIds":["an7.74:11.1","an7.74:11.2","an7.74:11.3","an7.74:11.4","an7.74:11.5","an7.74:11.6"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Tatrime bhattantarāyā kapimiddhopi bhattaṁ na bhuñjati, dukkhitopi bhattaṁ na bhuñjati, byādhitopi bhattaṁ na bhuñjati, uposathikopi bhattaṁ na bhuñjati, alābhakenapi bhattaṁ na bhuñjati.\nIti kho, bhikkhave, mayā vassasatāyukassa manussassa āyupi saṅkhāto, āyuppamāṇampi saṅkhātaṁ, utūpi saṅkhātā, saṁvaccharāpi saṅkhātā, māsāpi saṅkhātā, addhamāsāpi saṅkhātā, rattipi saṅkhātā, divāpi saṅkhātā, bhattāpi saṅkhātā, bhattantarāyāpi saṅkhātā.\nYaṁ, bhikkhave, satthārā karaṇīyaṁ sāvakānaṁ hitesinā anukampakena anukampaṁ upādāya;\nkataṁ vo taṁ mayā etāni, bhikkhave, rukkhamūlāni etāni suññāgārāni. Jhāyatha, bhikkhave, mā pamādattha; mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha. Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī”ti.\nDasamaṁ.\nMahāvaggo sattamo.","en":"Things that prevent you from eating include anger, pain, sickness, sabbath, or being unable to get food.\nSo mendicants, for a human being with a hundred years lifespan I have counted the lifespan, the limit of the lifespan, the seasons, the years, the months, the fortnights, the nights, the days, the meals, and the things that prevent them from eating.\nOut of sympathy, I’ve done what a teacher should do who wants what’s best for their disciples.\nHere are these roots of trees, and here are these empty huts. Practice absorption, mendicants! Don’t be negligent! Don’t regret it later! This is my instruction to you.”"}},{"id":"an7.74:12","sourceIds":["an7.74:12.0","an7.74:12.1","an7.74:12.2","an7.74:12.3","an7.74:12.4"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Tassuddānaṁ\nHirīsūriyaṁ upamā,\ndhammaññū pārichattakaṁ;\nSakkaccaṁ bhāvanā aggi,\nsunettaarakena cāti."}}]}],"sourceRevision":"afdafa92450cfe7573b280da50382888323666d2","sourceUrl":"https://suttacentral.net/an7.74/en/sujato","licence":"CC0 1.0","licenceUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/","editionNote":"Full supplied source file; inherited abbreviations are preserved. Not a reconstructed expansion of every repetition. No Malay or Mandarin translation is implied."}