{"id":"sn42.7","title":"The Simile of the Field","languageCodes":["en","pi"],"languageNotes":{"en":"Bhikkhu Sujato · CC0","pi":"Mahāsaṅgīti edition · SuttaCentral"},"chapters":[{"id":"sn42.7","title":"The Simile of the Field","units":[{"id":"sn42.7:0","sourceIds":["sn42.7:0.1","sn42.7:0.2","sn42.7:0.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Saṁyutta Nikāya 42.7\n1. Gāmaṇivagga\nKhettūpamasutta","en":"Linked Discourses 42.7\n1. Chiefs\nThe Simile of the Field"}},{"id":"sn42.7:1","sourceIds":["sn42.7:1.1","sn42.7:1.2","sn42.7:1.3","sn42.7:1.4","sn42.7:1.5","sn42.7:1.6","sn42.7:1.7","sn42.7:1.8","sn42.7:1.9","sn42.7:1.10","sn42.7:1.11"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nāḷandāyaṁ viharati pāvārikambavane.\nAtha kho asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:\n“nanu, bhante, bhagavā sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī viharatī”ti?\n“Evaṁ, gāmaṇi, tathāgato sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī viharatī”ti.\n“Atha kiñcarahi, bhante, bhagavā ekaccānaṁ sakkaccaṁ dhammaṁ deseti, ekaccānaṁ no tathā sakkaccaṁ dhammaṁ desetī”ti?\n“Tena hi, gāmaṇi, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.\nTaṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, idhassu kassakassa gahapatino tīṇi khettāni—ekaṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ, ekaṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ, ekaṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmi.\nTaṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, asu kassako gahapati bījāni patiṭṭhāpetukāmo kattha paṭhamaṁ patiṭṭhāpeyya, yaṁ vā aduṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ, yaṁ vā aduṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ, yaṁ vā aduṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmī”ti?\n“Asu, bhante, kassako gahapati bījāni patiṭṭhāpetukāmo yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ tattha patiṭṭhāpeyya. Tattha patiṭṭhāpetvā yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ tattha patiṭṭhāpeyya. Tattha patiṭṭhāpetvā yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmi tattha patiṭṭhāpeyyapi, nopi patiṭṭhāpeyya.\nTaṁ kissa hetu?\nAntamaso gobhattampi bhavissatī”ti.","en":"At one time the Buddha was staying near Nāḷandā in Pāvārika’s Mango Grove.\nThen Asibandhaka’s son the chief went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:\n“Sir, doesn’t the Buddha live full of sympathy for all living beings?”\n“Yes, chief.”\n“So why then, sir, do you teach some people thoroughly and others less thoroughly?”\n“Well then, chief, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.\nWhat do you think? Suppose a farmer has three fields: one is good, one is average, and one is poor—bad ground of sand and salt.\nWhat do you think? When that farmer wants to plant seeds, where would he plant them first: the good field, the average one, or the poor one?”\n“Sir, he’d plant them first in the good field, then the average, then he may or may not plant seed in the poor field.\nWhy is that?\nBecause at least it can be fodder for the cattle.”"}},{"id":"sn42.7:2","sourceIds":["sn42.7:2.1","sn42.7:2.2","sn42.7:2.3","sn42.7:2.4","sn42.7:2.5","sn42.7:2.6","sn42.7:2.7","sn42.7:2.8","sn42.7:2.9","sn42.7:2.10","sn42.7:2.11","sn42.7:2.12"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"“Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ; evameva mayhaṁ bhikkhubhikkhuniyo.\nTesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ, sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.\nTaṁ kissa hetu?\nEte hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti.\nSeyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ; evameva mayhaṁ upāsakaupāsikāyo.\nTesaṁ pāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ, sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.\nTaṁ kissa hetu?\nEte hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti.\nSeyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmi; evameva mayhaṁ aññatitthiyā samaṇabrāhmaṇaparibbājakā.\nTesaṁ pāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.\nTaṁ kissa hetu?\nAppeva nāma ekaṁ padampi ājāneyyuṁ taṁ nesaṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyāti.","en":"“To me, the monks and nuns are like the good field.\nI teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.\nWhy is that?\nBecause they live with me as their island, asylum, shelter, and refuge.\nTo me, the laymen and laywomen are like the average field.\nI also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.\nWhy is that?\nBecause they live with me as their island, asylum, shelter, and refuge.\nTo me, the ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers of other religions are like the poor field, the bad ground of sand and salt.\nI also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.\nWhy is that?\nHopefully they might understand even a single sentence, which would be for their lasting welfare and happiness."}},{"id":"sn42.7:3","sourceIds":["sn42.7:3.1","sn42.7:3.2","sn42.7:3.3","sn42.7:3.4","sn42.7:3.5"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, purisassa tayo udakamaṇikā—eko udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī, eko udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī, eko udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī.\nTaṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, asu puriso udakaṁ nikkhipitukāmo kattha paṭhamaṁ nikkhipeyya, yo vā so udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī, yo vā so udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī, yo vā so udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī”ti?\n“Asu, bhante, puriso udakaṁ nikkhipitukāmo, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī tattha nikkhipeyya, tattha nikkhipitvā, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī tattha nikkhipeyya, tattha nikkhipitvā, yo so udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī tattha nikkhipeyyapi, nopi nikkhipeyya.\nTaṁ kissa hetu?\nAntamaso bhaṇḍadhovanampi bhavissatī”ti.","en":"Suppose a person had three water jars: one that’s uncracked and nonporous; one that’s uncracked but porous; and one that’s cracked and porous.\nWhat do you think? When that person wants to store water, where would they store it first: in the jar that’s uncracked and nonporous, the one that’s uncracked but porous, or the one that’s cracked and porous?”\n“Sir, they’d store water first in the jar that’s uncracked and nonporous, then the one that’s uncracked but porous, then they may or may not store water in the one that’s cracked and porous.\nWhy is that?\nBecause at least it can be used for washing the dishes.”"}},{"id":"sn42.7:4","sourceIds":["sn42.7:4.1","sn42.7:4.2","sn42.7:4.3","sn42.7:4.4","sn42.7:4.5","sn42.7:4.6","sn42.7:4.7","sn42.7:4.8","sn42.7:4.9","sn42.7:4.10","sn42.7:4.11","sn42.7:4.12"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"“Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī; evameva mayhaṁ bhikkhubhikkhuniyo.\nTesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.\nTaṁ kissa hetu?\nEte hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti.\nSeyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī; evameva mayhaṁ upāsakaupāsikāyo.\nTesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.\nTaṁ kissa hetu?\nEte hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti.\nSeyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yo so udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī; evameva mayhaṁ aññatitthiyā samaṇabrāhmaṇaparibbājakā.\nTesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi.\nTaṁ kissa hetu?\nAppeva nāma ekaṁ padampi ājāneyyuṁ, taṁ nesaṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā”ti.","en":"“To me, the monks and nuns are like the water jar that’s uncracked and nonporous.\nI teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.\nWhy is that?\nBecause they live with me as their island, asylum, shelter, and refuge.\nTo me, the laymen and laywomen are like the water jar that’s uncracked but porous.\nI also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.\nWhy is that?\nBecause they live with me as their island, asylum, shelter, and refuge.\nTo me, the ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers of other religions are like the water jar that’s cracked and porous.\nI also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.\nWhy is that?\nHopefully they might understand even a single sentence, which would be for their lasting welfare and happiness.”"}},{"id":"sn42.7:5","sourceIds":["sn42.7:5.1","sn42.7:5.2","sn42.7:5.3","sn42.7:5.4"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Evaṁ vutte, asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:\n“abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante …pe…\nupāsakaṁ maṁ bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.\nSattamaṁ.","en":"When he said this, Asibandhaka’s son the chief said to the Buddha,\n“Excellent, sir! Excellent! …\nFrom this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”"}}]}],"sourceRevision":"afdafa92450cfe7573b280da50382888323666d2","sourceUrl":"https://suttacentral.net/sn42.7/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."}