Buddhism · Sutta Pitaka · Linked Discourses (Saṁyutta)

SN 21.4

A Junior Mendicant · Navasutta

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At Sāvatthī. Now at that time a certain junior monk, after his meal, on his return from almsround, entered his dwelling, where he adhered to passivity and silence. And he didn’t help the mendicants out when it was time to sew robes. Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. Tena kho pana samayena aññataro navo bhikkhu pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto vihāraṁ pavisitvā appossukko tuṇhībhūto saṅkasāyati, na bhikkhūnaṁ veyyāvaccaṁ karoti cīvarakārasamaye. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “idha, bhante, aññataro navo bhikkhu pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto vihāraṁ pavisitvā appossukko tuṇhībhūto saṅkasāyati, na bhikkhūnaṁ veyyāvaccaṁ karoti cīvarakārasamaye”ti.

So the Buddha addressed one of the monks, “Please, monk, in my name tell that monk that the Teacher summons him.” “Yes, sir,” that monk replied. He went to that monk and said to him, “Reverend, the Teacher summons you.” “Yes, reverend,” that monk replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: “Is it really true, monk, that after your meal, on your return from almsround, you entered your dwelling, where you adhered to passivity and silence, and you didn’t help the mendicants out when it was time to sew robes?” “Sir, I am doing my own work.”

Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: “ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena taṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehi ‘satthā taṁ, āvuso, āmantetī’”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “satthā taṁ, āvuso, āmantetī”ti. “Evamāvuso”ti kho so bhikkhu tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho taṁ bhikkhuṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto vihāraṁ pavisitvā appossukko tuṇhībhūto saṅkasāyasi, na bhikkhūnaṁ veyyāvaccaṁ karosi cīvarakārasamaye”ti? “Ahampi kho, bhante, sakaṁ kiccaṁ karomī”ti.

Then the Buddha, knowing that monk’s train of thought, addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, don’t complain about this monk. This monk gets the four absorptions—blissful meditations in this life that belong to the higher mind—when he wants, without trouble or difficulty. He has realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and lives having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.”

Atha kho bhagavā tassa bhikkhuno cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya bhikkhū āmantesi: “mā kho tumhe, bhikkhave, etassa bhikkhuno ujjhāyittha. Eso kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī akicchalābhī akasiralābhī, yassa catthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.

That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

“Not by being slack, or with little strength may this be realized—extinguishment, the release from all suffering.

“Nayidaṁ sithilamārabbha, nayidaṁ appena thāmasā; Nibbānaṁ adhigantabbaṁ, sabbadukkhappamocanaṁ.

This young monk, this best of men, bears his final body, having vanquished Māra with his legions.”

Ayañca daharo bhikkhu, ayamuttamapuriso; Dhāreti antimaṁ dehaṁ, jetvā māraṁ savāhinin”ti. Catutthaṁ.