Buddhism · Sutta Pitaka · Linked Discourses (Saṁyutta)

SN 9.3

With Kassapagotta · Kassapagottasutta

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At one time Venerable Kassapagotta was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove. Now at that time Venerable Kassapagotta, having withdrawn for his day’s meditation, tried to advise a nimrod. Then the deity haunting that forest approached Kassapagotta wanting to stir him up, and recited these verses:

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā kassapagotto kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā kassapagotto divāvihāragato aññataraṁ chetaṁ ovadati. Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā āyasmantaṁ kassapagottaṁ saṁvejetukāmā yenāyasmā kassapagotto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ kassapagottaṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

“A nimrod wandering the rugged hills is unintelligent, unthinking. It’s a waste of time to advise him, mendicant; he strikes me as a dullard.

“Giriduggacaraṁ chetaṁ, appapaññaṁ acetasaṁ; Akāle ovadaṁ bhikkhu, mandova paṭibhāti maṁ.

He listens without understanding, looks without seeing. Though the teaching is spoken, the fool doesn’t get it.

Suṇāti na vijānāti, Āloketi na passati; Dhammasmiṁ bhaññamānasmiṁ, Atthaṁ bālo na bujjhati.

Even if you lit ten lamps and brought them to him, Kassapa, he wouldn’t see anything, for he has no eyes to see.”

Sacepi dasa pajjote, dhārayissasi kassapa; Neva dakkhati rūpāni, cakkhu hissa na vijjatī”ti.

Impelled by that deity, Venerable Kassapagotta was struck with a sense of urgency.

Atha kho āyasmā kassapagotto tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.