3: The Book of the Threes
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1At one time the Buddha was staying near Benares, in the deer park at Isipatana. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants!”
“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
2“Once upon a time there was a king named Pacetana. Then King Pacetana addressed his chariot-maker, ‘In six months’ time, my good chariot-maker, there will be a battle. Are you able to make me a new pair of wheels?’
‘I can, Your Majesty,’ replied the chariot-maker. Then, when it was six days less than six months later, the chariot-maker had finished one wheel.
Then King Pacetana addressed his chariot-maker, ‘In six days’ time there will be a battle. Is my new pair of wheels finished?’
‘Now that it is six days less than six months, Your Majesty, I have finished one wheel.’
‘Are you able to finish the second wheel in these six days?’
Saying, ‘I can, Your Majesty,’ the chariot-maker finished the second wheel in six days. Taking the pair of wheels he went up to King Pacetana, and said this to the king, ‘Your Majesty, these are your two new wheels, finished.’
‘But, my good chariot-maker, what is the difference between the wheel that was finished in six days less than six months, and the wheel finished in just six days?
Because I can’t see any difference between them.’
‘But, Your Majesty, there is a difference. See now what it is.’
3Then the chariot-maker rolled forth the wheel that had been finished in six days. It rolled as far as the original impetus took it, then wobbled and fell down. Then he rolled forth the wheel that had been finished in six days less than six months. It rolled as far as the original impetus took it, then stood still as if fixed to an axle.
4‘But what is the cause, my good chariot-maker, what is the reason why the wheel that was finished in six days wobbled and fell, while the one that was finished in six days less than six months stood still as if fixed to an axle?’
‘The wheel that was finished in six days, Your Majesty, is crooked, flawed, and defective in rim, spoke, and hub. That’s why it wobbled and fell.
The wheel that was finished in six days less than six months, Your Majesty, is not crooked, flawed, and defective in rim, spoke, and hub. That’s why it stood still as if fixed to an axle.’
5Now, mendicants, you might think: ‘Surely that chariot-maker must have been someone else at that time?’ But you should not see it like that. I myself was the chariot-maker at that time. Then I was a skilled in the crooks, flaws, and defects of wood.
Now that I am a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, I am a skilled in the crooks, flaws, and defects of actions by body, speech, and mind. Whatever monk or nun has not given up the crooks, flaws, and defects of body, speech, and mind has fallen from the teaching and training, just like the wheel that was finished in six days.
6Whatever monk or nun has given up the crooks, flaws, and defects of body, speech, and mind is established in the teaching and training, just like the wheel that was finished in six days less than six months.
7So you should train like this: ‘We will give up the crooks, flaws, and defects of body, speech, and mind.’ That’s how you should train.”
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "bhikkhavo"ti.
Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
2"Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā ahosi sacetano nāma. Atha kho, bhikkhave, rājā sacetano rathakāraṁ āmantesi: ‘ito me, samma rathakāra, channaṁ māsānaṁ accayena saṅgāmo bhavissati. Sakkhissasi me, samma rathakāra, navaṁ cakkayugaṁ kātun’ti?
‘Sakkomi, devā’ti kho, bhikkhave, rathakāro rañño sacetanassa paccassosi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, rathakāro chahi māsehi chārattūnehi ekaṁ cakkaṁ niṭṭhāpesi.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, rājā sacetano rathakāraṁ āmantesi: ‘ito me, samma rathakāra, channaṁ divasānaṁ accayena saṅgāmo bhavissati, niṭṭhitaṁ navaṁ cakkayugan’ti?
‘Imehi kho, deva, chahi māsehi chārattūnehi ekaṁ cakkaṁ niṭṭhitan’ti.
‘Sakkhissasi pana me, samma rathakāra, imehi chahi divasehi dutiyaṁ cakkaṁ niṭṭhāpetun’ti?
‘Sakkomi, devā’ti kho, bhikkhave, rathakāro chahi divasehi dutiyaṁ cakkaṁ niṭṭhāpetvā navaṁ cakkayugaṁ ādāya yena rājā sacetano tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā rājānaṁ sacetanaṁ etadavoca: ‘idaṁ te, deva, navaṁ cakkayugaṁ niṭṭhitan’ti.
‘Yañca te idaṁ, samma rathakāra, cakkaṁ chahi māsehi niṭṭhitaṁ chārattūnehi yañca te idaṁ cakkaṁ chahi divasehi niṭṭhitaṁ, imesaṁ kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ?
Nesāhaṁ kiñci nānākaraṇaṁ passāmī’ti.
‘Atthesaṁ, deva, nānākaraṇaṁ. Passatu devo nānākaraṇan’ti.
3Atha kho, bhikkhave, rathakāro yaṁ taṁ cakkaṁ chahi divasehi niṭṭhitaṁ taṁ pavattesi. Taṁ pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā ciṅgulāyitvā bhūmiyaṁ papati. Yaṁ pana taṁ cakkaṁ chahi māsehi niṭṭhitaṁ chārattūnehi taṁ pavattesi. Taṁ pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā akkhāhataṁ maññe aṭṭhāsi.
4‘Ko nu kho, samma rathakāra, hetu ko paccayo yamidaṁ cakkaṁ chahi divasehi niṭṭhitaṁ taṁ pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā ciṅgulāyitvā bhūmiyaṁ papati?
Ko pana, samma rathakāra, hetu ko paccayo yamidaṁ cakkaṁ chahi māsehi niṭṭhitaṁ chārattūnehi taṁ pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā akkhāhataṁ maññe aṭṭhāsī’ti?
‘Yamidaṁ, deva, cakkaṁ chahi divasehi niṭṭhitaṁ tassa nemipi savaṅkā sadosā sakasāvā, arāpi savaṅkā sadosā sakasāvā, nābhipi savaṅkā sadosā sakasāvā. Taṁ nemiyāpi savaṅkattā sadosattā sakasāvattā, arānampi savaṅkattā sadosattā sakasāvattā, nābhiyāpi savaṅkattā sadosattā sakasāvattā pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā ciṅgulāyitvā bhūmiyaṁ papati.
Yaṁ pana taṁ, deva, cakkaṁ chahi māsehi niṭṭhitaṁ chārattūnehi tassa nemipi avaṅkā adosā akasāvā, arāpi avaṅkā adosā akasāvā, nābhipi avaṅkā adosā akasāvā. Taṁ nemiyāpi avaṅkattā adosattā akasāvattā, arānampi avaṅkattā adosattā akasāvattā, nābhiyāpi avaṅkattā adosattā akasāvattā pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā akkhāhataṁ maññe aṭṭhāsī’ti.
5Siyā kho pana, bhikkhave, tumhākaṁ evamassa: ‘añño nūna tena samayena so rathakāro ahosī’ti. Na kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ. Ahaṁ tena samayena so rathakāro ahosiṁ. Tadāhaṁ, bhikkhave, kusalo dāruvaṅkānaṁ dārudosānaṁ dārukasāvānaṁ. Etarahi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho kusalo kāyavaṅkānaṁ kāyadosānaṁ kāyakasāvānaṁ, kusalo vacīvaṅkānaṁ vacīdosānaṁ vacīkasāvānaṁ, kusalo manovaṅkānaṁ manodosānaṁ manokasāvānaṁ.
Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā kāyavaṅko appahīno kāyadoso kāyakasāvo, vacīvaṅko appahīno vacīdoso vacīkasāvo, manovaṅko appahīno manodoso manokasāvo, evaṁ papatitā te, bhikkhave, imasmā dhammavinayā, seyyathāpi taṁ cakkaṁ chahi divasehi niṭṭhitaṁ.
6Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā kāyavaṅko pahīno kāyadoso kāyakasāvo, vacīvaṅko pahīno vacīdoso vacīkasāvo, manovaṅko pahīno manodoso manokasāvo, evaṁ patiṭṭhitā te, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye, seyyathāpi taṁ cakkaṁ chahi māsehi niṭṭhitaṁ chārattūnehi.
7Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘kāyavaṅkaṁ pajahissāma kāyadosaṁ kāyakasāvaṁ, vacīvaṅkaṁ pajahissāma vacīdosaṁ vacīkasāvaṁ, manovaṅkaṁ pajahissāma manodosaṁ manokasāvan’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban"ti.
Pañcamaṁ.