Light/Dark

Majjhima Nikāya

MN7: Vatthūpama Sutta - The Simile of the Cloth

1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

2“Suppose, mendicants, there was a cloth that was dirty and soiled. No matter what dye the dyer applied — whether yellow or red or magenta — it would look poorly dyed and impure in color. Why is that? Because of the impurity of the cloth.

In the same way, when the mind is corrupt, a bad destiny is to be expected. Suppose there was a cloth that was pure and clean. No matter what dye the dyer applied — whether yellow or red or magenta — it would look well dyed and pure in color. Why is that? Because of the purity of the cloth.

In the same way, when the mind isn’t corrupt, a good destiny is to be expected.


3And what are the corruptions of the mind? Covetousness and immoral greed, ill will, anger, hostility, offensiveness, contempt, jealousy, stinginess, deceit, deviousness, obstinacy, aggression, conceit, arrogance, vanity, and negligence are corruptions of the mind.


4-5A mendicant who understands that covetousness and immoral greed are corruptions of the mind gives them up. A mendicant who understands that ill will … negligence is a corruption of the mind gives it up.When they have understood these corruptions of the mind for what they are, and have given them up …


6 … they have experiential confidence in the Buddha: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’

They have experiential confidence in the teaching: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha — visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’

They have experiential confidence in the Saṅgha: ‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, straightforward, methodical, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individuals. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’


7When a mendicant has discarded, eliminated, released, given up, and relinquished to this extent, thinking, ‘I have experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha,’ they find joy in the meaning and the teaching, and find joy connected with the teaching. Thinking: ‘I have discarded, eliminated, released, given up, and relinquished to this extent,’ they find joy in the meaning and the teaching, and find joy connected with the teaching. When they’re joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when they’re blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi.


8When a mendicant of such ethics, such qualities, and such wisdom eats boiled fine rice with the dark grains picked out and served with many soups and sauces, that is no obstacle for them. Compare with cloth that is dirty and soiled; it can be made pure and clean by pure water. Or unrefined gold, which can be made pure and bright by a forge. In the same way, when a mendicant of such ethics, such qualities, and such wisdom eats boiled fine rice with the dark grains picked out and served with many soups and sauces, that is no obstacle for them.


9They meditate spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world — abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. They meditate spreading a heart full of compassion to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of compassion to the whole world — abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. They meditate spreading a heart full of rejoicing to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of rejoicing to the whole world — abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. They meditate spreading a heart full of equanimity to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of equanimity to the whole world — abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.


10They understand: ‘There is this, there is what is worse than this, there is what is better than this, and there is an escape beyond the scope of perception.’

Knowing and seeing like this, their mind is freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.’ This is called a mendicant who is bathed with the inner bathing.”


11Now, at that time the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja was sitting not far from the Buddha. He said to the Buddha: “But does Master Gotama go to the river Bāhuka to bathe?”

“Brahmin, why go to the river Bāhuka? What can the river Bāhuka do?”

“Many people agree that the river Bāhuka bestows cleanliness and merit. And many people wash off their bad deeds in the river Bāhuka.”

Then the Buddha addressed Sundarika in verse:


12“The Bāhuka and the Adhikakka,
the Gaya and the Sundarika too,
Sarasvatī and Payāga,
and the river Bāhumati:
a fool can constantly plunge into them
but it won’t purify their dark deeds.

13What can the Sundarika do?
What the Payāga or the Bāhuka?
They can’t cleanse a cruel and criminal person
from their bad deeds.

14For the pure in heart it’s always
the spring festival or the sabbath.
For the pure in heart and clean of deed,
their vows will always be fulfilled.
It’s here alone that you should bathe, brahmin,
making yourself a sanctuary for all creatures.

15And if you speak no lies,
nor harm any living creature,
nor steal anything not given,
and you’re faithful and not stingy:
what’s the point of going to Gaya?
For any well will be your Gaya!”


16When he had spoken, the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja said to the Buddha: “Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with good eyes can see what’s there, Master Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”

And the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence. Not long after his ordination, Venerable Bhāradvāja, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme end of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is no return to any state of existence.” And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "bhikkhavo"ti.

"Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

2"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vatthaṁ saṁkiliṭṭhaṁ malaggahitaṁ; tamenaṁ rajako yasmiṁ yasmiṁ raṅgajāte upasaṁhareyya — yadi nīlakāya yadi pītakāya yadi lohitakāya yadi mañjiṭṭhakāya durattavaṇṇamevassa aparisuddhavaṇṇamevassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Aparisuddhattā, bhikkhave, vatthassa.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, citte saṁkiliṭṭhe, duggati pāṭikaṅkhā. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vatthaṁ parisuddhaṁ pariyodātaṁ; tamenaṁ rajako yasmiṁ yasmiṁ raṅgajāte upasaṁhareyya — yadi nīlakāya yadi pītakāya yadi lohitakāya yadi mañjiṭṭhakāya — surattavaṇṇamevassa parisuddhavaṇṇamevassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Parisuddhattā, bhikkhave, vatthassa.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, citte asaṁkiliṭṭhe, sugati pāṭikaṅkhā.


3Katame ca, bhikkhave, cittassa upakkilesā? Abhijjhāvisamalobho cittassa upakkileso, byāpādo cittassa upakkileso, kodho cittassa upakkileso, upanāho cittassa upakkileso, makkho cittassa upakkileso, paḷāso cittassa upakkileso, issā cittassa upakkileso, macchariyaṁ cittassa upakkileso, māyā cittassa upakkileso, sāṭheyyaṁ cittassa upakkileso, thambho cittassa upakkileso, sārambho cittassa upakkileso, māno cittassa upakkileso, atimāno cittassa upakkileso, mado cittassa upakkileso, pamādo cittassa upakkileso.


4Sa kho so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ‘abhijjhāvisamalobho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā abhijjhāvisamalobhaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘byāpādo cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā byāpādaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘kodho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā kodhaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘upanāho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā upanāhaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘makkho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā makkhaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘paḷāso cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā paḷāsaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘issā cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā issaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘macchariyaṁ cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā macchariyaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘māyā cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā māyaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘sāṭheyyaṁ cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā sāṭheyyaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘thambho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā thambhaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘sārambho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā sārambhaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘māno cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā mānaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘atimāno cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā atimānaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘mado cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā madaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati; ‘pamādo cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā pamādaṁ cittassa upakkilesaṁ pajahati.

5Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ‘abhijjhāvisamalobho cittassa upakkileso’ti –  iti viditvā abhijjhāvisamalobho cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti, ‘byāpādo cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā byāpādo cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘kodho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā kodho cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘upanāho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā upanāho cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘makkho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā makkho cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘paḷāso cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā paḷāso cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘issā cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā issā cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘macchariyaṁ cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā macchariyaṁ cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘māyā cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā māyā cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘sāṭheyyaṁ cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā sāṭheyyaṁ cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘thambho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā thambho cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘sārambho cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā sārambho cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘māno cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā māno cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘atimāno cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā atimāno cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘mado cittassa upakkileso’ti — iti viditvā mado cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti; ‘pamādo cittassa upakkileso’ti –  iti viditvā pamādo cittassa upakkileso pahīno hoti.


6So buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti;

dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti;

saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, ujuppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, ñāyappaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, sāmīcippaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni, aṭṭha purisapuggalā. Esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo, anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā’ti.


7Yathodhi kho panassa cattaṁ hoti vantaṁ muttaṁ pahīnaṁ paṭinissaṭṭhaṁ, so ‘buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgatomhī’ti labhati atthavedaṁ, labhati dhammavedaṁ, labhati dhammūpasaṁhitaṁ pāmojjaṁ. Pamuditassa pīti jāyati, pītimanassa kāyo passambhati, passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vedeti, sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati;

‘dhamme … pe … saṁghe aveccappasādena samannāgatomhī’ti labhati atthavedaṁ, labhati dhammavedaṁ, labhati dhammūpasaṁhitaṁ pāmojjaṁ; pamuditassa pīti jāyati, pītimanassa kāyo passambhati, passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vedeti, sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati.

‘Yathodhi kho pana me cattaṁ vantaṁ muttaṁ pahīnaṁ paṭinissaṭṭhan’ti labhati atthavedaṁ, labhati dhammavedaṁ, labhati dhammūpasaṁhitaṁ pāmojjaṁ; pamuditassa pīti jāyati, pītimanassa kāyo passambhati, passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vedeti, sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati.


8Sa kho so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁsīlo evaṁdhammo evaṁpañño sālīnañcepi piṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjati vicitakāḷakaṁ anekasūpaṁ anekabyañjanaṁ, nevassa taṁ hoti antarāyāya. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vatthaṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ malaggahitaṁ acchodakaṁ āgamma parisuddhaṁ hoti pariyodātaṁ, ukkāmukhaṁ vā panāgamma jātarūpaṁ parisuddhaṁ hoti pariyodātaṁ; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁsīlo evaṁdhammo evaṁpañño sālīnañcepi piṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjati vicitakāḷakaṁ anekasūpaṁ anekabyañjanaṁ, nevassa taṁ hoti antarāyāya.


9So mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ. Iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati; karuṇāsahagatena cetasā … pe … muditāsahagatena cetasā … pe … upekkhāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ. Iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharati.


10So ‘atthi idaṁ, atthi hīnaṁ, atthi paṇītaṁ, atthi imassa saññāgatassa uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti.

Tassa evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, bhavāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, avijjāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave: ‘bhikkhu sināto antarena sinānenā’"ti.


11Tena kho pana samayena sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti. Atha kho sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "gacchati pana bhavaṁ gotamo bāhukaṁ nadiṁ sināyitun"ti?

"Kiṁ, brāhmaṇa, bāhukāya nadiyā? Kiṁ bāhukā nadī karissatī"ti?

"Lokkhasammatā hi, bho gotama, bāhukā nadī bahujanassa, puññasammatā hi, bho gotama, bāhukā nadī bahujanassa, bāhukāya pana nadiyā bahujano pāpakammaṁ kataṁ pavāhetī"ti.

Atha kho bhagavā sundarikabhāradvājaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:


12"Bāhukaṁ adhikakkañca,
gayaṁ sundarikaṁ mapi;
Sarassatiṁ payāgañca,
atho bāhumatiṁ nadiṁ;
Niccampi bālo pakkhando,
kaṇhakammo na sujjhati.

13Kiṁ sundarikā karissati,
Kiṁ payāgā kiṁ bāhukā nadī;
Veriṁ katakibbisaṁ naraṁ,
Na hi naṁ sodhaye pāpakamminaṁ.

14Suddhassa ve sadā phaggu,
Suddhassuposatho sadā;
Suddhassa sucikammassa,
Sadā sampajjate vataṁ;
Idheva sināhi brāhmaṇa,
Sabbabhūtesu karohi khemataṁ.

15Sace musā na bhaṇasi,
sace pāṇaṁ na hiṁsasi;
Sace adinnaṁ nādiyasi,
saddahāno amaccharī;
Kiṁ kāhasi gayaṁ gantvā,
udapānopi te gayā"ti.


16Evaṁ vutte, sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama. Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya — cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantīti; evamevaṁ bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Labheyyāhaṁ bhoto gotamassa santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan"ti.

Alattha kho sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ. Acirūpasampanno kho panāyasmā bhāradvājo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva – yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ — brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

"Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā"ti abbhaññāsi. Aññataro kho panāyasmā bhāradvājo arahataṁ ahosīti.

Vatthasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ sattamaṁ.