SN17: Linked Discourses on Possessions, Honour, and Popularity
I. The First Chapter — SN17.4: A Fleecy Sheep
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1At Sāvatthī.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are brutal …
Suppose a fleecy sheep was to enter a briar patch. She’d get caught, snagged, and trapped at every turn, coming to ruin.
In the same way, take a certain mendicant whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity. They robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter the village or town for alms. They get caught, snagged, and trapped at every turn, coming to ruin.
So brutal are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati.
"Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko … pe … adhigamāya.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dīghalomikā eḷakā kaṇṭakagahanaṁ paviseyya.
Sā tatra tatra sajjeyya, tatra tatra gayheyya, tatra tatra bajjheyya, tatra tatra anayabyasanaṁ āpajjeyya. Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu lābhasakkārasilokena abhibhūto pariyādiṇṇacitto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisati. So tatra tatra sajjati, tatra tatra gayhati, tatra tatra bajjhati, tatra tatra anayabyasanaṁ āpajjati.
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko … pe … evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban"ti.
Catutthaṁ.