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Khuddaka Nikāya - The Minor Texts

Sutta Nipata

Sutta Nipata Chapter 4: The Chapter of the Eights - Aṭṭhakavagga

4:12 The Shorter Discourse on Arrayed For Battle

4:12 The Shorter Discourse on Arrayed For Battle

Question

878 “Each maintaining their own view,
the experts disagree, arguing:
‘Whoever sees it this way understands the teaching;
those who reject this are inadequate.’

879 So arguing, they quarrel,
saying, ‘The other is a fool, an amateur!’
Which one of these speaks true,
for they all claim to be an expert?”

Buddha

880 “If not accepting another’s teaching
makes you a useless fool lacking wisdom,
then they’re all fools lacking wisdom,
for they all maintain their own view.

881 But if having your own view makes you pristine—
pure in wisdom, expert and intelligent—
then none of them lack wisdom,
for such is the view they have all embraced.

882 I do not say that it is correct
when they call each other fools.
Each has built up their own view to be the truth,
which is why they take the other as a fool.”

Question

883 “What some say is true and correct,
others say is hollow and false.
So arguing, they quarrel;
why don’t ascetics say the same thing?”

Buddha

884 “The truth is one, there is no second,
understanding which folk would not argue.
But those ascetics each boast of different truths;
that’s why they don’t say the same thing.”

885 “But why do they speak of different truths,
these proponents who claim to be experts?
Are there really so many different truths,
or do they just follow their own lines of reasoning?”


Buddha

886 “No, there are not many different truths
that, apart from perception, are lasting in the world.
Having formed their reasoning regarding different views,
they say there are two things: true and false.

887 The seen, heard, or thought, or precepts or vows—
based on these they show disdain.
Standing in judgment, they scoff,
saying, ‘The other is a fool, an amateur!’

888 They take the other as a fool on the same grounds
that they speak of themselves as an expert.
Claiming to be an expert on their own authority,
they disdain the other while saying the same thing.

889 They are perfect, according to their own extreme view;
drunk on conceit, imagining themselves proficient.
They have anointed themselves in their own mind,
for such is the view they have embraced.

890 If the word of your opponent makes you deficient,
then they too are lacking wisdom.
But if on your own authority you’re a knowledge master, a wise person,
then there are no fools among the ascetics.

891 ‘Those who proclaim a teaching other than this
have fallen short of purity, and are inadequate’:
so say each one of the sectarians,
for they are deeply attached to their own view.

892 ‘Here alone is purity,’ they say,
denying that there is purification in other teachings.
Thus each one of the sectarians, being dogmatic,
speaks forcefully within the context of their own journey.

893 But in that case, so long as they are speaking forcefully of their own journey,
how can they take the other as a fool?
They are the ones who provoke conflict
when they call the other a fool with an impure teaching.

894 Standing in judgment, measuring by their own standard,
they keep getting into disputes with the world.
But a person who has given up all judgments
creates no conflict in the world.”

Cūḷabyūhasutta

 

878"Sakaṁsakaṁdiṭṭhiparibbasānā,
Viggayha nānā kusalā vadanti;
Yo evaṁ jānāti sa vedi dhammaṁ,
Idaṁ paṭikkosamakevalī so.

879 Evampi viggayha vivādayanti,
Bālo paro akkusaloti cāhu;
Sacco nu vādo katamo imesaṁ,
Sabbeva hīme kusalāvadānā".

880 "Parassa ce dhammamanānujānaṁ,
Bālomako hoti nihīnapañño;
Sabbeva bālā sunihīnapaññā,
Sabbevime diṭṭhiparibbasānā.

881 Sandiṭṭhiyā ceva na vīvadātā,
Saṁsuddhapaññā kusalā mutīmā;
Na tesaṁ koci parihīnapañño,
Diṭṭhī hi tesampi tathā samattā.

882 Na vāhametaṁ tathiyanti brūmi,
Yamāhu bālā mithu aññamaññaṁ;
Sakaṁ sakaṁ diṭṭhimakaṁsu saccaṁ,
Tasmā hi bāloti paraṁ dahanti".

883 "Yamāhu saccaṁ tathiyanti eke,
Tamāhu aññe tucchaṁ musāti;
Evampi vigayha vivādayanti,
Kasmā na ekaṁ samaṇā vadanti".

884 "Ekañhi saccaṁ na dutīyamatthi,
Yasmiṁ pajā no vivade pajānaṁ;
Nānā te saccāni sayaṁ thunanti,
Tasmā na ekaṁ samaṇā vadanti".

885 "Kasmā nu saccāni vadanti nānā,
Pavādiyāse kusalāvadānā;
Saccāni sutāni bahūni nānā,
Udāhu te takkamanussaranti".


 

886 "Na heva saccāni bahūni nānā,
Aññatra saññāya niccāni loke;
Takkañca diṭṭhīsu pakappayitvā,
Saccaṁ musāti dvayadhammamāhu.

887 Diṭṭhe sute sīlavate mute vā,
Ete ca nissāya vimānadassī;
Vinicchaye ṭhatvā pahassamāno,
Bālo paro akkusaloti cāha.

888 Yeneva bāloti paraṁ dahāti,
Tenātumānaṁ kusaloti cāha;
Sayamattanā so kusalāvadāno,
Aññaṁ vimāneti tadeva pāva.

889 Atisāradiṭṭhiyā so samatto,
Mānena matto paripuṇṇamānī;
Sayameva sāmaṁ manasābhisitto,
Diṭṭhī hi sā tassa tathā samattā.

890 Parassa ce hi vacasā nihīno,
Tumo sahā hoti nihīnapañño;
Atha ce sayaṁ vedagū hoti dhīro,
Na koci bālo samaṇesu atthi.

891 Aññaṁ ito yābhivadanti dhammaṁ,
Aparaddhā suddhimakevalī te;
Evampi titthyā puthuso vadanti,
Sandiṭṭhirāgena hi tebhirattā.

892 Idheva suddhiṁ iti vādayanti,
Nāññesu dhammesu visuddhimāhu;
Evampi titthyā puthuso niviṭṭhā,
Sakāyane tattha daḷhaṁ vadānā.

893 Sakāyane vāpi daḷhaṁ vadāno,
Kamettha bāloti paraṁ daheyya;
Sayaṁva so medhagamāvaheyya,
Paraṁ vadaṁ bālamasuddhidhammaṁ.

894 Vinicchaye ṭhatvā sayaṁ pamāya,
Uddhaṁsa lokasmiṁ vivādameti;
Hitvāna sabbāni vinicchayāni,
Na medhagaṁ kubbati jantu loke"ti.

Cūḷabyūhasuttaṁ dvādasamaṁ.