Chapter Four27. Catutthavagga

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“Just as, mendicants, in the Black Plum Tree Land the delightful parks, woods, meadows, and lotus ponds are few,“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, appamattakaṁ imasmiṁ jambudīpe ārāmarāmaṇeyyakaṁ vanarāmaṇeyyakaṁ bhūmirāmaṇeyyakaṁ pokkharaṇirāmaṇeyyakaṁ; while the hilly terrain, inaccessible riverlands, stumps and thorns, and rugged mountains are many;atha kho etadeva bahutaraṁ yadidaṁ ukkūlavikūlaṁ nadīviduggaṁ khāṇukaṇṭakaṭṭhānaṁ pabbatavisamaṁ; so too the sentient beings born on land are few, while those born in water are many.evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye thalajā, atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye odakā.

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… so too the sentient beings reborn as humans are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye manussesu paccājāyanti; while those not reborn as humans are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye aññatra manussehi paccājāyanti.

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… so too the sentient beings reborn in civilized countries are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye majjhimesu janapadesu paccājāyanti; while those reborn in the borderlands, among uneducated foreigners, are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye paccantimesu janapadesu paccājāyanti aviññātāresu milakkhesu.

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… so too the sentient beings who are wise, bright, clever, and able to distinguish what is well said from what is poorly said are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye paññavanto ajaḷā aneḷamūgā paṭibalā subhāsitadubbhāsitassa atthamaññātuṁ; while the sentient beings who are witless, dull, idiotic, and unable to distinguish what is well said from what is poorly said are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye duppaññā jaḷā eḷamūgā na paṭibalā subhāsitadubbhāsitassa atthamaññātuṁ.

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… so too the sentient beings who have the noble eye of wisdom are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye ariyena paññācakkhunā samannāgatā; while those who are ignorant and confused are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye avijjāgatā sammūḷhā.

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… so too the sentient beings who get to see a Realized One are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye labhanti tathāgataṁ dassanāya; while those who don’t get to see a Realized One are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye na labhanti tathāgataṁ dassanāya.

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… so too the sentient beings who get to hear the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realized One are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye labhanti tathāgatappaveditaṁ dhammavinayaṁ savanāya; while those sentient beings who don’t get to hear the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realized One are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye na labhanti tathāgatappaveditaṁ dhammavinayaṁ savanāya.

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… so too the sentient beings who remember the teachings they hear are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye sutvā dhammaṁ dhārenti; while those who don’t remember the teachings are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye sutvā dhammaṁ na dhārenti.

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… so too the sentient beings who examine the meaning of the teachings they have memorized are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye dhātānaṁ dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhanti; while those who don’t examine the meaning of the teachings are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye dhātānaṁ dhammānaṁ atthaṁ na upaparikkhanti.

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… so too the sentient beings who understand the meaning and the teaching and practice in line with the teaching are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammaṁ paṭipajjanti; while those who understand the meaning and the teaching but don’t practice in line with the teaching are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammaṁ na paṭipajjanti.

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… so too the sentient beings inspired by inspiring places are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye saṁvejaniyesu ṭhānesu saṁvijjanti; while those who are uninspired are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye saṁvejaniyesu ṭhānesu na saṁvijjanti.

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… so too the sentient beings who, being inspired, strive effectively are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye saṁviggā yoniso padahanti; while those who, even though inspired, don’t strive effectively are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye saṁviggā yoniso na padahanti.

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… so too the sentient beings who, relying on letting go, gain immersion, gain unification of mind are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye vavassaggārammaṇaṁ karitvā labhanti samādhiṁ labhanti cittassekaggataṁ; while those who don’t gain immersion, don’t gain unification of mind relying on letting go are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye vavassaggārammaṇaṁ karitvā na labhanti samādhiṁ na labhanti cittassekaggataṁ.

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… so too the sentient beings who get the best food and flavors are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye annaggarasaggānaṁ lābhino; while those who don’t get the best food and flavors, but get by with scraps in an alms bowl are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye annaggarasaggānaṁ na lābhino, uñchena kapālābhatena yāpenti.

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… so too the sentient beings who get the essence of the meaning, the essence of the teaching, and the essence of freedom are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye attharasassa dhammarasassa vimuttirasassa lābhino; while the sentient beings who don’t get the essence of the meaning, the essence of the teaching, and the essence of freedom are many.atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye attharasassa dhammarasassa vimuttirasassa na lābhino.

So you should train like this:Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘We will get the essence of the meaning, the essence of the teaching, the essence of freedom.’‘attharasassa dhammarasassa vimuttirasassa lābhino bhavissāmā’ti. That’s how you should train.”Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

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“Just as, mendicants, in the Black Plum Tree Land the delightful parks, woods, meadows, and lotus ponds are few,“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, appamattakaṁ imasmiṁ jambudīpe ārāmarāmaṇeyyakaṁ vanarāmaṇeyyakaṁ bhūmirāmaṇeyyakaṁ pokkharaṇirāmaṇeyyakaṁ; while the hilly terrain, inaccessible riverlands, stumps and thorns, and rugged mountains are many;atha kho etadeva bahutaraṁ yadidaṁ ukkūlavikūlaṁ nadīviduggaṁ khāṇukaṇṭakaṭṭhānaṁ pabbatavisamaṁ. so too, those who die as humans and are reborn as humans are few, while those who die as humans and are reborn in hell, or the animal realm, or the ghost realm are many.”Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye manussā cutā manussesu paccājāyanti, atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye manussā cutā niraye paccājāyanti …pe… tiracchānayoniyā paccājāyanti …pe… pettivisaye paccājāyanti”.

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“… the sentient beings who die as humans and are reborn as gods are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye manussā cutā devesu paccājāyanti; while those who die as humans and are reborn in hell, or the animal realm, or the ghost realm are many.”atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye manussā cutā niraye paccājāyanti … tiracchānayoniyā paccājāyanti … pettivisaye paccājāyanti.

354–356354–356

“… the sentient beings who die as gods and are reborn as gods are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye devā cutā devesu paccājāyanti; while those who die as gods and are reborn in hell, or the animal realm, or the ghost realm are many.”atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye devā cutā niraye paccājāyanti … tiracchānayoniyā paccājāyanti … pettivisaye paccājāyanti.

357–359357–359

“… the sentient beings who die as gods and are reborn as humans are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye devā cutā manussesu paccājāyanti; while those who die as gods and are reborn in hell, or the animal realm, or the ghost realm are many.”atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye devā cutā niraye paccājāyanti … tiracchānayoniyā paccājāyanti … pettivisaye paccājāyanti.

360–362360–362

“… the sentient beings who die in hell and are reborn as humans are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye nirayā cutā manussesu paccājāyanti; while those who die in hell and are reborn in hell, or the animal realm, or the ghost realm are many.”atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye nirayā cutā niraye paccājāyanti … tiracchānayoniyā paccājāyanti … pettivisaye paccājāyanti.

363–365363–365

“… the sentient beings who die in hell and are reborn as gods are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye nirayā cutā devesu paccājāyanti; while those who die in hell and are reborn in hell, or the animal realm, or the ghost realm are many.”atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye nirayā cutā niraye paccājāyanti … tiracchānayoniyā paccājāyanti … pettivisaye paccājāyanti.

366–368366–368

“… the sentient beings who die as animals and are reborn as humans are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye tiracchānayoniyā cutā manussesu paccājāyanti; while those who die as animals and are reborn in hell, or the animal realm, or the ghost realm are many.”atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye tiracchānayoniyā cutā niraye paccājāyanti … tiracchānayoniyā paccājāyanti … pettivisaye paccājāyanti.

369–371369–371

“… the sentient beings who die as animals and are reborn as gods are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye tiracchānayoniyā cutā devesu paccājāyanti; while those who die as animals and are reborn in hell, or the animal realm, or the ghost realm are many.”atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye tiracchānayoniyā cutā niraye paccājāyanti … tiracchānayoniyā paccājāyanti … pettivisaye paccājāyanti.

372–374372–374

“… the sentient beings who die as ghosts and are reborn as humans are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye pettivisayā cutā manussesu paccājāyanti; while those who die as ghosts and are reborn in hell, or the animal realm, or the ghost realm are many.”atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye pettivisayā cutā niraye paccājāyanti … tiracchānayoniyā paccājāyanti … pettivisaye paccājāyanti.

375–377375–377

“… the sentient beings who die as ghosts and are reborn as gods are few,… Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye pettivisayā cutā devesu paccājāyanti; while those who die as ghosts and are reborn in hell, or the animal realm, or the ghost realm are many.”atha kho eteva sattā bahutarā ye pettivisayā cutā niraye paccājāyanti … tiracchānayoniyā paccājāyanti … pettivisaye paccājāyan”ti.