A Bull ElephantNāgasutta

So I have heard.Evaṁ me sutaṁ— At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Now at that time a certain junior mendicant went to visit families too often.Tena kho pana samayena aññataro navo bhikkhu ativelaṁ kulāni upasaṅkamati.

The mendicants said to him,Tamenaṁ bhikkhū evamāhaṁsu: “Venerable, don’t go to visit families too often.”“māyasmā ativelaṁ kulāni upasaṅkamī”ti.

But that mendicant, when spoken to by the mendicants, said this,So bhikkhu bhikkhūhi vuccamāno evamāha: “But these senior mendicants think they can go to visit families, so why can’t I?”“ime hi nāma therā bhikkhū kulāni upasaṅkamitabbaṁ maññissanti, kimaṅgaṁ panāhan”ti?

And then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. The Buddha said:Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a great lake in the jungle,“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, araññāyatane mahāsarasī. with bull elephants living nearby.Taṁ nāgā upanissāya viharanti. They’d plunge into the lake and pull up lotus bulbs with their trunks. They’d wash them thoroughly until they were free of mud before chewing and swallowing them.Te taṁ sarasiṁ ogāhetvā soṇḍāya bhisamuḷālaṁ abbuhetvā suvikkhālitaṁ vikkhāletvā akaddamaṁ saṅkhāditvā ajjhoharanti. That was good for their appearance and strength, and wouldn’t result in death or deadly pain.Tesaṁ taṁ vaṇṇāya ceva hoti balāya ca, na ca tatonidānaṁ maraṇaṁ vā nigacchanti maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhaṁ.

The young calves, following the example of the great bull elephants, plunged into the lake and pulled up lotus bulbs with their trunks. But they didn’t wash them thoroughly, and while they were still muddy they chewed and swallowed them.Tesaṁyeva kho pana, bhikkhave, mahānāgānaṁ anusikkhamānā taruṇā bhiṅkacchāpā taṁ sarasiṁ ogāhetvā soṇḍāya bhisamuḷālaṁ abbuhetvā na suvikkhālitaṁ vikkhāletvā sakaddamaṁ asaṅkhāditvā ajjhoharanti. That was not good for their appearance and strength, and resulted in death or deadly pain.Tesaṁ taṁ neva vaṇṇāya hoti na balāya.

In the same way, there are senior mendicants who robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter the town or village for alms.Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idha therā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisanti. There they speak on the teachings,Te tattha dhammaṁ bhāsanti. and lay people demonstrate their confidence in them.Tesaṁ gihī pasannākāraṁ karonti. And when they get things, they use them untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape.Te taṁ lābhaṁ agadhitā amucchitā anajjhopannā ādīnavadassāvino nissaraṇapaññā paribhuñjanti. That’s good for their appearance and strength, and doesn’t result in death or deadly pain.Tesaṁ taṁ vaṇṇāya ceva hoti balāya ca, na ca tatonidānaṁ maraṇaṁ vā nigacchanti maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhaṁ.

Junior mendicants, following the example of the senior mendicants, robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter the town or village for alms.Tesaṁyeva kho pana, bhikkhave, therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ anusikkhamānā navā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisanti. There they speak on the teachings,Te tattha dhammaṁ bhāsanti. and lay people demonstrate their confidence in them.Tesaṁ gihī pasannākāraṁ karonti. But when they get things, they use them tied, infatuated, attached, blind to the drawbacks, not understanding the escape.Te taṁ lābhaṁ gadhitā mucchitā ajjhopannā anādīnavadassāvino anissaraṇapaññā paribhuñjanti. That’s not good for their appearance and strength, and results in death or deadly pain.Tesaṁ taṁ neva vaṇṇāya hoti na balāya, te tatonidānaṁ maraṇaṁ vā nigacchanti maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhaṁ.

So you should train like this:Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘When we get things, we will use them untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawbacks, and understanding the escape.’‘agadhitā amucchitā anajjhopannā ādīnavadassāvino nissaraṇapaññā taṁ lābhaṁ paribhuñjissāmā’ti. That’s how you should train.”Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.