The Simile of the Tree Trunk (1st)Paṭhamadārukkhandhopamasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī on the bank of the Ganges River.Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre.

Seeing a large tree trunk being carried along by the current,Addasā kho bhagavā mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānaṁ. he addressed the mendicants,Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi: “Mendicants, do you see that large tree trunk being carried along by the current of the Ganges River?”“passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, amuṁ mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānan”ti?

“Yes, sir.”“Evaṁ, bhante”.

“Mendicants, assume that that tree trunk doesn’t drift toward the near shore or the far shore, or sink in the middle, or get stranded on high ground. And assume that it doesn’t get taken by humans or non-humans or caught up in a whirlpool, and that it doesn’t rot away.“Sace so, bhikkhave, dārukkhandho na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchati, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchati, na majjhe saṁsīdissati, na thale ussīdissati, na manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūti bhavissati; In that case, that tree trunk will slant, slope, and incline toward the ocean.evañhi so, bhikkhave, dārukkhandho samuddaninno bhavissati samuddapoṇo samuddapabbhāro. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? Because the current of the Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines toward the ocean.Samuddaninno, bhikkhave, gaṅgāya nadiyā soto samuddapoṇo samuddapabbhāro.

In the same way, assume that you don’t drift toward the near shore or the far shore, or sink in the middle, or get stranded on high ground. And assume that you don’t get taken by humans or non-humans or caught up in a whirlpool, and that you don’t rot away.Evameva kho, bhikkhave, sace tumhepi na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchatha, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchatha; In that case, you will slant, slope, and incline toward extinguishment.evaṁ tumhe, bhikkhave, nibbānaninnā bhavissatha nibbānapoṇā nibbānapabbhārā. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? Because right view slants, slopes, and inclines toward extinguishment.”Nibbānaninnā, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi nibbānapoṇā nibbānapabbhārā”ti.

When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha:Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“But sir, what’s the near shore and what’s the far shore? What’s sinking in the middle? What’s getting stranded on high ground? What’s getting taken by humans or non-humans? What’s getting caught up in a whirlpool? And what’s rotting away?”“kiṁ nu kho, bhante, orimaṁ tīraṁ, kiṁ pārimaṁ tīraṁ, ko majjhe saṁsādo, ko thale ussādo, ko manussaggāho, ko amanussaggāho, ko āvaṭṭaggāho, ko antopūtibhāvo”ti?

“‘The near shore’, mendicant, is a term for the six interior sense fields.“‘Orimaṁ tīran’ti kho, bhikkhu, channetaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘The far shore’ is a term for the six exterior sense fields.‘Pārimaṁ tīran’ti kho, bhikkhu, channetaṁ bāhirānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Sinking in the middle’ is a term for greed and relishing.‘Majjhe saṁsādo’ti kho, bhikkhu, nandīrāgassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Stranded on high ground’ is a term for the conceit ‘I am’.‘Thale ussādo’ti kho, bhikkhu, asmimānassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

And what’s getting taken by humans?Katamo ca, bhikkhu, manussaggāho? It’s when someone mixes closely with laypeople, sharing their joys and sorrows—happy when they’re happy and sad when they’re sad—and getting themselves involved in their business.Idha, bhikkhu, gihīhi saṁsaṭṭho viharati, sahanandī sahasokī, sukhitesu sukhito, dukkhitesu dukkhito, uppannesu kiccakaraṇīyesu attanā tesu yogaṁ āpajjati. That’s called getting taken by humans.Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu, manussaggāho.

And what’s getting taken by non-humans?Katamo ca, bhikkhu, amanussaggāho? It’s when someone leads the spiritual life wishing to be reborn in one of the orders of gods: ‘By this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual practice, may I become one of the gods!’Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti. That’s called getting taken by non-humans.Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu, amanussaggāho. ‘Caught up in a whirlpool’ is a term for the five kinds of sensual stimulation.‘Āvaṭṭaggāho’ti kho, bhikkhu, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

And what’s rotting away?Katamo ca, bhikkhu, antopūtibhāvo? It’s when some person is unethical, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner—though claiming to be one—rotten inside, festering, and depraved.Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo asucisaṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujāto. This is called ‘rotting away’.”Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu, ‘antopūtibhāvo’”ti.

Now at that time Nanda the cowherd was sitting not far from the Buddha.Tena kho pana samayena nando gopālako bhagavato avidūre ṭhito hoti. Then he said to the Buddha:Atha kho nando gopālako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“I won’t drift toward the near shore or the far shore, or sink in the middle, or get stranded on high ground. And I won’t get taken by humans or non-humans or caught up in a whirlpool, and I won’t rot away.“ahaṁ kho, bhante, na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchāmi, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchāmi, na majjhe saṁsīdissāmi, na thale ussīdissāmi, na maṁ manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūti bhavissāmi. Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

“Well then, Nanda, return the cows to their owners.”“Tena hi tvaṁ, nanda, sāmikānaṁ gāvo niyyātehī”ti.

“Sir, the cows will go back by themselves, since they love their calves.”“Gamissanti, bhante, gāvo vacchagiddhiniyo”ti.

“Still, Nanda, you should return them to their owners.”“Niyyāteheva tvaṁ, nanda, sāmikānaṁ gāvo”ti.

Then Nanda, after returning the cows to their owners, went up to the Buddha and said to him,Atha kho nando gopālako sāmikānaṁ gāvo niyyātetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Sir, I have delivered the cows to their owners.“niyyātitā, bhante, sāmikānaṁ gāvo. May I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

And the cowherd Nanda received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence.Alattha kho nando gopālako bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ. Not long after his ordination,Acirūpasampanno ca panāyasmā nando eko vūpakaṭṭho …pe… Venerable Nanda became one of the perfected.aññataro ca panāyasmā nando arahataṁ ahosīti.