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Linked Discourses · SN 45.160

  • Linked Discourses 45.160Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.160
  • 12. Hard Work12. Balakaraṇīyavagga

A RiverNadīsutta

“Mendicants, suppose that, although the Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east,“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. a large crowd were to come along with a spade and basket, saying:Atha mahājanakāyo āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya: ‘We’ll make this Ganges River slant, slope, and incline to the west!’‘mayaṁ imaṁ gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ karissāma pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran’ti.

What do you think, mendicants?Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, Would they succeed?”api nu so mahājanakāyo gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ kareyya pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran”ti?

“No, sir.“No hetaṁ, bhante”. Why is that?“Taṁ kissa hetu”? The Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east.“Gaṅgā, bhante, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. It’s not easy to make it slant, slope, and incline to the west.Sā na sukarā pacchāninnaṁ kātuṁ pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāraṁ. That large crowd will eventually get weary and frustrated.”Yāvadeva pana so mahājanakāyo kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā”ti.

“In the same way, while a mendicant develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path, if rulers or their chief ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or kin should invite them to accept wealth, saying:“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāventaṁ ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarontaṁ rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā ñātisālohitā vā bhogehi abhihaṭṭhuṁ pavāreyyuṁ: ‘Please, my man, why let these ocher robes torment you?‘ehambho purisa, kiṁ te ime kāsāvā anudahanti, Why follow the practice of shaving your head and carrying an alms bowl?kiṁ muṇḍo kapālamanusaṁcarasi. Come, return to a lesser life, enjoy wealth, and make merit!’Ehi, hīnāyāvattitvā bhoge ca bhuñjassu, puññāni ca karohī’ti. It is quite impossible for a mendicant who develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path to resign the training and return to a lesser life.So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvento ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaronto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? Because for a long time that mendicant’s mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined to seclusion. So it’s impossible for them to return to a lesser life.Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ vivekaninnaṁ vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāraṁ taṁ vata hīnāyāvattissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

And how does a mendicant develop the noble eightfold path?Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti? It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ … That’s how a mendicant develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.”evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarotī”ti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. SN 45.77 Good Friends 0.73near 1.18Linked Discourses 45.77 8. Abbreviated Texts on One Thing Good Friends At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that gives rise to the noble eightfold path, or, if it’s already arisen, fully develops it like…
  2. SN 45.150 Seeds 0.72near 1.18Linked Discourses 45.150 12. Hard Work Seeds “All the plants and seeds that achieve growth, increase, and maturity do so depending on the earth and grounded on the earth. In the same way, a mendicant develops and cultiva…
  3. SN 45.161 Searches 0.72near 1.18This is the noble eightfold path that should be developed to directly know these three searches.” “Mendicants, there are these three searches. What three? The search for sensual pleasures, the search for continued existe…
  4. SN 45.103 Slanting East 0.71near 0.1Linked Discourses 45.103 10. Abbreviated Texts on the Ganges Slanting East “Mendicants, the Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the noble eightf…
  5. SN 45.139 The Realized One 0.70near 1.18It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, whose objective, destination, and culmination is freedom from…
  6. SN 45.84 Good Friends (2nd) 0.70near 1.18Linked Discourses 45.84 8. Abbreviated Texts on One Thing Good Friends (2nd) “Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that gives rise to the noble eightfold path, or, if it’s already arisen, fully develops it like good f…
  7. SN 45.127 Slanting East 0.70near 0.1Linked Discourses 45.127 10. Abbreviated Texts on the Ganges Slanting East “Mendicants, the Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the noble eightf…
  8. SN 45.115 Slanting East 0.69near 0.1Linked Discourses 45.115 10. Abbreviated Texts on the Ganges Slanting East “Mendicants, the Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the noble eightf…