ProfessionsSippasutta

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, after the meal, on return from almsround, several mendicants sat together in the pavilion and this discussion came up among them:Tena kho pana samayena sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ maṇḍalamāḷe sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: “Who knows a craft?“ko nu kho, āvuso, sippaṁ jānāti? Who is studying which craft?Ko kiṁ sippaṁ sikkhi? Which is the best craft?”Kataraṁ sippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti?

In answer, some said thatTatthekacce evamāhaṁsu: elephant-craft is the best of crafts.“hatthisippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. Others said that the best craft isEkacce evamāhaṁsu: horse-craft,“assasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. or chariot-craft,“rathasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. or archery,“dhanusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. or swordsmanship,“tharusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. or arithmetic,“muddāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. or accounting,“gaṇanāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. or calculating,“saṅkhānasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. or writing,“lekhāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. or poetry,“kāveyyasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. or cosmology,“lokāyatasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. or geomancy.“khattavijjāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti. At that point the conversation among those mendicants was left unfinished.Ayañcarahi tesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ antarākathā hoti vippakatā.

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the assembly hall. He sat down on the seat spread out,Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena maṇḍalamāḷo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. and addressed the mendicants:Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “Mendicants, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?”“kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā, kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā”ti?

So the mendicants told him what they had been talking about when the Buddha arrived. The Buddha said,“Idha, bhante, amhākaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ maṇḍalamāḷe sannisinnānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:

“Mendicants, it is not appropriate for you gentlemen who have gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness to talk about such things.“Na khvetaṁ, bhikkhave, tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ kulaputtānaṁ saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitānaṁ yaṁ tumhe evarūpiṁ kathaṁ katheyyātha. When you’re sitting together you should do one of two things:Sannipatitānaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dvayaṁ karaṇīyaṁ— discuss the teachings or keep noble silence.”dhammī vā kathā ariyo vā tuṇhībhāvo”ti.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

“Living without a craft, light, wanting what is best,“Asippajīvī lahu atthakāmo, with senses controlled, everywhere free;Yatindriyo sabbadhi vippamutto; a migrant with no bastion, unselfish, with no need for hope,Anokasārī amamo nirāso, having given up conceit, wandering alone: <j>that is a mendicant.”Hitvā mānaṁ ekacaro sa bhikkhū”ti.