Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then King Pasenadi of Kosalā approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One: “Does Master Gotama too claim, ‘I have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment’?”
“If, great king, one speaking rightly could say of anyone, ‘He has awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment,’ it is of me that one might rightly say this. For I, great king, have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.”
“Master Gotama, even those ascetics and brahmins who are the heads of orders and companies, the teachers of companies, well known and famous founders of sects considered by the multitude to be holy men — that is, Pūraṇa Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta, Pakudha Kaccāyana, Ajita KesakambalI — even these, when I asked them whether they had awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, did not claim to have done so. So why then should Master Gotama [make such a claim] when he is so young in years and has newly gone forth?”
“There are four things, great king, that should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young.’ What four? A khattiya, great king, should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young’; a snake should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young’; a fire should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young’; and a bhikkhu should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young.’ These are the four.”
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:
374 “One should not despise as ‘young’
A khattiya of noble birth,
A high-born prince of glorious fame:
A man should not disparage him.
375 For it may happen that this lord of men,
This khattiya, shall gain the throne,
And in his anger thrash one harshly
With a royal punishment.
Therefore guarding one’s own life,
One should avoid him.
376 “One should not despise as ‘young’
A serpent one may see by chance
In the village or a forest:
A man should not disparage it.
377 For as that fierce snake glides along,
Manifesting in diverse shapes,
It may attack and bite the fool,
Whether a man or a woman.
Therefore guarding one’s own life,
One should avoid it.
378 “One should not despise as ‘young’
A blazing fire that devours much,
A conflagration with blackened trail:
A man should not disparage it.
379 For if it gains a stock of fuel,
Having become a conflagration,
It may attack and burn the fool,
Whether a man or a woman.
Therefore guarding one’s own life,
One should avoid it.
380 “When a fire burns down a forest —
That conflagration with blackened trail —
The shoots there spring to life once more
As the days and nights pass by.
381 But if a bhikkhu of perfect virtue
Burns one with [his virtue’s] fire,
One does not gain sons and cattle,
Nor do one’s heirs acquire wealth.
Childless and heirless they become,
Like stumps of palmyra trees.
382 “Therefore a person who is wise,
Out of regard for his own good,
Should always treat these properly:
A fierce serpent and a blazing fire,
A famous khattiya,
And a bhikkhu of perfect virtue.”
When this was said, King Pasenadi of Kosalā said to the Blessed One: “Magnificent, venerable sir! Magnificent, venerable sir! The Dhamma has been made clear in many ways by the Blessed One, as though he were turning upright what had been turned upside down, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the dark for those with eyesight to see forms. I go for refuge to the Blessed One, and to the Dhamma, and to the Bhikkhu Saṅgha. From today let the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”
At Sāvatthi. Then King Pasenadi of Kosalā approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
“Venerable sir, how many things are there which, when they arise within a person, arise for his harm, suffering, and discomfort?”
“There are, great king, three things which, when they arise within a person, arise for his harm, suffering, and discomfort. What are the three? Greed, hatred, and delusion. These are the three things which, when they arise within a person, arise for his harm, suffering, and discomfort.
383 “Greed, hatred, and delusion,
Arisen from within oneself,
Injure the person of evil mind
As its own fruit destroys the reed.”
At Sāvatthi. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosalā said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, for one who has taken birth, is there anything other [to expect] than aging and death?”
“For one who has taken birth, great king, there is nothing other [to expect] than aging and death. Even in the case of those affluent khattiyas — rich, with great wealth and property, with abundant gold and silver, abundant treasures and commodities, abundant wealth and grain — because they have taken birth, there is nothing other [to expect] than aging and death. Even in the case of those affluent brahmins … affluent householders — rich … with abundant wealth and grain — because they have taken birth, there is nothing other [to expect] than aging and death. Even in the case of those bhikkhus who are arahants, whose taints are destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached their own goal, utterly destroyed the fetters of existence, and are completely liberated through final knowledge: even for them this body is subject to breaking up, subject to being laid down.
384 “The beautiful chariots of kings wear out,
This body too undergoes decay.
But the Dhamma of the good does not decay:
So the good proclaim along with the good.”
At Sāvatthi. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosalā said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, while I was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in my mind thus: ‘Who now treat themselves as dear, and who treat themselves as a foe?’ Then, venerable sir, it occurred to me: ‘Those who engage in misconduct of body, speech, and mind treat themselves as a foe. Even though they may say, “We regard ourselves as dear,” still they treat themselves as a foe. For what reason? Because of their own accord they act towards themselves in the same way that a foe might act towards a foe; therefore they treat themselves as a foe. But those who engage in good conduct of body, speech, and mind treat themselves as dear. Even though they may say, “We regard ourselves as a foe,” still they treat themselves as dear. For what reason? Because of their own accord they act towards themselves in the same way that a dear person might act towards one who is dear; therefore they treat themselves as dear.’”
“So it is, great king! So it is, great king!”
(The Buddha then repeats the entire statement of King Pasenadi and adds the following verses:)
385 “If one regards oneself as dear
One should not yoke oneself to evil,
For happiness is not easily gained
By one who does a wrongful deed.
386 “When one is seized by the End-maker
As one discards the human state,
What can one call truly one’s own?
What does one take when one goes?
What follows one along
Like a shadow that never departs?
387 “Both the merits and the evil
That a mortal does right here:
This is what is truly one’s own,
This one takes when one goes;
This is what follows one along
Like a shadow that never departs.
388 “Therefore one should do what is good
As a collection for the future life.
Merits are the support for living beings
[When they arise] in the other world.”
At Sāvatthi. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosalā said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, while I was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in my mind thus: ‘Who now protect themselves and who leave themselves unprotected?’ Then, venerable sir, it occurred to me: ‘Those who engage in misconduct of body, speech, and mind leave themselves unprotected. Even though a company of elephant troops may protect them, or a company of cavalry, or a company of chariot troops, [73] or a company of infantry, still they leave themselves unprotected. For what reason? Because that protection is external, not internal; therefore they leave themselves unprotected. But those who engage in good conduct of body, speech, and mind protect themselves. Even though no company of elephant troops protects them, nor a company of cavalry, nor a company of charioteers, nor a company of infantry, still they protect themselves. For what reason? Because that protection is internal, not external; therefore they protect themselves.’”
“So it is, great king! So it is, great king!”
(The Buddha then repeats the entire statement of King Pasenadi and adds the following verse:)
389 “Good is restraint with the body, Restraint by speech is also good; Good is restraint with the mind, Restraint everywhere is good. Conscientious, everywhere restrained, One is said to be protected.”
At Sāvatthi. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosalā said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, while I was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in my mind thus: ‘Few are those people in the world who, when they obtain superior possessions, do not become intoxicated and negligent, yield to greed for sensual pleasures, and mistreat other beings. Far more numerous are those people in the world who, when they obtain superior possessions, become intoxicated and negligent, [74] yield to greed for sensual pleasures, and mistreat other beings.’”
“So it is, great king! So it is, great king!”
(The Buddha then repeats the entire statement of King Pasenadi and adds the following verse:)
390 “Enamoured with their pleasures and wealth,
Greedy, dazed by sensual pleasures,
They do not realize they have gone too far
Like deer that enter the trap laid out.
Afterwards the bitter fruit is theirs,
For bad indeed is the result.”
At Sāvatthi. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosalā said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, when I am sitting in the judgement hall, I see even affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, and affluent householders — rich, with great wealth and property, with abundant gold and silver, abundant treasures and commodities, abundant wealth and grain — speaking deliberate lies for the sake of sensual pleasures, with sensual pleasures as the cause, on account of sensual pleasures. Then, venerable sir, it occurs to me: ‘I’ve had enough now with the judgement hall!
Now it is Good Face who will be known by his judgements.’” “So it is, great king! So it is, great king! Even affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, and affluent householders … speak deliberate lies for the sake of sensual pleasures, with sensual pleasures as the cause, on account of sensual pleasures. That will lead to their harm and suffering for a long time to come.
391 “Enamoured with their pleasures and wealth,
Greedy, dazed by sensual pleasures,
They do not realize they have gone too far
Like fish that enter the net spread out.
Afterwards the bitter fruit is theirs,
For bad indeed is the result.”
At Sāvatthi. Now on that occasion King Pasenadi of Kosalā had gone together with Queen Mallikā to the upper terrace of the palace. Then King Pasenadi of Kosalā said to Queen Mallikā: “Is there, Mallikā, anyone more dear to you than yourself?”
“There is no one, great king, more dear to me than myself. But is there anyone, great king, more dear to you than yourself?”
“For me too, Mallikā, there is no one more dear than myself.”
Then King Pasenadi of Kosalā descended from the palace and approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, sat down to one side, and related to the Blessed One his conversation with Queen Mallikā. Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited this verse:
392 “Having traversed all quarters with the mind,
One finds none anywhere dearer than oneself.
Likewise, each person holds himself most dear;
Hence one who loves himself should not harm others.”
At Sāvatthi. Now on that occasion a great sacrifice had been set up for King Pasenadi of Kosalā. Five hundred bulls, five hundred bullocks, five hundred heifers, five hundred goats, and five hundred rams had been led to the pillar for the sacrifice. And his slaves, servants, and workers, spurred on by punishment and fear, were busy making the preparations, wailing with tearful faces.
Then, in the morning, a number of bhikkhus dressed and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthi for alms. When they had walked for alms in Sāvatthi and had returned from their alms round, after the meal they approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said: “Here, venerable sir, a great sacrifice has been set up for King Pasenadi of Kosalā. Five hundred bulls … have been led to the pillar for the sacrifice. And his slaves … are busy making preparations, wailing with tearful faces.”
Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited these verses:
393 “The horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,
Sammāpāsa, vājapeyya, niraggaḷa:
These great sacrifices, fraught with violence,
Do not bring great fruit.
394 “The great seers of right conduct
Do not attend that sacrifice
Where goats, sheep, and cattle
Of various kinds are slain.
395 “But when sacrifices free from violence
Are always offered by family custom,
Where no goats, sheep, or cattle
Of various kinds are slain:
The great seers of right conduct
Attend a sacrifice like this.
396 “The wise person should offer this,
A sacrifice bringing great fruit.
For one who makes such sacrifice
It is indeed better, never worse.
Such a sacrifice is truly vast
And the devatās too are pleased.”
Now on that occasion a great mass of people had been put in bondage by King Pasenadi of Kosalā — some with ropes, some with clogs, some with chains. Then, in the morning, a number of bhikkhus dressed … and said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, a great mass of people have been put in bondage by King Pasenadi of Kosalā, some with ropes, some with clogs, some with chains.”
Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited these verses:
397 “That bond, the wise say, is not strong
Made of iron, wood, or rope;
But infatuation with jewellery and earrings,
Anxious concern for wives and children —
398 This, the wise say, is the strong bond,
Degrading, supple, hard to escape.
But even this they cut and wander forth,
Unconcerned, having abandoned sensual pleasures.”