English
The Analogy of the Dice Players 434. "In that case, O prince, I will make you an analogy. By an analogy, some wise men here understand the meaning of what is said. Once upon a time, O prince, two dice players were playing with dice. One dice player swallowed every losing throw. The second dice player saw that dice player swallowing every losing throw. Seeing him, he said to that dice player: 'You, friend, are winning absolutely. Give me, friend, the dice, I will play!' 'Yes, friend,' said that dice player, and he gave the dice to that dice player. Then that dice player treated the dice with poison, and said to that dice player: 'Come, friend, let us play with dice!' 'Yes, friend,' replied that dice player to that dice player. i. A second time, those dice-players played with dice. A second time, that dice-player swallowed the losing throw as it came. The second dice-player saw that dice-player swallowing the losing throw as it came a second time, and seeing that dice-player, he said this: “Though smeared with supreme power, The man does not know he swallows a losing throw; Swallow, oh swallow, you wicked gambler, Later it will be bitter for you.” “Even so, O prince, you seem to me like that dice-player. Abandon this, O prince, this evil view; abandon this, O prince, this evil view. May it not be for your harm and suffering for a long time.” 435. “Even though Master Kassapa says this, I am not able to abandon this evil view. King Pasenadi of Kosala knows me, and other kings know me – ‘Prince Pāyāsi is of such a speech, of such a view – ‘‘there is no other world… there is no result.’’ If I, good Kassapa, abandon this evil view, there will be those who say of me – ‘How foolish is Prince Pāyāsi, unskillful, holding a wrong grasp.’ I will endure it with anger, I will endure it with hypocrisy, I will endure it with deceit.” The Analogy of the Hemp-Bundle 436. “In that case, O prince, I will make an analogy for you; by an analogy, some discerning men understand the meaning of what is said. Formerly, O prince, a certain district was abandoned. Then a friend addressed a friend – ‘Come, friend, let us go to that district, perhaps we might acquire some wealth there.’ ‘Yes, friend,’ the friend replied to the friend. They went to that district, to a certain village-outpost, and there they saw a lot of hemp thrown away, and seeing it, one friend addressed the other friend – ‘This, friend, much hemp was discarded. So, friend, you too bind a load of hemp, and I too will bind a load of hemp. Both of us will take the load of hemp and go.’ ‘Yes, friend,’ the companion replied to his companion, and having bound a load of hemp, both of them took the load of hemp and went to a certain village district. There they saw much hemp thread discarded. Having seen it, the companion addressed his companion: ‘That for which, friend, we would wish for hemp, here is much hemp thread discarded. So, friend, you too discard the load of hemp, and I too will discard the load of hemp. Both of us will take the load of hemp thread and go.’ ‘This load of hemp of mine, friend, was brought from afar and is well-bound. It is enough for me, you understand.’ Then that companion discarded the load of hemp and took the load of hemp thread. They went to a certain village district. There they saw many hemp cloths discarded. Having seen them, the companion addressed his companion: ‘That for which, friend, we would wish for hemp or hemp thread, here are many hemp cloths discarded. So, friend, you too discard the load of hemp, and I too will discard the load of hemp thread. Both of us will take the load of hemp cloths and go.’ ‘This load of hemp of mine, friend, was brought from afar and is well-bound. It is enough for me, you understand.’ Then that companion discarded the load of hemp thread and took the load of hemp cloths. They went to a certain village district. There they saw much flax discarded. Having seen it… much flax thread discarded. Having seen it… much flax cloth discarded. Having seen it… much cotton discarded. Having seen it… much cotton thread discarded. Having seen it… much cotton cloth discarded. Having seen it… much iron discarded. Having seen it… much copper discarded. Having seen it… much tin discarded. Having seen it… … much lead discarded, seeing… much silver discarded, seeing… much gold discarded. Seeing this, one companion addressed the other companion: ‘Friend, for the sake of which we might wish for hemp, or hemp thread, or hemp cloth, or linen, or linen thread, or linen cloth, or cotton, or cotton thread, or cotton cloth, or iron, or copper, or tin, or lead, or silver— here is much gold discarded. Therefore, friend, you discard your load of hemp, and I will discard my load of silver. Both of us will take a load of gold and go.’ ‘Friend, this load of hemp of mine was brought from afar and is well-bound. You know enough for me.’ Then that companion, discarding his load of silver, took up a load of gold. They approached their own village. There, the companion who went carrying the load of hemp— his parents did not rejoice, his children and wife did not rejoice, his friends and associates did not rejoice, nor did he attain happiness and joy because of it. But the companion who went carrying the load of gold— his parents rejoiced, his children and wife rejoiced, his friends and associates rejoiced, and he attained happiness and joy because of it. ‘Just so, O prince, you appear to me like the one carrying the load of hemp. Renounce this, O prince, this evil view; renounce this, O prince, this evil view. May it not be for your harm and suffering for a long time.’ Taking Refuge 437. ‘Before this, I was already pleased and delighted by the Venerable Kassapa's simile. But I, wishing to hear these varied answers to questions, thought I should make the Venerable Kassapa an opponent. Excellent, Venerable Kassapa! Excellent, Venerable Kassapa! Just as, Venerable Kassapa, one might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what is hidden, or show the way to one who is lost, or hold up an oil lamp in the darkness, thinking, ‘Those with eyes will see forms’— even so, Venerable Kassapa, the Dhamma has been proclaimed by you in many ways. Venerable Kassapa, I go for refuge to that Venerable Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. May Venerable Kassapa remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge from this day forth, for as long as life lasts. “And I wish, Venerable Kassapa, to offer a great sacrifice. May Venerable Kassapa instruct me, for my long-term welfare and happiness.” Discourse on Sacrifice 438. “In a sacrifice, O prince, where cattle are slain, or goats and sheep are slain, or chickens and pigs are slain, and various living beings are put to slaughter, and the recipients are of wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration— such a sacrifice, O prince, is not of great fruit, not of great benefit, not of great splendor, not of great diffusion. Just as, O prince, a farmer taking seeds and a plow might enter a forest. There he might plant seeds in bad soil, on bad ground, full of stumps and thorns, seeds that are broken, rotten, damaged by wind and sun, without vigor, not well-stored. And the deity might not send down proper rain at the right time. Would those seeds attain growth, sprouting, abundance, or would the farmer obtain abundant fruit?” “No, Venerable Kassapa.” “Even so, O prince, in a sacrifice where cattle are slain, or goats and sheep are slain, or chickens and pigs are slain, and various living beings are put to slaughter, and the recipients are of wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration— such a sacrifice, O prince, is not of great fruit, not of great benefit, not of great splendor, not of great not of great splendor. “And, O prince, in a sacrifice where no cows are slain, no goats or sheep are slain, no chickens or pigs are slain, and no various living beings are brought to destruction; and the recipients are of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration— such a sacrifice, O prince, is of great fruit, great benefit, great glory, and great splendor. Just as, O prince, a farmer taking seeds and a plough might enter a forest. There, in good soil, on good ground, with stumps and thorns removed, he might plant seeds that are unbroken, not rotten, not damaged by wind or sun, ripe, and well-stored. And the god would send down rain at the right time. Would those seeds attain growth, increase, and abundance, or would the farmer obtain abundant fruit?” “Yes, indeed, Reverend Kassapa.” “Even so, O prince, in a sacrifice where no cows are slain, no goats or sheep are slain, no chickens or pigs are slain, and no various living beings are brought to destruction; and the recipients are of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration— such a sacrifice, O prince, is of great fruit, great benefit, great glory, and great splendor.” The Story of Uttara the Young Man Then Prince Payasi established a donation for ascetics, brahmins, the poor, the needy, traders, and beggars. In that donation, such food was given: broken rice with sour gruel as a second dish, and coarse garments made of rough hair. In that donation, a young man named Uttara was in charge. Having given the donation, he would dedicate it thus: “By this donation, may I meet Prince Payasi in this world only, not in the next.” Prince Payasi heard: “Uttara, the young man, it seems, who, having given a gift, thus dedicated it: ‘By this gift, may I meet King Payasi only in this world, not in the next.’ Then King Payasi, having summoned Uttara the student, said to him: ‘‘Is it true, dear Uttara,