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and strikes her on the head, splitting her head?' Then, monks, after some time, concerning Vedekikā the householder's wife, such an evil reputation arose: 'Vedekikā the householder's wife is fierce, Vedekikā the householder's wife is not humble, Vedekikā the householder's wife is not peaceful.' Just so, monks, some monk here is gentle, very gentle, is humble, very humble, is peaceful, very peaceful, as long as unpleasant words do not touch him. But when, monks, unpleasant words touch a monk, then the monk is to be known as 'gentle', to be known as 'humble', to be known as 'peaceful'. I do not, monks, call that monk 'easy to admonish' who is easy to admonish for the sake of robes, almsfood, lodging, and requisites for the sick, medicine, and supplies, and who becomes easy to admonish. For what reason? For that monk, monks, not obtaining robes, almsfood, lodging, and requisites for the sick, medicine, and supplies, is not easy to admonish, does not become easy to admonish. He attains it. But, monks, that monk honoring the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, worshipping the Dhamma, deferring to the Dhamma, is easy to admonish, attains tractability. Him I call 'easy to admonish'. Therefore, monks, 'honoring the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, worshipping the Dhamma, deferring to the Dhamma, we shall be easy to admonish, we shall attain tractability.' Thus, monks, you should train. 227. Monks, these are five ways of speaking by which others may speak to you: either timely or untimely; either truthfully or untruthfully; either gently or harshly; either beneficially or unbeneficially; either with loving-kindness or with inner malice. Monks, others may speak to you either timely or untimely; Monks, others may speak to you either truthfully or untruthfully; Monks, others may speak to you either gently or harshly; Monks, others may speak to you either beneficially or unbeneficially; Monks, others may speak to you either with loving-kindness or with inner malice. Even then, monks, you should train thus: 'Our mind will not be altered, nor will we utter evil speech. We will dwell compassionate for welfare, with a mind of loving-kindness, not with inner malice. And we will dwell pervading that person with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness. And with that as the object, the entire world we will dwell pervading with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will.' Thus, monks, you should train. 228. Just as, monks, a man might come with a hoe and a basket. taking [it]. He would say thus: 'I will make this great earth no earth.' He would dig here and there, scatter here and there, spit here and there, urinate here and there – 'Be no earth, be no earth!' What do you think, monks, would that man be able to make this great earth no earth? "No, venerable sir." "For what reason?" "Because, venerable sir, this great earth is deep and immeasurable. It is not easy to make it no earth; that man would only become a partaker of weariness and vexation." Just so, monks, there are these five ways of speaking by which others might speak to you – at the right time or at the wrong time; truthfully or untruthfully; gently or harshly; beneficially or unbeneficially; with a mind of loving-kindness or with inner malice. At the right time, monks, others might speak to you, or at the wrong time; truthfully, monks, others might speak to you, or untruthfully; gently, monks, others might speak to you, or harshly; beneficially, monks, others might speak to you, or unbeneficially; with a mind of loving-kindness, monks, others might speak to you, or with inner malice. Even there, monks, you should train yourselves thus: 'Our mind will not be altered, nor will we utter evil words. We will dwell compassionate for welfare, with a mind of loving-kindness, without inner malice. We will dwell pervading that person with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, and with that as the object, we will dwell pervading the entire world with a mind like the earth, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will.' Thus, monks, you should train yourselves. 229. Just as, monks, a man might come taking lac, or turmeric, or indigo, or crimson. He would say thus: 'I will draw a picture in this sky... ...I will make a form appear." "What do you think, monks? Would that man be able to draw a form in this space, to make a form appear?" "No, venerable sir." "For what reason?" "This space, venerable sir, is formless, invisible. It is not easy to draw a form there, to make a form appear; that man would only be a partaker of weariness and vexation." "Even so, monks, there are these five ways of speaking by which others might address you, at the right time or the wrong time... ...and we will dwell, having pervaded the entire world with a mind like space, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will." "Thus, monks, you should train yourselves." 230. "Just as, monks, a man might come carrying a burning grass-torch. He might say this: 'With this burning grass-torch, I will heat up and torment the Ganges river.'" "What do you think, monks? Would that man be able to heat up and torment the Ganges river with a burning grass-torch?" "No, venerable sir." "For what reason?" "The Ganges river, venerable sir, is deep and immeasurable. It is not easy to heat up or torment it with a burning grass-torch; that man would only be a partaker of weariness and vexation." "Even so, monks, there are these five ways of speaking by which others might address you, at the right time or the wrong time... ...and we will dwell, having pervaded the entire world with a mind like the Ganges, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will." "Thus, monks, you should train yourselves." 231. "Just as, monks, a cat's skin bag, kneaded, well-kneaded, very well-kneaded, soft, downy, with its rustling sound cut off, with its crackling sound cut off." "Then a man might come carrying a stick or a potsherd. He might..." would say: ‘I will make this cat-skin rug, which is crushed, well-crushed, very well-crushed, soft as cotton, with its hair cut off, with its fur cut off, I will make it rustle, I will make it crackle, with a stick or a potsherd.’ What do you think, monks, would that man be able to make that cat-skin rug, which is crushed, well-crushed, very well-crushed, soft as cotton, with its hair cut off, with its fur cut off, rustle or crackle with a stick or a potsherd?” “No, venerable sir.” “For what reason?” “Because, venerable sir, that cat-skin rug is crushed, well-crushed, very well-crushed, soft as cotton, with its hair cut off, with its fur cut off. It is not easy to make it rustle or crackle with a stick or a potsherd; that man would only be a partaker of weariness and vexation.” “Even so, monks, there are these five ways of speaking by which others may address you, whether at the right time or not at the right time; whether truthfully or untruthfully; whether gently or harshly; whether beneficially or unbeneficially; whether with a mind of loving-kindness or with inner ill-will. Whether at the right time, monks, others may address you or not at the right time; whether truthfully, monks, others may address you or untruthfully; whether gently, monks, others may address you or harshly; whether beneficially, monks, others may address you or unbeneficially; whether with a mind of loving-kindness, monks, others may address you or with inner ill-will. Even then, monks, you should train yourselves thus: ‘Our minds will not be altered, nor will we utter evil words; we will abide compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of loving-kindness, without inner ill-will. And we will abide pervading that person with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, and with that as the object, we will abide pervading the entire world with a mind like the cat-skin rug, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hatred, without ill-will.’” Thus, monks, you should train yourselves. 232. “Even if, monks, bandits and rogues were to carve you limb by limb with a two-handled saw, whoever among you would defile his mind, he would not be one who carries out my teaching. Even there, monks, you should train yourselves thus: ‘Our mind will not be altered, nor will we utter evil words, but we will dwell compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of loving-kindness, without inner hatred. And we will dwell pervading that person with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, and pervading the entire world with that as the object, with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, ample, exalted, immeasurable, without enmity, without ill-will.’ Thus, monks, you should train yourselves. 233. “If, monks, you were to frequently keep this simile of the saw instruction in mind, do you see, monks, any way of speaking, small or large, that you would not endure?” “No, venerable sir.” “Therefore, monks, frequently keep this simile of the saw instruction in mind. That will be for your welfare and happiness for a long time.” This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, those monks rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words. The Simile of the Saw Sutta, the first, is finished. 2. The Simile of the Water Snake Sutta 234. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Savatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. Now at that time, a certain monk named Arittha, formerly a vulture-trainer, had conceived such a wicked view: “I understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One in such a way that those things called obstacles by the Blessed One are not sufficient to be obstacles when one engages in them.” Many monks heard: “Indeed, a wicked view has arisen in the monk named Arittha, formerly a vulture-trainer: ‘I understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One in such a way that those things called obstacles by the Blessed One, when one engages in them, are not sufficient to be obstacles.’”