English
What then, Master Raṭṭhapāla, having known or seen or heard, did you go forth from home to homelessness? And what, O Raṭṭhapāla, is the decline due to relatives? Here, O Raṭṭhapāla, some person has many friends, ministers, relatives, and kinsmen. His relatives gradually diminish. He reflects thus: ‘Indeed, I formerly had many friends, ministers, relatives, and kinsmen. But they have gradually diminished. It is not easy for me to acquire wealth not yet acquired, or to increase wealth already acquired. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, don saffron robes... go forth from home to homelessness.' He, afflicted by that loss of relatives, shaves off hair and beard, puts on saffron robes, and goes forth from home to homelessness. This is called, good Raṭṭhapāla, loss of relatives. But for you, Raṭṭhapāla, in this very Thullakoṭṭhika, there are many friends, ministers, relatives and kinsmen. That loss of relatives is not for you, Raṭṭhapāla. What did you, Raṭṭhapāla, know, or see, or hear, that you went forth from home to homelessness? These, good Raṭṭhapāla, are the four losses, afflicted by which some here shave off hair and beard, put on saffron robes, and go forth from home to homelessness. These are not for you, Raṭṭhapāla. What did you, Raṭṭhapāla, know, or see, or hear, that you went forth from home to homelessness? Indeed, great king, by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, four statements of Dhamma were declared, which I, having known, seen, and heard, went forth from home to homelessness. Which are the four? 'The world is carried away, it is impermanent' — this, great king, by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, was the first statement of Dhamma declared, which I, having known, seen, and heard, went forth from home to homelessness. 'The world is without refuge, without a protector' — this, great king, by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, was the second statement of Dhamma declared, which I, having known, seen, and heard, went forth from home to homelessness. 'The world is without ownership, one must leave everything and go' — this, great king, by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, was the third statement of Dhamma declared, which I, having known, seen, and heard, went forth from home to homelessness. 'The world is deficient, insatiate, a slave to craving' — this, great king, by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One... By the Buddha, the fourth theme of Dhamma was declared, which I, having known, seen, and heard, went forth from home to homelessness. These, indeed, great king, by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, were the four themes of Dhamma declared, which I, having known, seen, and heard, went forth from home to homelessness. ‘The world is ever-changing, impermanent’ – Venerable Raṭṭhapāla said. Of this saying, Venerable Raṭṭhapāla, how is the meaning to be understood? What do you think, great king, when you were twenty or twenty-five years old, were you skilled in elephants, skilled in horses, skilled in chariots, skilled in archery, skilled in swordsmanship, strong in thigh, strong in arm, fully capable in battle? I was, Venerable Raṭṭhapāla, when twenty or twenty-five years old, skilled in elephants, skilled in horses, skilled in chariots, skilled in archery, skilled in swordsmanship, strong in thigh, strong in arm, fully capable in battle. Sometimes, Venerable Raṭṭhapāla, I thought myself so mighty that I saw no one equal to my own strength. What do you think, great king, are you even now strong in thigh, strong in arm, fully capable in battle? No, indeed, Venerable Raṭṭhapāla. Now I am old, aged, decrepit, having reached the end of my days, my age is eighty years. Sometimes, Venerable Raṭṭhapāla, I intend to place my foot here, but I place my foot elsewhere. This, great king, is what was spoken by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, when he said: ‘The world is ever-changing, impermanent.’ Which I, having known, seen, and heard, went forth from home to homelessness. Wonderful, Venerable Raṭṭhapāla! Amazing, Venerable Raṭṭhapāla! How well spoken this is by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One... by the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One – 'The world is led on, impermanent.' Indeed, sir Raṭṭhapāla, the world is led on, impermanent. "Indeed, sir Raṭṭhapāla, in this royal family there are elephant troops, horse troops, chariot troops, and infantry troops, which will serve to protect us in times of danger. 'The world is without refuge, without a sovereign' – this is what venerable Raṭṭhapāla says. But, sir Raṭṭhapāla, how should the meaning of this statement be understood?" "What do you think, great king? Do you have any persistent ailment?" "Yes, sir Raṭṭhapāla, I have a persistent ailment. Sometimes, sir Raṭṭhapāla, my friends, ministers, relatives, and kinsmen stand surrounding me, thinking: 'Now King Korabya will die! Now King Korabya will die!'" "What do you think, great king? Can you get those friends, ministers, relatives, and kinsmen to say: 'Come, sirs, my friends, ministers, relatives, and kinsmen, all of you, share this feeling, so that I may experience the feeling more lightly'? Or do you yourself experience that feeling?" "No, sir Raṭṭhapāla, I cannot get those friends, ministers, relatives, and kinsmen to say: 'Come, sirs, my friends, ministers, relatives, and kinsmen, all of you, share this feeling, so that I may experience the feeling more lightly.' Instead, I myself experience that feeling." "This, great king, is what was said by the Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, when he declared: 'The world is without refuge, without a sovereign.' Having known this, seen this, and heard this, I went forth from home into homelessness." "Wonderful, sir Raṭṭhapāla! Amazing, sir Raṭṭhapāla! How well said this was by the Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One: 'The world is without refuge, without a sovereign.' Indeed, sir Raṭṭhapāla, the world is without refuge, without a sovereign. "Indeed, sir Raṭṭhapāla, in this royal family there is abundant gold and silver, both buried in the ground and stored above and well-gone. ‘The world is without owner; all must be left behind and gone’ – thus venerable Raṭṭhapāla said. But of this saying, good Raṭṭhapāla, how is the meaning to be understood?” “What do you think, great king, as you now enjoy yourself, endowed and furnished with the five strands of sensual pleasure, will you obtain in the next world also – ‘Thus indeed I shall enjoy myself, endowed and furnished with these same five strands of sensual pleasure’? Or will others take possession of this wealth, while you will go according to your kamma?” “As I now, good Raṭṭhapāla, enjoy myself, endowed and furnished with the five strands of sensual pleasure, I shall not obtain in the next world also – ‘Thus indeed I shall enjoy myself with these same five strands of sensual pleasure.’ Rather, others will take possession of this wealth; but I shall go according to my kamma.” “This indeed, great king, was said by the Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, with reference to this – ‘The world is without owner, all must be left behind and gone’ – which I, having known and seen and heard, went forth from home to homelessness.” “Wonderful, good Raṭṭhapāla, amazing, good Raṭṭhapāla! How well-spoken indeed is this by the Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One – ‘The world is without owner, all must be left behind and gone.’ For indeed, good Raṭṭhapāla, the world is without owner, all must be left behind and gone. ‘The world is incomplete, unsatisfied, a slave to craving’ – thus venerable Raṭṭhapāla said. Of this saying, good Raṭṭhapāla, how is the meaning to be understood?” “What do you think, great king, do you dwell in a prosperous Kuru country?” “Yes, good Raṭṭhapāla, I dwell in a prosperous Kuru country.” “What do you think, great king, suppose a man were to come here from the eastern direction, trustworthy and reliable. He would approach you and say this – ‘Pray, great king, may you know, I come from the eastern direction. There I saw a great A country prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with people. Many elephant troops there, horse troops, chariot troops, infantry troops; much wealth and grain there; much gold and silver there, both unworked and worked; many women there. And it can be conquered with just that much strength. 'Conquer it, great king!' What would you do with it?" "That too, good Raṭṭhapāla, we would conquer and dwell in." "What do you think, great king, if a trustworthy, reliable man were to come here from the western direction... from the northern direction... from the southern direction... from across the sea? He would approach you and say this: 'Indeed, great king, know this, I come from across the sea. There I saw a great country, prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with people. Many elephant troops there, horse troops, chariot troops, infantry troops; much wealth and grain there; much gold and silver there, both unworked and worked; many women there. And it can be conquered with just that much strength. Conquer it, great king!' What would you do with it?" "That too, good Raṭṭhapāla, we would conquer and dwell in." "This, great king, is what was said by the Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, with reference to this: 'The world is deficient, insatiable, a slave to craving.' Knowing this, seeing this, and hearing this,