English
great undertaking, great exertion, when it succeeds, yields great fruit. And what, young man, is an occupation of little effort, little task, little undertaking, little exertion, when it fails, yields little fruit? Indeed, trade, young man, is an occupation of little effort, little task, little undertaking, little exertion, when it fails, yields little fruit. And what, young man, is an occupation of little effort, little task, little undertaking, little exertion, when it succeeds, yields great fruit? Indeed, trade, young man, is an occupation of little effort, little task, little undertaking, little exertion, when it succeeds, yields great fruit. 464. Just as, young man, agriculture, an occupation of great effort, great task, great undertaking, great exertion, when it fails, yields little fruit; even so, young man, the householder's life, an occupation of great effort, great task, great undertaking, great exertion, when it fails, yields little fruit. Just as, young man, agriculture, an occupation of great effort, great task, great undertaking, great exertion, when it succeeds, yields great fruit; even so, young man, the householder's life, an occupation of great effort, great task, great undertaking, great exertion, when it succeeds, yields great fruit. Just as, young man, trade, an occupation of little effort, little task, little undertaking, little exertion, when it fails, yields little fruit; even so, young man, the homeless life, an occupation of little effort, little task, little undertaking, little exertion, when it fails, yields little fruit. Just as, young man, trade, an occupation of little effort, little task, little undertaking, little exertion A practice free from trouble, with little exertion, when accomplished, is of great fruit. Just so, young man, the ascetic life as a practice, with little trouble, with little to do, with little dispute, with little exertion, when accomplished, is of great fruit. "Brahmins, good Gotama, declare five qualities for the doing of merit, for the attainment of skillfulness." "Those Brahmins, young man, who declare five qualities for the doing of merit, for the attainment of skillfulness— if it is not burdensome to you— please declare those five qualities in this assembly." "Indeed, good Gotama, it is not burdensome to me, where you are seated, or one like you." "Then, young man, speak." "Indeed, good Gotama, Brahmins declare truth as the first quality for the doing of merit, for the attainment of skillfulness. Indeed, good Gotama, Brahmins declare austerity as the second quality for the doing of merit, for the attainment of skillfulness. Indeed, good Gotama, Brahmins declare the holy life as the third quality for the doing of merit, for the attainment of skillfulness. Indeed, good Gotama, Brahmins declare study as the fourth quality for the doing of merit, for the attainment of skillfulness. Indeed, good Gotama, Brahmins declare relinquishment as the fifth quality for the doing of merit, for the attainment of skillfulness. Brahmins, good Gotama, declare these five qualities for the doing of merit, for the attainment of skillfulness. What does Master Gotama say about this?" "But, young man, is there any one Brahmin among the Brahmins who says thus: 'Having myself directly known and realized the result of these five qualities, I declare it'?" "No, good Gotama." "But, young man, is there any one teacher among the Brahmins, or a teacher of teachers, up to the seventh generation of teachers, who says thus: 'Having myself directly known and realized the result of these five qualities, I declare it'?" having directly known and realized the result, declare it?" "No, indeed, Venerable Gotama." "But, young man, those ancient sages of the brahmins, the makers of the mantras, the propagators of the mantras, whose ancient mantra-path is now sung, spoken, and compiled by the brahmins, who follow it, who speak after it, who repeat what has been spoken, who recite what has been recited— namely: Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vessāmitta, Yamataggi, Aṅgīrasa, Bhāradvāja, Vāseṭṭha, Kassapa, Bhagu— did even they say: 'We, having directly known and realized the result of these five doctrines, declare it'?" "No, indeed, Venerable Gotama." "So then, young man, there is not a single brahmin who says: 'I, having directly known and realized the result of these five doctrines, declare it'; nor is there a single teacher among the brahmins, nor a teacher's teacher, up to the seventh generation of teachers, who says: 'I, having directly known and realized the result of these five doctrines, declare it'; and those ancient sages of the brahmins, the makers of the mantras, the propagators of the mantras, whose ancient mantra-path is now sung, spoken, and compiled by the brahmins, who follow it, who speak after it, who repeat what has been spoken, who recite what has been recited— namely: Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vessāmitta, Yamataggi, Aṅgīrasa, Bhāradvāja, Vāseṭṭha, Kassapo, Bhagu— even they did not say: 'We, having directly known and realized the result of these five doctrines, declare it'." "Just as, young man, a line of blind men, linked one to another, the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, the last one does not see; even so, young man, the brahmins' talk, I think, turns out to be like a line of blind men— the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, the last one does not see." When this was said, Subha, the young man, son of Todeyya, was addressed by the Blessed One with the simile of the line of blind men. displeased, angry, discontented, insulting the Blessed One, reviling the Blessed One, speaking ill of the Blessed One, he said to the Blessed One: "The ascetic Gotama will be ruined!" "The brahmin Pokkharasāti, venerable Gotama, who is known for his similes, and is of good reputation, says this: 'Indeed, some ascetics and brahmins here claim to have a superhuman state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision. Their statement is merely laughable, merely a name, merely empty, merely hollow. How can a human being know, or see, or realize a superhuman state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision? That is not possible!'" "But, young man, does the brahmin Pokkharasāti, who is known for his similes, and is of good reputation, comprehend the minds of all ascetics and brahmins by encompassing them with his own mind?" "Indeed, venerable Gotama, the brahmin Pokkharasāti, who is known for his similes, and is of good reputation, does not comprehend the mind of his own slave girl Puṇṇikā by encompassing it with his own mind. How then could he comprehend the minds of all ascetics and brahmins by encompassing them with his own mind?" "Just as, young man, a man born blind would not see black and white forms, would not see blue forms, would not see yellow forms, would not see red forms, would not see crimson forms, would not see even and uneven, would not see star forms, would not see the moon and sun. And he would say this: 'There are no black and white forms, there is no one who sees black and white forms; there are no blue forms, there is no one who sees blue forms; there are no yellow forms, there is no one who sees yellow forms; there are no red forms, there is no one who sees red forms; there are no crimson forms, there is no one who sees crimson forms; there is no even and uneven, there is no one who sees even and uneven...'" I do not see; there are no star-forms, I do not see star-forms; there are no moon and sun, I do not see moon and sun. I do not know this, I do not see this; therefore it does not exist.’ Would he, young man, speaking thus, speak rightly?” “No indeed, good Gotama. There are black and white forms, there is one who sees black and white forms; there are blue forms, there is one who sees blue forms; there are yellow forms, there is one who sees yellow forms; there are red forms, there is one who sees red forms; there are crimson forms, there is one who sees crimson forms; there is even and uneven, there is one who sees even and uneven; there are star-forms, there is one who sees star-forms; there are moon and sun, there is one who sees moon and sun. ‘I do not know this, I do not see this; therefore it does not exist.’ Indeed, good Gotama, he would not speak rightly, speaking thus.” “Just so, young man, the brahmin Pokkharasāti, of the Gotra Opamañña, is blind, without eyes. That he should know, or see, or realize a superior human state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision— this is not possible.” 467. “What do you think, young man? Among those great and wealthy brahmins of Kosala, namely— the brahmin Caṅkī, the brahmin Tārukkha, the brahmin Pokkharasāti, the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi, and your father Todeyya— which is better for them: that they should speak with confused words, or without confused words?” “Without confused words, good Gotama.” “Which is better for them: that they should speak with thought, or without thought?” “With thought, good Gotama.” “Which is better for them: that they should speak after reflection, or without reflection?” “After reflection, good Gotama.” “Which is better for them: Better, if they speak words of benefit, or words of no benefit? Words of benefit, good Gotama. What do you think, young man, if this is so, were the words spoken by the brahmin Pokkharasāti, of the Opamañña clan, the Subhagavanika, unconfused or confused? Unconfused, good Gotama. Were the words spoken with thought, or without thought? Without thought, good Gotama. Were the words spoken after reflection, or without reflection? Without reflection, good Gotama. Were the words spoken connected with benefit, or not connected with benefit? Not connected with benefit, good Gotama. These, young man, are five hindrances. Which five? The hindrance of sensual desire, the hindrance of ill-will, the hindrance of sloth and torpor, the hindrance of restlessness and remorse, the hindrance of doubt –