AN 4.111

Kesisutta

Atha kho kesi assadammasārathi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho kesiṁ assadammasārathiṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “tvaṁ khosi, kesi, paññāto assadammasārathīti. Kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, kesi, assadammaṁ vinesī”ti? “Ahaṁ kho, bhante, assadammaṁ saṇhenapi vinemi, pharusenapi vinemi, saṇhapharusenapi vinemī”ti. “Sace te, kesi, assadammo saṇhena vinayaṁ na upeti, pharusena vinayaṁ na upeti, saṇhapharusena vinayaṁ na upeti, kinti naṁ karosī”ti? “Sace me, bhante, assadammo saṇhena vinayaṁ na upeti, pharusena vinayaṁ na upeti, saṇhapharusena vinayaṁ na upeti; hanāmi naṁ, bhante. Taṁ kissa hetu? ‘Mā me ācariyakulassa avaṇṇo ahosī’ti.

With Kesi

Then Kesi the horse trainer went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, “Kesi, you’re known as a horse trainer. Just how do you guide a horse in training?” “Sir, I guide a horse in training sometimes gently, sometimes harshly, and sometimes both gently and harshly.” “Kesi, what do you do with a horse in training that doesn’t follow these forms of training?” “In that case, sir, I kill it. Why is that? So that I don’t disgrace my tutor’s community.

Bhagavā pana, bhante, anuttaro purisadammasārathi. Kathaṁ pana, bhante, bhagavā purisadammaṁ vinetī”ti? “Ahaṁ kho, kesi, purisadammaṁ saṇhenapi vinemi, pharusenapi vinemi, saṇhapharusenapi vinemi. Tatridaṁ, kesi, saṇhasmiṁ— iti kāyasucaritaṁ iti kāyasucaritassa vipāko, iti vacīsucaritaṁ iti vacīsucaritassa vipāko, iti manosucaritaṁ iti manosucaritassa vipāko, iti devā, iti manussāti. Tatridaṁ, kesi, pharusasmiṁ— iti kāyaduccaritaṁ iti kāyaduccaritassa vipāko, iti vacīduccaritaṁ iti vacīduccaritassa vipāko, iti manoduccaritaṁ iti manoduccaritassa vipāko, iti nirayo, iti tiracchānayoni, iti pettivisayoti.

But sir, the Buddha is the supreme guide for those fit for training. Just how do you guide a person in training?” “Kesi, I guide a person in training sometimes gently, sometimes harshly, and sometimes both gently and harshly. The gentle way is this: ‘This is good conduct by way of body, speech, and mind. This is the result of good conduct by way of body, speech, and mind. This is life as a god. This is life as a human.’ The harsh way is this: ‘This is bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind. This is the result of bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind. This is life in hell. This is life as an animal. This is life as a ghost.’

Tatridaṁ, kesi, saṇhapharusasmiṁ— iti kāyasucaritaṁ iti kāyasucaritassa vipāko, iti kāyaduccaritaṁ iti kāyaduccaritassa vipāko, iti vacīsucaritaṁ iti vacīsucaritassa vipāko, iti vacīduccaritaṁ iti vacīduccaritassa vipāko, iti manosucaritaṁ iti manosucaritassa vipāko, iti manoduccaritaṁ iti manoduccaritassa vipāko, iti devā, iti manussā, iti nirayo, iti tiracchānayoni, iti pettivisayo”ti.

The both gentle and harsh way is this: ‘This is good conduct … this is bad conduct …’”

“Sace te, bhante, purisadammo saṇhena vinayaṁ na upeti, pharusena vinayaṁ na upeti, saṇhapharusena vinayaṁ na upeti, kinti naṁ bhagavā karotī”ti? “Sace me, kesi, purisadammo saṇhena vinayaṁ na upeti, pharusena vinayaṁ na upeti, saṇhapharusena vinayaṁ na upeti, hanāmi naṁ, kesī”ti. “Na kho, bhante, bhagavato pāṇātipāto kappati. Atha ca pana bhagavā evamāha: ‘hanāmi naṁ, kesī’”ti. “Saccaṁ, kesi. Na tathāgatassa pāṇātipāto kappati. Api ca yo purisadammo saṇhena vinayaṁ na upeti, pharusena vinayaṁ na upeti, saṇhapharusena vinayaṁ na upeti, na taṁ tathāgato vattabbaṁ anusāsitabbaṁ maññati, nāpi viññū sabrahmacārī vattabbaṁ anusāsitabbaṁ maññanti. Vadho heso, kesi, ariyassa vinaye— yaṁ na tathāgato vattabbaṁ anusāsitabbaṁ maññati, nāpi viññū sabrahmacārī vattabbaṁ anusāsitabbaṁ maññantī”ti.

“Sir, what do you do with a person in training who doesn’t follow these forms of training?” “In that case, Kesi, I kill them.” “Sir, it’s not appropriate for the Buddha to kill living creatures. And yet you say you kill them.” “It’s true, Kesi, it’s not appropriate for a Realized One to kill living creatures. But when a person in training doesn’t follow any of these forms of training, the Realized One doesn’t think they’re worth advising or instructing, and neither do their sensible spiritual companions. For it is killing in the training of the Noble One when the Realized One doesn’t think they’re worth advising or instructing, and neither do their sensible spiritual companions.”

“So hi nūna, bhante, suhato hoti— yaṁ na tathāgato vattabbaṁ anusāsitabbaṁ maññati, nāpi viññū sabrahmacārī vattabbaṁ anusāsitabbaṁ maññantīti. Abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

“Well, they’re definitely dead when the Realized One doesn’t think they’re worth advising or instructing, and neither do their sensible spiritual companions. Excellent, sir! … From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”