SN 16.4

Kulūpakasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, kathaṁrūpo bhikkhu arahati kulūpako hotuṁ, kathaṁrūpo bhikkhu na arahati kulūpako hotun”ti? Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe… bhagavā etadavoca:

Visiting Families

At Sāvatthī. “What do you think, mendicants? What kind of mendicant is worthy of visiting families? And what kind of mendicant is not worthy of visiting families?” “Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …” The Buddha said this:

“Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁcitto kulāni upasaṅkamati: ‘dentuyeva me, mā nādaṁsu; bahukaññeva me dentu, mā thokaṁ; paṇītaññeva me dentu, mā lūkhaṁ; sīghaññeva me dentu, mā dandhaṁ; sakkaccaññeva me dentu, mā asakkaccan’ti. Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno evaṁcittassa kulāni upasaṅkamato na denti, tena bhikkhu sandīyati; so tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Thokaṁ denti, no bahukaṁ …pe… lūkhaṁ denti, no paṇītaṁ … dandhaṁ denti, no sīghaṁ, tena bhikkhu sandīyati; so tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Asakkaccaṁ denti, no sakkaccaṁ; tena bhikkhu sandīyati; so tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Evarūpo kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na arahati kulūpako hotuṁ.

“Whoever visits families with the thought: ‘May they give to me, may they not fail to give. May they give a lot, not a little. May they give me fine things, not coarse. May they give quickly, not slowly. May they give carefully, not carelessly.’ If a mendicant with such a thought approaches a family and they don’t give, the mendicant feels slighted. And they experience pain and sadness because of that. If they give only a little … if they give coarse things … if they give slowly … if they give carelessly, the mendicant feels slighted. And they experience pain and sadness because of that. That kind of mendicant is not worthy of visiting families.

Yo ca kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁcitto kulāni upasaṅkamati: ‘taṁ kutettha labbhā parakulesu— dentuyeva me, mā nādaṁsu; bahukaññeva me dentu, mā thokaṁ; paṇītaññeva me dentu, mā lūkhaṁ; sīghaññeva me dentu, mā dandhaṁ; sakkaccaññeva me dentu, mā asakkaccan’ti. Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno evaṁcittassa kulāni upasaṅkamato na denti; tena bhikkhu na sandīyati; so na tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Thokaṁ denti, no bahukaṁ; tena bhikkhu na sandīyati; so na tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Lūkhaṁ denti, no paṇītaṁ; tena bhikkhu na sandīyati; so na tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Dandhaṁ denti, no sīghaṁ; tena bhikkhu na sandīyati; so na tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Asakkaccaṁ denti, no sakkaccaṁ; tena bhikkhu na sandīyati; so na tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Evarūpo kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu arahati kulūpako hotuṁ.

Whoever visits families with the thought: ‘When among other families, how could I possibly think: “May they give to me, may they not fail to give. May they give a lot, not a little. May they give me fine things, not coarse. May they give quickly, not slowly. May they give carefully, not carelessly.”’ If a mendicant with such a thought approaches a family and they don’t give, the mendicant doesn’t feel slighted. And they don’t experience pain and sadness because of that. If they give only a little … if they give coarse things … if they give slowly … if they give carelessly, the mendicant doesn’t feel slighted. And they don’t experience pain and sadness because of that. That kind of mendicant is worthy of visiting families.

Kassapo, bhikkhave, evaṁcitto kulāni upasaṅkamati: ‘taṁ kutettha labbhā parakulesu— dentuyeva me, mā nādaṁsu; bahukaññeva me dentu, mā thokaṁ; paṇītaññeva me dentu, mā lūkhaṁ; sīghaññeva me dentu, mā dandhaṁ; sakkaccaññeva me dentu, mā asakkaccan’ti. Tassa ce, bhikkhave, kassapassa evaṁcittassa kulāni upasaṅkamato na denti; tena kassapo na sandīyati; so na tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Thokaṁ denti, no bahukaṁ; tena kassapo na sandīyati; so na tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Lūkhaṁ denti, no paṇītaṁ; tena kassapo na sandīyati; so na tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Dandhaṁ denti, no sīghaṁ; tena kassapo na sandīyati; so na tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Asakkaccaṁ denti, no sakkaccaṁ; tena kassapo na sandīyati; so na tatonidānaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati. Kassapena vā hi vo, bhikkhave, ovadissāmi yo vā panassa kassapasadiso. Ovaditehi ca pana vo tathattāya paṭipajjitabban”ti.

Kassapa visits families with the thought: ‘When among other families, how could I possibly think: “May they give to me, may they not fail to give. May they give a lot, not a little. May they give me fine things, not coarse. May they give quickly, not slowly. May they give carefully, not carelessly.”’ With such a thought, if he approaches a family and they don’t give, he doesn’t feel slighted. And he doesn’t experience pain and sadness because of that. If they give only a little … if they give coarse things … if they give slowly … if they give carelessly, he doesn’t feel slighted. And he doesn’t experience pain and sadness because of that. I will exhort you with the example of Kassapa or someone like him. You should practice accordingly.”