SN 3.25

Pabbatūpamasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divā divassā”ti? “Yāni tāni, bhante, raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ issariyamadamattānaṁ kāmagedhapariyuṭṭhitānaṁ janapadatthāvariyappattānaṁ mahantaṁ pathavimaṇḍalaṁ abhivijiya ajjhāvasantānaṁ rājakaraṇīyāni bhavanti, tesu khvāhaṁ, etarahi ussukkamāpanno”ti.

The Simile of the Mountain

At Sāvatthī. King Pasenadi of Kosala sat to one side, and the Buddha said to him, “So, Great King, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?” “Sir, there are anointed aristocratic kings who are infatuated with authority, and obsessed with greed for sensual pleasures. They have attained stability in the country, occupying a vast conquered territory. Today I have been busy fulfilling the duties of such kings.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, idha te puriso āgaccheyya puratthimāya disāya saddhāyiko paccayiko. So taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya: ‘yagghe, mahārāja, jāneyyāsi, ahaṁ āgacchāmi puratthimāya disāya. Tatthaddasaṁ mahantaṁ pabbataṁ abbhasamaṁ, sabbe pāṇe nippothento āgacchati. Yaṁ te, mahārāja, karaṇīyaṁ, taṁ karohī’ti. Atha dutiyo puriso āgaccheyya pacchimāya disāya …pe… atha tatiyo puriso āgaccheyya uttarāya disāya … atha catuttho puriso āgaccheyya dakkhiṇāya disāya saddhāyiko paccayiko. So taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya: ‘yagghe, mahārāja, jāneyyāsi, ahaṁ āgacchāmi dakkhiṇāya disāya. Tatthaddasaṁ mahantaṁ pabbataṁ abbhasamaṁ sabbe pāṇe nippothento āgacchati. Yaṁ te, mahārāja, karaṇīyaṁ taṁ karohī’ti. Evarūpe te, mahārāja, mahati mahabbhaye samuppanne dāruṇe manussakkhaye dullabhe manussatte kimassa karaṇīyan”ti?

“What do you think, Great King? Suppose a trustworthy and dependable man were to come from the east. He’d approach you and say: ‘Please, Great King, you should know this. I come from the east. There I saw a big mountain that reached the clouds. And it was coming this way, crushing all creatures. So then, Great King, do what you must!’ Then a second trustworthy and dependable man were to come from the west … a third from the north … and a fourth from the south. He’d approach you and say: ‘Please, Great King, you should know this. I come from the south. There I saw a big mountain that reached the clouds. And it was coming this way, crushing all creatures. So then, Great King, do what you must!’ Should such a dire threat arise—a grim loss of human life, when human birth is so rare—what would you do?”

“Evarūpe me, bhante, mahati mahabbhaye samuppanne dāruṇe manussakkhaye dullabhe manussatte kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya aññatra samacariyāya aññatra kusalakiriyāya aññatra puññakiriyāyā”ti?

“Sir, what could I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?”

“Ārocemi kho te, mahārāja, paṭivedemi kho te, mahārāja, adhivattati kho taṁ, mahārāja, jarāmaraṇaṁ. Adhivattamāne ce te, mahārāja, jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyan”ti? “Adhivattamāne ca me, bhante, jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya samacariyāya kusalakiriyāya puññakiriyāya? Yāni tāni, bhante, raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ issariyamadamattānaṁ kāmagedhapariyuṭṭhitānaṁ janapadatthāvariyappattānaṁ mahantaṁ pathavimaṇḍalaṁ abhivijiya ajjhāvasantānaṁ hatthiyuddhāni bhavanti; tesampi, bhante, hatthiyuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe. Yānipi tāni, bhante, raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ …pe… ajjhāvasantānaṁ assayuddhāni bhavanti …pe… rathayuddhāni bhavanti …pe… pattiyuddhāni bhavanti; tesampi, bhante, pattiyuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe. Santi kho pana, bhante, imasmiṁ rājakule mantino mahāmattā, ye pahonti āgate paccatthike mantehi bhedayituṁ. Tesampi, bhante, mantayuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe. Saṁvijjati kho pana, bhante, imasmiṁ rājakule pahūtaṁ hiraññasuvaṇṇaṁ bhūmigatañceva vehāsaṭṭhañca, yena mayaṁ pahoma āgate paccatthike dhanena upalāpetuṁ. Tesampi, bhante, dhanayuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe. Adhivattamāne ca me, bhante, jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya samacariyāya kusalakiriyāya puññakiriyāyā”ti?

“I tell you, Great King, I announce to you: old age and death are advancing upon you. Since old age and death are advancing upon you, what would you do?” “Sir, what can I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions? Sir, there are anointed aristocratic kings who are infatuated with authority, and obsessed with greed for sensual pleasures. They have attained stability in the country, occupying a vast conquered territory. Such kings engage in battles of elephants, cavalry, chariots, or infantry. But there is no place, no domain for such battles when old age and death are advancing. In this royal court there are ministers of wise counsel who are capable of dividing an approaching enemy by wise counsel. But there is no place, no domain for such diplomatic battles when old age and death are advancing. In this royal court there is abundant gold, both coined and uncoined, stored above and below ground. Using this wealth we can bribe an approaching enemy. But there is no place, no domain for such monetary battles when old age and death are advancing. When old age and death are advancing, what can I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?”

“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja. Adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya samacariyāya kusalakiriyāya puññakiriyāyā”ti? Idamavoca bhagavā …pe… satthā:

“That’s so true, Great King! That’s so true! When old age and death are advancing, what can you do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?” That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Yathāpi selā vipulā, nabhaṁ āhacca pabbatā; Samantānupariyāyeyyuṁ, nippothento catuddisā.

“Suppose there were vast mountains of solid rock pressing against the sky drawing in from all sides and crushing the four quarters.

Evaṁ jarā ca maccu ca, adhivattanti pāṇine; Khattiye brāhmaṇe vesse, sudde caṇḍālapukkuse; Na kiñci parivajjeti, sabbamevābhimaddati.

So too old age and death advance upon all living creatures— aristocrats, brahmins, peasants, menials, corpse-workers, and scavengers. They spare nothing. They crush all beneath them.

Na tattha hatthīnaṁ bhūmi, na rathānaṁ na pattiyā; Na cāpi mantayuddhena, sakkā jetuṁ dhanena vā.

There’s nowhere for elephants to take a stand, nor chariots nor infantry. They can’t be defeated by diplomatic battles or by wealth.

Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso, sampassaṁ atthamattano; Buddhe dhamme ca saṅghe ca, dhīro saddhaṁ nivesaye.

That’s why an astute person, seeing what’s good for themselves, being wise, would place faith in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha.

Yo dhammaṁ cari kāyena, vācāya uda cetasā; Idheva naṁ pasaṁsanti, pecca sagge pamodatī”ti.

Whoever lives by the teaching in body, speech, and mind, is praised in this life and departs to rejoice in heaven.”