SN 42.7

Khettūpamasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nāḷandāyaṁ viharati pāvārikambavane. Atha kho asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “nanu, bhante, bhagavā sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī viharatī”ti? “Evaṁ, gāmaṇi, tathāgato sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī viharatī”ti. “Atha kiñcarahi, bhante, bhagavā ekaccānaṁ sakkaccaṁ dhammaṁ deseti, ekaccānaṁ no tathā sakkaccaṁ dhammaṁ desetī”ti? “Tena hi, gāmaṇi, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, idhassu kassakassa gahapatino tīṇi khettāni—ekaṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ, ekaṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ, ekaṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, asu kassako gahapati bījāni patiṭṭhāpetukāmo kattha paṭhamaṁ patiṭṭhāpeyya, yaṁ vā aduṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ, yaṁ vā aduṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ, yaṁ vā aduṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmī”ti? “Asu, bhante, kassako gahapati bījāni patiṭṭhāpetukāmo yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ tattha patiṭṭhāpeyya. Tattha patiṭṭhāpetvā yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ tattha patiṭṭhāpeyya. Tattha patiṭṭhāpetvā yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmi tattha patiṭṭhāpeyyapi, nopi patiṭṭhāpeyya. Taṁ kissa hetu? Antamaso gobhattampi bhavissatī”ti.

The Simile of the Field

At one time the Buddha was staying near Nāḷandā in Pāvārika’s Mango Grove. Then Asibandhaka’s son the chief went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, doesn’t the Buddha live full of sympathy for all living beings?” “Yes, chief.” “So why then, sir, do you teach some people thoroughly and others less thoroughly?” “Well then, chief, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think? Suppose a farmer has three fields: one is good, one is average, and one is poor—bad ground of sand and salt. What do you think? When that farmer wants to plant seeds, where would he plant them first: the good field, the average one, or the poor one?” “Sir, he’d plant them first in the good field, then the average, then he may or may not plant seed in the poor field. Why is that? Because at least it can be fodder for the cattle.”

“Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ aggaṁ; evameva mayhaṁ bhikkhubhikkhuniyo. Tesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ, sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi. Taṁ kissa hetu? Ete hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti. Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ majjhimaṁ; evameva mayhaṁ upāsakaupāsikāyo. Tesaṁ pāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ, sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi. Taṁ kissa hetu? Ete hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti. Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yaṁ aduṁ khettaṁ hīnaṁ jaṅgalaṁ ūsaraṁ pāpabhūmi; evameva mayhaṁ aññatitthiyā samaṇabrāhmaṇaparibbājakā. Tesaṁ pāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi. Taṁ kissa hetu? Appeva nāma ekaṁ padampi ājāneyyuṁ taṁ nesaṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyāti.

“To me, the monks and nuns are like the good field. I teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Why is that? Because they live with me as their island, asylum, shelter, and refuge. To me, the laymen and laywomen are like the average field. I also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Why is that? Because they live with me as their island, asylum, shelter, and refuge. To me, the ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers of other religions are like the poor field, the bad ground of sand and salt. I also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Why is that? Hopefully they might understand even a single sentence, which would be for their lasting welfare and happiness.

Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, purisassa tayo udakamaṇikā—eko udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī, eko udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī, eko udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, asu puriso udakaṁ nikkhipitukāmo kattha paṭhamaṁ nikkhipeyya, yo vā so udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī, yo vā so udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī, yo vā so udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī”ti? “Asu, bhante, puriso udakaṁ nikkhipitukāmo, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī tattha nikkhipeyya, tattha nikkhipitvā, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī tattha nikkhipeyya, tattha nikkhipitvā, yo so udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī tattha nikkhipeyyapi, nopi nikkhipeyya. Taṁ kissa hetu? Antamaso bhaṇḍadhovanampi bhavissatī”ti.

Suppose a person had three water jars: one that’s uncracked and nonporous; one that’s uncracked but porous; and one that’s cracked and porous. What do you think? When that person wants to store water, where would they store it first: in the jar that’s uncracked and nonporous, the one that’s uncracked but porous, or the one that’s cracked and porous?” “Sir, they’d store water first in the jar that’s uncracked and nonporous, then the one that’s uncracked but porous, then they may or may not store water in the one that’s cracked and porous. Why is that? Because at least it can be used for washing the dishes.”

“Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo ahārī aparihārī; evameva mayhaṁ bhikkhubhikkhuniyo. Tesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi. Taṁ kissa hetu? Ete hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti. Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yo so udakamaṇiko acchiddo hārī parihārī; evameva mayhaṁ upāsakaupāsikāyo. Tesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi. Taṁ kissa hetu? Ete hi, gāmaṇi, maṁdīpā maṁleṇā maṁtāṇā maṁsaraṇā viharanti. Seyyathāpi, gāmaṇi, yo so udakamaṇiko chiddo hārī parihārī; evameva mayhaṁ aññatitthiyā samaṇabrāhmaṇaparibbājakā. Tesāhaṁ dhammaṁ desemi—ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsemi. Taṁ kissa hetu? Appeva nāma ekaṁ padampi ājāneyyuṁ, taṁ nesaṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā”ti.

“To me, the monks and nuns are like the water jar that’s uncracked and nonporous. I teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Why is that? Because they live with me as their island, asylum, shelter, and refuge. To me, the laymen and laywomen are like the water jar that’s uncracked but porous. I also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Why is that? Because they live with me as their island, asylum, shelter, and refuge. To me, the ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers of other religions are like the water jar that’s cracked and porous. I also teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Why is that? Hopefully they might understand even a single sentence, which would be for their lasting welfare and happiness.”

Evaṁ vutte, asibandhakaputto gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

When he said this, Asibandhaka’s son the chief said to the Buddha, “Excellent, sir! Excellent! … From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”