Ud 4.8

Sundarīsutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā sakkato hoti garukato mānito pūjito apacito lābhī cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. Bhikkhusaṅghopi sakkato hoti garukato mānito pūjito apacito lābhī cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. Aññatitthiyā pana paribbājakā asakkatā honti agarukatā amānitā apūjitā anapacitā na lābhino cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ.

With Sundarī

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the Buddha was honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And he received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. And the mendicant Saṅgha was also honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And they received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. But the wanderers who followed other religions were not honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And they didn’t receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.

Atha kho te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā bhagavato sakkāraṁ asahamānā bhikkhusaṅghassa ca yena sundarī paribbājikā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā sundariṁ paribbājikaṁ etadavocuṁ: “ussahasi tvaṁ, bhagini, ñātīnaṁ atthaṁ kātun”ti? “Kyāhaṁ, ayyā, karomi? Kiṁ mayā na sakkā kātuṁ? Jīvitampi me pariccattaṁ ñātīnaṁ atthāyā”ti.

Then those wanderers who followed other religions, unable to bear the esteem of the mendicant Saṅgha, approached the female wanderer Sundarī and said, “Sister, are you able to do something for the welfare of your kin?” “What can I do, masters? How can I help? I’d even give my life for the welfare of my kin.”

“Tena hi, bhagini, abhikkhaṇaṁ jetavanaṁ gacchāhī”ti. “Evaṁ, ayyā”ti kho sundarī paribbājikā tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ paṭissutvā abhikkhaṇaṁ jetavanaṁ agamāsi.

“Well then, sister, frequently visit Jeta’s Grove.” “Yes, masters,” she replied, and did as they asked.

Yadā te aññiṁsu aññatitthiyā paribbājakā: “vodiṭṭhā kho sundarī paribbājikā bahujanena abhikkhaṇaṁ jetavanaṁ gacchantī”ti. Atha naṁ jīvitā voropetvā tattheva jetavanassa parikhākūpe nikkhipitvā yena rājā pasenadi kosalo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ etadavocuṁ: “yā sā, mahārāja, sundarī paribbājikā; sā no na dissatī”ti. “Kattha pana tumhe āsaṅkathā”ti? “Jetavane, mahārājā”ti. “Tena hi jetavanaṁ vicinathā”ti.

When those wanderers knew that Sundarī had been clearly seen by many people frequently visiting Jeta’s Grove, they killed her and dumped her in the ditch around Jeta’s Grove. Then they went to see King Pasenadi of Kosala and said to him, “Great king, we cannot find the female wanderer Sundarī.” “But where do you suspect she is?” “At Jeta’s Grove, Great King.” “Well then, search Jeta’s Grove.”

Atha kho te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā jetavanaṁ vicinitvā yathānikkhittaṁ parikhākūpā uddharitvā mañcakaṁ āropetvā sāvatthiṁ pavesetvā rathiyāya rathiyaṁ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ upasaṅkamitvā manusse ujjhāpesuṁ:

So the wanderers searched Jeta’s Grove. They pulled her body up from the ditch where they had dumped it, and lifted it on a bier. Having entered Sāvatthī, they went from street to street and from square to square, complaining to people:

“Passathāyyā samaṇānaṁ sakyaputtiyānaṁ kammaṁ. Alajjino ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā dussīlā pāpadhammā musāvādino abrahmacārino. Ime hi nāma dhammacārino samacārino brahmacārino saccavādino sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā paṭijānissanti. Natthi imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, natthi imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Kuto imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, kuto imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ? Apagatā ime sāmaññā, apagatā ime brahmaññā. Kathañhi nāma puriso purisakiccaṁ karitvā itthiṁ jīvitā voropessatī”ti.

“See the deed of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan! Shameless are these ascetics who follow the Sakyan, immoral and wicked. They are liars and unchaste. Sure, they claim to be of principled and moral conduct, to be chaste, truthful, ethical, and of good character. But they have no asceticism, no spirituality. Asceticism and spirituality are lost to them! Where is their asceticism, where their spirituality? They have abandoned asceticism and spirituality! How on earth can a man, having done a man’s business, kill a woman!”

Tena kho pana samayena sāvatthiyaṁ manussā bhikkhū disvā asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti paribhāsanti rosanti vihesanti:

Then at that time when the people of Sāvatthī saw the mendicants they abused and insulted them with rude, harsh words:

“Alajjino ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā dussīlā pāpadhammā musāvādino abrahmacārino. Ime hi nāma dhammacārino samacārino brahmacārino saccavādino sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā paṭijānissanti. Natthi imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, natthi imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Kuto imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, kuto imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ? Apagatā ime sāmaññā, apagatā ime brahmaññā. Kathañhi nāma puriso purisakiccaṁ karitvā itthiṁ jīvitā voropessatī”ti.

“Shameless are these ascetics who follow the Sakyan, immoral, wicked. They are liars and unchaste. Sure, they claim to be of principled and moral conduct, to be chaste, truthful, ethical, and of good character. But they have no asceticism, no spirituality. Asceticism and spirituality are lost to them! Where is their asceticism, where their spirituality? They have abandoned asceticism and spirituality! How on earth can a man, having done a man’s business, kill a woman!”

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁsu. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “Etarahi, bhante, sāvatthiyaṁ manussā bhikkhū disvā asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti paribhāsanti rosanti vihesanti: ‘alajjino ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā dussīlā pāpadhammā musāvādino abrahmacārino. Ime hi nāma dhammacārino samacārino brahmacārino saccavādino sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā paṭijānissanti. Natthi imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, natthi imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, naṭṭhaṁ imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ. Kuto imesaṁ sāmaññaṁ, kuto imesaṁ brahmaññaṁ? Apagatā ime sāmaññā, apagatā ime brahmaññā. Kathañhi nāma puriso purisakiccaṁ karitvā itthiṁ jīvitā voropessatī’”ti.

Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening.

“Neso, bhikkhave, saddo ciraṁ bhavissati sattāhameva bhavissati. Sattāhassa accayena antaradhāyissati. Tena hi, bhikkhave, ye manussā bhikkhū disvā asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti paribhāsanti rosanti vihesanti, te tumhe imāya gāthāya paṭicodetha:

“That rumor, mendicants, won’t last long. It will only be seven days, then it will vanish. So you may respond to those critics with this verse:

‘Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti, Yo vāpi katvā na karomi cāha; Ubhopi te pecca samā bhavanti, Nihīnakammā manujā paratthā’”ti.

A liar goes to hell, as does one who denies what they did. Both are equal in the hereafter, those men of base deeds.”

Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ pariyāpuṇitvā ye manussā bhikkhū disvā asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosanti paribhāsanti rosanti vihesanti te imāya gāthāya paṭicodenti: “Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti, Yo vāpi katvā na karomi cāha; Ubhopi te pecca samā bhavanti, Nihīnakammā manujā paratthā”ti.

The mendicants memorized that verse in the Buddha’s presence, then used it to respond to those critics.

Manussānaṁ etadahosi: “akārakā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā, nayimehi kataṁ, sapantime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā”ti. Neva so saddo ciraṁ ahosi. Sattāhameva ahosi. Sattāhassa accayena antaradhāyi.

People thought, “These ascetics who follow the Sakyan didn’t do it, it was not done by them, they swear it.” That rumor didn’t last long. It was seven days, then it vanished.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavato etadavocuṁ:

Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

“Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā: ‘neso, bhikkhave, saddo ciraṁ bhavissati. Sattāhameva bhavissati. Sattāhassa accayena antaradhāyissatī’ti. Antarahito so, bhante, saddo”ti.

“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! How well said this was by the Buddha: ‘That rumor, mendicants, won’t last long. It will only be seven days, then it will vanish.’ That rumor has vanished, sir.”

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Tudanti vācāya janā asaññatā, Sarehi saṅgāmagataṁva kuñjaraṁ; Sutvāna vākyaṁ pharusaṁ udīritaṁ, Adhivāsaye bhikkhu aduṭṭhacitto”ti.

“People out of control stab with words, like they stab a tusker in battle with darts. When they hear a harsh word spoken, a mendicant should endure with no anger in heart.”