Uttarādhyayana Sūtra 27

The Bad Bullocks

There was a Sthavira and Ganadhara, the learned sage Garga. This leader of the Gana once made the following reflections:

'He who rides in a car, crosses a wilderness; he who rides, as it were, in (the car of) religious exercise, crosses the Samsâra.

'But he who puts bad bullocks before his car, will be tired out with beating them; he will feel vexation, and his goad will be broken (at last).

‘(A bad bullock) will bite its mate in the tail; it will wound the other; it will break the pin of the yoke, or it will leave the road.

'It will fall down on its side, or sit down, or lie down; it will jump up or caper, or it will obstinately make for a young cow.

'It will furiously advance with its head lowered for an attack, or angrily go backward; it will stand still as if dead, or run at full speed.

'The cursed beast will rend asunder the rope, or in its unruliness break the yoke; and roaring it will break loose and run off.

'Just as bad bullocks are when put before a car, so are bad pupils when yoked, as it were, to the car of the Law; they break down through want of zeal.

Some attach great importance to their success; some to their good fare; some to their comfort; some nurse their anger.

Some are averse to begging; some are afraid of insults and are stuck up; (how can) I convince them by reasons and arguments' (?)

(A bad pupil) makes objections, and points out (imagined) difficulties; he frequently acts in opposition to the words of the superiors.

'(He will say if sent to a lady): "She does not know me, she will give me nothing; I suppose she will be gone out; send some other monk there."

'If sent on an errand, they do not do what they were bidden, but stroll about wherever they like; or deporting themselves like servants of the king, they knit their brows (when speaking to other the order, and nourished with food and drink, they disperse in all directions like geese whose wings have grown.'

Now this driver (viz. Garga), who had to deal with bad bullocks, thought: 'What have I to do with bad pupils? I am disheartened.

'As are bad pupils, so are bad bullocks; I shall leave these lazy donkeys, and shall practise severe austerities.'

That noble man, who was full of kindness, grave, and always meditating, wandered about on the earth, leading a virtuous life. Thus I say.

THE ROAD TO FINAL DELIVERANCE. Learn the true road leading to final deliverance, which the Ginas have taught; it depends on four causes and is characterised by right knowledge and and IV. Austerities; this is the road taught by the Ginas who possess the best knowledge. (2) Right knowledge, faith, conduct, and austerities; beings who follow this road, will obtain beatitude. (3) I. Knowledge is fivefold:. Sruta, knowledge derived from the sacred books;. Abhinibôdhika, perception;. Avadhi, supernatural knowledge; 4. Manakparyaya, knowledge of the thoughts of other people;. Kêvala, the highest, unlimited knowledge. (4) This is the fivefold knowledge. The wise ones have taught the knowledge of substances, qualities, and all developments. (5) Substance is the substrate of qualities; the qualities are inherent in one substance; but the characteristic of developments is that they inhere in either (viz. substances or qualities). (6) Dharma, Adharma, space, time, matter, and souls (are the six kinds of substances); they make up this world, as has been taught by the Ginas who possess the best knowledge. (7) Dharma, Adharma, and space are each one substance only; but time, matter, and souls are an infinite number of substances. (8) The characteristic of Dharma is motion, that of Adharma immobility, and that of space, which contains all other substances, is to make room (for everything). (9) The characteristic of time is duration, that of soul the realisation of knowledge, faith, happiness, and misery. (10) The characteristic of Soul is knowledge, faith, conduct, austerities, energy, and realisation (of its developments). (II) The characteristic of matter is sound, darkness, 5 Vartanâ. lustre (of jewels, &c.), light, shade, sunshine; colour, taste, smell, and touch. (12) The characteristic of development is singleness, separateness, number, form, conjunction, and dis-3. bandha, the binding of the soul by Karman; 4. punya, merit;. pâpa, demerit;. âsrava, that which causes the soul to be affected by sins;. samvara, the prevention of âsrava by watchfulness; 8. the annihilation of Karman;. final deliverance: these are the nine truths (or categories). (14) He who verily believes the true teaching of the (above nine) fundamental truths, possesses 2. upadêsa, instruction;. âgñâ, command;. sutra, study of the sûtras;. biga, suggestion; 6. abhigama, comprehension of the meaning of the sacred lore;. vistâra, complete course of study; 8. kriyâ, religious exercise;. samkshêpa, brief exposition;. dharma, the Law. (16) 1. He who truly comprehends, by a spontaneous effort of his mind, (the nature of) soul, inanimate things, merit, and demerit, and who puts an end to sinful influences, (believes by) nature. (17) He who spontaneously believes the four truths (explicitly mentioned in the last verse), which the Ginas have taught, (thinking) they are of this and not of a different nature, believes by nature.

2. But he who believes these truths, having learned them from somebody else, either a Khadmastha or a Gina, believes by instruction.

3. He who has got rid of love, hate, delusion, and ignorance, and believes because he is told to do so, believes by command.

4. He who obtains righteousness by (the study of) the Sûtras, either Angas or other works, 2. believes by the study of Sûtras.

5. He who by correctly comprehending one truth arrives at the comprehension of more-just as a drop of oil expands on the surface of waterbelieves by suggestion.

6. He who truly knows the sacred lore, viz. the eleven Angas, the Prakirnas, and the Drishtivâda, believes by the comprehension of the sacred stances by means of all proofs (pramâna) and nayas, believes by a complete course of study.

8. He who sincerely performs (all duties implied) by right knowledge, faith, and conduct, by asceticism and discipline, and by all Samitis and Guptis, believes by religious exercise.

9. He who though not versed in the sacred doctrines nor acquainted with other systems, holds no wrong doctrines, believes by brief exposition.

10. He who believes in the truth of the realities, the Sutras, and conduct, as it has been explained by the Ginas, believes by the Law.

Right belief depends on the acquaintance with truth, on the devotion to those who know the truth, and on the avoiding of schismatical and heretical tenets.

There is no (right) conduct without right belief, and it must be cultivated (for obtaining) right faith; righteousness and conduct originate together, or righteousness precedes (conduct).

Without (right) faith there is no (right) knowledge, without (right) knowledge there is no virtuous conduct, without virtues there is no deliverance, and without deliverance there is no perfection.

(The excellence of faith depends on the following) eight points:. that one has no doubts (about the truth of the tenets); 2. that one has no preference (for heterodox tenets); 3. that one does not doubt its saving qualities;. that one is not shaken in the right belief (because heretical sects are more prosperous); 5. that one praises (the pious); 6. that one encourages (weak brethren); 7. that one supports or loves the confessors of the Law;. that one endeavours to exalt it.

III. Conduct, which produces the destruction of all Karman, is. sâmâyika, the avoidance of everything sinful;. khêdôpasthâpana, the initiation of a novice;. parihâravisuddhika, purity produced by peculiar austerities;. sûkshma samparâya, reduction of desire;. akashaya yathâkhyâta, annihilation of sinfulness according to the precepts of the Arhats, as well in the case of a Khadmastha as of a Gina. (32, 33) IV. Austerities are twofold: external and internal; both external and internal austerities are sixfold. By knowledge one knows things, by faith one believes in them, by conduct one gets (freedom from Karman), and by austerities one reaches Karman, great sages, whose purpose is to get rid of all misery, proceed to (perfection). Thus I say.