Kāraṇapālīsutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena kāraṇapālī brāhmaṇo licchavīnaṁ kammantaṁ kāreti. Addasā kho kāraṇapālī brāhmaṇo piṅgiyāniṁ brāhmaṇaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ; disvā piṅgiyāniṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:

At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Now at that time the brahmin Kāraṇapālī was working for the Licchavis. He saw the brahmin Piṅgiyānī coming off in the distance and said to him,

“Handa kuto nu bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī āgacchati divā divassā”ti? “Itohaṁ, bho, āgacchāmi samaṇassa gotamassa santikā”ti. “Taṁ kiṁ maññati bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ? Paṇḍito maññe”ti? “Ko cāhaṁ, bho, ko ca samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ jānissāmi. Sopi nūnassa tādisova yo samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ jāneyyā”ti. “Uḷārāya khalu bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pasaṁsāya pasaṁsatī”ti. “Ko cāhaṁ, bho, ko ca samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pasaṁsissāmi. Pasatthappasatthova so bhavaṁ gotamo seṭṭho devamanussānan”ti. “Kiṁ pana bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī atthavasaṁ sampassamāno samaṇe gotame evaṁ abhippasanno”ti?

“So, Piṅgiyānī, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?” “I’m coming, worthy sir, from the presence of the ascetic Gotama.” “What do you think of the ascetic Gotama’s lucidity of wisdom? Do you think he’s astute?” Worthy sir, who am I to judge the ascetic Gotama’s lucidity of wisdom? You’d really have to be on the same level to judge his lucidity of wisdom.” Worthy Piṅgiyānī praises the ascetic Gotama with high praise indeed.” “Who am I to praise the ascetic Gotama? He is praised by the praised as the first among gods and humans.” “But for what reason are you so devoted to the ascetic Gotama?”

“Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso aggarasaparititto na aññesaṁ hīnānaṁ rasānaṁ piheti; evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti— yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso— tato tato na aññesaṁ puthusamaṇabrāhmaṇappavādānaṁ piheti.

“Suppose a person was completely satisfied by the best tasting food. They wouldn’t be attracted to anything that tasted inferior. In the same way, when you hear the worthy Gotama’s teaching— whatever it may be, whether statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, or amazing stories— then you’re not attracted to the doctrines of the various ascetics and brahmins.

Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso jighacchādubbalyapareto madhupiṇḍikaṁ adhigaccheyya. So yato yato sāyetha, labhateva sādurasaṁ asecanakaṁ; evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti— yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso— tato tato labhateva attamanataṁ, labhati cetaso pasādaṁ.

Suppose a person who was weak with hunger was to obtain a honey-cake. Wherever they taste it, they would enjoy a sweet, delectable flavor. In the same way, when you hear the worthy Gotama’s teaching— whatever it may be, whether statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, or amazing stories— then you get a sense of uplift, a confidence of the heart.

Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso candanaghaṭikaṁ adhigaccheyya— haricandanassa vā lohitacandanassa vā. So yato yato ghāyetha— yadi mūlato, yadi majjhato, yadi aggato— adhigacchateva surabhigandhaṁ asecanakaṁ; evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti— yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso— tato tato adhigacchati pāmojjaṁ adhigacchati somanassaṁ.

Suppose a person were to obtain a piece of sandalwood, whether yellow or red. Wherever they smelled it— whether at the root, the middle, or the top— they’d enjoy a delectable fragrance. In the same way, when you hear the worthy Gotama’s teaching— whatever it may be, whether statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, or amazing stories— then you become filled with joy and happiness.

Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Tassa kusalo bhisakko ṭhānaso ābādhaṁ nīhareyya; evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti— yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso— tato tato sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.

Suppose there was a person who was sick, suffering, gravely ill. A good doctor would cure them on the spot. In the same way, when you hear the worthy Gotama’s teaching— whatever it may be, whether statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, or amazing stories— then you make an end of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.

Seyyathāpi, bho, pokkharaṇī acchodakā sātodakā sītodakā setakā supatitthā ramaṇīyā. Atha puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito. So taṁ pokkharaṇiṁ ogāhetvā nhātvā ca pivitvā ca sabbadarathakilamathapariḷāhaṁ paṭippassambheyya. Evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti— yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso— tato tato sabbadarathakilamathapariḷāhā paṭippassambhantī”ti.

Suppose there was a lotus pond with clear, sweet, cool water, clean, with smooth banks, delightful. Then along comes a person struggling in the oppressive heat, weary, thirsty, and parched. They’d plunge into the lotus pond to bathe and drink. And all their stress, weariness, and heat exhaustion would die down. In the same way, when you hear the worthy Gotama’s teaching— whatever it may be, whether statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, or amazing stories— then all your stress, weariness, and exhaustion die down.”

Evaṁ vutte, kāraṇapālī brāhmaṇo uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇaṁ jāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā tikkhattuṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

When this was said, the brahmin Kāraṇapālī rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and expressed this heartfelt sentiment three times:

“Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.

“Homage to him, the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.

Homage to him, the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassāti.

Homage to him, the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Abhikkantaṁ, bho piṅgiyāni, abhikkantaṁ, bho piṅgiyāni. Seyyathāpi, bho piṅgiyāni, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā piṅgiyāninā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ, bho piṅgiyāni, taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī dhāretu, ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti. Catutthaṁ.

Excellent, worthy Piṅgiyānī! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, the worthy Piṅgiyānī has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Piṅgiyānī remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”