Kummasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya. Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, aññatarasmiṁ udakarahade mahākummakulaṁ ciranivāsi ahosi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, aññataro kummo aññataraṁ kummaṁ etadavoca: ‘mā kho tvaṁ, tāta kumma, etaṁ padesaṁ agamāsī’ti. Agamāsi kho, bhikkhave, so kummo taṁ padesaṁ. Tamenaṁ luddo papatāya vijjhi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, so kummo yena so kummo tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho, bhikkhave, so kummo taṁ kummaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna taṁ kummaṁ etadavoca: ‘kacci tvaṁ, tāta kumma, na taṁ padesaṁ agamāsī’ti? ‘Agamāsiṁ khvāhaṁ, tāta kumma, taṁ padesan’ti. ‘Kacci panāsi, tāta kumma, akkhato anupahato’ti? ‘Akkhato khomhi, tāta kumma, anupahato, atthi ca me idaṁ suttakaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandhan’ti. ‘Tagghasi, tāta kumma, khato, taggha upahato. Etena hi te, tāta kumma, suttakena pitaro ca pitāmahā ca anayaṁ āpannā byasanaṁ āpannā. Gaccha dāni tvaṁ, tāta kumma, na dāni tvaṁ amhākan’ti.

At Sāvatthī. “Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim … Once upon a time, in a certain lake there was a large family of turtles that had lived there for a long time. Then one of the turtles said to another, ‘My dear turtle, don’t you go to that place.’ But that turtle did go to that place, and a hunter pierced her with a harpoon. Then that turtle went back to the other turtle. When the other turtle saw her coming off in the distance, he said, ‘My dear turtle, I hope you didn’t go to that place!’ ‘I did.’ ‘But my dear turtle, I hope you’re not hurt or injured!’ ‘I’m not hurt or injured. But this cord keeps dragging behind me.’ ‘Indeed, my dear turtle, you’re hurt and injured! Your father and grandfather met with tragedy and disaster because of such a cord. Go now, you are no longer one of us.’

Luddoti kho, bhikkhave, mārassetaṁ pāpimato adhivacanaṁ. Papatāti kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasilokassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Suttakanti kho, bhikkhave, nandīrāgassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ assādeti nikāmeti— ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu giddho papatāya anayaṁ āpanno byasanaṁ āpanno yathākāmakaraṇīyo pāpimato. Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti. Tatiyaṁ.

‘Hunter’ is a term for Māra the Wicked. ‘Harpoon’ is a term for possessions, honor, and popularity. ‘Cord’ is a term for greed and relishing. Whoever enjoys and likes arisen possessions, honor, and popularity is called a mendicant who has been pierced with a harpoon. They’ve met with tragedy and disaster, and the Wicked One can do with them what he wants. So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”