Acirapakkantasutta — Reader

Shortly After He Left

Acirapakkantasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain, not long after Devadatta had left. There the Buddha spoke to the mendicants about Devadatta: “Possessions, honor, and popularity came to Devadatta for his own ruin and downfall. It’s like a banana plant …

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate acirapakkante devadatte. Tatra kho bhagavā devadattaṁ ārabbha bhikkhū āmantesi: “attavadhāya, bhikkhave, devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi, parābhavāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kadalī attavadhāya phalaṁ deti, parābhavāya phalaṁ deti;

or a bamboo …

evameva kho, bhikkhave, attavadhāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi, parābhavāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, veḷu attavadhāya phalaṁ deti, parābhavāya phalaṁ deti; evameva kho, bhikkhave, attavadhāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi, parābhavāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi.

or a reed, all of which bear fruit to their own ruin and downfall … It’s like a mule, which becomes pregnant to its own ruin and downfall.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, naḷo attavadhāya phalaṁ deti, parābhavāya phalaṁ deti; evameva kho, bhikkhave, attavadhāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi, parābhavāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, assatarī attavadhāya gabbhaṁ gaṇhāti, parābhavāya gabbhaṁ gaṇhāti;

In the same way, possessions, honor, and popularity came to Devadatta for his own ruin and downfall. So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. That’s how you should train.” That is what the Buddha said.

evameva kho, bhikkhave, attavadhāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi, parābhavāya devadattassa lābhasakkārasiloko udapādi. Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti. Idamavoca bhagavā.

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say: “The banana plant is destroyed by its own fruit, as are the bamboo and the reed. Honor destroys a reprobate,

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā: “Phalaṁ ve kadaliṁ hanti, phalaṁ veḷuṁ phalaṁ naḷaṁ; Sakkāro kāpurisaṁ hanti,

as pregnancy destroys a mule.”

gabbho assatariṁ yathā”ti. Pañcamaṁ.