An Only Son

Ekaputtakasutta

An Only Son

Ekaputtakasutta

EN
At Sāvatthī. “Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim … A faithful laywoman with a dear and beloved only son would rightly appeal to him, ‘My darling, please be like the householder Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavī.’
PL
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… saddhā, bhikkhave, upāsikā ekaputtakaṁ piyaṁ manāpaṁ evaṁ sammā āyācamānā āyāceyya: ‘tādiso, tāta, bhavāhi yādiso citto ca gahapati hatthako ca āḷavako’ti.
EN
These are a standard and a measure for my male lay disciples, that is, the householder Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavī. ‘But my darling, if you go forth from the lay life to homelessness, please be like Sāriputta and Moggallāna.’ These are a standard and a measure for my monk disciples, that is, Sāriputta and Moggallāna.
PL
Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvakānaṁ upāsakānaṁ, yadidaṁ citto ca gahapati hatthako ca āḷavako. Sace kho tvaṁ, tāta, agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajasi; tādiso, tāta, bhavāhi yādisā sāriputtamoggallānāti. Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ, yadidaṁ sāriputtamoggalānā.
EN
‘And my darling, may you not come into possessions, honor, and popularity while you’re still a trainee and haven’t achieved your heart’s desire.’ If a trainee who hasn’t achieved their heart’s desire comes into possessions, honor, and popularity it’s an obstacle for them. So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
PL
Mā ca kho tvaṁ, tāta, sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇātūti. Tañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇāti, so tassa hoti antarāyāya. Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
PL
Tatiyaṁ.

Pāli root text and English translation by Bhikkhu Sujato from SuttaCentral (https://suttacentral.net), CC0.

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