Khettasutta — Reader

A Field

Khettasutta

“Mendicants, when a field has eight factors a seed sown in it is not very fruitful or rewarding or productive. What eight factors does it have? It’s when a field has mounds and ditches. It has stones and gravel. It’s salty. It doesn’t have deep furrows. And it’s not equipped with water inlets, water outlets, irrigation channels, and boundaries.

“Aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate, bhikkhave, khette bījaṁ vuttaṁ na mahapphalaṁ hoti na mahassādaṁ na phātiseyyaṁ. Kathaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate? Idha, bhikkhave, khettaṁ unnāmaninnāmi ca hoti, pāsāṇasakkharikañca hoti, ūsarañca hoti, na ca gambhīrasitaṁ hoti, na āyasampannaṁ hoti, na apāyasampannaṁ hoti, na mātikāsampannaṁ hoti, na mariyādasampannaṁ hoti.

When a field has these eight factors a seed sown in it is not fruitful or rewarding or productive. In the same way, when an ascetic or brahmin has eight factors a gift given to them is not very fruitful or beneficial or brilliant or bountiful. What eight factors do they have?

Evaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate, bhikkhave, khette bījaṁ vuttaṁ na mahapphalaṁ hoti na mahassādaṁ na phātiseyyaṁ. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu samaṇabrāhmaṇesu dānaṁ dinnaṁ na mahapphalaṁ hoti na mahānisaṁsaṁ na mahājutikaṁ na mahāvipphāraṁ. Kathaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu?

It’s when an ascetic or brahmin has wrong view, wrong purpose, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong immersion. When an ascetic or brahmin has these eight factors a gift given to them is not very fruitful or beneficial or brilliant or bountiful.

Idha, bhikkhave, samaṇabrāhmaṇā micchādiṭṭhikā honti, micchāsaṅkappā, micchāvācā, micchākammantā, micchāājīvā, micchāvāyāmā, micchāsatino, micchāsamādhino. Evaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu, bhikkhave, samaṇabrāhmaṇesu dānaṁ dinnaṁ na mahapphalaṁ hoti na mahānisaṁsaṁ na mahājutikaṁ na mahāvipphāraṁ.

When a field has eight factors a seed sown in it is very fruitful and rewarding and productive. What eight factors does it have? It’s when a field doesn’t have mounds and ditches. It doesn’t have stones and gravel. It’s not salty. It has deep furrows. And it’s equipped with water inlets, water outlets, irrigation channels, and boundaries.

Aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate, bhikkhave, khette bījaṁ vuttaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti mahassādaṁ phātiseyyaṁ. Kathaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate? Idha, bhikkhave, khettaṁ anunnāmāninnāmi ca hoti, apāsāṇasakkharikañca hoti, anūsarañca hoti, gambhīrasitaṁ hoti, āyasampannaṁ hoti, apāyasampannaṁ hoti, mātikāsampannaṁ hoti, mariyādasampannaṁ hoti.

When a field has these eight factors a seed sown in it is very fruitful and rewarding and productive. In the same way, when an ascetic or brahmin has eight factors a gift given to them is very fruitful and beneficial and brilliant and bountiful. What eight factors do they have? It’s when an ascetic or brahmin has right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Evaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate, bhikkhave, khette bījaṁ vuttaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti mahassādaṁ phātiseyyaṁ. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu samaṇabrāhmaṇesu dānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti mahānisaṁsaṁ mahājutikaṁ mahāvipphāraṁ. Kathaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu? Idha, bhikkhave, samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammādiṭṭhikā honti, sammāsaṅkappā, sammāvācā, sammākammantā, sammāājīvā, sammāvāyāmā, sammāsatino, sammāsamādhino.

When an ascetic or brahmin has these eight factors a gift given to them is very fruitful and beneficial and brilliant and bountiful. When the field is excellent, and the seed sown in it is excellent, and the rainfall is excellent,

Evaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu, bhikkhave, samaṇabrāhmaṇesu dānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti mahānisaṁsaṁ mahājutikaṁ mahāvipphāranti. Yathāpi khette sampanne, pavuttā bījasampadā; Deve sampādayantamhi,

the crop of grain will be excellent. The absence of crop loss is excellent, its growth is excellent, its maturation is excellent,

hoti dhaññassa sampadā. Anītisampadā hoti, virūḷhī bhavati sampadā; Vepullasampadā hoti,

and its fruit is excellent. So too, when you give excellent food to those of excellent ethics, it leads to many excellences,

phalaṁ ve hoti sampadā. Evaṁ sampannasīlesu, dinnā bhojanasampadā; Sampadānaṁ upaneti,

for what you did was excellent. So if a person wants excellence, let them excel in this. You should frequent those with excellent wisdom,

sampannaṁ hissa taṁ kataṁ. Tasmā sampadamākaṅkhī, sampannatthūdha puggalo; Sampannapaññe sevetha,

so that your own excellence will flourish. Excelling in knowledge and conduct, and having excellence of mind, you perform excellent deeds,

evaṁ ijjhanti sampadā. Vijjācaraṇasampanne, laddhā cittassa sampadaṁ; Karoti kammasampadaṁ,

and gain excellent benefits. Truly knowing the world, and having attained excellence of view, one who excels in mind proceeds,

labhati catthasampadaṁ. Lokaṁ ñatvā yathābhūtaṁ, pappuyya diṭṭhisampadaṁ; Maggasampadamāgamma,

relying on excellence in the path. Shaking off all stains, and attaining the excellence of extinguishment, you’re freed from all sufferings:

yāti sampannamānaso. Odhunitvā malaṁ sabbaṁ, patvā nibbānasampadaṁ; Muccati sabbadukkhehi,

this is complete excellence.”

sā hoti sabbasampadā”ti. Catutthaṁ.