Kāraṇḍavasutta — Reader

Trash

Kāraṇḍavasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Campā on the banks of the Gaggarā Lotus Pond. Now at that time the mendicants accused a mendicant of an offense. The accused mendicant dodged the issue, distracted the discussion with irrelevant points, and displayed annoyance, hate, and bitterness. Then the Buddha said to the mendicants,

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā campāyaṁ viharati gaggarāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre. Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū bhikkhuṁ āpattiyā codenti. So bhikkhu bhikkhūhi āpattiyā codiyamāno aññenāññaṁ paṭicarati, bahiddhā kathaṁ apanāmeti, kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti. Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Mendicants, throw this individual out! Throw this individual out! This individual should be shown the door. Why should you be vexed by an outsider?

“niddhamathetaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalaṁ; niddhamathetaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalaṁ. Apaneyyeso, bhikkhave, puggalo. Kiṁ vo tena paraputtena visodhitena.

Take a case where a certain individual looks just the same as other good-natured mendicants when going out and coming back, when looking ahead and aside, when bending and extending the limbs, and when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes. That is, so long as the mendicants don’t notice his offense. But when the mendicants notice the offense, they know that he’s

Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa tādisaṁyeva hoti abhikkantaṁ paṭikkantaṁ ālokitaṁ vilokitaṁ samiñjitaṁ pasāritaṁ saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇaṁ, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ— yāvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ na passanti. Yato ca khvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ passanti, tamenaṁ evaṁ jānanti:

a corrupt ascetic, just useless trash. When they realize this they send him away. Why is that? So that he doesn’t corrupt good-natured mendicants.

‘samaṇadūsīvāyaṁ samaṇapalāpo samaṇakāraṇḍavo’ti. Tamenaṁ iti viditvā bahiddhā nāsenti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Mā aññe bhaddake bhikkhū dūsesīti.

Suppose in a growing field of barley some bad barley appeared, just useless trash. Its roots, stem, and leaves would look just the same as the healthy barley.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sampanne yavakaraṇe yavadūsī jāyetha yavapalāpo yavakāraṇḍavoti. Tassa tādisaṁyeva mūlaṁ hoti, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ yavānaṁ; tādisaṁyeva nāḷaṁ hoti, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ yavānaṁ; tādisaṁyeva pattaṁ hoti, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ yavānaṁ—

That is, so long as the head doesn’t appear. But when the head appears, they know that it’s bad barley, just useless trash. When they realize this they pull it up by the roots and throw it outside the field.

yāvassa sīsaṁ na nibbattati. Yato ca khvassa sīsaṁ nibbattati, tamenaṁ evaṁ jānanti: ‘yavadūsīvāyaṁ yavapalāpo yavakāraṇḍavo’ti. Tamenaṁ iti viditvā samūlaṁ uppāṭetvā bahiddhā yavakaraṇassa chaḍḍenti.

Why is that? So that it doesn’t spoil the good barley. In the same way, take a case where a certain individual looks just the same as other good-natured mendicants when going out and coming back, when looking ahead and aside, when bending and extending the limbs, and when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes. That is, so long as the mendicants don’t notice his offense.

Taṁ kissa hetu? Mā aññe bhaddake yave dūsesīti. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekaccassa puggalassa tādisaṁyeva hoti abhikkantaṁ paṭikkantaṁ ālokitaṁ vilokitaṁ samiñjitaṁ pasāritaṁ saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇaṁ, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ— yāvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ na passanti.

But when the mendicants notice the offense, they know that he’s a corrupt ascetic, just useless trash. When they realize this they send him away. Why is that?

Yato ca khvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ passanti, tamenaṁ evaṁ jānanti: ‘samaṇadūsīvāyaṁ samaṇapalāpo samaṇakāraṇḍavo’ti. Tamenaṁ iti viditvā bahiddhā nāsenti. Taṁ kissa hetu?

So that he doesn’t corrupt good-natured mendicants. Suppose that a large heap of grain is being winnowed. The grains that are firm and solid form a heap on one side. And the grains that are flimsy and insubstantial are blown over to the other side. The owners take a broom and sweep them even further away.

Mā aññe bhaddake bhikkhū dūsesīti. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahato dhaññarāsissa phuṇamānassa tattha yāni tāni dhaññāni daḷhāni sāravantāni tāni ekamantaṁ puñjaṁ hoti, yāni pana tāni dhaññāni dubbalāni palāpāni tāni vāto ekamantaṁ apavahati. Tamenaṁ sāmikā sammajjaniṁ gahetvā bhiyyoso mattāya apasammajjanti.

Why is that? So that it doesn’t spoil the good grain. In the same way, take a case where a certain individual looks just the same as other good-natured mendicants when going out and coming back, when looking ahead and aside, when bending and extending the limbs, and when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes. That is, so long as the mendicants don’t notice his offense.

Taṁ kissa hetu? Mā aññe bhaddake dhaññe dūsesīti. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekaccassa puggalassa tādisaṁyeva hoti abhikkantaṁ paṭikkantaṁ ālokitaṁ vilokitaṁ samiñjitaṁ pasāritaṁ saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇaṁ, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ— yāvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ na passanti.

But when the mendicants notice the offense, they know that he’s a corrupt ascetic, just useless trash. When they realize this they send him away. Why is that?

So that he doesn’t corrupt good-natured mendicants. Suppose a man needs an irrigation gutter for a well. He’d take a sharp axe and enter the wood, where he’d knock various trees with the axe. The trees that were firm and solid made a cracking sound. But the trees that were rotten inside, decomposing and decayed, made a thud.

Mā aññe bhaddake bhikkhū dūsesīti. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso udapānapanāḷiyatthiko tiṇhaṁ kuṭhāriṁ ādāya vanaṁ paviseyya. So yaṁ yadeva rukkhaṁ kuṭhāripāsena ākoṭeyya tattha yāni tāni rukkhāni daḷhāni sāravantāni tāni kuṭhāripāsena ākoṭitāni kakkhaḷaṁ paṭinadanti; yāni pana tāni rukkhāni antopūtīni avassutāni kasambujātāni tāni kuṭhāripāsena ākoṭitāni daddaraṁ paṭinadanti.

He’d cut down such a tree at the root, lop off the crown, and thoroughly clear out the insides. Then he’d use it as an irrigation gutter for the well. In the same way, take a case where a certain individual looks just the same as other good-natured mendicants when going out and coming back, when looking ahead and aside, when bending and extending the limbs, and when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes.

Tamenaṁ mūle chindati, mūle chinditvā agge chindati, agge chinditvā anto suvisodhitaṁ visodheti, anto suvisodhitaṁ visodhetvā udapānapanāḷiṁ yojeti. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, idhekaccassa puggalassa tādisaṁyeva hoti abhikkantaṁ paṭikkantaṁ ālokitaṁ vilokitaṁ samiñjitaṁ pasāritaṁ saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇaṁ, seyyathāpi aññesaṁ bhaddakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ—

That is, so long as the mendicants don’t notice his offense. But when the mendicants notice the offense, they know that he’s a corrupt ascetic, just useless trash. When they realize this they send him away.

yāvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ na passanti. Yato ca khvassa bhikkhū āpattiṁ passanti, tamenaṁ evaṁ jānanti: ‘samaṇadūsīvāyaṁ samaṇapalāpo samaṇakāraṇḍavo’ti. Tamenaṁ iti viditvā bahiddhā nāsenti.

Why is that? So that he doesn’t corrupt good-natured mendicants. By living together, know that they’re irritable, with corrupt wishes,

Taṁ kissa hetu? Mā aññe bhaddake bhikkhū dūsesīti. Saṁvāsāyaṁ vijānātha, pāpiccho kodhano iti;

offensive, stubborn, and contemptuous, jealous, stingy, and devious. They speak to people with a voice so smooth, just like an ascetic.

Makkhī thambhī paḷāsī ca, issukī maccharī saṭho. Santavāco janavati, samaṇo viya bhāsati;

But they act in secret, with their bad views and their lack of regard for others. You should recognize them for what they are: a creep and liar.

Raho karoti karaṇaṁ, pāpadiṭṭhi anādaro. Saṁsappī ca musāvādī, taṁ viditvā yathātathaṁ;

Then having gathered in harmony, you should expel them. Throw out the trash! Get rid of the rubbish!

Sabbe samaggā hutvāna, abhinibbajjayātha naṁ. Kāraṇḍavaṁ niddhamatha, Kasambuṁ apakassatha;

And sweep away the scraps— they’re not ascetics, they just think they are. When you’ve thrown out those of corrupt wishes, of bad behavior and alms-resort,

Tato palāpe vāhetha, Assamaṇe samaṇamānine. Niddhamitvāna pāpicche, pāpaācāragocare;

dwell in communion, ever mindful, the pure with the pure. Then in harmony, alert, you’ll make an end of suffering.”

Suddhāsuddhehi saṁvāsaṁ, kappayavho patissatā; Tato samaggā nipakā, dukkhassantaṁ karissathā”ti.

Dasamaṁ. Mettāvaggo paṭhamo. Tassuddānaṁ Mettaṁ paññā ca dve piyā,

dve lokā dve vipattiyo; Devadatto ca uttaro, nando kāraṇḍavena cāti.