Ghaṭasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 21.3

Linked Discourses 21.3

1. Bhikkhuvagga

1. Monks

Ghaṭasutta

A Mound of Salt

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahāmoggallāno rājagahe viharanti veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe ekavihāre.

At that time the venerables Sāriputta and Moggallāna were staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahāmoggallāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahāmoggallānena saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Moggallāna, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, Sāriputta sat down to one side, and said to Mahāmoggallāna:

“Vippasannāni kho te, āvuso moggallāna, indriyāni;

“Reverend Moggallāna, your faculties are so very clear, and your complexion is pure and bright.

parisuddho mukhavaṇṇo pariyodāto santena nūnāyasmā mahāmoggallāno ajja vihārena vihāsī”ti.

Have you spent the day in a peaceful meditation?”

“Oḷārikena khvāhaṁ, āvuso, ajja vihārena vihāsiṁ.

“Reverend, I’ve spent the day in a coarse meditation.

Api ca me ahosi dhammī kathā”ti.

But I have had some Dhamma talk.”

“Kena saddhiṁ panāyasmato mahāmoggallānassa ahosi dhammī kathā”ti?

“Who did you have a Dhamma talk with?”

“Bhagavatā kho me, āvuso, saddhiṁ ahosi dhammī kathā”ti.

“With the Buddha.”

“Dūre kho, āvuso, bhagavā etarahi sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

“But Reverend, the Buddha is far away. He’s staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Kiṁ nu kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavantaṁ iddhiyā upasaṅkami;

Did you go to him with your psychic power,

udāhu bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ iddhiyā upasaṅkamī”ti?

or did he come to you?”

“Na khvāhaṁ, āvuso, bhagavantaṁ iddhiyā upasaṅkamiṁ;

“No reverend, I didn’t go to him with my psychic power,

napi maṁ bhagavā iddhiyā upasaṅkami.

nor did he come to me.

Api ca me yāvatā bhagavā ettāvatā dibbacakkhu visujjhi dibbā ca sotadhātu.

Rather, the Buddha cleared his clairvoyance and clairaudience toward me,

Bhagavatopi yāvatāhaṁ ettāvatā dibbacakkhu visujjhi dibbā ca sotadhātū”ti.

and I cleared my clairvoyance and clairaudience toward him.”

“Yathākathaṁ panāyasmato mahāmoggallānassa bhagavatā saddhiṁ ahosi dhammī kathā”ti?

“But what manner of Dhamma talk did you have together?”

“Idhāhaṁ, āvuso, bhagavantaṁ etadavocaṁ:

“Well, reverend, I said to the Buddha,

‘āraddhavīriyo āraddhavīriyoti, bhante, vuccati.

‘Sir, they speak of one who is energetic.

Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, āraddhavīriyo hotī’ti?

How is an energetic person defined?’

Evaṁ vutte, maṁ, āvuso, bhagavā etadavoca:

When I said this, the Buddha said,

‘idha, moggallāna, bhikkhu āraddhavīriyo viharati—

‘Moggallāna, it’s when a mendicant lives with energy roused up:

kāmaṁ taco ca nhāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu, sarīre upassussatu maṁsalohitaṁ, yaṁ taṁ purisathāmena purisavīriyena purisaparakkamena pattabbaṁ na taṁ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṁ bhavissatīti.

“Gladly, let only skin, sinews, and bones remain! Let the flesh and blood waste away in my body! I will not stop trying until I have achieved what is possible by human strength, energy, and vigor.”

Evaṁ kho, moggallāna, āraddhavīriyo hotī’ti.

That’s how an individual is energetic.’

Evaṁ kho me, āvuso, bhagavatā saddhiṁ ahosi dhammī kathā”ti.

That’s the Dhamma talk I had together with the Buddha.”

“Seyyathāpi, āvuso, himavato pabbatarājassa parittā pāsāṇasakkharā yāvadeva upanikkhepanamattāya;

“Reverend, next to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna I’m like a few pieces of gravel next to the Himalayas, the king of mountains.

evameva kho mayaṁ āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa yāvadeva upanikkhepanamattāya.

Āyasmā hi mahāmoggallāno mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo ākaṅkhamāno kappaṁ tiṭṭheyyā”ti.

Venerable Mahāmoggallāna is so mighty and powerful he could, if he wished, live on for the proper lifespan.”

“Seyyathāpi, āvuso, mahatiyā loṇaghaṭāya parittā loṇasakkharāya yāvadeva upanikkhepanamattāya;

“Reverend, next to Venerable Sāriputta I’m like a few grains of salt next to a mound of salt.

evameva kho mayaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa yāvadeva upanikkhepanamattāya.

Āyasmā hi sāriputto bhagavatā anekapariyāyena thomito vaṇṇito pasattho:

Venerable Sāriputta has been commended, complimented, and praised by the Buddha:

‘Sāriputtova paññāya,

‘Sāriputta is full of wisdom,

sīlena upasamena ca;

ethics, and peace.

Yopi pāraṅgato bhikkhu,

Even a mendicant who has crossed over

etāvaparamo siyā’”ti.

might at best equal him.’”

Itiha te ubho mahānāgā aññamaññassa subhāsitaṁ sulapitaṁ samanumodiṁsūti.

And so these two spiritual giants agreed with each other’s fine words.

Tatiyaṁ.