Samannaphalasutta 37.1-20

37.1

“Sakkā pana, bhante, aññampi evameva diṭṭheva dhamme sandiṭṭhikaṃ sāmaññaphalaṃ paññapetun”ti?

“But sir, can you point out another fruit of the ascetic life that’s likewise apparent in this very life?”

37.2

“Sakkā, mahārāja.

“I can, Great King.

37.3

Tena hi, mahārāja, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya, tathā naṃ byākareyyāsi.

Well then, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.

37.4

Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, mahārāja,

What do you think, Great King?

37.5

idha te assa puriso kassako gahapatiko karakārako rāsivaḍḍhako.

Suppose you had a person who was a farmer, a householder, a hard worker, someone who builds up their capital.

37.6

Tassa evamassa:

They’d think:

37.7

‘acchariyaṃ vata bho, abbhutaṃ vata bho, puññānaṃ gati, puññānaṃ vipāko.

‘The outcome and result of good deeds is just so incredible, so amazing!

37.8

Ayañhi rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto manusso, ahampi manusso.

For this King Ajātasattu is a human being, and so am I.

37.9

Ayañhi rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappito samaṅgībhūto paricāreti, devo maññe.

Yet he amuses himself, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation as if he were a god.

37.10

Ahaṃ panamhissa kassako gahapatiko karakārako rāsivaḍḍhako.

Whereas I’m a farmer, a householder, a hard worker, someone who builds up their capital.

37.11

So vatassāhaṃ puññāni kareyyaṃ.

I really should do good deeds.

37.12

Yannūnāhaṃ kesamassuṃ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajeyyan’ti.

Why don’t I shave off my hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness?’

37.13

So aparena samayena appaṃ vā bhogakkhandhaṃ pahāya mahantaṃ vā bhogakkhandhaṃ pahāya, appaṃ vā ñātiparivaṭṭaṃ pahāya mahantaṃ vā ñātiparivaṭṭaṃ pahāya kesamassuṃ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajeyya.

After some time they give up a large or small fortune, and a large or small family circle. They’d shave off hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

37.14

So evaṃ pabbajito samāno kāyena saṃvuto vihareyya, vācāya saṃvuto vihareyya, manasā saṃvuto vihareyya, ghāsacchādanaparamatāya santuṭṭho, abhirato paviveke.

Having gone forth they’d live restrained in body, speech, and mind, living content with nothing more than food and clothes, delighting in seclusion.

37.15

Tañce te purisā evamāroceyyuṃ:

And suppose your men were to report all this to you.

37.16

‘yagghe, deva, jāneyyāsi, yo te so puriso kassako gahapatiko karakārako rāsivaḍḍhako;

37.17

so deva kesamassuṃ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajito.

37.18

So evaṃ pabbajito samāno kāyena saṃvuto viharati, vācāya saṃvuto viharati, manasā saṃvuto viharati, ghāsacchādanaparamatāya santuṭṭho, abhirato paviveke’ti.

37.19

Api nu tvaṃ evaṃ vadeyyāsi:

Would you say to them:

37.20

‘etu me, bho, so puriso, punadeva hotu kassako gahapatiko karakārako rāsivaḍḍhako’”ti?

‘Bring that person to me! Let them once more be a farmer, a householder, a hard worker, someone who builds up their capital’?”