{"collection":"Buddhism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bud/maj/mn82.htm","path":"bud/maj/mn82.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bud/maj/mn82.htm","text":"Then King Koravya said to his gamekeeper: \"Clean up the Migacira pleasure garden. I am going there to see the beautiful grounds.\"\n\"As you say, your majesty,\" the gamekeeper responded to the king. As he was cleaning up Migacira he saw Ven. Ratthapala sitting in the shade of a certain tree for the day's abiding. On seeing him, he went to the king and said, \"Migacira has been cleaned up for you, your majesty. And the clansman Ratthapala -- the son of the leading clan in this Thullakotthita, of whom you have often spoken highly -- is there, sitting in the shade of a certain tree for the day's abiding.\"\n\"In that case, my dear gamekeeper, never mind about the pleasure garden for today. I am now going to pay my respects to that Master Ratthapala.\"\nThen, saying, \"Give away all the staple and non-staple foods that have been prepared,\" King Koravya had auspicious vehicles harnessed. Mounting an auspicious vehicle he set out from Thullakotthita accompanied by other auspicious vehicles in full royal pomp to see Ven. Ratthapala. Going as far by vehicle as the ground would permit, he dismounted and went to Ven. Ratthapala, accompanied by many eminent members of his court. On arrival, he exchanged courteous greetings with Ven. Ratthapala. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he stood to one side. As he was standing there, he said to Ven. Ratthapala, \"May Master Ratthapala sit here on the elephant rug.\"\n\"Never mind, great king. You sit there. I am sitting on my own seat.\"\nSo King Koravya sat down on the seat prepared. As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Ratthapala, \"There are cases where, having suffered these four kinds of loss, men shave off their hair & beard, put on the ochre robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness. Which four? Loss through aging, loss through illness, loss of wealth, & loss of relatives...But Master Ratthapala has suffered none of these. What did he know or see or hear that Master Ratthapala went forth from the home life into homelessness?\"\n\"Great king, there are four Dhamma summaries stated by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened. Having known & seen & heard them, I went forth from the home life into homelessness. Which four?\n\"'The world[1] is swept away. It does not endure': This is the first Dhamma summary stated by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened. Having known & seen & heard it, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.\n\"'The world is without shelter, without protector': This is the second Dhamma summary...\n\"'The world is without ownership. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind': This is the third Dhamma summary...\n\"'The world is insufficient, insatiable, a slave to craving': This is the fourth Dhamma summary...\n\"These, great king, are the four Dhamma summaries stated by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened. Having known & seen & heard them, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.\"\n\"Master Ratthapala, you say, 'The world is swept away. It does not endure.' Now how is the meaning of this statement to be understood?\"\n\"What do you think, great king: When you were twenty or twenty-five years of age -- an expert elephant rider, an expert horseman, an expert charioteer, an expert archer, an expert swordsman -- were you strong in arm & strong in thigh, fit, & seasoned in warfare?\"\n\"Yes, Master Ratthapala, when I was twenty or twenty-five years old...I was strong in arm & strong in thigh, fit, & seasoned in warfare. It was as if I had supernormal power. I do not see anyone who was my equal in strength.\"\n\"And what do you think, great king: Are you even now as strong in arm & strong in thigh, as fit, & as seasoned in warfare?\"\n\"Not at all, Master Ratthapala. I'm now a feeble old man, aged, advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 80 years old. Sometimes, thinking, 'I will place my foot here,' I place it somewhere else.\"\n\"It was in reference to this, great king, that the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened, said: 'The world is swept away. It does not endure.' Having known & seen & heard this, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.\"\n\"It's amazing, Master Ratthapala. It's astounding, how well that has been said by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened: 'The world is swept away. It does not endure.' For the world really is swept away, Master Ratthapala. It does not endure.\n\"Now, in this royal court there are elephant troops & cavalry & chariot troops & infantry that will serve to defend us from dangers. And yet you say, 'The world is without shelter, without protector.' How is the meaning of this statement to be understood?\"\n\"What do you think, great king: Do you have any recurring illness?\"\n\"Yes, Master Ratthapala, I have a recurring wind-illness. Sometimes my friends & advisors, relatives & blood-kinsmen, stand around me saying, 'This time King Koravya will die. This time King Koravya will die.'\"\n\"And what do you think, great king: Can you say to your friends & advisors, relatives & blood-kinsmen, 'My friends & advisors, relatives & blood-kinsmen are commanded: all of you who are present, share out this pain so that I may feel less pain'? Or do you have to feel that pain all alone?\"\n\"Oh, no, Master Ratthapala, I can't say to my friends & advisors, relatives & blood-kinsmen, 'All of you who are present, share out this pain so that I may feel less pain.' I have to feel that pain all alone.\"\n\"It was in reference to this, great king, that the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened, said: 'The world is without shelter, without protector.' Having known & seen & heard this, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.\"\n\"It's amazing, Master Ratthapala. It's astounding, how well that has been said by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened: 'The world is without shelter, without protector.' For the world really is without shelter, Master Ratthapala. It is without protector.\n\"Now, in this royal court there is a great deal of gold & silver stashed away underground & in attic vaults. And yet you say, 'The world is without ownership. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind.' How is the meaning of this statement to be understood?\"\n\"What do you think, great king? As you now enjoy yourself endowed & replete with the pleasures of the five senses, can you say, 'Even in the afterlife I will enjoy myself in the same way, endowed & replete with the very same pleasures of the five senses'? Or will this wealth fall to others, while you pass on in accordance with your kamma?\"\n\"On, no, Master Ratthapala, I can't say, 'Even in the afterlife I will enjoy myself in the same way, endowed & replete with the very same pleasures of the five senses.' This wealth will fall to others, while I pass on in accordance with my kamma.\"\n\"It was in reference to this, great king, that the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened, said: 'The world is without ownership. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind.' Having known & seen & heard this, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.\"\n\"It's amazing, Master Ratthapala. It's astounding, how well that has been said by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened: 'The world is without ownership. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind.' For the world really is without ownership, Master Ratthapala. One has to pass on, leaving everything behind.\n\"Now, Master Ratthapala, you say, 'The world is insufficient, insatiable, a slave to craving.' How is the meaning of this statement to be understood?\"\n\"What do you think, great king: Do you now rule over the prosperous country of Kuru?\"\n\"That is so, Master Ratthapala. I rule over the prosperous country of Kuru.\"\n\"What do you think, great king: Suppose a trustworthy, reliable man of yours were to come to you from the east. On arrival he would say to you, 'May it please your majesty to know, I have come from the east. There I saw a great country, powerful & prosperous, populous & crowded with people. Plenty are the elephant troops there, plenty the cavalry troops, chariot troops, & infantry troops. Plenty is the ivory-work there, plenty the gold & silver, both worked & unworked. Plenty are the women for the taking. It is possible, with the forces you now have, to conquer it. Conquer it, great king!' What would you do?\"\n\"Having conquered it, Master Ratthapala, I would rule over it.\"\n\"Now what do you think, great king? Suppose a trustworthy, reliable man of yours were to come to you from the west...the north...the south...the other side of the ocean. On arrival he would say to you, 'May it please your majesty to know, I have come from the other side of the ocean. There I saw a great country, powerful & prosperous, populous & crowded with people. Plenty are the elephant troops there, plenty the cavalry troops, chariot troops, & infantry troops. Plenty is the ivory-work there, plenty the gold & silver, both worked & unworked. Plenty are the women for the taking. It is possible, with the forces you now have, to conquer it. Conquer it, great king!' What would you do?\"\n\"Having conquered it, Master Ratthapala, I would rule over it, too.\"\n\"It was in reference to this, great king, that the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened, said: 'The world is insufficient, insatiable, a slave to craving.' Having known & seen & heard this, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.\"\n\"It's amazing, Master Ratthapala. It's astounding, how well that has been said by the Blessed One who knows & sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened: 'The world is insufficient, insatiable, a slave to craving.' For the world really is insufficient, Master Ratthapala. It's insatiable, a slave to craving.\"\nThat is what Ven. Ratthapala said. Having said that, he further said this:\nI see in the world\npeople with wealth\nwho, from delusion,\ndon't make a gift\nof the treasure they've gained.\nGreedy, they stash it away,\nhoping for even more\nsensual pleasures.\nA king who, by force,\nhas conquered the world\nand rules over the earth\nto the edge of the sea,\ndissatisfied with the ocean's near shore,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 longs for the ocean's\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 far shore as well.\nKings & others\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 -- plenty of people -- \ngo to death with craving\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 unabated. Unsated\nthey leave the body behind,\nhaving not had enough\nof the world's sensual pleasures.\nOne's relatives weep\n& pull out their hair.\n'Oh woe, our loved one is dead,' they cry.\nCarrying him off,\nwrapped in a piece of cloth,\nthey place him\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 on a pyre,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 then set him on fire.\nSo he burns, poked with sticks,\nin just one piece of cloth,\nleaving all his possessions behind.\nThey are not shelters for one who has died -- \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 not relatives,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 friends,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 or companions.\nHis heirs take over his wealth,\nwhile the being goes on,\nin line with his kamma.\nNo wealth at all\nfollows the dead one -- \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 not children, wives,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 dominion, or riches.\nLong life\ncan't be gotten with wealth,\nnor aging\nwarded off with treasure.\nThe wise say this life\nis next to nothing -- \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 impermanent,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 subject to change.\nThe rich & the poor\ntouch the touch of Death.\nThe foolish & wise\nare touched by it, too.\nBut while fools lie as if slain by their folly,\nthe wise don't tremble\nwhen touched by the touch.\nThus the discernment by which\none attains to mastery,\nis better than wealth -- \nfor those who haven't reached mastery\ngo from existence to existence,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 out of delusion,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 doing bad deeds.\nOne goes to a womb\n& to the next world,\nfalling into the wandering on\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 -- one thing\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 after another -- \nwhile those of weak discernment,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 trusting in one,\nalso go to a womb\n& to the next world.\nJust as an evil thief\ncaught at the break-in\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 is destroyed\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 by his own act,\nso evil people\n-- after dying, in the next world -- \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 are destroyed\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 by their own acts.\nSensual pleasures -- \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 variegated,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 enticing,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 sweet -- \nin various ways disturb the mind.\nSeeing the drawbacks in sensual objects:\nthat's why, O king, I went forth.\nJust like fruits, people fall\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 -- young & old -- \nat the break-up of the body.\nKnowing this, O king,\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I went forth.\nThe contemplative life is better\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 for sure.\n1. For the meaning of the word \"world\" in this discourse, see SN.XXXV.82. [Go back]","title":"MN 82: Ratthapala Sutta","type":"page"}