{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an5.50/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an5.50","id":"suttacentral_an5.50","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an5.50/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"At one time Venerable N\u0101rada was staying near P\u0101\u1e6daliputta, in the Chicken Monastery. Now at that time King Mu\u1e47\u1e0da\u2019s dear and beloved Queen Bhadd\u0101 had just passed away. And since that time, the king did not bathe, anoint himself, eat his meals, or apply himself to his work. Day and night he brooded over Queen Bhadd\u0101\u2019s corpse. Then King Mu\u1e47\u1e0da addressed Piyaka, the keeper of the treasury, \u201cSo, my good Piyaka, please place Queen Bhadd\u0101\u2019s corpse in an iron casket filled with oil. Then close it up with another casket, so that we can view Queen Bhadd\u0101\u2019s body even longer.\u201d \u201cYes, Your Majesty,\u201d replied Piyaka, and he did as the king instructed. Then it occurred to Piyaka, \u201cKing Mu\u1e47\u1e0da\u2019s dear and beloved Queen Bhadd\u0101 has passed away. Since then the king does not bathe, anoint himself, eat his meals, or apply himself to his work. Day and night he broods over Queen Bhadd\u0101\u2019s corpse. Now, what ascetic or brahmin might the king pay homage to, whose teaching could help the king give up sorrow\u2019s arrow?\u201d Then it occurred to Piyaka, \u201cThis Venerable N\u0101rada is staying in the Chicken Monastery at P\u0101\u1e6daliputta. He has this good reputation: \u2018He is astute, competent, intelligent, learned, a brilliant speaker, eloquent, mature, a perfected one.\u2019 What if King Mu\u1e47\u1e0da was to pay homage to Venerable N\u0101rada? Hopefully when he hears N\u0101rada\u2019s teaching, the king could give up sorrow\u2019s arrow.\u201d Then Piyaka went to the king and said to him, \u201cYour Majesty, this Venerable N\u0101rada is staying in the Chicken Monastery at P\u0101\u1e6daliputta. He has this good reputation: \u2018He is astute, competent, intelligent, learned, a brilliant speaker, eloquent, mature, a perfected one.\u2019 What if Your Majesty was to pay homage to Venerable N\u0101rada? Hopefully when you hear N\u0101rada\u2019s teaching, you could give up sorrow\u2019s arrow.\u201d \u201cWell then, my good Piyaka, let N\u0101rada know. For how on earth could one such as I presume to visit an ascetic or brahmin in my realm without letting them know beforehand?\u201d \u201cYes, Your Majesty,\u201d replied Piyaka. He went to N\u0101rada, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, \u201cSir, King Mu\u1e47\u1e0da\u2019s dear and beloved Queen Bhadd\u0101 has passed away. And since she passed away, the king has not bathed, anointed himself, eaten his meals, or got his business done. Day and night he broods over Queen Bhadd\u0101\u2019s corpse. Sir, please teach the king so that, when he hears your teaching, he can give up sorrow\u2019s arrow.\u201d \u201cPlease, Piyaka, let the king come at his convenience.\u201d Then Piyaka rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled Venerable N\u0101rada, keeping him on his right, before going to the king and saying, \u201cYour Majesty, the request for an audience with Venerable N\u0101rada has been granted. Please, Your Majesty, go at your convenience.\u201d \u201cWell then, my good Piyaka, harness the finest chariots.\u201d \u201cYes, Your Majesty,\u201d replied Piyaka. He did so, then told the king: \u201cYour Majesty, the finest chariots are harnessed. Please, Your Majesty, go at your convenience.\u201d Then King Mu\u1e47\u1e0da mounted a fine carriage and, along with other fine carriages, set out in full royal pomp to see Venerable N\u0101rada at the Chicken Monastery. He went by carriage as far as the terrain allowed, then descended and entered the monastery on foot. Then the king went up to N\u0101rada, bowed, and sat down to one side. Then N\u0101rada said to him: \u201cGreat king, there are five things that cannot be had by any ascetic or brahmin or god or M\u0101ra or divinity or by anyone in the world. What five? That someone liable to old age should not grow old. \u2026 That someone liable to sickness should not get sick. \u2026 That someone liable to death should not die. \u2026 That someone liable to ending should not end. \u2026 That someone liable to perishing should not perish. \u2026 An unlearned ordinary person has someone liable to old age who grows old. But they don\u2019t reflect on old age: \u2018It\u2019s not just me who has someone liable to old age who grows old. For all sentient beings have someone liable to old age who grows old, as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn. If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to old age grows old, I\u2019d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn\u2019t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.\u2019 And so, when someone liable to old age grows old, they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called an unlearned ordinary person struck by sorrow\u2019s poisoned arrow, who only mortifies themselves. Furthermore, an unlearned ordinary person has someone liable to sickness \u2026 death \u2026 ending \u2026 perishing. But they don\u2019t reflect on perishing: \u2018It\u2019s not just me who has someone liable to perishing who perishes. For all sentient beings have someone liable to perishing who perishes, as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn. If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to perishing perishes, I\u2019d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn\u2019t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.\u2019 And so, when someone liable to perishing perishes, they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called an unlearned ordinary person struck by sorrow\u2019s poisoned arrow, who only mortifies themselves. A learned noble disciple has someone liable to old age who grows old. So they reflect on old age: \u2018It\u2019s not just me who has someone liable to old age who grows old. For all sentient beings have someone liable to old age who grows old, as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn. If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to old age grows old, I\u2019d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn\u2019t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.\u2019 And so, when someone liable to old age grows old, they don\u2019t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called a learned noble disciple who has drawn out sorrow\u2019s poisoned arrow, struck by which unlearned ordinary people only mortify themselves. Sorrowless, free of thorns, that noble disciple only extinguishes themselves. Furthermore, a learned noble disciple has someone liable to sickness \u2026 death \u2026 ending \u2026 perishing. So they reflect on perishing: \u2018It\u2019s not just me who has someone liable to perishing who perishes. For all sentient beings have someone liable to perishing who perishes, as long as sentient beings come and go, pass away and are reborn. If I were to sorrow and wail and lament, beating my breast and falling into confusion, just because someone liable to perishing perishes, I\u2019d lose my appetite and my physical appearance would deteriorate. My work wouldn\u2019t get done, my enemies would be encouraged, and my friends would be dispirited.\u2019 And so, when someone liable to perishing perishes, they don\u2019t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is called a learned noble disciple who has drawn out sorrow\u2019s poisoned arrow, struck by which unlearned ordinary people only mortify themselves. Sorrowless, free of thorns, that noble disciple only extinguishes themselves. These are the five things that cannot be had by any ascetic or brahmin or god or M\u0101ra or divinity or by anyone in the world. Sorrowing and lamenting doesn\u2019t do even a little bit of good. When they know that you\u2019re sad, your enemies are encouraged. When an astute person doesn\u2019t waver <j>in the face of adversity, as they\u2019re able to evaluate what\u2019s beneficial, their enemies suffer, seeing that their normal expression doesn\u2019t change. Chants, recitations, fine sayings, or charity of woven rugs: if by means of any such things you benefit, then by all means keep doing them. But if you understand that \u2018this good thing can\u2019t be had by me or by anyone else\u2019, you should accept it without sorrowing, thinking: \u2018The deed is powerful. What can I do now?\u2019\u201d When he said this, King Mu\u1e47\u1e0da said to Venerable N\u0101rada, \u201cSir, what is the name of this exposition of the teaching?\u201d \u201cGreat king, this exposition of the teaching is named \u2018Pulling Out Sorrow\u2019s Arrow\u2019.\u201d \u201cIndeed, sir, this is the pulling out of sorrow\u2019s arrow! Hearing this exposition of the teaching, I\u2019ve given up sorrow\u2019s arrow.\u201d Then King Mu\u1e47\u1e0da addressed Piyaka, the keeper of the treasury, \u201cWell then, my good Piyaka, cremate Queen Bhadd\u0101\u2019s corpse and build a monument. From this day forth, I will bathe, anoint myself, eat my meals, and apply myself to my work.\u201d","title":"With N\u0101rada","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1488}