{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn21/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn21","id":"suttacentral_mn21","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn21/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near S\u0101vatth\u012b in Jeta\u2019s Grove, An\u0101thapi\u1e47\u1e0dika\u2019s monastery. Now at that time, Venerable Phagguna of the Top-Knot was spending too long mixing closely with some nuns. So much so that if any mendicant criticized those nuns in his presence, Phagguna of the Top-Knot got angry and upset, and even instigated disciplinary proceedings. And if any mendicant criticized Phagguna of the Top-Knot in their presence, those nuns got angry and upset, and even instigated disciplinary proceedings. That\u2019s how close Phagguna of the Top-Knot was with those nuns. Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was going on. So the Buddha addressed one of the monks, \u201cPlease, monk, in my name tell the mendicant Phagguna of the Top-Knot that the Teacher summons him.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d that monk replied. He went to Phagguna of the Top-Knot and said to him, \u201cReverend Phagguna, the Teacher summons you.\u201d \u201cYes, reverend,\u201d Phagguna replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: \u201cIs it really true, Phagguna, that you\u2019ve been spending too long mixing closely with some nuns? So much so that if any mendicant criticizes those nuns in your presence, you get angry and upset, and even instigate disciplinary proceedings? And if any mendicant criticizes you in those nuns\u2019 presence, they get angry and upset, and even instigate disciplinary proceedings? Is that how close you\u2019ve become with those nuns?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cPhagguna, are you not a gentleman who has gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cAs such, it\u2019s not appropriate for you to mix so closely with those nuns. So if anyone criticizes those nuns in your presence, you should give up any desires or thoughts of domestic life. If that happens, you should train like this: \u2018My mind will not degenerate. I will blurt out no bad words. I will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train. So even if someone strikes those nuns with fists, stones, rods, and swords in your presence, you should give up any desires or thoughts of domestic life. If that happens, you should train like this: \u2018My mind will not degenerate. I will blurt out no bad words. I will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train. So if anyone criticizes you in your presence, you should give up any desires or thoughts of domestic life. If that happens, you should train like this: \u2018My mind will not degenerate. I will blurt out no bad words. I will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train. So Phagguna, even if someone strikes you with fists, stones, rods, and swords, you should give up any desires or thoughts of domestic life. If that happens, you should train like this: \u2018My mind will not degenerate. I will blurt out no bad words. I will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train.\u201d Then the Buddha said to the mendicants: \u201cMendicants, I used to be satisfied with the mendicants. Once, I addressed them: \u2018I eat my food in one sitting per day. Doing so, I find that I\u2019m healthy and well, nimble, strong, and living comfortably. You too should eat your food in one sitting per day. Doing so, you\u2019ll find that you\u2019re healthy and well, nimble, strong, and living comfortably.\u2019 I didn\u2019t have to keep on instructing those mendicants; I just had to prompt their mindfulness. Suppose a chariot stood harnessed to thoroughbreds at a level crossroads, with a goad ready. A deft horse trainer, a master charioteer, might mount the chariot, taking the reins in his right hand and goad in the left. He\u2019d drive out and back wherever he wishes, whenever he wishes. In the same way, I didn\u2019t have to keep on instructing those mendicants; I just had to prompt their mindfulness. So, mendicants, you too should give up what\u2019s unskillful and devote yourselves to skillful qualities. In this way you\u2019ll achieve growth, improvement, and maturity in this teaching and training. Suppose that not far from a town or village there was a large grove of sal trees that was choked with castor-oil weeds. Then along comes a person who wants to help protect and nurture that grove. They\u2019d cut down the crooked sal saplings that were robbing the sap, and throw them out. They\u2019d clean up the interior of the grove, and properly care for the straight, well-formed sal saplings. In this way, in due course, that sal grove would grow, increase, and mature. In the same way, mendicants, you too should give up what\u2019s unskillful and devote yourselves to skillful qualities. In this way you\u2019ll achieve growth, improvement, and maturity in this teaching and training. Once upon a time, mendicants, right here in S\u0101vatth\u012b there was a housewife named Vedehik\u0101. She had this good reputation: \u2018The housewife Vedehik\u0101 is gentle, placid, and calm.\u2019 Now, Vedehik\u0101 had a bonded maid named K\u0101\u1e37\u012b who was deft, tireless, and well-organized in her work. Then K\u0101\u1e37\u012b thought, \u2018My mistress has a good reputation as being gentle, placid, and calm. But does she actually have anger in her and just not show it? Or does she have no anger? Or is it just because my work is well-organized that she doesn\u2019t show anger, even though she still has it inside? Why don\u2019t I test my mistress?\u2019 So K\u0101\u1e37\u012b got up during the day. Vedehik\u0101 said to her, \u2018Oi wench, K\u0101\u1e37\u012b!\u2019 \u2018What is it, ma\u2019am?\u2019 \u2018You\u2019re getting up in the day\u2014what\u2019s up with you, wench?\u2019 \u2018Nothing, ma\u2019am.\u2019 \u2018Oh, so nothing\u2019s up, you naughty maid, but you get up in the day!\u2019 Angry and upset, she scowled. Then K\u0101\u1e37\u012b thought, \u2018My mistress actually has anger in her and just doesn\u2019t show it; it\u2019s not that she has no anger. It\u2019s just because my work is well-organized that she doesn\u2019t show anger, even though she still has it inside. Why don\u2019t I test my mistress further?\u2019 So K\u0101\u1e37\u012b got up later in the day. Vedehik\u0101 said to her, \u2018Oi wench, K\u0101\u1e37\u012b!\u2019 \u2018What is it, ma\u2019am?\u2019 \u2018You\u2019re getting up later in the day\u2014what\u2019s up with you, wench?\u2019 \u2018Nothing, ma\u2019am.\u2019 \u2018Oh, so nothing\u2019s up, you naughty maid, but you get up later in the day!\u2019 Angry and upset, she blurted out angry words. Then K\u0101\u1e37\u012b thought, \u2018My mistress actually has anger in her and just doesn\u2019t show it; it\u2019s not that she has no anger. It\u2019s just because my work is well-organized that she doesn\u2019t show anger, even though she still has it inside. Why don\u2019t I test my mistress further?\u2019 So K\u0101\u1e37\u012b got up even later in the day. Vedehik\u0101 said to her, \u2018Oi wench, K\u0101\u1e37\u012b!\u2019 \u2018What is it, ma\u2019am?\u2019 \u2018You\u2019re getting up even later in the day\u2014what\u2019s up with you, wench?\u2019 \u2018Nothing, ma\u2019am.\u2019 \u2018Oh, so nothing\u2019s up, you naughty maid, but you get up even later in the day!\u2019 Angry and upset, she grabbed a door-pin and hit K\u0101\u1e37\u012b on the head, cracking it open. Then K\u0101\u1e37\u012b, with blood pouring from her cracked skull, denounced her mistress to the neighbors, \u2018See, ladies, what the gentle one did! See what the placid one did! See what the calm one did! How on earth can she grab a door-pin and hit her only maid on the head, cracking it open, just for getting up late?\u2019 Then after some time the housewife Vedehik\u0101 got this bad reputation: \u2018The housewife Vedehik\u0101 is fierce, ill-tempered, and not calm at all.\u2019 In the same way, a mendicant may be the gentlest of the gentle, the most placid of the placid, the calmest of the calm, so long as they don\u2019t encounter any disagreeable criticism. But it\u2019s when they encounter disagreeable criticism that you\u2019ll know whether they\u2019re really gentle, placid, and calm. I don\u2019t say that a mendicant is easy to admonish if they make themselves easy to admonish only for the sake of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. Why is that? Because when they don\u2019t get robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick, they\u2019re no longer easy to admonish. But when a mendicant is easy to admonish purely because they honor, respect, revere, worship, and venerate the teaching, then I say that they\u2019re easy to admonish. So, mendicants, you should train yourselves: \u2018We will be easy to admonish purely because we honor, respect, revere, worship, and venerate the teaching.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train. Mendicants, there are these five ways in which others might criticize you. Their speech may be timely or untimely, true or false, gentle or harsh, beneficial or harmful, from a heart of love or from secret hate. When others criticize you, they may do so in any of these ways. If that happens, you should train like this: \u2018Our minds will not degenerate. We will blurt out no bad words. We will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate. We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that individual. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart full of love to everyone in the world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train. Suppose a person was to come along carrying a spade and basket and say, \u2018I shall make this great earth be without earth!\u2019 And they\u2019d dig all over, scatter all over, spit all over, and urinate all over, saying, \u2018Be without earth! Be without earth!\u2019 What do you think, mendicants? Could that person make this great earth be without earth?\u201d \u201cNo, sir. Why is that? Because this great earth is deep and limitless. It\u2019s not easy to make it be without earth. That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, there are these five ways in which others might criticize you. Their speech may be timely or untimely, true or false, gentle or harsh, beneficial or harmful, from a heart of love or from secret hate. When others criticize you, they may do so in any of these ways. If that happens, you should train like this: \u2018Our minds will not degenerate. We will blurt out no bad words. We will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate. We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that individual. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart like the earth to everyone in the world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train. Suppose a person was to come along with dye such as red lac, turmeric, indigo, or rose madder, and say, \u2018I shall draw pictures in space, making pictures appear there.\u2019 What do you think, mendicants? Could that person draw pictures in space?\u201d \u201cNo, sir. Why is that? Because space has no form or appearance. It\u2019s not easy to draw pictures there. That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, if others criticize you in any of these five ways \u2026 you should train like this: \u2018\u2026 We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that person. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart like space to everyone in the world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train. Suppose a person was to come along carrying a blazing grass torch, and say, \u2018I shall burn and scorch the Ganges River with this blazing grass torch.\u2019 What do you think, mendicants? Could that person burn and scorch the Ganges River with a blazing grass torch?\u201d \u201cNo, sir. Why is that? Because the Ganges River is deep and limitless. It\u2019s not easy to burn and scorch it with a blazing grass torch. That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, if others criticize you in any of these five ways \u2026 you should train like this: \u2018\u2026 We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that individual. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart like the Ganges to everyone in the world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train. Suppose there was a catskin bag that was rubbed, well-rubbed, very well-rubbed, soft, silky, rid of rustling and crackling. Then a person comes along carrying a stick or a stone, and says, \u2018I shall make this soft catskin bag rustle and crackle with this stick or stone.\u2019 What do you think, mendicants? Could that person make that soft catskin bag rustle and crackle with that stick or stone?\u201d \u201cNo, sir. Why is that? Because that catskin bag is rubbed, well-rubbed, very well-rubbed, soft, silky, rid of rustling and crackling. It\u2019s not easy to make it rustle or crackle with a stick or stone. That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, there are these five ways in which others might criticize you. Their speech may be timely or untimely, true or false, gentle or harsh, beneficial or harmful, from a heart of love or from secret hate. When others criticize you, they may do so in any of these ways. If that happens, you should train like this: \u2018Our minds will not degenerate. We will blurt out no bad words. We will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate. We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that individual. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart like a catskin bag to everyone in the world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train. Even if low-down bandits were to sever you limb from limb with a two-handed saw, anyone who had a malevolent thought on that account would not be following my instructions. If that happens, you should train like this: \u2018Our minds will not degenerate. We will blurt out no bad words. We will remain full of sympathy, with a heart of love and no secret hate. We will meditate spreading a heart of love to that individual. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart full of love to everyone in the world\u2014abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train. If you frequently reflect on this advice on the simile of the saw, do you see any criticism, large or small, that you could not endure?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cSo, mendicants, you should frequently reflect on this advice on the simile of the saw. This will be for your lasting welfare and happiness.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.","title":"The Simile of the Saw","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":2499}