{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn33/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn33","id":"suttacentral_mn33","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn33/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. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, \u201cMendicants!\u201d \u201cVenerable sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cMendicants, a cowherd with eleven factors can\u2019t maintain and expand a herd of cattle. What eleven? It\u2019s when a cowherd doesn\u2019t know form, is unskilled in characteristics, doesn\u2019t pick out flies\u2019 eggs, doesn\u2019t dress wounds, doesn\u2019t spread smoke, doesn\u2019t know the ford, doesn\u2019t know satisfaction, doesn\u2019t know the trail, is not skilled in ranges, milks dry, and doesn\u2019t show extra respect to the bulls who are fathers and captains of the herd. A cowherd with these eleven factors can\u2019t maintain and expand a herd of cattle. In the same way, a mendicant with eleven qualities can\u2019t achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training. What eleven? It\u2019s when a mendicant doesn\u2019t know form, is unskilled in characteristics, doesn\u2019t pick out flies\u2019 eggs, doesn\u2019t dress wounds, doesn\u2019t spread smoke, doesn\u2019t know the ford, doesn\u2019t know satisfaction, doesn\u2019t know the trail, is not skilled in ranges, milks dry, and doesn\u2019t show extra respect to senior mendicants of long standing, long gone forth, fathers and leaders of the Sa\u1e45gha. And how does a mendicant not know form? It\u2019s when a mendicant doesn\u2019t truly understand that all form is the four principal states, or form derived from the four principal states. That\u2019s how a mendicant doesn\u2019t know form. And how is a mendicant not skilled in characteristics? It\u2019s when a mendicant doesn\u2019t understand that a fool is characterized by their deeds, and an astute person is characterized by their deeds. That\u2019s how a mendicant isn\u2019t skilled in characteristics. And how does a mendicant not pick out flies\u2019 eggs? It\u2019s when a mendicant tolerates a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought that has arisen. They tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen. They don\u2019t give them up, dispel them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. That\u2019s how a mendicant doesn\u2019t pick out flies\u2019 eggs. And how does a mendicant not dress wounds? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, they get caught up in the features and details. Since the faculty of sight is left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure become overwhelming. They don\u2019t practice restraint, they don\u2019t protect the faculty of sight, and they don\u2019t achieve its restraint. When they hear a sound with their ears \u2026 smell an odor with their nose \u2026 taste a flavor with their tongue \u2026 feel a touch with their body \u2026 know an idea with their mind, they get caught up in the features and details. Since the faculty of the mind is left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure become overwhelming. They don\u2019t practice restraint, they don\u2019t protect the faculty of the mind, and they don\u2019t achieve its restraint. That\u2019s how a mendicant doesn\u2019t dress wounds. And how does a mendicant not spread smoke? It\u2019s when a mendicant doesn\u2019t teach others the Dhamma in detail as they learned and memorized it. That\u2019s how a mendicant doesn\u2019t spread smoke. And how does a mendicant not know the ford? It\u2019s when a mendicant doesn\u2019t from time to time go up to those mendicants who are very learned\u2014inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines\u2014and ask them questions: \u2018Why, sir, does it say this? What does that mean?\u2019 Those venerables don\u2019t reveal what is hidden, clarify what is unclear, and dispel doubt regarding the many doubtful matters. That\u2019s how a mendicant doesn\u2019t know the ford. And how does a mendicant not know satisfaction? It\u2019s when a mendicant, when the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One are being taught, finds no inspiration in the meaning and the teaching, and finds no joy connected with the teaching. That\u2019s how a mendicant doesn\u2019t know satisfaction. And how does a mendicant not know the trail? It\u2019s when a mendicant doesn\u2019t truly understand the noble eightfold path. That\u2019s how a mendicant doesn\u2019t know the trail. And how is a mendicant not skilled in ranges? It\u2019s when a mendicant doesn\u2019t truly understand the four kinds of mindfulness meditation. That\u2019s how a mendicant is not skilled in ranges. And how does a mendicant milk dry? It\u2019s when a mendicant is invited by a householder to accept robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick, and that mendicant doesn\u2019t know moderation in accepting. That\u2019s how a mendicant milks dry. And how does a mendicant not show extra respect to senior mendicants of long standing, long gone forth, fathers and leaders of the Sa\u1e45gha? It\u2019s when a mendicant doesn\u2019t consistently treat senior mendicants of long standing, long gone forth, fathers and leaders of the Sa\u1e45gha with kindness by way of body, speech, and mind, both in public and in private. That\u2019s how a mendicant doesn\u2019t show extra respect to senior mendicants of long standing, long gone forth, fathers and leaders of the Sa\u1e45gha. A mendicant with these eleven qualities can\u2019t achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training. A cowherd with eleven factors can maintain and expand a herd of cattle. What eleven? It\u2019s when a cowherd knows form, is skilled in characteristics, picks out flies\u2019 eggs, dresses wounds, spreads smoke, knows the ford, knows satisfaction, knows the trail, is skilled in ranges, doesn\u2019t milk dry, and shows extra respect to the bulls who are fathers and captains of the herd. A cowherd with these eleven factors can maintain and expand a herd of cattle. In the same way, a mendicant with eleven qualities can achieve growth, improvement, and maturity in this teaching and training. What eleven? It\u2019s when a mendicant knows form, is skilled in characteristics, picks out flies\u2019 eggs, dresses wounds, spreads smoke, knows the ford, knows satisfaction, knows the trail, is skilled in ranges, doesn\u2019t milk dry, and shows extra respect to senior mendicants of long standing, long gone forth, fathers and leaders of the Sa\u1e45gha. And how does a mendicant know form? It\u2019s when a mendicant truly understands that all form is the four principal states, or form derived from the four principal states. That\u2019s how a mendicant knows form. And how is a mendicant skilled in characteristics? It\u2019s when a mendicant understands that a fool is characterized by their deeds, and an astute person is characterized by their deeds. That\u2019s how a mendicant is skilled in characteristics. And how does a mendicant pick out flies\u2019 eggs? It\u2019s when a mendicant doesn\u2019t tolerate a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought that has arisen. They don\u2019t tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, dispel them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. That\u2019s how a mendicant picks out flies\u2019 eggs. And how does a mendicant dress wounds? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, they don\u2019t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving its restraint. When they hear a sound with their ears \u2026 smell an odor with their nose \u2026 taste a flavor with their tongue \u2026 feel a touch with their body \u2026 know an idea with their mind, they don\u2019t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving its restraint. That\u2019s how a mendicant dresses wounds. And how does a mendicant spread smoke? It\u2019s when a mendicant teaches others the Dhamma in detail as they learned and memorized it. That\u2019s how a mendicant spreads smoke. And how does a mendicant know the ford? It\u2019s when from time to time a mendicant goes up to those mendicants who are very learned\u2014inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines\u2014and asks them questions: \u2018Why, sir, does it say this? What does that mean?\u2019 Those venerables reveal what is hidden, clarify what is unclear, and dispel doubt regarding the many doubtful matters. That\u2019s how a mendicant knows the ford. And how does a mendicant know satisfaction? It\u2019s when a mendicant, when the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One are being taught, finds inspiration in the meaning and the teaching, and finds joy connected with the teaching. That\u2019s how a mendicant knows satisfaction. And how does a mendicant know the trail? It\u2019s when a mendicant truly understands the noble eightfold path. That\u2019s how a mendicant knows the trail. And how is a mendicant skilled in ranges? It\u2019s when a mendicant truly understands the four kinds of mindfulness meditation. That\u2019s how a mendicant is skilled in ranges. And how does a mendicant not milk dry? It\u2019s when a mendicant is invited by a householder to accept robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick, and that mendicant knows moderation in accepting. That\u2019s how a mendicant doesn\u2019t milk dry. And how does a mendicant show extra respect to senior mendicants of long standing, long gone forth, fathers and leaders of the Sa\u1e45gha? It\u2019s when a mendicant consistently treats senior mendicants of long standing, long gone forth, fathers and leaders of the Sa\u1e45gha with kindness by way of body, speech, and mind, both in public and in private. That\u2019s how a mendicant shows extra respect to senior mendicants of long standing, long gone forth, fathers and leaders of the Sa\u1e45gha. A mendicant with these eleven qualities can achieve growth, improvement, and maturity in this teaching and training.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.","title":"The Longer Discourse on the Cowherd","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1623}