{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn47.19/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn47.19","id":"suttacentral_sn47.19","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn47.19/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sumbhas, near the town of the Sumbhas named Sedaka. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: \u201cOnce upon a time, mendicants, a pole acrobat of the corpse-workers set up the bamboo pole of his tribe and said to his apprentice Medakath\u0101lik\u0101, \u2018Come now, dear Medakath\u0101lik\u0101, climb up the bamboo pole and stand above my shoulders.\u2019 \u2018Yes, tutor,\u2019 she replied. She climbed up the bamboo pole and stood above her tutor\u2019s shoulders. Then the pole acrobat of the corpse-workers said to Medakath\u0101lik\u0101, \u2018You look after me, dear Medakath\u0101lik\u0101, and I shall look after you. That\u2019s how, guarding and looking after each other, we\u2019ll display our skill, collect our fee, and get down safely from the bamboo pole.\u2019 When he said this, Medakath\u0101lik\u0101 said to her teacher, \u2018That\u2019s not how it will be, tutor! You look after yourself, and I shall look after myself. That\u2019s how, guarding and looking after ourselves, we\u2019ll display our skill, collect our fee, and get down safely from the bamboo pole.\u2019 That\u2019s the way,\u201d said the Buddha. \u201cIt\u2019s just as Medakath\u0101lik\u0101 said to her tutor. Thinking \u2018I\u2019ll look after myself,\u2019 you should cultivate mindfulness meditation. Thinking \u2018I\u2019ll look after others,\u2019 you should cultivate mindfulness meditation. Looking after yourself, you look after others; and looking after others, you look after yourself. And how do you look after others by looking after yourself? By development, cultivation, and practice of meditation. And how do you look after yourself by looking after others? By acceptance, harmlessness, love, and sympathy. Thinking \u2018I\u2019ll look after myself,\u2019 you should cultivate mindfulness meditation. Thinking \u2018I\u2019ll look after others,\u2019 you should cultivate mindfulness meditation. Looking after yourself, you look after others; and looking after others, you look after yourself.\u201d","title":"At Sedaka","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":294}