Other Translations: Deutsch
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Sutta Nipāta 4.15 Sutta Nipāta 4.15Anthology of Discourses 4.15
Attadaṇḍasutta The Rod EmbracedTaking Up Arms
“Attadaṇḍā bhayaṁ jātaṁ, “When embraced, the rod of violence breeds danger & fear:Nd I: The rod of violence takes three forms: physical violence (the three forms of bodily misconduct), verbal violence (the four forms of verbal misconduct), and mental violence (the three forms of mental misconduct). See AN 10:176 and Dhp 129–142.Peril stems from those who take up arms—
janaṁ passatha medhagaṁ; Look at people in strife.just look how people conflict!
Saṁvegaṁ kittayissāmi, I will tell how I experiencedI shall extol how I came to be
yathā saṁvijitaṁ mayā. terror:stirred with a sense of urgency.
Phandamānaṁ pajaṁ disvā, Seeing people flounderingI saw this population flounder,
macche appodake yathā; like fish in small puddles,like a fish in a little puddle.
Aññamaññehi byāruddhe, competing with one another—Seeing them at odds with each other,
disvā maṁ bhayamāvisi. as I saw this, fear came into me.fear came upon me.
Samantamasāro loko, The world was entirely without substance.The world around was volatile,
disā sabbā sameritā; All the directions were knocked out of line.all directions were in turmoil.
Icchaṁ bhavanamattano, Wanting a haven for myself,Wanting a home for myself,
nāddasāsiṁ anositaṁ. I saw nothing that wasn’t laid claim to.I saw nowhere unsettled. Osita (and osāna in the next line) convey both “occupy” and “end” in the sense of a place of rest at the end of a journey.
Osāne tveva byāruddhe, Seeing nothing in the end but competition,Yet even in their settlement they were at odds—Here, tveva has a contrastive sense.
Disvā me aratī ahu; I felt discontent.seeing that, I grew uneasy.
Athettha sallamaddakkhiṁ, And then I saw an arrow here,Then I saw a dart there,
Duddasaṁ hadayanissitaṁ. so very hard to see, embedded in the heart.so hard to see, stuck in the heart.
Yena sallena otiṇṇo, Overcome by this arrowWhen struck by that dart,
disā sabbā vidhāvati; you run in all directions.you run around in all directions.
Tameva sallamabbuyha, But simply on pulling it outBut when that same dart has been plucked out,
na dhāvati na sīdati. you don’t run, you don’t sink.Nd I: “One doesn’t run” to any of the destinations of rebirth; “one doesn’t sink” into any of the four floods of sensuality, views, becoming, and ignorance. See SN 1:1, SN 45:171, and AN 4:10.you neither run around nor sink down.
Tattha sikkhānugīyanti, [Here the trainings are recited.]This phrase, a kind of stage direction, seems to indicate that this poem had a ritual use, as part of a ceremony for giving the precepts.(On that topic, the trainings are recited.) Agreeing with Norman that this line is likely a reciter’s remark. However, I take tattha as the locative of reference. “That topic” is the extraction of the dart, for which the remainder of the sutta gives practical guidelines.
yāni loke gadhitāni; Whatever things are tied down in the world,Whatever attachments there are in the world,
Na tesu pasuto siyā, you shouldn’t be set on them.don’t pursue them.
nibbijjha sabbaso kāme; Having totally penetrated sensual pleasures, sensual passions,“Sensual pleasure, sensual passions”: two meanings of the word kāma.Having pierced through sensual pleasures in every way,
Sikkhe nibbānamattano. you should train for your own unbinding.train yourself for extinguishment.
Sacco siyā appagabbho, Be truthful, not insolent,Be truthful, not rude,
amāyo rittapesuṇo; not deceptive, remote from divisiveness.free of deceit, and rid of slander;
Akkodhano lobhapāpaṁ, Without anger, the sage should cross over the evilwithout anger, a sage would cross over
vevicchaṁ vitare muni. of greed & avarice.the evils of greed and avarice.
Niddaṁ tandiṁ sahe thīnaṁ, He should conquer drowsiness, weariness, sloth;Prevail over sleepiness, sloth, and drowsiness,
pamādena na saṁvase; shouldn’t consort with heedlessness,don’t abide in negligence,
Atimāne na tiṭṭheyya, shouldn’t stand firm in his pride—A person intent on quenching
nibbānamanaso naro. the man with his heart set on unbinding.would not stand for arrogance.
Mosavajje na nīyetha, He shouldn’t engage in lying,Don’t be led into lying,
rūpe snehaṁ na kubbaye; shouldn’t create affection for form,or get caught up in affection for form.
Mānañca parijāneyya, should fully fathom conceit,Completely understand conceit,
sāhasā virato care. and live refraining from impulsiveness;and desist from hasty conduct.
Purāṇaṁ nābhinandeyya, shouldn’t delight in what’s old,Don’t relish the old,
Nave khantiṁ na kubbaye; prefer what’s new,Nd I: “Old” and “new” mean past and present aggregates.or welcome the new.
Hiyyamāne na soceyya, grieve over decline,Don’t grieve for what is running out,
Ākāsaṁ na sito siyā. get entangled in what’s dazzling & bright.Nd I: “what’s dazzling & bright” = craving and other defilements.or get attached to things that pull you in.
Gedhaṁ brūmi mahoghoti, I call greed a great flood;Greed, I say, is the great flood,
Ājavaṁ brūmi jappanaṁ; hunger, a swift current.and longing is the current—
Ārammaṇaṁ pakappanaṁ, Preoccupations are ripples;the basis, the compulsion,
Kāmapaṅko duraccayo. sensuality, a bog hard to cross over.the swamp of sensuality so hard to get past.
Saccā avokkamma muni, Not deviating from truth, a sageThe sage never strays from the truth;
Thale tiṭṭhati brāhmaṇo; stands on high ground: a brahman.See AN 7:15.the brahmin stands on solid ground.
Sabbaṁ so paṭinissajja, Having relinquished in every way,Having given up everything,
Sa ve santoti vuccati. he is said to be at peace;they are said to be at peace.
Sa ve vidvā sa vedagū, having clearly known, he is an attainer-of-knowledge;They have truly known, they’re a knowledge master,
Ñatvā dhammaṁ anissito; knowing the Dhamma, he’s independent.understanding the teaching, they are independent.
Sammā so loke iriyāno, Moving rightly through the world,They rightly proceed in the world,
Na pihetīdha kassaci. he doesn’t envy anyone here.not coveting anything here.
Yodha kāme accatari, Whoever here has gone beyond sensual passions—One who has crossed over sensuality here,
Saṅgaṁ loke duraccayaṁ; an attachment hard to transcend in the world—the chain in the world so hard to get past,
Na so socati nājjheti, doesn’t sorrow, doesn’t fret.grieves not, nor hopes;
Chinnasoto abandhano. He, his stream cut, is free from bonds.Nd I: The stream here stands for craving and the various defilements that arise in its wake. See Dhp 251, 337, 339–340, and 347. It could also stand for the stream of becoming, mentioned in Sn 3:12.they’ve cut the strings, they’re no longer bound.
Yaṁ pubbe taṁ visosehi, Burn up what’s before,What came before, let wither away,
Pacchā te māhu kiñcanaṁ; and have nothing for after.and after, let there be nothing.
Majjhe ce no gahessasi, If you don’t grasp at what’s in between,Nd I: “Before,” “after,” and “in between” = past, future, and present.If you don’t grasp at the middle,
Upasanto carissasi. you will go about, calm.you will live at peace.
Sabbaso nāmarūpasmiṁ, For whom, in name-&-form, in every way,One who has no sense of ownership
Yassa natthi mamāyitaṁ; there’s no sense of mine,in the whole realm of name and form,
Asatā ca na socati, and who doesn’t grieve over what is not:does not grieve for that which is not,
Sa ve loke na jīyati. He, in the world, isn’t defeated, suffers no loss.“Isn’t defeated, suffers no loss”—two meanings of the Pali phrase, na jiyyati.they suffer no loss in the world.
Yassa natthi idaṁ meti, To whom there doesn’t occur ‘This is mine,’If you don’t think of anything
Paresaṁ vāpi kiñcanaṁ; for whom nothing is others’:as belonging to yourself or others,
Mamattaṁ so asaṁvindaṁ, He, feeling no sense of mine-ness,not finding any possessiveness,
Natthi meti na socati. doesn’t grieve at the thought ‘I have nothing.’you won’t grieve, thinking “I don’t have it”.
Aniṭṭhurī ananugiddho, Not harsh, not greedy,Not bitter, not fawning,
Anejo sabbadhī samo; not perturbed, everywhere concordant:Nd I defines “perturbation” as meaning “craving,” and “unperturbed” as meaning unmoved by gain, loss, status, loss of status, praise, criticism, pleasure, or pain (see AN 8:6–7). However, when the Buddha discusses the meaning of “unperturbed” in Sn 5:3, he relates it to the practice of concentration. See Sn 5:3, note 5. Sama. See Sn 1:12, note 11.unstirred, everywhere even;
Tamānisaṁsaṁ pabrūmi, This is the reward —I say when asked—when asked about one who is unwavering,
Pucchito avikampinaṁ. for those who are free from theorizing.I declare that that is the benefit.
Anejassa vijānato, For one unperturbed —who knows—For the unstirred who understand,
Natthi kāci nisaṅkhati; there’s no accumulating.there’s no performance of deeds.
Virato so viyārabbhā, Abstaining, unaroused,Desisting from instigation,
Khemaṁ passati sabbadhi. he everywhere sees security.See Ud 2:10.they see sanctuary everywhere.
Na samesu na omesu, The sage doesn’t speak of himselfA sage doesn’t speak of themselves as being
Na ussesu vadate muni; as among those who are higher, equal, or lower.among superiors, inferiors, or equals.
Santo so vītamaccharo, At peace, free of stinginess,Peaceful, rid of stinginess,
Nādeti na nirassatī”ti. he doesn’t embrace, doesn’t reject,” the Blessed One said.they are neither ditching nor taking up.
Attadaṇḍasuttaṁ pannarasamaṁ. The Rod Embraced, the fifteenth.vv. 935–954.