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Saṁyutta Nikāya 47.6 Linked Discourses 47.6
1. Ambapālivagga 1. In Ambapālī’s Mango Grove
Sakuṇagghisutta A Hawk
“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakuṇagghi lāpaṁ sakuṇaṁ sahasā ajjhappattā aggahesi. “Once upon a time, mendicants, a hawk suddenly swooped down and grabbed a quail. This parable is expanded at Ja 168. See Bodhi’s notes in Connected Discourses for grammatical notes. | Hesiod’s Works and Days vv. 202–12, a Greek text of around 700 BCE, includes a short parable similar to the first part of the Sutta. There, when the little bird protests, the hawk insists that the powerful will always vanquish the weak. Hesiod uses this to illustrate how far humanity has fallen into violence, saying, “But you, Perses, listen to right and do not foster violence; for violence is bad for a poor man. Even the prosperous cannot easily bear its burden, but is weighed down under it when he has fallen into delusion. The better path is to go by on the other side toward justice; for Justice beats Outrage when she comes at length to the end of the race” (Evelyn-White translation). Perhaps he would have enjoyed the Buddhist version, which shows, rather, that the wise triumph over the strong.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, lāpo sakuṇo sakuṇagghiyā hariyamāno evaṁ paridevasi: And as the quail was being carried off he wailed, The quail (sakuṇa) is masculine in Pali, the hawk (sakuṇagghi) feminine.
‘mayamevamha alakkhikā, mayaṁ appapuññā, ye mayaṁ agocare carimha paravisaye. ‘I’m so unlucky, of so little merit, to have roamed out of my territory into the domain of others.
Sacejja mayaṁ gocare careyyāma sake pettike visaye, na myāyaṁ, sakuṇagghi, alaṁ abhavissa, yadidaṁ—yuddhāyā’ti. If today I’d roamed within my own territory, the domain of my fathers, this hawk wouldn’t have stood a chance against me in a fight.’ The construction here is unusual; I adopt Bodhi’s idiomatic rendering. More literally, the hawk “wouldn’t have been able to do this to me, that is, in battle”. The sense is clear from below.
‘Ko pana te, lāpa, gocaro sako pettiko visayo’ti? ‘So, quail, what is your own territory, the domain of your fathers?’
‘Yadidaṁ—naṅgalakaṭṭhakaraṇaṁ leḍḍuṭṭhānan’ti. ‘It’s a ploughed field covered with clods of earth.’
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakuṇagghi sake bale apatthaddhā sake bale asaṁvadamānā lāpaṁ sakuṇaṁ pamuñci: Confident in her own strength, the hawk was not daunted or intimidated. She released the quail, saying,
‘gaccha kho tvaṁ, lāpa, tatrapi me gantvā na mokkhasī’ti. ‘Go now, quail. But even there you won’t escape me!’
Atha kho, bhikkhave, lāpo sakuṇo naṅgalakaṭṭhakaraṇaṁ leḍḍuṭṭhānaṁ gantvā mahantaṁ leḍḍuṁ abhiruhitvā sakuṇagghiṁ vadamāno aṭṭhāsi: Then the quail went to a ploughed field covered with clods of earth. He climbed up a big clod, and standing there, he said to the hawk:
‘ehi kho dāni me, sakuṇagghi, ehi kho dāni me, sakuṇagghī’ti. ‘Come get me, hawk! Come get me, hawk!’
Atha kho sā, bhikkhave, sakuṇagghi sake bale apatthaddhā sake bale asaṁvadamānā ubho pakkhe sannayha lāpaṁ sakuṇaṁ sahasā ajjhappattā. Confident in her own strength, the hawk was not daunted or intimidated. She folded her wings and suddenly swooped down on the quail.
Yadā kho, bhikkhave, aññāsi lāpo sakuṇo ‘bahuāgato kho myāyaṁ sakuṇagghī’ti, atha tasseva leḍḍussa antaraṁ paccupādi. When the quail knew that the hawk was nearly there, he slipped under that clod.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakuṇagghi tattheva uraṁ paccatāḷesi. But the hawk crashed chest-first right there.
Evañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, hoti yo agocare carati paravisaye. That’s what happens when you roam out of your territory into the domain of others.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, mā agocare carittha paravisaye. So, mendicants, don’t roam out of your own territory into the domain of others.
Agocare, bhikkhave, carataṁ paravisaye lacchati māro otāraṁ, lacchati māro ārammaṇaṁ. If you roam out of your own territory into the domain of others, Māra will find a vulnerability and get an opportunity.
Ko ca, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno agocaro paravisayo? And what is not a mendicant’s own territory but the domain of others?
Yadidaṁ—pañca kāmaguṇā. It’s the five kinds of sensual stimulation. In the gradual training, sense restraint is a precondition for mindfulness meditation.
Katame pañca? What five?
Cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā, Sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.
sotaviññeyyā saddā …pe… Sounds known by the ear …
ghānaviññeyyā gandhā …pe… Smells known by the nose …
jivhāviññeyyā rasā …pe… Tastes known by the tongue …
kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā—Touches known by the body, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno agocaro paravisayo. This is not a mendicant’s own territory but the domain of others.
Gocare, bhikkhave, caratha sake pettike visaye. You should roam inside your own territory, the domain of your fathers.
Gocare, bhikkhave, carataṁ sake pettike visaye na lacchati māro otāraṁ, na lacchati māro ārammaṇaṁ. If you roam inside your own territory, the domain of your fathers, Māra won’t find a vulnerability or get an opportunity.
Ko ca, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno gocaro sako pettiko visayo? And what is a mendicant’s own territory, the domain of the fathers?
Yadidaṁ—
cattāro satipaṭṭhānā. It’s the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.
Katame cattāro? What four?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.
vedanāsu …pe… They meditate observing an aspect of feelings …
citte …pe… mind …
dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ—principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.
ayaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno gocaro sako pettiko visayo”ti. This is a mendicant’s own territory, the domain of the fathers.”
Chaṭṭhaṁ.