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Saṁyutta Nikāya 47.19 Linked Discourses 47.19
2. Nālandavagga 2. At Nāḷandā
Sedakasutta At Sedaka
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sumbhesu viharati sedakaṁ nāma sumbhānaṁ nigamo. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sumbhas, near the town of the Sumbhas named Sedaka. This may be modern Sambalpur in Odisha, near the bay of Bengal on India’s east coast. This Sutta is the earliest description of Indian pole acrobatics or mallakambha. Further east lies Chandraketugarh in West Bengal, where the earliest physical evidence for mallakambha has been found. One pot from around 200 BCE shows, in detailed and graceful style, three acrobats using a T-shaped pole. One man kneels, holding the pole in his hands with great strength and balance, while a man and a woman perform acrobatics on opposite bars of the T. A crowd of women and men look on in amazement.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:
“bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, caṇḍālavaṁsiko caṇḍālavaṁsaṁ ussāpetvā medakathālikaṁ antevāsiṁ āmantesi: “Once upon a time, mendicants, a pole acrobat of the corpse-workers set up the bamboo pole of his tribe and said to his apprentice Medakathālikā, While the terms are not easy to interpret, it appears that it was a practice of the “corpse-workers” (caṇḍāla), the most despised caste (see SN 3.21:2.2 and note). Perhaps it originated as a tribal ritual or sport. Further references to this practice are found in DN 1:1.13.2 (see note there) and Ja 498, which is set near the opposite coast in Ujjeni.
‘ehi tvaṁ, samma medakathālike, caṇḍālavaṁsaṁ abhiruhitvā mama uparikhandhe tiṭṭhāhī’ti. ‘Come now, dear Medakathālikā, climb up the bamboo pole and stand above my shoulders.’ Medakathālikā (“frying pan”) is a feminine form. The commentary says the name is declined “according to the feminine gender”, which suggests they were male (else no explanation would be needed). However, the text does not support this, and the depiction on the Chandraketugarh pottery clearly shows an adult woman. There are a number of cases where the commentary apparently finds it difficult to imagine a woman in a prominent role (see also SN 55.23:1.2).
‘Evaṁ, ācariyā’ti kho, bhikkhave, medakathālikā antevāsī caṇḍālavaṁsikassa paṭissutvā caṇḍālavaṁsaṁ abhiruhitvā ācariyassa uparikhandhe aṭṭhāsi. ‘Yes, tutor,’ she replied. She climbed up the bamboo pole and stood above her tutor’s shoulders.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, caṇḍālavaṁsiko medakathālikaṁ antevāsiṁ etadavoca: Then the pole acrobat of the corpse-workers said to Medakathālikā,
‘tvaṁ, samma medakathālike, mamaṁ rakkha, ahaṁ taṁ rakkhissāmi. ‘You look after me, dear Medakathālikā, and I shall look after you.
Evaṁ mayaṁ aññamaññaṁ guttā aññamaññaṁ rakkhitā sippāni ceva dassessāma, lābhañca lacchāma, sotthinā ca caṇḍālavaṁsā orohissāmā’ti. That’s how, guarding and looking after each other, we’ll display our skill, collect our fee, and get down safely from the bamboo pole.’ The text implies that both acrobats were up the pole. Perhaps the plural is just a figure of speech, but in the pottery depiction there are indeed two suspended acrobats. I think the pole is planted on the ground, with the master half-way up, and Medakathālikā above him.
Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, medakathālikā antevāsī caṇḍālavaṁsikaṁ etadavoca: When he said this, Medakathālikā said to her teacher,
‘na kho panetaṁ, ācariya, evaṁ bhavissati. ‘That’s not how it will be, tutor!
Tvaṁ, ācariya, attānaṁ rakkha, ahaṁ attānaṁ rakkhissāmi. You look after yourself, and I shall look after myself.
Evaṁ mayaṁ attaguttā attarakkhitā sippāni ceva dassessāma, lābhañca lacchāma, sotthinā ca caṇḍālavaṁsā orohissāmā’”ti. That’s how, guarding and looking after ourselves, we’ll display our skill, collect our fee, and get down safely from the bamboo pole.’
“So tattha ñāyo”ti bhagavā etadavoca, “yathā medakathālikā antevāsī ācariyaṁ avoca. That’s the way,” said the Buddha. “It’s just as Medakathālikā said to her tutor. The text is a little unclear, but it seems that Medakathālikā was pointing out that by looking after oneself we are also looking after the other. It is remarkable how the Buddha is adopting the wisdom of a woman from such a despised caste.
Attānaṁ, bhikkhave, rakkhissāmīti satipaṭṭhānaṁ sevitabbaṁ; Thinking ‘I’ll look after myself,’ you should cultivate mindfulness meditation.
paraṁ rakkhissāmīti satipaṭṭhānaṁ sevitabbaṁ. Thinking ‘I’ll look after others,’ you should cultivate mindfulness meditation.
Attānaṁ, bhikkhave, rakkhanto paraṁ rakkhati, paraṁ rakkhanto attānaṁ rakkhati. Looking after yourself, you look after others; and looking after others, you look after yourself.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, attānaṁ rakkhanto paraṁ rakkhati? And how do you look after others by looking after yourself?
Āsevanāya, bhāvanāya, bahulīkammena—By development, cultivation, and practice of meditation.
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, attānaṁ rakkhanto paraṁ rakkhati.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, paraṁ rakkhanto attānaṁ rakkhati? And how do you look after yourself by looking after others?
Khantiyā, avihiṁsāya, mettacittatāya, anudayatāya—By acceptance, harmlessness, love, and sympathy.
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paraṁ rakkhanto attānaṁ rakkhati.
Attānaṁ, bhikkhave, rakkhissāmīti satipaṭṭhānaṁ sevitabbaṁ; Thinking ‘I’ll look after myself,’ you should cultivate mindfulness meditation.
paraṁ rakkhissāmīti satipaṭṭhānaṁ sevitabbaṁ. Thinking ‘I’ll look after others,’ you should cultivate mindfulness meditation.
Attānaṁ, bhikkhave, rakkhanto paraṁ rakkhati, paraṁ rakkhanto attānaṁ rakkhatī”ti. Looking after yourself, you look after others; and looking after others, you look after yourself.”
Navamaṁ.