SN 47 anthology, illustrated

SN 47.6 A hawk and a quail

  “Once upon a time, monks, a hawk suddenly swooped down and grabbed a quail.

And as the quail was being carried off he wailed:

‘I’m so unlucky, so unfortunate, to have roamed out of my territory into the domain of others.

If today I’d roamed within my own territory, the domain of my fathers, this hawk wouldn’t have been able to beat me by fighting.’

‘So, quail, what is your own territory, the domain of your fathers?’

‘It’s a ploughed field covered with clods of earth.’

Because of her own strength, the hawk was not daunted or intimidated. She released the quail, saying:

‘Go now, quail. But even there you won’t escape me!’

 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:

‘Come get me, hawk! Come get me, hawk!’

Because of her own strength, the hawk was not daunted or intimidated. She folded her wings and suddenly swooped down on the quail.

When the quail knew that the hawk was nearly there, he slipped under that clod.

And the hawk crashed chest-first right there.

That’s what happens when you roam out of your territory into the domain of others.

 So, monks, don’t roam out of your own territory into the domain of others.

If you roam out of your own territory into the domain of others, Māra will find a vulnerability and get hold of you.

And what is not a monk’s own territory but the domain of others?

It’s the five kinds of sensual stimulation.

What five?

Sights known by the eye that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.

Sounds known by the ear …

Smells known by the nose …

Tastes known by the tongue …

Touches known by the body that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.

This is not a monk’s own territory but the domain of others.

  You should roam inside your own territory, the domain of your fathers.

If you roam inside your own territory, the domain of your fathers, Māra won’t find a vulnerability or get hold of you.

And what is a monk’s own territory, the domain of the fathers?

It’s the four kinds of remembering and applying Dharma.

Which Four?

It’s when …

He lives continuously seeing the body as a body [as it truly is]. 

He lives continuously seeing sensations as sensations [as it truly is]. 

He lives continuously seeing a mind as a mind [as it truly is]. 

He lives continuously seeing ☸Dharma as ☸Dharma [as it truly is]. 

[in each of the 4 ways of remembering]: 

he is ardent 🏹, he has lucid discerning 👁, he remembers 🐘 [to apply relevant ☸Dharma]. 

he should remove greed and distress regarding the world. 

This is a monk’s own territory, the domain of the fathers.” 

SN 47.7 A monkey

 “monks, in the Himalayas there are regions that are rugged and impassable. In some such regions, neither monkeys nor humans can go,

while in others, monkeys can go but not humans.

There are also level, pleasant places where both monkeys and humans can go.

There hunters lay snares of tar on the monkey trails to catch the monkeys.

  The monkeys who are not foolhardy and reckless see the tar and avoid it from afar.

But a foolish and reckless monkey goes up to the tar and grabs it with a hand.

He gets stuck there.

Thinking to free his hand, he grabs it with his other hand.

He gets stuck there.

Thinking to free both hands, he grabs it with a foot.

He gets stuck there.

Thinking to free both hands and foot, he grabs it with his other foot.

He gets stuck there.

Thinking to free both hands and feet, he grabs it with his snout.

He gets stuck there.

And so the monkey, trapped at five points, just lies there screeching. He’d meet with tragedy and disaster, and the hunter can do what he wants with him.

The hunter spears him, pries him off that tarred block of wood, and goes wherever he wants.

That’s what happens when you roam out of your territory into the domain of others.

 So, monks, don’t roam out of your own territory into the domain of others.

If you roam out of your own territory into the domain of others, Māra will catch you and get hold of you.

And what is not a monk’s own territory but the domain of others?

It’s the five kinds of sensual stimulation.

What five?

Sights known by the eye that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.

Sounds known by the ear …

Smells known by the nose …

Tastes known by the tongue …

Touches known by the body that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.

This is not a monk’s own territory but the domain of others.

 You should roam inside your own territory, the domain of your fathers.

If you roam inside your own territory, the domain of your fathers, Māra won’t catch you or get hold of you.

And what is a monk’s own territory, the domain of the fathers?

It’s the four kinds of remembering and applying Dharma.

Which Four?

It’s when …

He lives continuously seeing the body as a body [as it truly is]. 

He lives continuously seeing sensations as sensations [as it truly is]. 

He lives continuously seeing a mind as a mind [as it truly is]. 

He lives continuously seeing ☸Dharma as ☸Dharma [as it truly is]. 

[in each of the 4 ways of remembering]: 

he is ardent 🏹, he has lucid discerning 👁, he remembers 🐘 [to apply relevant ☸Dharma]. 

he should remove greed and distress regarding the world. 

This is a monk’s own territory, the domain of the fathers.” 

SN 47.8 cooks

 “monks, suppose a foolish, incompetent, unskillful cook was to serve a ruler or their minister with an excessive variety of curries:

superbly sour, bitter, pungent, and sweet; hot and mild, and salty and bland.

  But that cook didn’t follow the signs of his master [signaling what he liked and disliked].

‘Today my master preferred this sauce, or he reached for it, or he took a lot of it, or he praised it.

Today my master preferred the sour or bitter or pungent or sweet or hot or mild or salty sauce. Or he preferred the bland sauce, or he reached for the bland one, or he took a lot of it, or he praised it.’

 That foolish, incompetent, unskillful cook doesn’t get presented with clothes, wages, or bonuses.

Why is that?

Because they don’t follow the signs of their master [signaling what he liked and disliked].

In the same way, a foolish, incompetent, unskillful monk lives by seeing the body as a body truly is—ardent, lucidly-discerning, and remembering and applying Dharma, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

As they live seeing the body as a body truly is, their mind doesn’t enter undistractible-lucidity, and their corruptions aren’t given up.

But they don’t follow the signs [that lead to mental activity removing unskillful Dharmas].

They live seeing sensations as sensations truly are …

mind …

Dharmas—ardent, lucidly-discerning, and remembering and applying Dharma, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

As they live seeing Dharma as ☸Dharma truly is, the mind doesn’t enter undistractible-lucidity, and the corruptions aren’t given up.

But they don’t  follow the signs [that lead to mental activity removing unskillful Dharmas].

  That foolish, incompetent, unskillful monk doesn’t get pleasureful meditations in this very life, nor do they get remembrance and application of Dharma and lucid-discerning.

Why is that?

Because they don’t  follow the signs of their mind  [that lead to mental activity removing unskillful Dharmas].

[Instead of following profitable signs that lead to skillful Dharmas, they followed bad signs that led to an increase in unskillful Dharmas.]

 Suppose an astute, competent, skillful cook was to serve a ruler or their minister with an excessive variety of curries:

superbly sour, bitter, pungent, and sweet; hot and mild, and salty and bland.

 And that cook got their master’s hint:

‘Today my master preferred this sauce, or he reached for it, or he took a lot of it, or he praised it.

Today my master preferred the sour or bitter or pungent or sweet or hot or mild or salty sauce. Or he preferred the bland sauce, or he reached for the bland one, or he took a lot of it, or he praised it.’

  That astute, competent, skillful cook gets presented with clothes, wages, and bonuses.

Why is that?

Because they followed the signs of their master [signaling what he liked and disliked].

In the same way, an astute, competent, skillful monk lives by seeing the body as a body truly is—ardent, lucidly-discerning, and remembering and applying Dharma, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

As they live seeing the body as a body truly is, their mind enters undistractible-lucidity, and their corruptions are given up.

Because they followed the signs [that led to mental activity removing unskillful Dharmas and powering up the skillful Dharmas that launch them into jhāna].

They live seeing sensations as sensations truly are …

mind …

Dharmas—ardent, lucidly-discerning, and remembering and applying Dharma, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

As they live seeing Dharma as ☸Dharma truly is, their mind enters undistractible-lucidity, and their corruptions are given up.

Because they followed the signs [that led to mental activity removing unskillful Dharmas and powered up the skillful Dharmas that launched them into jhāna].

 That astute, competent, skillful monk gets pleasureful meditations [which characterize the 4 jhānas]  in this very life, and they get remembering and application of Dharma and lucid-discerning.

Why is that?

Because they followed their mind’s signs [which signal the type of mental activity that remove unskillful Dharmas and power up the skillful Dharmas that launch them into jhāna].

[And they recognized the bad signs with wise attention and actively ignored them].

SN 47.19 Acrobat

 At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sumbhas, near the town of the Sumbhas called Sedaka.

There the Buddha addressed the monks:

“Once upon a time, monks, an acrobat set up his bamboo pole and said to his apprentice Medakathālikā:

‘Come now, dear Medakathālikā, climb up the bamboo pole and stand on my shoulders.’

‘Yes, teacher,’ she replied. She climbed up the bamboo pole and stood on her teacher’s shoulders.

Then the acrobat said to Medakathālikā:

‘You look after me, dear Medakathālikā, and I’ll look after you.

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.’

When he said this, Medakathālikā said to her teacher:

‘That’s not how it is, teacher!

You should look after yourself, and I’ll look after myself.

That’s how, guarding and looking after ourselves, we’ll display our skill, collect our fee, and get down safely from the bamboo pole.’

 That’s the correct procedure,” said the Buddha. “It’s just as Medakathālikā said to her teacher.

Thinking ‘I’ll look after myself,’ you should cultivate remembering and applying Dharma.

Thinking ‘I’ll look after others,’ you should cultivate remembering and applying Dharma.

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, friendliness, and kindness.

Thinking ‘I’ll look after myself,’ you should cultivate remembering and applying Dharma.

Thinking ‘I’ll look after others,’ you should cultivate remembering and applying Dharma.

Looking after yourself, you look after others; and looking after others, you look after yourself.”

SN 47.20 the most beautiful lady in the world

The Buddha was staying in the land of the Sumbhas, 

near the town Sedaka.

There the Buddha addressed the monks:

“monks, suppose that word spread quickly around town that 

‘Larissa, the most beautiful lady in the world is coming!

Her beauty is unparalleled, with a personality and temperament to match.

A large crowd would gather.

Larissa would dance and sing in a most thrilling way.

On hearing that ‘Larissa, the most beautiful lady in the world is singing!

She's dancing!’ 

an even larger crowd would gather.

Then Bob, a man who wants to live and doesn’t want to die, comes along.

Bob and Larissa were dear friends as young children. 

Sadly, Larissa moved away.

Fifteen years later Bob is a very eligible bachelor.

Larissa visiting town was no coincidence.

Bob wants to be happy, and he dislikes pain.

Bob is a man who doesn't want to die,

he wants to live the life of his dreams.

They’d say to Bob:

‘Mister, this is a bowl full to the brim with oil. 

You must carry it in between this large crowd and Larissa, 

your childhood friend who is now the most beautiful lady in the world.

And a man with a drawn sword will follow behind you.

Wherever you spill even a drop, 

he’ll chop off your head right there.’

What do you think, monks?

Don't you think Bob wants to steal a glance at Larissa?

Isn't Bob wondering what life would be like to be married to

Larissa, the most beautiful lady in the world?

A most highly skilled singer, dancer, master of the culinary arts;

sharp witted, prudent, great sense of humor, able to converse amiably on any topic;

a financial wizard at managing a splendid lifestyle with her high income profession

while Bob is unemployed and lives a life of leisure; 

yet despite their fun and expensive lifestyle she's fiscally responsible by socking away a good 30% of her gross earnings every month towards retirement;

a handywoman who can fix any household, plumbing, vehicle breakdown;

a gentle soul with a soft patient voice who is  kind to everyone regardless of age, station, good or ill manner;

very forgiving of Bob's many annoying personality traits and habits;

someone who would be a devoted and loyal wife?

The monks replied, "yes sir, Bob would be very tempted."

What do you think, monks?

Despite that extreme temptation, 

do you really think Bob would lose focus of  that bowl of oil?

Would Bob dare get distracted by anything at all, 

lest he spill a drop and get his head chopped off? ”

“No, sir.”

“I made this simile to demonstrate 

how mindfulness immersed in the body is practiced.

‘A bowl of oil filled to the brim’ is a term for 

remembering and applying Dharma while immersed in the perception of the body.

So you should train like this:

‘We will develop remembering and application of Dharma 

while immersed in the perception of the body.

Whatever activity we do internally or 

externally by interacting with the outside world,

our attention retains some awareness of the body,

as an anchor that keeps the mind connected to the Buddha Dharma,

rather than drifting away negligently to non Dharma, as is the worldly norm.

We’ll cultivate this practice, make it our vehicle and our basis, 

keep it up, consolidate it, and properly implement it.’

Monks, that is how you should train.”

frankk note:

The original sutta is pretty bare bones.

I've added some fun and clarifying details that are implied, 

but they are my additions and not part of the actual sutta SN ^47.20 Janapadakalyāṇī.