Skip to main content

MN 66 simile of poor man (illustrated)


I always found the image for this simile very striking and memorable


 MN 66 – MN 66 Laṭukik-opama: quail simile
    MN 66.1 - (not eating after noon, reason Buddha made rule)
    MN 66.2 - (simile of quail)
    MN 66.3 - (simile of royal bull elephant)
    MN 66.4 - (simile of poor man and not the best kind of wife)
    MN 66.5 - (simile of rich man)
    MN 66.6 - (four kinds of people)
    MN 66.7 - (5kg sensuality-strings should be feared)
    MN 66.8 - (4j jhānas are to be developed, not feared)
    MN 66.9 - (1st jhāna: V&V vitakka & vicara are perturbable/iñjita)
    MN 66.10 - (2nd jhāna: piti & sukha are perturbable/iñjita)
    MN 66.11 - (3rd jhāna: sukha is perturbable/iñjita)
    MN 66.12 - (4th jhāna: is im-perturbable/an-iñjita)
    MN 66.13 - (don’t be satisfied with just 1st jhāna)
    MN 66.14 - (don’t be satisfied with just the four jhānas)
    MN 66.15 - (conclusion: no fetter too small to give up)




66.4 - (simile of poor man and not the best kind of wife)


Seyyathāpi, udāyi, puriso daliddo assako anāḷhiyo;
Suppose there was a poor man, with few possessions and little wealth.
tassassa ekaṃ agārakaṃ oluggaviluggaṃ kākātidāyiṃ naparamarūpaṃ, ekā khaṭopikā oluggaviluggā naparamarūpā, ekissā kumbhiyā dhaññasamavāpakaṃ naparamarūpaṃ, ekā jāyikā naparamarūpā.
He had a single broken-down hovel open to the crows, not the best kind; a single broken-down couch, not the best kind; a single pot for storing grain, not the best kind; and a single wife, not the best kind.
So ārāmagataṃ bhikkhuṃ passeyya sudhotahatthapādaṃ manuññaṃ bhojanaṃ bhuttāviṃ sītāya chāyāya nisinnaṃ adhicitte yuttaṃ.
He’d see a monk sitting in meditation in the cool shade, their hands and feet well washed after eating a delectable meal.
Tassa evamassa:
He’d think:
‘sukhaṃ vata bho sāmaññaṃ, ārogyaṃ vata bho sāmaññaṃ.
‘The ascetic life is so very pleasant! The ascetic life is so very skillful!
So vatassaṃ yohaṃ kesamassuṃ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajeyyan’ti.
If only I could shave off my hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’
So na sakkuṇeyya ekaṃ agārakaṃ oluggaviluggaṃ kākātidāyiṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya, ekaṃ khaṭopikaṃ oluggaviluggaṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya, ekissā kumbhiyā dhaññasamavāpakaṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya, ekaṃ jāyikaṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya kesamassuṃ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajituṃ.
But he’s not able to give up his broken-down hovel, his broken-down couch, his pot for storing grain, or his wife—none of which are the best kind—in order to go forth.
Yo nu kho, udāyi, evaṃ vadeyya:
Would it be right to say that,
‘yehi so puriso bandhanehi baddho na sakkoti ekaṃ agārakaṃ oluggaviluggaṃ kākātidāyiṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya, ekaṃ khaṭopikaṃ oluggaviluggaṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya, ekissā kumbhiyā dhaññasamavāpakaṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya, ekaṃ jāyikaṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya kesamassuṃ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajituṃ;
for that man,
tañhi tassa abalaṃ bandhanaṃ, dubbalaṃ bandhanaṃ, pūtikaṃ bandhanaṃ, asārakaṃ bandhanan’ti;
those bonds are weak, feeble, rotten, and insubstantial?”
sammā nu kho so, udāyi, vadamāno vadeyyā”ti?
“No hetaṃ, bhante.
“No, sir.
Yehi so, bhante, puriso bandhanehi baddho, na sakkoti ekaṃ agārakaṃ oluggaviluggaṃ kākātidāyiṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya, ekaṃ khaṭopikaṃ oluggaviluggaṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya, ekissā kumbhiyā dhaññasamavāpakaṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya, ekaṃ jāyikaṃ naparamarūpaṃ pahāya kesamassuṃ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajituṃ;
For that man,
tañhi tassa balavaṃ bandhanaṃ, daḷhaṃ bandhanaṃ, thiraṃ bandhanaṃ, apūtikaṃ bandhanaṃ, thūlo, kaliṅgaro”ti.
they are a strong, firm, stout bond, a tie that has not rotted, and a heavy yoke.”
“Evameva kho, udāyi, idhekacce moghapurisā ‘idaṃ pajahathā’ti mayā vuccamānā te evamāhaṃsu:
“In the same way, when some foolish people are told by me to give something up, they say:
‘kiṃ panimassa appamattakassa oramattakassa adhisallikhatevāyaṃ samaṇo’ti?
‘What, such a trivial, insignificant thing as this? This ascetic is much too strict!’
Te tañceva nappajahanti, mayi ca appaccayaṃ upaṭṭhāpenti.
They don’t give it up, and they nurse bitterness towards me;
Ye ca bhikkhū sikkhākāmā tesaṃ taṃ, udāyi, hoti balavaṃ bandhanaṃ, daḷhaṃ bandhanaṃ, thiraṃ bandhanaṃ, apūtikaṃ bandhanaṃ, thūlo, kaliṅgaro.
and for the monks who want to train, that becomes a strong, firm, stout bond, a tie that has not rotted, and a heavy yoke.


Self test. Which lifestyle seems more appealing?


This...




or This?




This...





Or This?



This...








Or This?








Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Advice to younger meditators on jhāna, sex, porn, masturbation

Someone asked: Is porn considered harmful sexual.activity? I don't have a sex life because I don't have a partner and I don't wish to engage in casual sex so I use porn to quench the biological urge to orgasm. I can't see that's it's harmful because nobody is being forced into it. The actors are all paid well and claim to enjoy it etc. The only harm I can see is that it's so accessible these days on smart devices and so children may access it but I believe that this is the parents responsibility to not allow unsupervised use of devices etc. Views? Frankk response: In another thread, you asked about pleasant sensations and jhāna.  I'm guessing you're young, so here's some important advice you won't get from suttas   if you're serious about jhāna.  (since monastics are already celibate by rule)   If you want to attain stable and higher jhānas,   celibacy and noble silence to the best of your ability are the feedstock and prerequiste to tha

illustration of Buddha Gotoma where he looks like a human being

Illustration by Bhikkhu Vimalo from a BPS postcard wishing a happy vesak   More images where Buddha looks human: https://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2021/02/where-are-buddha-images-and-statues.html Buddha and Arahant images that look like real humans

1min. video: Dalai Lama kissing boy and asking him to suck his tongue

To give more context, this is a public event,  * everyone knows cameras are rolling  *  it's a room full of children * the boy's mom is standing off camera a few feet away watching all of this * the boy initiated contact, he had already had a hug with Dalai Lama earlier and then asked Dalai Lama for another hug which triggered this segment  17 min. video showing what happened before that 1 min. clip and after, with some explanation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT0qey5Ts78 16min talk from Ajahn Acalo with his thoughts on Dalai Lama kissing boy, relevance to Bhikkhu monastic code, sexual predators in religion in general, and how celibate monastics deal with sexual energy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK2m0TcUib0 The child's comments about the incident in a filmed interview later https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2023/04/18/643eba5d46163ffc078b457c.html The child: It's a great experience It was amazing to meet His Holiness and I think it's a great ex