1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the hall with the peaked roof in the Great Wood. Now on that occasion the brahmin Kāraṇapālī was getting some work done for the Licchavis. [n.1194] Mp explains that after rising early, he had new gates, a watchtower, and ramparts built and had those that had decayed repaired. The brahmin Kāraṇapālī saw the brahmin Piṅgiyānī coming in the distance and said to him:

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2"Where is Master Piṅgiyānī coming from in the middle of the day?"

"I am coming, sir, from the presence of the ascetic Gotama." [n.1195] Mp identifies Pingiyāni as a brahmin who was a noble disciple established in the fruit of non-returning (anāgāmiphale patiṭṭhitaṁ ariyasāvakaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ). His daily routine was to visit the Buddha and offer him incense and garlands. At the time the sutta begins, he was returning from his daily visit.

"What do you think of the ascetic Gotama's competence in wisdom? Do you consider him wise?"

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"Who am I, sir, that I could know the ascetic Gotama's competence in wisdom? Certainly, only one like him could know his competence in wisdom!"

"You praise the ascetic Gotama with lofty praise, indeed."

"Who am I, sir, that I could praise the ascetic Gotama? Praised by those who are praised, Master Gotama is best among devas and humans!"

"What grounds do you see, Master Piṅgiyānī, for placing such full confidence in the ascetic Gotama?"

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3(1) "Just as a man who has found satisfaction in the best of tastes will no longer desire tastes of an inferior kind; so too, sir, whatever one hears of Master Gotama's Dhamma—be it discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, or amazing accounts—one will no longer yearn for the doctrines of ordinary ascetics and brahmins. [n.1196] For some reason, he cites only four of the nine divisions of the Dhamma. Perhaps it was only these with which he was familiar, or perhaps this implies a later provenance for the others.

4(2) "Just as a man oppressed by hunger and weakness who receives a honey cake will enjoy a sweet, delicious taste wherever he eats of it; so too, sir, whatever one hears of Master Gotama's Dhamma—discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, or amazing accounts—one will obtain satisfaction and placidity of mind.

53(3) "Just as a man who comes upon a piece of sandalwood, whether yellow sandalwood or red sandalwood, will enjoy a pure, fragrant scent wherever he smells it, be it at the bottom, the middle, or the top ; so too, sir, whatever one hears of Master Gotama's Dhamma—discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, or amazing accounts—one will derive elation and joy.

6(4) "Just as a capable physician might instantly cure one who is afflicted, sick, and gravely ill; so too, sir, whatever one hears of Master Gotama's Dhamma—discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, or amazing accounts—one's sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish will vanish.

7(5) "Just as there might be a delightful pond with pleasant banks, its water clear, agreeable, cool, and limpid, and a man oppressed and exhausted by the heat, fatigued, parched, and thirsty, might come by, enter the pond, and bathe and drink; thus all his affliction, fatigue, and feverish burning would subside. So too, sir, whatever one hears of Master Gotama's Dhamma—discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, or amazing accounts—all one's affliction, fatigue, and feverish burning subside."

8When this was said, the brahmin Kāraṇapālī rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and placing his right knee on the ground, he reverently saluted the Blessed One and uttered three times these inspired words:

9"Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One!

10Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One!

11Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One!

12"Excellent, Master Piṅgiyānī! Excellent, Master Piṅgiyānī! Master Piṅgiyānī has made the Dhamma clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the darkness so those with good sight can see forms. Master Piṅgiyānī, I now go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Let Master Piṅgiyānī consider me a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena kāraṇapālī brāhmaṇo licchavīnaṁ kammantaṁ kāreti. Addasā kho kāraṇapālī brāhmaṇo piṅgiyāniṁ brāhmaṇaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ; disvā piṅgiyāniṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:

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2"Handa kuto nu bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī āgacchati divā divassā"ti?

"Itohaṁ, bho, āgacchāmi samaṇassa gotamassa santikā"ti.

"Taṁ kiṁ maññati bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ? Paṇḍito maññe"ti?

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"Ko cāhaṁ, bho, ko ca samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ jānissāmi. Sopi nūnassa tādisova yo samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ jāneyyā"ti.

"Uḷārāya khalu bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pasaṁsāya pasaṁsatī"ti.

"Ko cāhaṁ, bho, ko ca samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pasaṁsissāmi. Pasatthappasatthova so bhavaṁ gotamo seṭṭho devamanussānan"ti.

"Kiṁ pana bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī atthavasaṁ sampassamāno samaṇe gotame evaṁ abhippasanno"ti?

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3"Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso aggarasaparititto na aññesaṁ hīnānaṁ rasānaṁ piheti; evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti – yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso – tato tato na aññesaṁ puthusamaṇabrāhmaṇappavādānaṁ piheti.

4Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso jighacchādubbalyapareto madhupiṇḍikaṁ adhigaccheyya. So yato yato sāyetha, labhateva sādurasaṁ asecanakaṁ; evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti – yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso – tato tato labhateva attamanataṁ, labhati cetaso pasādaṁ.

5Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso candanaghaṭikaṁ adhigaccheyya – haricandanassa vā lohitacandanassa vā. So yato yato ghāyetha – yadi mūlato, yadi majjhato, yadi aggato – adhigacchateva surabhigandhaṁ asecanakaṁ; evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti – yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso – tato tato adhigacchati pāmojjaṁ adhigacchati somanassaṁ.

6Seyyathāpi, bho, puriso ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Tassa kusalo bhisakko ṭhānaso ābādhaṁ nīhareyya; evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti – yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso – tato tato sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.

7Seyyathāpi, bho, pokkharaṇī acchodakā sātodakā sītodakā setakā supatitthā ramaṇīyā. Atha puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito. So taṁ pokkharaṇiṁ ogāhetvā nhātvā ca pivitvā ca sabbadarathakilamathapariḷāhaṁ paṭippassambheyya. Evamevaṁ kho, bho, yato yato tassa bhoto gotamassa dhammaṁ suṇāti – yadi suttaso, yadi geyyaso, yadi veyyākaraṇaso, yadi abbhutadhammaso – tato tato sabbadarathakilamathapariḷāhā paṭippassambhantī"ti.

8Evaṁ vutte, kāraṇapālī brāhmaṇo uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇaṁ jāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā tikkhattuṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

9"Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.

10Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.

11Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassāti.

12Abhikkantaṁ, bho piṅgiyāni, abhikkantaṁ, bho piṅgiyāni. Seyyathāpi, bho piṅgiyāni, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā piṅgiyāninā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ, bho piṅgiyāni, taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ piṅgiyānī dhāretu, ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.

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Catutthaṁ.