[continued]
„Great King, there are
four Summaries of Dhamma which have been given by the Exalted One who knows
and sees, who is Arahant and fully enlightened. Knowing and seeing and hearing
them, I went forth from the home life into homelessness. What are the four?“
„‘(Life in any) world is
unstable, it is swept away’: This is the first Summary of Dhamma given by the
Exalted One who knows and sees, who is Arahant and fully enlightened. Knowing
and seeing and hearing it, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.“
„‘(Life in any) world
has no shelter and no protector’: This is the second Summary of Dhamma given
…“
„‘(Life in any) world
has nothing of its own; it has to leave all and pass on’: This is the third
Summary of Dhamma given …“
„‘(Life in any) world is
incomplete, is insatiate and the slave of craving’: This is the fourth Summary
of Dhamma given by the Exalted One who knows and sees, who is Arahant and
fully enlightened. Knowing and seeing and hearing it, I went forth from the
home life into homelessness.[13]“
„These, great King, are
the four Summaries of Dhamma given by the Exalted One who knows and sees, who
is Arahant and fully enlightened. Knowing and seeing and hearing them, I went
forth from the home life into homelessness.“ -
„‘(Life in any) world is
unstable, it is swept away’ was what Master Ratthapala said; but how should
the meaning of that statement be understood?“ -
„What do you think about
this, great King: when you were twenty years old and twenty-five years old,
were you an expert rider of elephants, an expert horseman, an expert
charioteer, an expert bowman, an expert swordsman, strong in thigh and arm,
sturdy and proficient in warfare?“ -
„Certainly, Master
Ratthapala, at the age of twenty and twenty-five years, I was an expert rider
of elephants … sturdy and proficient in warfare; sometimes I thought that I
had superhuman strength. I saw none who could equal me in strength.“ -
„And now, great King,
what do you think: Are you still so strong in thigh and arm, sturdy and
proficient in warfare?“ -
„No, Master Ratthapala,
now I am old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, and have come to
the last stage; my years have turned eighty. Sometimes I mean to put my foot
here and I put it elsewhere.“ -
„It was on account of
this, great King, that the Exalted One who knows and sees, who is Arahant and
fully enlightened, said, ‘(Life in any) world is unstable, it is swept away’,
and when I knew and saw and heard that, I went forth from the home life into
homelessness.“ -
„It is wonderful, Master
Ratthapala, it is marvellous, how well that has been expressed by the Exalted
One who knows and sees, who is Arahant and fully enlightened: ‘(Life in any)
world is unstable, it is swept way’, for so it is indeed!“
„Master Ratthapala,
there are in this court elephantry and cavalry and charioteers and infantry,
which will serve to subdue any threat to us. Now Master Ratthapala has said
that ‘(Life in any) world has no shelter and no protector’. How should the
meaning of that statement be understood?“ -
„What do you think about
this, great King: Have you any chronic illness?“ -
„I have a chronic wind
sickness, Master Ratthapala. Sometimes my friends and companions, my relatives
and kin, stand round me (thinking): „Now King Koravya is about to die, now
King Koravya is about to die.“ -
„Now, great King, what
do you think: Can you have it thus with your friends and companions, your
relatives and kin: ‘Come my good friends and companions, my relatives and kin!
Let all of you present share out this pain, so that my feeling of pain should
be less!’, or do you have to experience that feelings of pain all by yourself
alone?“ -
„No, Master Ratthapala,
I cannot have it thus (that my friends and companions, my relatives and kin,
share out my feeling of pain), but I have to experience my pain all by myself
alone.“
„It was on account of
this, great King, that the Exalted One who knows and sees, who is Arahant and
fully enlightened, said, ‘(Life in any) world has no shelter and no
protector’, and when I knew and saw and heard that, I went forth from the home
life into homelessness“ -
„It is wonderful, Master
Ratthapala, it is marvellous how well that has been expressed by the Exalted
One …: ‘(Life in any) world has no shelter and no protector’, for so it is
indeed!“
„Master Ratthapala,
there is in this court ample gold coin and bullion stored away both in the
ground and above it. Now Master Ratthapala has said that (Life in any) world
has nothing of its own, it has to leave all and pass on’. How should the
meaning of this statement be understood?“ -
„What do you think about
this, great King: You are now furnished and endowed with the five fields of
sensual desires and enjoy them. But can you have it thus of the life to come.
‘May I be likewise furnished and endowed with these five fields of sensual
desires and enjoy them!’, or will others take over this property, while you
will have to pass on according to your actions?“ -
„I cannot have it thus …
Master Ratthapala. On the contrary others will take over this property while I
shall have to pass on according to my actions.“ -
„It was on account of
this, great King, that the Exalted One … said, ‘(Life in any) world has
nothing of its own, it has to leave all and pass on’, and when I knew and saw
and heard that, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.“ -
„It is wonderful, Master
Ratthapala, … how well that has been expressed by the Exalted One …,: ‘(Life
in any) world has nothing of its Own, it has to leave all and pass on’, for so
it is indeed!“
„‘(Life in any) world is
incomplete, is insatiate and the slave of craving’, was what Master Ratthapala
said; but how should the meaning of that statement be understood?“ -
„What do you think,
great King: Do you live in this prosperous Kuru country as its ruler?“ - “Yes,
Master Ratthapala, I do.“ -
„What do you think about
this, great King? If a trustworthy and reliable man came to you from the east
and said, ‘Please to know, great King, that I come from the east and there I
saw a large country, powerful and rich, very populous and crowded with men.
There are plenty of elephantry there, plenty of cavalry, plenty of charioteers
and plenty of infantry; there is plenty of ivory there, and plenty of gold and
bullion both unworked and worked, and there are plenty of women for wives.
With such and such a force you can conquer it. Conquer it then, great King!’
What would you do?“ - „We should conquer it and live there as its ruler,
Master Ratthapala.“ - „What do you think about this, great King: if a
trustworthy and reliable man came to you from the west … from the north … from
the south, and there I saw a large country … Conquer it, great King! What
would you do ?“ - „We should conquer it, too, and live there as its ruler,
Master Ratthapala.“
„It was on account of
this, great King, that the Exalted One who knows and sees, who is Arahant and
fully enlightened, said, ‘(Life in any) world is incomplete, is insatiate and
the slave of craving’, and when I knew and saw and heard that I went forth
from the home life into homelessness.“ -
„It is wonderful, Master
Ratthapala, it is marvellous how well that has been expressed by the Exalted
One who knows and sees, who is Arahant and fully enlightened: ‘(Life in any)
world is incomplete, insatiate and the slave of craving’, for so it is
indeed!“
That is what venerable
Ratthapala said and having thus spoken, he said further:
[13]„Summaries of the Teaching (dhammuddesa), - The Pali text of these four terse maxims is as follows:
Upaniyati loko addhuvo’ti.
Attano
loko anabhissaro’ti.
Assako
loko, sabbam pahaya gamaniyan’ti.
Uno
loko atitto tanhadaso’ti.