5. Pabbatupama Sutta

Discourse With a Mountain Simile

Tatiya Vagga, Kosala Samyutta, Sagatha Vagga Samyutta,
Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka

SOURCE: "FIVE SAMYUTTAS FROM SAGATHAVAGGA SAMYUTTA"
Translated by U Tin U (Myaung), Yangon
Edited by the Editorial Committee, Burma (Myanmar) Tipitaka Association, 1998

      136. The Bhagava was staying at Savatthi... To King Pasenadi of Kosala, sitting at a suitable place, the Bhagava asked, "Great King, where do you come from at this time of high noon?"

      "Venerable Sir, there are royal tasks to be performed by kings who have been born into the ruling class, who have been ceremonially anointed, who enjoy power to the fullest extent, who indulge themselves in sensual pleasures, whose rule is firmly established in their dominions, who hold imperial sway over extensive conquered territories; I have just now performed such tasks."

      "Great King, what do you think of that (which I shall speak of)? There might come from the east, a trusted man of yours whose words are to be believed and who might say this to you: 'Mark this, O King, I have come from the east. There I have seen a huge mountain like a vast cloud come crushing all living beings. Great King, do whatever needs to be done by you in this matter?' Then there might come a second man from the west,. . .p... Then there might come a third man from the north.. .p... Then there might come from the south a trusted man of yours whose words are to be believed and might say this to you, 'Mark this, O King, I have come from the south. There I have seen a huge mountain like a vast cloud come crushing all living beings. Great King, do whatever needs to be done by you in this matter.' Great King, if such a terrible danger should arise threatening mankind with total destruction, and as human existence is a most difficult thing to get, what would you do about it?"

      "Venerable Sir, if such a terrible danger should arise threatening mankind with total destruction, and as human existence is a most difficult thing to get, what else is there to do than to practice the dhamrna, to live righteously, to seek merit and to do good deeds?"

      "I tell you, Great King, I apprise you of this, Great King: ageing and death is oppressing you. Great King, when oppressed by ageing and death what would you do?"

      "Venerable Sir, if oppressed by ageing and death, what else is there to do than to practise the dhamma, to live righteously, to seek merit and to do good deeds? Venerable Sir, there is waging of war using elephant by kings who have been born into the ruling class, who have been ceremonially anointed, who enjoy power to the fullest extent, who indulge themselves in sensual pleasures, whose rule is firmly established in their dominions, who hold imperial sway ever extensive conquered territories. Venerable Sir, when those who wage war using elephants are oppressed by ageing and death, there is for them nowhere to go, no recourse. Venerable Sir, there is waging of war using horses by kings, who have been born into the ruling class, who have been ceremonially anointed . . . p... There is waging of war using chariots by kings . . p... When those who wage war using infantry are oppressed by ageing and death, there is for them nowhere to go, no recourse.

      "Venerable Sir, such a line of kings has great ministers who give them advice. Venerable Sir, when those ministers who are able to break up the advancing enemies are oppressed by ageing and death, for them too there is nowhere to go, no recourse.

      "Venerable Sir, such a line of kings has a great deal of gold and silver either buried in the ground or hung up in the open. By using this wealth we have been able to corrupt the advancing enemies (getting them at odds with one another). Venerable Sir, when the kings who wage war by using wealth are oppressed by ageing and death, for them there is nowhere to go, no recourse. Venerable Sir, when oppressed by ageing and death, what else is there to do than to practise the dhamma, to live righteously, to seek merit and to do good deeds?"

      "Quite so, Great King, quite so. When oppressed by ageing and death, what else is there to do than to practise the dhamma, to live righteously, to seek merit and to do good deeds? Thus said the Bhagava ...p... (this further utterance:)

      "Just as, from the four directions, Rocky mountains as high as the open sky come rolling down on all sides crushing all life, "So also all living beings, whether ruler or brahmin, merchant or labourer or beggar or rubbish removers, are oppressed by ageing and death; no one is excepted, all are thus oppressed. "That area (of ageing and death) is no place for using war elephants or war chariots or infantry. Waging war by using (minister's) advice or by using wealth is not able to obtain victory. "Therefore the wise man who sees well his own welfare should have conviction in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. "He who conducts himself righteously in deed, word and thought is praised here and now; as for the hereafter he rejoices in the celestial realms."

End of the Pabbatupama Sutta,
the fifth in this vagga.

End of Tatiya Vagga,
the third in this Samyutta.

End of the Kosala Samyutta.