Paṭhamapaccorohaṇīsutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.119

Numbered Discourses 10.119

12. Paccorohaṇivagga

12. The Ceremony of Descent

Paṭhamapaccorohaṇīsutta

The Ceremony of Descent (1st)

Tena kho pana samayena jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhāto navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivattho allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya bhagavato avidūre ekamantaṁ ṭhito hoti.

Now, at that time it was the sabbath. The brahmin Jānussoṇi had bathed his head and dressed in a new pair of linen robes. Holding a handful of fresh grass, he stood to one side not far from the Buddha.

Addasā kho bhagavā jāṇussoṇiṁ brāhmaṇaṁ tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhātaṁ navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivatthaṁ allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya ekamantaṁ ṭhitaṁ.

The Buddha saw him,

Disvāna jāṇussoṇiṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:

and said,

“kiṁ nu tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhāto navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivattho allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya ekamantaṁ ṭhito?

“Brahmin, why have you bathed your head and dressed in a new pair of linen robes? Why are you standing to one side holding a handful of fresh grass?

Kiṁ nvajja brāhmaṇakulassā”ti?

What’s going on today with the brahmin clan?”

“Paccorohaṇī, bho gotama, ajja brāhmaṇakulassā”ti.

“Worthy Gotama, today is the ceremony of descent for the brahmin clan.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hotī”ti?

“But how do the brahmins observe the ceremony of descent?”

“Idha, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhātā navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivatthā allena gomayena pathaviṁ opuñjitvā haritehi kusehi pattharitvā antarā ca velaṁ antarā ca agyāgāraṁ seyyaṁ kappenti.

“Well, worthy Gotama, on the sabbath the brahmins bathe their heads and dress in a new pair of linen robes. They make a heap of fresh cow dung and spread it with green grass. Then they make their beds between the boundary and the fire chamber.

Te taṁ rattiṁ tikkhattuṁ paccuṭṭhāya pañjalikā aggiṁ namassanti:

That night they rise three times and worship the fire with cupped palms:

‘paccorohāma bhavantaṁ, paccorohāma bhavantan’ti.

‘We descend, lord! We descend, lord!’

Bahukena ca sappitelanavanītena aggiṁ santappenti.

And they serve the fire with abundant ghee, oil, and butter.

Tassā ca rattiyā accayena paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena brāhmaṇe santappenti.

And when the night has passed they serve the brahmins with delicious fresh and cooked foods.

Evaṁ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

That’s how the brahmins observe the ceremony of descent.”

“Aññathā kho, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hoti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

“The ceremony of descent observed by the brahmins is quite different from that observed in the training of the Noble One.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hoti?

“But worthy Gotama, how is the ceremony of descent observed in the training of the Noble One?

Sādhu me bhavaṁ gotamo tathā dhammaṁ desetu yathā ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

Worthy Gotama, please teach me this.”

“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Well then, brahmin, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo bhagavato paccassosi.

“Yes, worthy sir,” Jānussoṇi replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Idha, brāhmaṇa, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati:

“It’s when a noble disciple reflects:

‘micchādiṭṭhiyā kho pāpako vipāko

‘Wrong view has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in both this life and the next.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchādiṭṭhiṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong view,

micchādiṭṭhiyā paccorohati.

they descend from wrong view.

… ‘Micchāsaṅkappassa kho pāpako vipāko—

‘Wrong purpose has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in both this life and the next.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāsaṅkappaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong purpose,

micchāsaṅkappā paccorohati.

they descend from wrong purpose.

… ‘Micchāvācāya kho pāpako vipāko—

‘Wrong speech has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in both this life and the next.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāvācaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong speech,

micchāvācāya paccorohati.

they descend from wrong speech.

… ‘Micchākammantassa kho pāpako vipāko—

‘Wrong action has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in both this life and the next.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchākammantaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong action,

micchākammantā paccorohati.

they descend from wrong action.

… ‘Micchāājīvassa kho pāpako vipāko—

‘Wrong livelihood has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in both this life and the next.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāājīvaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong livelihood,

micchāājīvā paccorohati.

they descend from wrong livelihood.

… ‘Micchāvāyāmassa kho pāpako vipāko—

‘Wrong effort has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in both this life and the next.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāvāyāmaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong effort,

micchāvāyāmā paccorohati.

they descend from wrong effort.

… ‘Micchāsatiyā kho pāpako vipāko—

‘Wrong mindfulness has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in both this life and the next.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāsatiṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong mindfulness,

micchāsatiyā paccorohati.

they descend from wrong mindfulness.

… ‘Micchāsamādhissa kho pāpako vipāko—

‘Wrong immersion has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in both this life and the next.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāsamādhiṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong immersion,

micchāsamādhimhā paccorohati.

they descend from wrong immersion.

… ‘Micchāñāṇassa kho pāpako vipāko—

‘Wrong knowledge has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in both this life and the next.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāñāṇaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong knowledge,

micchāñāṇamhā paccorohati.

they descend from wrong knowledge.

… ‘Micchāvimuttiyā kho pāpako vipāko—

‘Wrong freedom has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in both this life and the next.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchāvimuttiṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong freedom,

micchāvimuttiyā paccorohati.

they descend from wrong freedom.

Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

This is the ceremony of descent in the training of the Noble One.”

“Aññathā, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hoti.

“The ceremony of descent observed by the brahmins is quite different from that observed in the training of the Noble One.

Imissā ca, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇiyā brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasiṁ.

And, worthy Gotama, the ceremony of descent observed by the brahmins is not worth a sixteenth part of a master of the ceremony of descent observed in the training of the Noble One.

Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…

Excellent, worthy Gotama! …

upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Sattamaṁ.