Sacetanasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.15

Numbered Discourses 3.15

2. Rathakāravagga

2. The Chariot-Maker

Sacetanasutta

About Pacetana

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā ahosi sacetano nāma.

“Once upon a time, there was a king named Pacetana.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, rājā sacetano rathakāraṁ āmantesi:

Then King Pacetana addressed his chariot-maker,

‘ito me, samma rathakāra, channaṁ māsānaṁ accayena saṅgāmo bhavissati.

‘In six months’ time, my good chariot-maker, there will be a battle.

Sakkhissasi me, samma rathakāra, navaṁ cakkayugaṁ kātun’ti?

Are you able to make me a new pair of wheels?’

‘Sakkomi, devā’ti kho, bhikkhave, rathakāro rañño sacetanassa paccassosi.

‘I can, Your Majesty,’ replied the chariot-maker.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, rathakāro chahi māsehi chārattūnehi ekaṁ cakkaṁ niṭṭhāpesi.

Then, when it was six days less than six months later, the chariot-maker had finished one wheel.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, rājā sacetano rathakāraṁ āmantesi:

Then King Pacetana addressed his chariot-maker,

‘ito me, samma rathakāra, channaṁ divasānaṁ accayena saṅgāmo bhavissati, niṭṭhitaṁ navaṁ cakkayugan’ti?

‘In six days’ time there will be a battle. Is my new pair of wheels finished?’

‘Imehi kho, deva, chahi māsehi chārattūnehi ekaṁ cakkaṁ niṭṭhitan’ti.

‘Now that it is six days less than six months, Your Majesty, I have finished one wheel.’

‘Sakkhissasi pana me, samma rathakāra, imehi chahi divasehi dutiyaṁ cakkaṁ niṭṭhāpetun’ti?

‘Are you able to finish the second wheel in these six days?’

‘Sakkomi, devā’ti kho, bhikkhave, rathakāro chahi divasehi dutiyaṁ cakkaṁ niṭṭhāpetvā navaṁ cakkayugaṁ ādāya yena rājā sacetano tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā rājānaṁ sacetanaṁ etadavoca:

Saying, ‘I can, Your Majesty,’ the chariot-maker finished the second wheel in six days. Taking the pair of wheels he went up to King Pacetana, and said this to the king,

‘idaṁ te, deva, navaṁ cakkayugaṁ niṭṭhitan’ti.

‘Your Majesty, these are your two new wheels, finished.’

‘Yañca te idaṁ, samma rathakāra, cakkaṁ chahi māsehi niṭṭhitaṁ chārattūnehi yañca te idaṁ cakkaṁ chahi divasehi niṭṭhitaṁ, imesaṁ kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ?

‘But, my good chariot-maker, what is the difference between the wheel that was finished in six days less than six months, and the wheel finished in just six days?

Nesāhaṁ kiñci nānākaraṇaṁ passāmī’ti.

Because I can’t see any difference between them.’

‘Atthesaṁ, deva, nānākaraṇaṁ.

‘But, Your Majesty, there is a difference.

Passatu devo nānākaraṇan’ti.

See now what it is.’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, rathakāro yaṁ taṁ cakkaṁ chahi divasehi niṭṭhitaṁ taṁ pavattesi.

Then the chariot-maker rolled forth the wheel that had been finished in six days.

Taṁ pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā ciṅgulāyitvā bhūmiyaṁ papati.

It rolled as far as the original impetus took it, then wobbled and fell down.

Yaṁ pana taṁ cakkaṁ chahi māsehi niṭṭhitaṁ chārattūnehi taṁ pavattesi.

Then he rolled forth the wheel that had been finished in six days less than six months.

Taṁ pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā akkhāhataṁ maññe aṭṭhāsi.

It rolled as far as the original impetus took it, then stood still as if fixed to an axle.

‘Ko nu kho, samma rathakāra, hetu ko paccayo yamidaṁ cakkaṁ chahi divasehi niṭṭhitaṁ taṁ pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā ciṅgulāyitvā bhūmiyaṁ papati?

‘But what is the cause, my good chariot-maker, what is the reason why the wheel that was finished in six days wobbled and fell,

Ko pana, samma rathakāra, hetu ko paccayo yamidaṁ cakkaṁ chahi māsehi niṭṭhitaṁ chārattūnehi taṁ pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā akkhāhataṁ maññe aṭṭhāsī’ti?

while the one that was finished in six days less than six months stood still as if fixed to an axle?’

‘Yamidaṁ, deva, cakkaṁ chahi divasehi niṭṭhitaṁ tassa nemipi savaṅkā sadosā sakasāvā, arāpi savaṅkā sadosā sakasāvā, nābhipi savaṅkā sadosā sakasāvā.

‘The wheel that was finished in six days, Your Majesty, is crooked, flawed, and defective in rim, spoke, and hub.

Taṁ nemiyāpi savaṅkattā sadosattā sakasāvattā, arānampi savaṅkattā sadosattā sakasāvattā, nābhiyāpi savaṅkattā sadosattā sakasāvattā pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā ciṅgulāyitvā bhūmiyaṁ papati.

That’s why it wobbled and fell.

Yaṁ pana taṁ, deva, cakkaṁ chahi māsehi niṭṭhitaṁ chārattūnehi tassa nemipi avaṅkā adosā akasāvā, arāpi avaṅkā adosā akasāvā, nābhipi avaṅkā adosā akasāvā.

The wheel that was finished in six days less than six months, Your Majesty, is not crooked, flawed, and defective in rim, spoke, and hub.

Taṁ nemiyāpi avaṅkattā adosattā akasāvattā, arānampi avaṅkattā adosattā akasāvattā, nābhiyāpi avaṅkattā adosattā akasāvattā pavattitaṁ samānaṁ yāvatikā abhisaṅkhārassa gati tāvatikaṁ gantvā akkhāhataṁ maññe aṭṭhāsī’ti.

That’s why it stood still as if fixed to an axle.’

Siyā kho pana, bhikkhave, tumhākaṁ evamassa:

Now, mendicants, you might think:

‘añño nūna tena samayena so rathakāro ahosī’ti.

‘Surely that chariot-maker must have been someone else at that time?’

Na kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ.

But you should not see it like that.

Ahaṁ tena samayena so rathakāro ahosiṁ.

I myself was the chariot-maker at that time.

Tadāhaṁ, bhikkhave, kusalo dāruvaṅkānaṁ dārudosānaṁ dārukasāvānaṁ.

Then I was skilled in the crooks, flaws, and defects of wood.

Etarahi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho kusalo kāyavaṅkānaṁ kāyadosānaṁ kāyakasāvānaṁ, kusalo vacīvaṅkānaṁ vacīdosānaṁ vacīkasāvānaṁ, kusalo manovaṅkānaṁ manodosānaṁ manokasāvānaṁ.

Now that I am a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, I am skilled in the crooks, flaws, and defects of actions by body, speech, and mind.

Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā kāyavaṅko appahīno kāyadoso kāyakasāvo, vacīvaṅko appahīno vacīdoso vacīkasāvo, manovaṅko appahīno manodoso manokasāvo, evaṁ papatitā te, bhikkhave, imasmā dhammavinayā, seyyathāpi taṁ cakkaṁ chahi divasehi niṭṭhitaṁ.

Whatever monk or nun has not given up the crooks, flaws, and defects of body, speech, and mind has fallen from the teaching and training, just like the wheel that was finished in six days.

Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā kāyavaṅko pahīno kāyadoso kāyakasāvo, vacīvaṅko pahīno vacīdoso vacīkasāvo, manovaṅko pahīno manodoso manokasāvo, evaṁ patiṭṭhitā te, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye, seyyathāpi taṁ cakkaṁ chahi māsehi niṭṭhitaṁ chārattūnehi.

Whatever monk or nun has given up the crooks, flaws, and defects of body, speech, and mind is established in the teaching and training, just like the wheel that was finished in six days less than six months.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:

So you should train like this:

‘kāyavaṅkaṁ pajahissāma kāyadosaṁ kāyakasāvaṁ, vacīvaṅkaṁ pajahissāma vacīdosaṁ vacīkasāvaṁ, manovaṅkaṁ pajahissāma manodosaṁ manokasāvan’ti.

‘We will give up the crooks, flaws, and defects of body, speech, and mind.’

Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

That’s how you should train.”

Pañcamaṁ.