Arakasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.74

Numbered Discourses 7.74

7. Mahāvagga

7. The Great Chapter

Arakasutta

About Araka

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, arako nāma satthā ahosi titthakaro kāmesu vītarāgo.

“Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a teacher named Araka. He was a religious founder and was free of desire for sensual pleasures.

Arakassa kho pana, bhikkhave, satthuno anekāni sāvakasatāni ahesuṁ.

He had many hundreds of disciples,

Arako satthā sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

and he taught them like this:

‘appakaṁ, brāhmaṇa, jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.

‘Brahmins, life as a human is short, brief, and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no one born can escape death.

Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, tiṇagge ussāvabindu sūriye uggacchante khippaṁyeva paṭivigacchati, na ciraṭṭhitikaṁ hoti;

It’s like a drop of dew on a grass tip. When the sun comes up it vanishes right away and doesn’t last long.

evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, ussāvabindūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.

In the same way, life as a human is like a dewdrop. It’s brief and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no one born can escape death.

Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, thullaphusitake deve vassante udakabubbuḷaṁ khippaṁyeva paṭivigacchati, na ciraṭṭhitikaṁ hoti;

It’s like when the heavens rain heavily. The bubbles vanish right away and don’t last long.

evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, udakabubbuḷūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.

In the same way, life as a human is like a bubble. …

Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, udake daṇḍarāji khippaṁyeva paṭivigacchati, na ciraṭṭhitikā hoti;

It’s like a line drawn in water. It vanishes right away and doesn’t last long.

evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, udake daṇḍarājūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ …pe…

In the same way, life as a human is like a line drawn in water. …

natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.

Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, nadī pabbateyyā dūraṅgamā sīghasotā hārahārinī, natthi so khaṇo vā layo vā muhutto vā yaṁ sā āvattati, atha kho sā gacchateva vattateva sandateva;

It’s like a mountain river traveling far, flowing fast, carrying all before it. It doesn’t turn back—not for a moment, a second, an hour—but runs, rolls, and flows on.

evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, nadīpabbateyyūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ …pe…

In the same way, life as a human is like a mountain river. …

natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.

Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, balavā puriso jivhagge kheḷapiṇḍaṁ saṁyūhitvā akasireneva vameyya;

It’s like a strong man who has formed a glob of spit on the tip of his tongue. He could easily spit it out.

evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, kheḷapiṇḍūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ …pe…

In the same way, life as a human is like a glob of spit. …

natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.

Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, divasaṁsantatte ayokaṭāhe maṁsapesi pakkhittā khippaṁyeva paṭivigacchati, na ciraṭṭhitikā hoti;

Suppose there was an iron cauldron that had been heated all day. If you tossed a scrap of meat in, it would vanish right away and not last long.

evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, maṁsapesūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ …pe…

In the same way, life as a human is like a scrap of meat. …

natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.

Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, gāvī vajjhā āghātanaṁ nīyamānā yaṁ yadeva pādaṁ uddharati, santikeva hoti vadhassa santikeva maraṇassa;

It’s like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse. With every step she comes closer to the slaughter, closer to death.

evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, govajjhūpamaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇan’ti.

In the same way, life as a human is like a cow being slaughtered. It’s brief and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no one born can escape death.’

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ saṭṭhivassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi, pañcavassasatikā kumārikā alaṁpateyyā ahosi.

Now, mendicants, at that time human beings had a lifespan of 60,000 years. Girls could be married at 500 years of age.

Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ chaḷeva ābādhā ahesuṁ—

And human beings only had six afflictions:

sītaṁ, uṇhaṁ, jighacchā, pipāsā, uccāro, passāvo.

cold, heat, hunger, thirst, and the need to defecate and urinate.

So hi nāma, bhikkhave, arako satthā evaṁ dīghāyukesu manussesu evaṁ ciraṭṭhitikesu evaṁ appābādhesu sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ desessati:

But even though humans were so long-lived with so few afflictions, Araka still taught in this way:

‘appakaṁ, brāhmaṇa, jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇan’ti.

‘Life as a human is short, brief, and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no one born can escape death.’

Etarahi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

These days it’d be right to say:

‘appakaṁ jīvitaṁ manussānaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ bahudukkhaṁ bahupāyāsaṁ mantāyaṁ boddhabbaṁ, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, natthi jātassa amaraṇan’ti.

‘Life as a human is short, brief, and fleeting, full of suffering and distress. Be thoughtful and wake up! Do what’s good and lead the spiritual life, for no one born can escape death.’

Etarahi, bhikkhave, yo ciraṁ jīvati so vassasataṁ appaṁ vā bhiyyo.

For these days a long life is a hundred years or a little more.

Vassasataṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, jīvanto tīṇiyeva utusatāni jīvati—

Living for a hundred years, there are just three hundred seasons,

utusataṁ hemantānaṁ, utusataṁ gimhānaṁ, utusataṁ vassānaṁ.

a hundred each of the winter, summer, and rains.

Tīṇi kho pana, bhikkhave, utusatāni jīvanto dvādasayeva māsasatāni jīvati—

Living for three hundred seasons, there are just twelve hundred months,

cattāri māsasatāni hemantānaṁ, cattāri māsasatāni gimhānaṁ, cattāri māsasatāni vassānaṁ.

four hundred in each of the winter, summer, and rains.

Dvādasa kho pana, bhikkhave, māsasatāni jīvanto catuvīsatiyeva addhamāsasatāni jīvati—

Living for twelve hundred months, there are just twenty-four hundred fortnights,

aṭṭhaddhamāsasatāni hemantānaṁ, aṭṭhaddhamāsasatāni gimhānaṁ, aṭṭhaddhamāsasatāni vassānaṁ.

eight hundred in each of the winter, summer, and rains.

Catuvīsati kho pana, bhikkhave, addhamāsasatāni jīvanto chattiṁsaṁyeva rattisahassāni jīvati—

Living for 2,400 fortnights, there are just 36,000 days,

dvādasa rattisahassāni hemantānaṁ, dvādasa rattisahassāni gimhānaṁ, dvādasa rattisahassāni vassānaṁ.

12,000 in each of the summer, winter, and rains.

Chattiṁsaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, rattisahassāni jīvanto dvesattatiyeva bhattasahassāni bhuñjati—

Living for 36,000 days, you just eat 72,000 meals,

catuvīsati bhattasahassāni hemantānaṁ, catuvīsati bhattasahassāni gimhānaṁ, catuvīsati bhattasahassāni vassānaṁ saddhiṁ mātuthaññāya saddhiṁ bhattantarāyena.

24,000 in each of the summer, winter, and rains, including when you’re suckling at the breast, and when you’re prevented from eating.

Tatrime bhattantarāyā kapimiddhopi bhattaṁ na bhuñjati, dukkhitopi bhattaṁ na bhuñjati, byādhitopi bhattaṁ na bhuñjati, uposathikopi bhattaṁ na bhuñjati, alābhakenapi bhattaṁ na bhuñjati.

Things that prevent you from eating include anger, pain, sickness, sabbath, or being unable to get food.

Iti kho, bhikkhave, mayā vassasatāyukassa manussassa āyupi saṅkhāto, āyuppamāṇampi saṅkhātaṁ, utūpi saṅkhātā, saṁvaccharāpi saṅkhātā, māsāpi saṅkhātā, addhamāsāpi saṅkhātā, rattipi saṅkhātā, divāpi saṅkhātā, bhattāpi saṅkhātā, bhattantarāyāpi saṅkhātā.

So mendicants, for a human being with a hundred years lifespan I have counted the lifespan, the limit of the lifespan, the seasons, the years, the months, the fortnights, the nights, the days, the meals, and the things that prevent them from eating.

Yaṁ, bhikkhave, satthārā karaṇīyaṁ sāvakānaṁ hitesinā anukampakena anukampaṁ upādāya;

Out of sympathy, I’ve done what a teacher should do who wants what’s best for their disciples.

kataṁ vo taṁ mayā etāni, bhikkhave, rukkhamūlāni etāni suññāgārāni. Jhāyatha, bhikkhave, mā pamādattha; mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha. Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī”ti.

Here are these roots of trees, and here are these empty huts. Practice absorption, mendicants! Don’t be negligent! Don’t regret it later! This is my instruction to you.”

Dasamaṁ.

Mahāvaggo sattamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Hirīsūriyaṁ upamā,

dhammaññū pārichattakaṁ;

Sakkaccaṁ bhāvanā aggi,

sunettaarakena cāti.