2:2 Carrion

Āmagandhasutta

[The brahmin Tissa:]

239“Wild millet, grains from grasses, highland pulses,
green leaves, tubers, and squashes:
eating these, righteously obtained, the good
do not speak lies, desiring sensual pleasures. (1)

  
239"Sāmākaciṅgūlakacīnakāni ca,
Pattapphalaṁ mūlaphalaṁ gavipphalaṁ;
Dhammena laddhaṁ satamasnamānā,
Na kāmakāmā alikaṁ bhaṇanti.

240“But eating food well prepared, well flavored,
given by others, presented with respect, delicious, [43]
enjoying a dish of fine rice,
you eat I read bhuñjasi/bhuñjasī with Be and the lemma in all three editions of Pj II, as against Ce and Ee bhuñjatī. carrion, O Kassapa! (2)

240 Yadasnamāno sukataṁ suniṭṭhitaṁ,
Parehi dinnaṁ payataṁ paṇītaṁ;
Sālīnamannaṁ paribhuñjamāno,
So bhuñjasī kassapa āmagandhaṁ.

241“You said, O kinsman of Brahmā,
‘Carrion is not proper for me,’
yet you are enjoying a dish of fine rice,
well prepared with the flesh of fowl.
I ask you about this matter, Kassapa:
what do you take to be carrion?” (3)

[The Buddha Kassapa:]

241 Na āmagandho mama kappatīti,
Icceva tvaṁ bhāsasi brahmabandhu;
Sālīnamannaṁ paribhuñjamāno,
Sakuntamaṁsehi susaṅkhatehi;
Pucchāmi taṁ kassapa etamatthaṁ,
Kathaṁpakāro tava āmagandho".

242“Destruction of life, beating, mutilating, binding;
theft, false speech, fraudulence and cheating,
studying useless subjects, resorting to the wives of others:
this is carrion, but not the eating of meat. (4)

242 "Pāṇātipāto vadhachedabandhanaṁ,
Theyyaṁ musāvādo nikativañcanāni ca;
Ajjhenakuttaṁ paradārasevanā,
Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

243“People here uncontrolled in sensual pleasures,
greedy for tastes, mixed up with impurity,
who hold the nihilist view, warped, stubborn:
this is carrion, but not the eating of meat. (5)

243 Ye idha kāmesu asaññatā janā,
Rasesu giddhā asucibhāvamassitā;
Natthikadiṭṭhī visamā durannayā,
Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

244“Those who are rough, violent, backbiters,
betrayers of friends, cruel-hearted, arrogant,
miserly, who do not give to anyone:
this is carrion, but not the eating of meat. (6) [44]

244 Ye lūkhasā dāruṇā piṭṭhimaṁsikā,
Mittadduno nikkaruṇātimānino;
Adānasīlā na ca denti kassaci,
Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

245“Anger, vanity, obstinacy, recalcitrance,
hypocrisy, envy, and boastfulness,
haughtiness, and intimacy with the bad:
this is carrion, but not the eating of meat. (7)

245 Kodho mado thambho paccupaṭṭhāpanā,
Māyā usūyā bhassasamussayo ca;
Mānātimāno ca asabbhi santhavo,
Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

246“Those ill behaved, debt-evaders, slanderers,
crooked in their dealings, dissemblers here;
vile men who here commit wicked deeds:
this is carrion, but not the eating of meat. (8)

246 Ye pāpasīlā iṇaghātasūcakā,
Vohārakūṭā idha pāṭirūpikā;
Narādhamā yedha karonti kibbisaṁ,
Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

247“Those people here uncontrolled toward living beings,
who steal from others, intent on inflicting harm,
immoral, cruel, harsh, disrespectful:
this is carrion, but not the eating of meat. (9)

247 Ye idha pāṇesu asaññatā janā,
Paresamādāya vihesamuyyutā;
Dussīlaluddā pharusā anādarā,
Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

248“Those who are greedy toward these, hostile, transgressors,
ever intent, who are heading for darkness after death,
beings who fall head first into hell:
this is carrion, but not the eating of meat. (10)

248 Etesu giddhā viruddhātipātino,
Niccuyyutā pecca tamaṁ vajanti ye;
Patanti sattā nirayaṁ avaṁsirā,
Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

249“Neither [avoiding] fish and meat nor fasting,
nor nakedness, a shaven head, matted locks, dirt, or rough antelope hides,
nor tending the sacrificial fire,
or the many austerities in the world aimed at immortality,
sacred hymns, oblations, sacrifices, and seasonal penances,
purify a mortal who has not overcome doubt. (11) [45]

249 Na macchamaṁsānamanāsakattaṁ,
Na naggiyaṁ na muṇḍiyaṁ jaṭājallaṁ;
Kharājināni nāggihuttassupasevanā,
Ye vāpi loke amarā bahū tapā;
Mantāhutī yaññamutūpasevanā,
Sodhenti maccaṁ avitiṇṇakaṅkhaṁ.

250“One guarded over the sense doors
should live with sense faculties understood,Reading viditindriyo with Be and Ce and all three editions of Pj II, as against Ee vijitindriyo. While vijitindriyo makes better sense, the gloss by Pj II, ñātapariññāya chaḷindriyāni viditvā pākaṭāni katvā careyya, confirms that the commentator read viditindriyo.
firm in Dhamma, delighting in honesty and mildness.
A wise one who has overcome the ties,
who has abandoned all suffering,
is not tainted by things seen and heard.” (12)

250 Sotesu gutto viditindriyo care,
Dhamme ṭhito ajjavamaddave rato;
Saṅgātigo sabbadukkhappahīno,
Na lippati diṭṭhasutesu dhīro".

251Thus the Blessed One repeatedly explained this matter;
the master of the sacred hymns understood it.
The muni, free of carrion, unattached, hard to lead,
elucidated it with variegated verses. (13)

251 Iccetamatthaṁ bhagavā punappunaṁ,
Akkhāsi naṁ vedayi mantapāragū;
Citrāhi gāthāhi munī pakāsayi,
Nirāmagandho asito durannayo.

252Having heard the Buddha’s well-spoken word,
which was free of carrion, dispelling all suffering,
humble in mind [Tissa] venerated the Tathāgata,
and right there declared he would go forth. (14)

252 Sutvāna buddhassa subhāsitaṁ padaṁ,
Nirāmagandhaṁ sabbadukkhappanūdanaṁ;
Nīcamano vandi tathāgatassa,
Tattheva pabbajjamarocayitthāti.

Āmagandhasuttaṁ dutiyaṁ.