Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.248 19.

The Sheaf of Barley Discourse

Āsīvisavagga Yavakalāpisutta “Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yavakalāpī cātumahāpathe nikkhittā assa.

Disciples, suppose a sheaf of barley were placed at a crossroads.

Atha cha purisā āgaccheyyuṁ byābhaṅgihatthā. Te yavakalāpiṁ chahi byābhaṅgīhi haneyyuṁ.

Then six men would come along, each with a bludgeon, and strike that sheaf of barley with their bludgeons.

Evañhi sā, bhikkhave, yavakalāpī suhatā assa chahi byābhaṅgīhi haññamānā.

That sheaf of barley, being struck by six bludgeons, would be well beaten.

Atha sattamo puriso āgaccheyya byābhaṅgihattho. So taṁ yavakalāpiṁ sattamāya byābhaṅgiyā haneyya.

Then a seventh man would come along with a bludgeon and strike that sheaf of barley with a seventh bludgeon.

Evañhi sā bhikkhave, yavakalāpī suhatatarā assa, sattamāya byābhaṅgiyā haññamānā.

That sheaf of barley, being struck by a seventh bludgeon, would be even more thoroughly beaten.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano cakkhusmiṁ haññati manāpāmanāpehi rūpehi …pe…

So too, disciples, an uninstructed worldling is beaten by pleasant and unpleasant forms in the eye …

jivhāya haññati manāpāmanāpehi rasehi …pe…

by pleasant and unpleasant tastes in the tongue …

manasmiṁ haññati manāpāmanāpehi dhammehi.

by pleasant and unpleasant mental phenomena in the mind.

Sace so, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano āyatiṁ punabbhavāya ceteti, evañhi so, bhikkhave, moghapuriso suhatataro hoti, seyyathāpi sā yavakalāpī sattamāya byābhaṅgiyā haññamānā.

If that uninstructed worldling intends for future rebirth, then he becomes even more thoroughly beaten, like that sheaf of barley struck by a seventh bludgeon.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi.

Disciples, once there was a battle between the gods and the asuras.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo asure āmantesi: ‘sace, mārisā, devāsurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe asurā jineyyuṁ devā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha asurapuran’ti.

Then Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, addressed the asuras: ‘If, dear sirs, in this battle between gods and asuras, the asuras defeat the gods, then bind Sakka, lord of the gods, with five neck bonds and bring him to me as a prisoner of war.

And Sakka, lord of the gods, addressed the gods of the Thirty-Three: ‘If, dear sirs, in this battle between gods and asuras, the gods defeat the asuras, then bind Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, with five neck bonds and bring him to me at the Sudhamma assembly hall.

Sakkopi kho, bhikkhave, devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse āmantesi: ‘sace, mārisā, devāsurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe devā jineyyuṁ asurā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha sudhammaṁ devasabhan’ti.

In that battle, disciples, the gods defeated the asuras. Then the gods of the Thirty-Three bound Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, with five neck bonds and brought him to Sakka, lord of the gods, at the Sudhamma assembly hall.

There, disciples, Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, was bound with five neck bonds.

Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājiniṁsu.

When it occurred to him: ‘The gods are righteous, the asuras unrighteous.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā sakkassa devānamindassa santike ānesuṁ sudhammaṁ devasabhaṁ.

Now I shall go to the city of the gods, he saw himself as freed from the five neck bonds and enjoyed the five kinds of divine sensual pleasures.

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi baddho hoti.

But when it occurred to him: ‘The asuras are righteous, the gods unrighteous.

Yadā kho, bhikkhave, vepacittissa asurindassa evaṁ hoti: ‘dhammikā kho devā, adhammikā asurā, idheva dānāhaṁ devapuraṁ gacchāmī’ti.

Now I shall go to the city of the asuras, he saw himself as bound by the five neck bonds and was deprived of the five kinds of divine sensual pleasures.

Atha kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi muttaṁ attānaṁ samanupassati, dibbehi ca pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappito samaṅgībhūto paricāreti.

Such is the subtlety, disciples, of Vepacitti’s bondage. Even more subtle is Māra’s bondage.

Yadā ca kho, bhikkhave, vepacittissa asurindassa evaṁ hoti: ‘dhammikā kho asurā, adhammikā devā, tattheva dānāhaṁ asurapuraṁ gamissāmī’ti.

One who thinks he is bound by Māra is indeed bound; one who does not think so is free from the Evil One.

‘I am:this, disciples, is a conceiving.

atha kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi baddhaṁ attānaṁ samanupassati, dibbehi ca pañcahi kāmaguṇehi parihāyati.

‘This I am:this is a conceiving. ‘I shall be:this is a conceiving. ‘I shall not be:this is a conceiving.

Evaṁ sukhumaṁ kho, bhikkhave, vepacittibandhanaṁ.

‘I shall be with form:this is a conceiving.

Tato sukhumataraṁ mārabandhanaṁ.

‘I shall be formless:this is a conceiving.

Maññamāno kho, bhikkhave, baddho mārassa, amaññamāno mutto pāpimato.

‘I shall be percipient:this is a conceiving.

‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, maññitametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘na bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘saññī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ.

‘I shall be non-percipient:this is a conceiving. ‘I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient:this is a conceiving.

Conceiving, disciples, is a disease; conceiving is a boil; conceiving is a dart. Therefore, disciples, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with a mind free from conceiving.

Maññitaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, maññitaṁ gaṇḍo, maññitaṁ sallaṁ.

‘I am:this, disciples, is an agitation. ‘This I am:this is an agitation.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘amaññamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti— evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

‘I shall be:this is an agitation. ‘I shall not be:this is an agitation. ‘I shall be with form:this is an agitation.

‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, iñjitametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘na bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘saññī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ.

‘I shall be formless:this is an agitation. ‘I shall be percipient:this is an agitation. ‘I shall be non-percipient:this is an agitation. ‘I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient:this is an agitation.

Iñjitaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, iñjitaṁ gaṇḍo, iñjitaṁ sallaṁ.

Agitation, disciples, is a disease; agitation is a boil; agitation is a dart.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘aniñjamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti— evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

Therefore, disciples, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with a mind free from agitation.

‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, phanditametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti phanditametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti …pe…

‘I am:this, disciples, is a trembling. ‘This I am:this is a trembling. ‘I shall be …

‘na bhavissan’ti …

‘I shall not be …

‘rūpī bhavissan’ti …

‘I shall be with form …

‘arūpī bhavissan’ti …

‘I shall be formless …

‘saññī bhavissan’ti …

‘I shall be percipient …

‘asaññī bhavissan’ti …

‘I shall be non-percipient …

‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti phanditametaṁ.

‘I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient:this is a trembling.

Phanditaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, phanditaṁ gaṇḍo, phanditaṁ sallaṁ.

Trembling, disciples, is a disease; trembling is a boil; trembling is a dart.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘aphandamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti— evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

Therefore, disciples, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with a mind free from trembling.

‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, papañcitametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti papañcitametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti …pe…

‘I am:this, disciples, is a proliferation. ‘This I am:this is a proliferation.

‘na bhavissan’ti …

‘I shall be …

‘rūpī bhavissan’ti …

‘I shall not be …

‘arūpī bhavissan’ti …

‘I shall be with form …

‘saññī bhavissan’ti …

‘I shall be formless …

‘asaññī bhavissan’ti …

‘I shall be percipient …

‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti papañcitametaṁ.

‘I shall be non-percipient …

Papañcitaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, papañcitaṁ gaṇḍo, papañcitaṁ sallaṁ.

‘I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient:this is a proliferation.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘nippapañcena cetasā viharissāmā’ti— evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

Proliferation, disciples, is a disease; proliferation is a boil; proliferation is a dart.

‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, mānagatametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘na bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘saññī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ. Mānagataṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, mānagataṁ gaṇḍo, mānagataṁ sallaṁ. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘nihatamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti— evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

Therefore, disciples, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with a mind free from proliferation.

‘I am:this, disciples, is pride. ‘This I am:this is pride.

Ekādasamaṁ.

‘I shall be:this is pride.

Āsīvisavaggo catuttho.

‘I shall not be:this is pride.

Tassuddānaṁ Āsīviso ratho kummo, dve dārukkhandhā avassuto; Dukkhadhammā kiṁsukā vīṇā, chappāṇā yavakalāpīti.

‘I shall be with form:this is pride. ‘I shall be formless:this is pride. ‘I shall be percipient:this is pride.

Saḷāyatanavagge catutthapaṇṇāsako samatto.

‘I shall be non-percipient:this is pride.

Tassa vagguddānaṁ Nandikkhayo saṭṭhinayo, samuddo uragena ca; Catupaṇṇāsakā ete, nipātesu pakāsitāti. Saḷāyatanasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

‘I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient:this is pride.

Pride, disciples, is a disease; pride is a boil; pride is a dart.

Therefore, disciples, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with a mind free from pride.