MN21 — The Simile of the Saw

Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

Now at that time, Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna was living in close association with the nuns.

Living in such close association, if any disciple spoke dispraise of those nuns in the presence of Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna, he would become angry, displeased, and even create a dispute.

Similarly, if any disciple spoke dispraise of Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna in the presence of those nuns, they would become angry, displeased, and even create a dispute.

Thus, Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna was living in close association with the nuns.

Then a certain disciple approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. While sitting there, he said to the Blessed One:

Venerable sir, Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna is living in close association with the nuns.

Living in such close association, if any disciple speaks dispraise of those nuns in the presence of Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna, he becomes angry, displeased, and even creates a dispute.

Similarly, if any disciple speaks dispraise of Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna in the presence of those nuns, they become angry, displeased, and even create a dispute.

Thus, Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna is living in close association with the nuns.

Then the Blessed One addressed a certain disciple:

Come, disciple, in my name, summon the disciple Moḷiyaphagguna, saying, The Teacher calls you, friend Phagguna.

Yes, venerable sir, that disciple replied to the Blessed One, and he went to Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna and said:

The Teacher calls you, friend Phagguna.

Yes, friend, Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna replied to that disciple, and he went to the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. While sitting there, the Blessed One said to Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna:

Is it true, Phagguna, that you are living in close association with the nuns?

It is said that you, Phagguna, are living in close association with the nuns:

If any disciple speaks ill of those nuns in your presence, you become angry and displeased, and even create a dispute.

But if any disciple speaks ill of you in the presence of those nuns, they become angry and displeased, and even create a dispute.

Is it true that you, Phagguna, are living in such close association with the nuns?

Yes, venerable sir.

Are you not, Phagguna, a son of good family who has gone forth out of faith from the household life into homelessness?

Yes, venerable sir.

It is not proper for you, Phagguna, a son of good family who has gone forth out of faith from the household life into homelessness, to live in such close association with the nuns.

Therefore, Phagguna, if anyone speaks ill of those nuns in your presence, you should abandon any desires and thoughts connected with the household life.

You should train yourself thus: My mind will not be affected, and I will not utter any evil words. I will remain compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of goodwill, without inner hate.

Thus should you train yourself, Phagguna.

Therefore, Phagguna, if anyone were to give a blow with the hand, a blow with a clod, a blow with a stick, or a blow with a knife to those nuns in your presence, you should abandon any desires and thoughts connected with the household life.

You should train yourself thus: My mind will not be affected, and I will not utter any evil words. I will remain compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of goodwill, without inner hate.

Thus should you train yourself, Phagguna.

Therefore, Phagguna, if anyone speaks ill in your presence, you should abandon any desires and thoughts connected with the household life.

You should train yourself thus: My mind will not be affected, and I will not utter any evil words. I will remain compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of goodwill, without inner hate.

Thus should you train yourself, Phagguna.

Therefore, Phagguna, if anyone were to give a blow with the hand, a blow with a clod, a blow with a stick, or a blow with a knife in your presence, you should abandon any desires and thoughts connected with the household life.

There too, Phagguna, you should train yourself thus: Neither will my mind become disturbed, nor will I utter evil speech, and I will dwell compassionate and kind-hearted, without inner hatred.

Thus, Phagguna, you should train yourself.

Then the Blessed One addressed the disciples: Disciples, at one time the disciples fulfilled my mind.

Here I addressed the disciples:

I eat one meal a day.

While eating one meal a day I experience little illness, little discomfort, lightness, strength, and ease of living.

You too eat one meal a day.

While eating one meal a day you too will experience little illness, little discomfort, lightness, strength, and ease of living.

I had no need to give instructions to those disciples, disciples;

I only needed to arouse mindfulness in those disciples, disciples.

Just as on a well-prepared ground at a crossroads, there might be a chariot yoked with thoroughbred horses standing with the goad laid aside.

A skilled trainer, a horse tamer, would mount it, take the reins in his left hand, the goad in his right hand, and drive it wherever he wishes, and bring it back.

In the same way I had no need to give instructions to those disciples, disciples;

I only needed to arouse mindfulness in those disciples, disciples.

Therefore abandon the unwholesome, and devote yourselves to wholesome states.

Thus you too will attain growth, increase, and fulfillment in this Dhamma and discipline.

Just as near a village or town, there might be a large grove of sal trees.

It might be covered with creepers.

Then a person might arise who desires welfare, seeks benefit, and aims for security.

He would cut down and remove the crooked, sap-stealing creepers, and thoroughly clean the interior of the grove.

But he would carefully tend the straight, well-grown sal trees.

Thus that sal grove would, in due course, attain growth, increase, and fulfillment.

In the same way abandon the unwholesome, and devote yourselves to wholesome states.

Thus you too will attain growth, increase, and fulfillment in this Dhamma and discipline.

Once upon a time in this very Sāvatthī, there was a housewife named Vedehikā.

Regarding Vedehikā a good reputation had arisen: Vedehikā the housewife is gentle, Vedehikā the housewife is calm, Vedehikā the housewife is peaceful.

However Vedehikā the housewife had a maid named Kāḷī, who was skilled, not lazy, and well-organized in her work.

Then Kāḷī the maid thought to herself, My mistress has such a good reputation: Vedehikā the housewife is gentle, Vedehikā the housewife is calm, Vedehikā the housewife is peaceful.

But does my mistress not show her inner anger because it is truly absent, or is it because my work is well-organized that she does not show her inner anger, even though it is present?

What if I were to test my mistress?

Then Kāḷī the maid got up late in the day.

Then Vedehikā the housewife said to Kāḷī the maid, Hey, Kāḷī.

Yes, mistress?

Why did you get up late in the day?

I have no reason, mistress.

Indeed, you wretched maid, you got up late in the day, she said angrily, displeased, and frowned.

Then Kāḷī the maid thought to herself, My mistress does not show her inner anger because it is truly absent, not because it is present; my work is well-organized, which is why my mistress does not show her inner anger, even though it is present.

What if I were to test my mistress further?

Then Kāḷī the maid got up even later in the day.

Then Vedehikā the housewife said to Kāḷī the maid, Hey, Kāḷī.

Yes, mistress?

Why did you get up even later in the day?

I have no reason, mistress.

Indeed, you wretched maid, you got up even later in the day, she said angrily, displeased, and spoke displeased words.

What if I were to test my mistress further?

Then Kāḷī the maid got up even later in the day.

Then Vedehikā the housewife said to Kāḷī the maid,

The black one, she said.

What, madam? he asked.

What, indeed, did you rise during the day? she questioned.

No, madam, nothing, he replied.

Indeed, nothing, wicked maid, you rose during the day, she said angrily, displeased, and struck her on the head with a rolling pin, breaking her head.

Then the maid Kali, with her head broken and blood flowing, complained to the neighbors, Look, madam, at the work of anger; look, madam, at the work of pride; look, madam, at the work of unrestraint. How could she, angry and displeased, strike a maid on the head with a rolling pin, breaking her head?

Then in due course, a bad reputation spread about the housewife Vedehika: Vedehika the housewife is fierce, Vedehika the housewife is proud, Vedehika the housewife is unrestrained.

Just so here a certain disciple is gentle, humble, and restrained as long as unpleasant words do not touch him. But when unpleasant words touch him, then the disciple should be understood as gentle, humble, and restrained.

I do not call that disciple easy to instruct who is easy to instruct for the sake of robes, alms, lodging, and medicinal requisites. Why is that? Because when he does not receive robes, alms, lodging, and medicinal requisites, he is not easy to instruct, he does not attain ease of instruction.

But the disciple who honors the Dhamma, respects the Dhamma, esteems the Dhamma, reveres the Dhamma, and pays homage to the Dhamma, he is easy to instruct, he attains ease of instruction. Him I call easy to instruct.

Therefore you should train yourselves thus: Honoring the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, esteeming the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, and paying homage to the Dhamma, we will be easy to instruct, we will attain ease of instruction.

Thus should you train yourselves.

There are these five ways of speech by which others might address you:

at the right time or at the wrong time;

truthfully or falsely;

gently or harshly;

beneficially or harmfully;

with a mind of goodwill or with inner hate.

At the right time others might address you, or at the wrong time;

Whether others speak to you with truth or falsehood;

Whether others speak to you gently or harshly;

Whether others speak to you with beneficial words or with harmful words;

Whether others speak to you with a mind of goodwill or with a mind of hatred.

In such situations you should train yourselves thus:

Our minds will remain unaffected, and we shall not utter evil words; we shall abide compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of goodwill, without inner hate.

We shall pervade that person with a mind imbued with goodwill, and starting with that person, we shall pervade the whole world with a mind imbued with goodwill, vast, exalted, measureless, free from enmity, free from affliction.

Thus should you train yourselves.

Just as a man might come with a spade and basket, saying,

I shall make this great earth to be without earth.

He would dig here and there, scatter here and there, spit here and there, urinate here and there, saying,

Be without earth, be without earth.

What do you think

Would that man make this great earth to be without earth?

No, venerable sir.

Why is that?

Because, venerable sir, this great earth is deep and immeasurable.

It is not easy to make it be without earth;

but that man would only reap weariness and disappointment.

In the same way there are these five courses of speech by which others may address you:

at the right time or the wrong time;

with truth or with falsehood;

gently or harshly;

with beneficial words or with harmful words;

with a mind of goodwill or with a mind of hatred.

Whether others speak to you at the right time or the wrong time;

Whether others speak to you with truth or falsehood;

Whether others speak to you gently or harshly;

Whether others speak to you with beneficial words or with harmful words;

Whether others speak to you with a mind of goodwill or with a mind of hatred.

In such situations you should train yourselves thus:

Our minds will remain unaffected, and we shall not utter evil words; we shall abide compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of goodwill, without inner hate.

We shall pervade that person with a mind imbued with goodwill, and starting with that person, we shall pervade the whole world with a mind like the earth, vast, exalted, measureless, free from enmity, free from affliction.

This is how you should train yourselves, disciples.

Suppose a man were to come carrying a red, yellow, blue, or crimson paint.

He would say, I will draw a picture in the sky, I will make a picture appear.

What do you think

would that man be able to draw a picture in the sky, make a picture appear?

No, venerable sir.

And why is that?

Because, venerable sir, the sky is formless and invisible.

It is not easy to draw a picture there, to make a picture appear;

and that man would only reap weariness and frustration.

In the same way there are these five ways of speech by which others might address you, at the right time or the wrong time...

and you should pervade the entire world with a mind like the sky, vast, exalted, immeasurable, free from hostility and ill will.

This is how you should train yourselves.

Suppose a man were to come carrying a burning torch.

He would say, With this burning torch, I will heat up and burn the Ganges River.

What do you think

would that man be able to heat up and burn the Ganges River with a burning torch?

No, venerable sir.

And why is that?

Because, venerable sir, the Ganges River is deep and immeasurable.

It is not easy to heat up and burn it with a burning torch;

and that man would only reap weariness and frustration.

In the same way there are these five ways of speech by which others might address you, at the right time or the wrong time...

and you should pervade the entire world with a mind like the Ganges River, vast, exalted, immeasurable, free from hostility and ill will.

This is how you should train yourselves.

Suppose a well-beaten, well-softened, well-prepared cat's skin bag, soft, with the down removed, with the hair removed.

Then a man were to come carrying a stick or a piece of wood.

He would say, With this stick or piece of wood, I will make this well-beaten, well-softened, well-prepared cat's skin bag, soft, with the down removed, with the hair removed, make a sound, make a noise.

What do you think

Would that man make that cat's skin, which is well-massaged, soft, and fluffy, into a sound with a stick or a piece of wood, or make it into a noise?

No, venerable sir.

And why is that?

Because, venerable sir, the cat's skin is well-massaged, soft, and fluffy. It is not easy to make it into a sound or noise with a stick or a piece of wood; it would only result in fatigue and trouble for that man.

In the same way there are these five ways of speech by which others might address you: at the right time or the wrong time; truthfully or falsely; gently or harshly; beneficially or harmfully; with a mind of goodwill or with inner hate.

Whether others address you at the right time or the wrong time; truthfully or falsely; gently or harshly; beneficially or harmfully; with a mind of goodwill or with inner hate, you should train yourselves thus: Our minds will remain unaffected, and we shall utter no evil words; we shall abide compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of goodwill, without inner hate. We shall pervade that person with a mind imbued with goodwill, and starting with them, we shall pervade the whole world with a mind imbued with goodwill, vast, exalted, measureless, free from hostility, free from ill will.

Thus should you train yourselves.

Even if bandits were to sever you savagely limb by limb with a two-handled saw, he who gives rise to a mind of hate towards them would not be carrying out my teaching. Herein you should train yourselves thus: Our minds will remain unaffected, and we shall utter no evil words; we shall abide compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of goodwill, without inner hate. We shall pervade that person with a mind imbued with goodwill, and starting with them, we shall pervade the whole world with a mind imbued with goodwill, vast, exalted, measureless, free from hostility, free from ill will.

Thus should you train yourselves.

Disciples, you should frequently reflect on the advice of the parable of the saw. Do you see any statement, small or large, that you would not endure?

No, Venerable Sir.

Therefore frequently reflect on this advice of the parable of the saw. It will be for your long-term welfare and happiness.

Thus spoke the Blessed One.

The disciples were delighted and approved of the Blessed One's words.

The discourse on the parable of the saw is concluded.