箭喻經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Bhagavā was staying in the Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's park, in the city of Śrāvastī. At that time the venerable Mālukyaputta, dwelling alone in a secluded place, gave rise to a thought such as this: "The Bhagavā sets aside wrong views and removes wrong views, yet He does not declare: 'The world is eternal' or 'The world is not eternal'; 'The world is finite' or 'The world is infinite'? Is the life-principle the same as the body, or is the life-principle other than the body?

Does the Tathāgata exist after death, or does He not exist after death? Does He both exist and not exist, and is there the matter of not existing after death?' I cannot accept this, I cannot make use of it, I cannot take delight in it. If the Bhagavā will declare to me with certainty concerning the world, 'The world is eternal,' then I shall follow Him to practice the holy life.

If the Bhagavā will steadfastly refuse to declare 'The world is eternal,' then I shall dispute with Him and then depart. So too with 'The world is finite,' 'The world is infinite,' or 'the life-principle is other and the body is other,' is there the matter of the Tathāgata existing after death or is there not the matter of His existing after death? Is there or is there not the matter of 'not existing after death'?

If the Bhagavā will declare to me with certainty, 'Only this is true; all else is foolishness,' then I shall practice the holy life with Him. But if the Bhagavā steadfastly will not declare, 'This is true; all else is foolishness,' then once I have asked Him, I shall depart."

Then the venerable Mālukyaputta, after midday, rose up and went to where the Bhagavā was. Having arrived, he bowed down at the feet of the Bhagavā and sat to one side. The venerable Mālukyaputta, having sat to one side, addressed the Bhagavā, saying:

"World-Honored One, while I was in a secluded place, this thought arose in me: 'The Bhagavā sets aside wrong views and removes wrong views, yet He does not declare: "The world is eternal," and so on down to "the Tathāgata does not exist after death." This I do not wish for, this I cannot endure, in this I do not delight. If the Bhagavā with certainty knows that "the world is eternal," then let the Bhagavā declare it. But if the Bhagavā does not at all know that "the world is eternal," then let Him speak plainly: "I do not know." So too with "the world is not eternal," and so on down to "the Tathāgata does not exist after death": if the Bhagavā fully knows it clearly, then I pray He will tell me, "This is true; all else is foolishness." Thus should the Bhagavā make it known.

But if the Bhagavā does not know "This is true; all else is foolishness," then let Him speak plainly to me, "He does not know."'"

"Mālukyaputta, did I formerly ever say to you: 'If I declare "the world is eternal," then you shall follow me to practice the holy life'?"

"No, World-Honored One!"

"So too with 'the world is not eternal,' and so on down to 'the Tathāgata does not exist after death.' Did I say, 'My words are the true holy life'?"

"No, World-Honored One!"

"Mālukyaputta, did you formerly say to me: 'If the World-Honored One affirms with certainty that "the world is eternal," then I shall follow Him to practice the holy life'?"

"No, World-Honored One!"

"So too with 'the world is not eternal,' and so on down to 'the Tathāgata does not exist after death.' Did you say, 'If the Bhagavā tells me "This is true; all else is foolishness," then I shall follow Him to train in the holy life'?"

"It is not so, World-Honored One!"

"Mālukyaputta, I never said such a thing to you, and you never said such a thing to me. You are a foolish man—without cause, why then do you slander me?" At that time the venerable Mālukyaputta, having been rebuked directly to his face by the Buddha, had no word of defense and remained silent. Sweat broke out over his whole body, and he bowed his head in silence.

Then the Bhagavā, having rebuked Mālukyaputta directly to his face, said to the bhikṣus:

"Suppose there were a foolish man who thought: 'I shall not follow the Bhagavā to practice the holy life unless the Bhagavā declares with certainty: the world is eternal.' That foolish man, before he could come to know anything at all, would already be dead midway. So too with the matter of 'the world is not eternal,' and so on down to 'the Tathāgata does not exist after death': 'I shall not follow the Bhagavā to practice the holy life. Unless the Bhagavā tells me: "This is true; all else is foolishness."' That man, before he could know anything at all, would already be dead midway.

It is like a man struck in the body by a poisoned arrow. His kinsmen, out of compassion, wishing to make him secure and to benefit him, urgently summon a physician to draw out the poisoned arrow. But then the man struck by the poisoned arrow thinks: 'I do not yet want the poisoned arrow drawn out in haste; I want to know what is the clan name and the personal name of the man who shot the bow, and what his appearance is like.

Is he tall or short, or of middling height? Is he dark or fair, of the Kṣatriya caste or a brāhmaṇa, or a householder, or an artisan? Is he in the Eastern, the Western, the Southern, or the Northern quarter?

Why did he take up an arrow and shoot me? I do not yet want the poisoned arrow drawn out in haste; let me know whether the bow is made of the Sāla tree, or the Tāla tree, or the Śīravaṅgula tree.

I do not yet want the poisoned arrow drawn out in haste; let me know whether the sinew bound around the bow is made of ox sinew, goat sinew, or cat sinew.

I do not yet want the poisoned arrow drawn out in haste; let me know whether the arrow is made of white bone, black, or brown.

I do not yet want the poisoned arrow drawn out in haste; let me know whether the bowstring is made of ox sinew, or goat sinew, or cat sinew.

I do not yet want the poisoned arrow drawn out in haste; let me know whether the arrow shaft is made of the Śara reed, or bamboo, or the Lāṅgalī tree.

I do not yet want the poisoned arrow drawn out in haste; let me know whether the sinew of that bow is ox sinew, goat sinew, or cat sinew used to bind it.

I do not yet want the poisoned arrow drawn out in haste; let me know whether the feather fixed behind the arrow is that of the peacock, or of the heron, or of the vulture.

I do not yet want the poisoned arrow drawn out in haste; let me know whether the iron capping the head of the arrow is of the Bāsa kind, or the Bāla kind, or the Nāla kind, or the Jālabe kind.

I do not yet want the poisoned arrow drawn out in haste; it is essential for me to know the clan name and the personal name of the smith who made that iron arrow, what his appearance is like, whether he is tall, short, or of middling height. Is he dark or fair? Is he in the Eastern, the Western, the Southern, or the Northern quarter?'

But that man, before he could come to know anything at all, would already be dead midway. In the same way, suppose there is a foolish man who thinks: 'I shall not follow the Bhagavā to practice the holy life unless the Bhagavā tells me: This is true; all else is foolishness.' That foolish man, before he could come to know anything—even were the world eternal—would already be dead midway, because of this wrong view. So too, that man would follow me to practice the holy life if 'the world is not eternal,' and so on down to 'the Tathāgata does not exist after death'—this is a wrong view, yet he would also follow me to practice the holy life.

With this wrong view, '"the world is eternal,"' that man should not follow me to practice the holy life. So too, '"the world is not eternal," and so on down to "the Tathāgata does not exist after death"'—with this wrong view, he should not follow me to practice the holy life. Without this wrong view, '"the world is eternal,"' he likewise should follow me to train in the holy life.

Without this wrong view, '"the world is not eternal," and so on down to "the Tathāgata does not exist after death,"' he likewise should follow me to train in the holy life. Without the wrong view '"the world is eternal,"' he should not follow me to train in the holy life. Without this wrong view, '"Thus, the world is not eternal," and so on down to "the Tathāgata does not exist after death,"' he should not follow me to train in the holy life.

Even though the world be eternal, still there is birth, aging, sickness, and death; there is sorrow, lamentation, and dejection. Thus does this whole great mass of suffering arise. So too, even though the world be not eternal, and so on down to 'the Tathāgata does not exist after death,' still there is birth, aging, sickness, and death, and so on down to the arising of this whole great mass of suffering. 'Even though the world be eternal'—that I do not declare.

So too, 'the world is not eternal, and so on down to the Tathāgata existing after death'—that too I do not declare. Why do I not declare it? Because it is not connected with the goal, it is also not in accord with the Dharma, it is not the holy life, it does not lead to spiritual power, it does not lead to the supreme path, it is not conjoined with Nirvāṇa; therefore I do not declare it.

Then what is it that I do declare with certainty? I declare with certainty: 'This is suffering.' I declare with certainty: 'This is the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, the abode.' Why is this so? I declare these matters with certainty because they are connected with the goal, they are the Dharma, they lead to spiritual power, to the practice of the holy life and on to the supreme path, and they are conjoined with Nirvāṇa; therefore I declare them with certainty. Those things that I do not declare should be set aside, and those things that I do declare should be received and upheld."

The Buddha having spoken thus, the bhikṣus, hearing what the World-Honored One had said, were delighted and rejoiced.

THE BUDDHA SPEAKS THE SUTRA OF THE PARABLE OF THE ARROW