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Theravāda — Pali Canon · Khuddaka Nikāya — The Minor Collection
Cp 11The Conduct of a Mother’s Provider
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mātuposakacariya
📖249 words · ~1 min read
2
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Full translation (English)
– The Conduct Leading to Buddhahood
The Chapter on an Elephant The Perfection of Ethics (1st)
The Conduct of One Who Provided for His Mother
“Once I lived in the forestas a elephant who provided for his mother.At that time no-one on earthcould equal my virtues.Seeing me in the forest, a foresterinformed the king about me.‘Great King, an elephant that befits youis dwelling in the forest grove.No need to dig a moat around him,nor tether him to a post in a pit.Taken by the trunk,he will come here by himself.’When he heard these words,the king, elated,sent an elephant-tamer,a well-trained and expert tutor.When the elephant-tamer reached there,he saw me in a lotus pond,pulling out lotus rootsto feed my mother.Discerning my moral virtue,he checked me for marks.Saying, ‘Come, child’,he took me by the trunk.What was at that timethe natural strength of my body,would equal a thousandof the elephants of today.If I had been upsetwith those who came to capture me,I would have had the powerto defeat even a kingdom of men.Nevertheless, for the sake of guarding my ethics,and fulfilling my perfection of ethics,I did not let my mind change,even as they caged me.And even were they to beat mewith hatchets and lances,I would never become upset,for fear of violating my ethics.”
Translation source: Bhikkhu Indacanda (SuttaCentral)License: VI © Bhikkhu Indacanda (qua SuttaCentral) · EN CC0-1.0 (Bhikkhu Sujato)
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