Dhr. Seven, E. Darcey (eds.); Ven. Sujato (trans), Simile of the Saw (MN 21), Sutta Central
Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove in the monastery donated by Anāthapiṇḍika....
[He said to one meditator:] “So if anyone criticizes [people you like] in your presence, give up the way of laypeople. Instead, train yourself, saying:
“‘My mind will remain [unflappable and] unaffected. I will not utter bad words. I will remain [calm and] full of compassion, with a friendly heart free of the stain of hate.’ That is how to train yourself.
“‘My mind will remain [unflappable and] unaffected. I will not utter bad words. I will remain [calm and] full of compassion, with a friendly heart free of the stain of hate.’ That is how to train yourself.
"So
even if someone strikes [people you like] with fists, stones, rods, and swords
in your presence, give up the way of laypeople.
“Instead, train yourself like this, saying: ‘My mind will remain unaffected. I will utter no bad words. I will remain [calm and] full of compassion, with a friendly heart free of the stain of hate.’ That is how to train yourself.
“Even if anyone were to criticize you to your face, give up the way of laypeople. Train yourself, saying: ‘My mind will remain unaffected. I will utter no bad words. I will remain full of compassion, with a friendly heart free if the stain of hate.’ That is how to train yourself.
“Even if someone strikes you with fists, stones, rods, and/or swords, give up the way of laypeople. Instead, if that happens, train yourself, saying: ‘My mind will remain unaffected. I will utter no bad words. I will remain full of compassion, with a friendly heart free of the stain of hate.’ That is how to train yourself.”
Eating once
Then the Buddha said to the monastics: “Meditators, I used to be satisfied with the meditators [in this spiritual community]. I addressed them:
“‘I eat food during one sitting per day. Doing so, I remain healthy and well, nimble, strong, and live comfortably. Eat food during one sitting per day. Doing so, you will remain healthy and well, nimble, strong, and live comfortably.’ I did not have to keep on urging and instructing those meditators; I only prompted their mindfulness.
Charioteer
“Suppose a chariot stood harnessed to thoroughbreds at a level crossroads, with a goad at the ready. An expert horse trainer, a master charioteer, might mount that chariot,
taking the reins in the right hand, the goad in the left. The charioteer could then drive out
and back wherever and whenever.
“In the same way, I did not have to keep urging and instructing those meditators; I only prompted their mindfulness. So, meditators, give up what is unskillful and instead devote yourselves to skillful things. In this way you will achieve growth, development, and maturity in this Dharma and Discipline (this teaching and training).
“Instead, train yourself like this, saying: ‘My mind will remain unaffected. I will utter no bad words. I will remain [calm and] full of compassion, with a friendly heart free of the stain of hate.’ That is how to train yourself.
“Even if anyone were to criticize you to your face, give up the way of laypeople. Train yourself, saying: ‘My mind will remain unaffected. I will utter no bad words. I will remain full of compassion, with a friendly heart free if the stain of hate.’ That is how to train yourself.
“Even if someone strikes you with fists, stones, rods, and/or swords, give up the way of laypeople. Instead, if that happens, train yourself, saying: ‘My mind will remain unaffected. I will utter no bad words. I will remain full of compassion, with a friendly heart free of the stain of hate.’ That is how to train yourself.”
Eating once
Then the Buddha said to the monastics: “Meditators, I used to be satisfied with the meditators [in this spiritual community]. I addressed them:
“‘I eat food during one sitting per day. Doing so, I remain healthy and well, nimble, strong, and live comfortably. Eat food during one sitting per day. Doing so, you will remain healthy and well, nimble, strong, and live comfortably.’ I did not have to keep on urging and instructing those meditators; I only prompted their mindfulness.
Charioteer
“In the same way, I did not have to keep urging and instructing those meditators; I only prompted their mindfulness. So, meditators, give up what is unskillful and instead devote yourselves to skillful things. In this way you will achieve growth, development, and maturity in this Dharma and Discipline (this teaching and training).
Managing the trees
“That person would cut down the crooked sal saplings that were robbing the trees and throw them out. That person would then clean up the interior of the grove and properly care for the straight, well-formed sal saplings.
“In this way, in due course, that sal tree grove would grow, increase, and mature. In the same way, meditators, give up what is unskillful and instead devote yourselves to skillful things. In this way you will achieve growth, development, and maturity in this Dharma and Discipline.
The bad mistress
“Then Kāḷī thought: ‘My mistress [female master] has a good reputation for being sweet, even-tempered, and calm. But does she actually have anger in her and just not show it? Or is she free of anger? Or is it just because my work is organized well that she does not show anger, even though she still has it inside? Why don’t I test my mistress?’
“So Kāḷī purposely got up late. Vedehikā said to her: ‘What is this, Kāḷī?’ ‘What, madam?’ ‘You getting up late—what’s the matter?’ ‘That's nothing, madam.’ ‘That's nothing? You're bad to get up late!’
“Angry and upset, she scowled. Then Kāḷī thought: ‘My mistress actually has anger in her and just hides it. It is not that she is free of anger. It is because my work is organized well that she does not show anger even though she still has it inside. Why don’t I test my mistress further?’
“So Kāḷī got up later. And Vedehikā said to her: ‘What's this, Kāḷī?’ ‘What, madam?’ ‘You getting up later—what’s up with you?’ ‘Nothing’s up, madam.’ ‘Nothing, bad girl, you got up later!’ Angry and upset, she uttered angry words.
“Then Kāḷī thought: ‘My mistress actually has anger and just doesn’t show it. It’s not that she’s free of anger. It’s because my work is organized well that she doesn’t show anger though she still has it inside. Why don’t I test my mistress further?’
“So Kāḷī got up even later. Vedehikā said: ‘What is this, Kāḷī?’ ‘What, madam?’ ‘You getting up even later -- what’s up?’ ‘Nothing’s up, madam.’ ‘Nothing, bad girl, but you get up even later!’ Angry and upset, she grabbed a rolling pin and struck Kāḷī on the head, cutting her skin. Then Kāḷī, blood pouring from her head, denounced her mistress to the neighbors:
“‘See, ladies, what the ‘sweet one’ did! See what the ‘even tempered one’ did! See what the ‘calm one’ did! How on earth can she grab a rolling pin and strike her only maid on the head, cutting her open, just for getting up late?’
“Then after some time the housewife Vedehikā got a bad reputation: ‘The housewife Vedehikā is fierce, ill-tempered, and not calm at all.’
Monastics
“But it’s when they encounter disagreeable criticism that one will know whether they are really sweet, even tempered, and calm. I do not say that a monastic is easy to admonish if he or she makes him or herself easy to admonish only for the sake of robes, alms food, lodgings, and medicines for the sick.
“Why is that? It is because when they do not get robes, alms food, lodgings, and medicines for the sick, they are no longer easy to admonish. But when a monastic is easy to admonish purely because they honor, respect, revere, worship, and venerate the Dharma [the teachings that lead to enlightenment], then I say that they are easy to admonish.
“So, meditators, train yourselves: ‘We will be easy to admonish because we honor, respect, revere, worship, and venerate the Dharma.’ That is how to train yourself.
The world will criticize
“Monastics, there are five ways in which others might criticize you. Their speech may be:
“‘We will meditate spreading a heart full of loving-friendliness to that person. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart full of loving-friendliness to everyone in the world -- abundant, expansive, unlimited, free of enmity and ill will.’ That is how to train yourself.
- timely or untimely
- true or false
- gentle or harsh
- beneficial or harmful
- from a heart of love or from a heart of hate.
“‘We will meditate spreading a heart full of loving-friendliness to that person. And with them as a basis, we will meditate spreading a heart full of loving-friendliness to everyone in the world -- abundant, expansive, unlimited, free of enmity and ill will.’ That is how to train yourself.
De-earth the earth
“No, venerable sir. And why is that? It is because this great earth is deep and unfathomable. It would not be easy to make it earthless. That person would only grow weary and frustrated.”
“In the same way, there are these five ways in which others might criticize you. Their speech may be:
- timely or untimely
- true or false
- gentle or harsh
- beneficial or harmful
- from a heart of love or from a heart of hate.
“We will meditate spreading a heart full of loving-friendliness to that person. And with that person as the basis, we will meditate spreading a heart full of loving-friendliness to everyone in the world -- abundant, expansive, unlimited, free of enmity and ill will.’ That is how to train yourself.
Paint on air
“No, venerable sir. And why is that? It is because the air is formless and invisible. It is not easy to draw pictures there. That person will only grow weary and frustrated.”
“In the same way, there are these five ways in which others might criticize you…
Set fire to water
“Suppose a person were to come along carrying a blazing grass torch and say: ‘I'll burn and scorch the river Ganges with this blazing grass torch.’ What do you think, meditators? Could that person burn and scorch the river Ganges with a blazing grass torch?”
“No, venerable sir. Why is that? It is because the river Ganges is deep and unfathomable. It’s not easy to burn and scorch it with a blazing grass torch. That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.”
“In the same way, there are these five ways in which others might criticize you…
The catskin bag
“‘I'll make this supple catskin bag rustle and crackle with this stick and stone.’ What do you think, meditators? Could that person make that supple catskin bag rustle and crackle with that stick and stone?”
“No, sir. And why is that? It is because that catskin bag is rubbed, well-rubbed, very well-rubbed, soft, supple, free of rustling and crackling. It is not easy to make it rustle or crackle with a stick or stone. That person will only grow weary and frustrated.”
“In the same way, there are these five ways in which others might criticize you. Their speech may be:
- timely or untimely
- true or false
- gentle or harsh
- beneficial or harmful
- from a heart of love or from a heart of hate.
“We will meditate spreading a heart of loving-friendliness to that person. And with that person as the basis, we will meditate spreading a heart full of love to everyone in the world -- abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.’ That is how to train yourself.
The simile of the two-handled saw
“Even
if despicable bandits were to sever you limb from limb with a two-handled saw, anyone who held onto a
malevolent thought on account of that would not be following my
instructions.
“If that happens, train yourselves: ‘Our minds will remain unaffected. We will utter no bad words. We will remain full of compassion, with a heart full of love and free of the stain of hate. We will meditate spreading a heart full of love to that person.
“And with that person as the basis, we will meditate spreading a heart full of loving-friendliness to everyone in the world -- abundant, expansive, unlimited, free of enmity and ill will.’ That is how to train yourself.
“If that happens, train yourselves: ‘Our minds will remain unaffected. We will utter no bad words. We will remain full of compassion, with a heart full of love and free of the stain of hate. We will meditate spreading a heart full of love to that person.
“And with that person as the basis, we will meditate spreading a heart full of loving-friendliness to everyone in the world -- abundant, expansive, unlimited, free of enmity and ill will.’ That is how to train yourself.
“If you frequently reflect on this advice -- the simile of the saw -- do you see ANY criticism, large or small, that you could not endure?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“So, meditators, frequently reflect on this advice, the simile of the saw. This will be for welfare and happiness for a long time.”
“No, venerable sir.”
“So, meditators, frequently reflect on this advice, the simile of the saw. This will be for welfare and happiness for a long time.”
That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the monastics were happy with what the Buddha said.
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