A Lump of Cowdung
Gomaya (SN 22.96)
At Savatthi. Then a certain bhikkhu … Sitting to one side, that bhikkhu said to the Blessed One:
“Venerable sir, is there any form that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself? Is there, venerable sir, any feeling … any perception … any volitional formations … any consciousness that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself?”
“Bhikkhu, there is no form that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself. There is no feeling … no perception … no volitional formations … no consciousness that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself.”
Then the Blessed One took up a little lump of cowdung in his hand and said to that bhikkhu: “Bhikkhu, there is not even this much individual existence that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself. If there was this much individual existence that was permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, this living of the holy life for the complete destruction of suffering could not be discerned. But because there is not even this much individual existence that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, this living of the holy life for the complete destruction of suffering is discerned.
“In the past, bhikkhu, I was a head-anointed khattiya king. I had 84,000 cities, the chief of which was the capital Kusavati. I had 84,000 palaces, the chief of which was the palace named Dhamma. I had 84,000 halls with peaked roofs, the chief of which was the hall named the Great Array. I had 84,000 couches made of ivory, of heartwood, of gold and silver, decked with long-haired coverlets, embroidered with flowers, with choice spreads made of antelope hides, with red awnings overhead and red cushions at both ends.
“I had 84,000 bull elephants with golden ornaments and golden banners, covered with nets of golden thread, the chief of which was the royal bull elephant named Uposatha. I had 84,000 steeds with golden ornaments and golden banners, covered with nets of golden thread, the chief of which was the royal steed named Valahaka. I had 84,000 chariots with golden ornaments and golden banners, covered with nets of golden thread, the chief of which was the chariot named Vejayanta.
“I had 84,000 jewels, the chief of which was the jewel-gem. I had 84,000 women, the chief of whom was Queen Subhadda. I had 84,000 vassals of the khattiya caste, the chief of whom was the commander-gem. I had 84,000 cows with tethers of fine jute and milk pails of bronze. I had 84,000 koṭis of garments made of fine linen, of fine silk, of fine wool, of fine cotton. I had 84,000 plates on which my meals were served both in the morning and in the evening.
“Of those 84,000 cities, bhikkhu, there was only one city in which I resided at that time: the capital Kusavati. Of those 84,000 palaces, there was only one palace in which I resided at that time: the palace named Dhamma. Of those 84,000 halls with peaked roof, there was only one hall with peaked roof in which I resided at that time: the hall named the Great Array. Of those 84,000 couches, there was only one couch that I used at that time, one made either of ivory or of heartwood or of gold or of silver.
“Of those 84,000 elephants, there was only one elephant that I rode at that time, the royal bull elephant named Uposatha. Of those 84,000 steeds, there was only one steed that I rode at that time, the royal steed named Valahaka. Of those 84,000 chariots, there was only one chariot that I rode in at that time, the chariot named Vejayanta.
“Of those 84,000 women, there was only one woman who waited on me at that time, either a khattiya maiden or a velamika maiden. Of those 84,000 koṭis of garments, there was only one pair of garments that I wore at that time, one made either of fine linen or of fine silk or of fine wool or of fine cotton. Of those 84,000 plates, there was only one plate from which I ate at most a measure of rice with a suitable curry.
“Thus, bhikkhu, all those formations have passed, ceased, changed. So impermanent are formations, bhikkhu, so unstable, so unreliable. It is enough, bhikkhu, to feel revulsion towards all formations, enough to become dispassionate towards them, enough to be liberated from them.”
“Venerable sir, is there any form that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself? Is there, venerable sir, any feeling … any perception … any volitional formations … any consciousness that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself?”
“Bhikkhu, there is no form that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself. There is no feeling … no perception … no volitional formations … no consciousness that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself.”
Then the Blessed One took up a little lump of cowdung in his hand and said to that bhikkhu: “Bhikkhu, there is not even this much individual existence that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself. If there was this much individual existence that was permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, this living of the holy life for the complete destruction of suffering could not be discerned. But because there is not even this much individual existence that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, this living of the holy life for the complete destruction of suffering is discerned.
“In the past, bhikkhu, I was a head-anointed khattiya king. I had 84,000 cities, the chief of which was the capital Kusavati. I had 84,000 palaces, the chief of which was the palace named Dhamma. I had 84,000 halls with peaked roofs, the chief of which was the hall named the Great Array. I had 84,000 couches made of ivory, of heartwood, of gold and silver, decked with long-haired coverlets, embroidered with flowers, with choice spreads made of antelope hides, with red awnings overhead and red cushions at both ends.
“I had 84,000 bull elephants with golden ornaments and golden banners, covered with nets of golden thread, the chief of which was the royal bull elephant named Uposatha. I had 84,000 steeds with golden ornaments and golden banners, covered with nets of golden thread, the chief of which was the royal steed named Valahaka. I had 84,000 chariots with golden ornaments and golden banners, covered with nets of golden thread, the chief of which was the chariot named Vejayanta.
“I had 84,000 jewels, the chief of which was the jewel-gem. I had 84,000 women, the chief of whom was Queen Subhadda. I had 84,000 vassals of the khattiya caste, the chief of whom was the commander-gem. I had 84,000 cows with tethers of fine jute and milk pails of bronze. I had 84,000 koṭis of garments made of fine linen, of fine silk, of fine wool, of fine cotton. I had 84,000 plates on which my meals were served both in the morning and in the evening.
“Of those 84,000 cities, bhikkhu, there was only one city in which I resided at that time: the capital Kusavati. Of those 84,000 palaces, there was only one palace in which I resided at that time: the palace named Dhamma. Of those 84,000 halls with peaked roof, there was only one hall with peaked roof in which I resided at that time: the hall named the Great Array. Of those 84,000 couches, there was only one couch that I used at that time, one made either of ivory or of heartwood or of gold or of silver.
“Of those 84,000 elephants, there was only one elephant that I rode at that time, the royal bull elephant named Uposatha. Of those 84,000 steeds, there was only one steed that I rode at that time, the royal steed named Valahaka. Of those 84,000 chariots, there was only one chariot that I rode in at that time, the chariot named Vejayanta.
“Of those 84,000 women, there was only one woman who waited on me at that time, either a khattiya maiden or a velamika maiden. Of those 84,000 koṭis of garments, there was only one pair of garments that I wore at that time, one made either of fine linen or of fine silk or of fine wool or of fine cotton. Of those 84,000 plates, there was only one plate from which I ate at most a measure of rice with a suitable curry.
“Thus, bhikkhu, all those formations have passed, ceased, changed. So impermanent are formations, bhikkhu, so unstable, so unreliable. It is enough, bhikkhu, to feel revulsion towards all formations, enough to become dispassionate towards them, enough to be liberated from them.”
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