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- Samyutta Nikaya XXXV.204
- Kimsuka Sutta
- The Riddle Tree
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
A certain monk went to another monk and, on arrival, said to him, "To what extent,
my friend, is a monk's vision said to be well-purified?"
"When a monk discerns, as it actually is, the origination & passing away of
the six media of sensory contact, my friend, it is to that extent that his vision is said
to be well-purified."
The first monk, dissatisfied with the other monk's answer to his question, went to
still another monk and, on arrival, said to him, "To what extent, my friend, is a
monk's vision said to be well-purified?"
"When a monk discerns, as it actually is, the origination & passing away of
the five aggregates of clinging/sustenance, my friend, it is to that extent that his
vision is said to be well-purified."
The first monk, dissatisfied with this monk's answer to his question, went to still
another monk and, on arrival, said to him, "To what extent, my friend, is a monk's
vision said to be well-purified?"
"When a monk discerns, as it actually is, the origination & passing away of
the four great elements [earth, water, wind, & fire], my friend, it is to that extent
that his vision is said to be well-purified."
The first monk, dissatisfied with this monk's answer to his question, went to still
another monk and, on arrival, said to him, "To what extent, my friend, is a monk's
vision said to be well-purified?"
"When a monk discerns, as it actually is, that whatever is subject to origination
is all subject to cessation, my friend, it is to that extent that his vision is said to be
well-purified."
The first monk, dissatisfied with this monk's answer to his question, then went to the
Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting
there he [reported to the Blessed One his conversations with the other monks. The Blessed
One then said:]
"Monk, it's as if there were a man who had never seen a riddle
tree.[1] He would go to another man who had seen one and, on
arrival, would say to him, 'What, my good man, is a riddle tree like?"
"The other would say, 'A riddle tree is black, my good man, like a burnt stump.'
For at the time he saw it, that's what the riddle tree was like.
"Then the first man, dissatisfied with the other man's answer, went to still
another man who had seen a riddle tree and, on arrival, said to him, 'What, my good man,
is a riddle tree like?'
"The other would say, 'A riddle tree is red, my good man, like a lump of meat.'
For at the time he saw it, that's what the riddle tree was like.
"Then the first man, dissatisfied with this man's answer, went to still another
man who had seen a riddle tree and, on arrival, said to him, 'What, my good man, is a
riddle tree like?'
"The other would say, 'A riddle tree is stripped of its bark, my good man, and has
burst pods, like an acacia tree.' For at the time he saw it, that's what the riddle tree
was like.
"Then the first man, dissatisfied with this man's answer, went to still another
man who had seen a riddle tree and, on arrival, said to him, 'What, my good man, is a
riddle tree like?'
"The other would say, 'A riddle tree has thick foliage, my good man, and gives a
dense shade, like a banyan.' For at the time he saw it, that's what the riddle tree was
like.
"In the same way, monk, however those intelligent men of integrity were focused
when their vision became well purified is the way in which they answered.
"Suppose, monk, that there were a royal frontier fortress with
strong walls & ramparts and six gates. In it would be a wise, experienced, intelligent
gatekeeper to keep out those he didn't know and to let in those he did. A swift
pair of messengers, coming from the east, would say to the gatekeeper, 'Where, my good
man, is the commander of this fortress?' He would say, 'There he is, sirs, sitting in the
central square.' The swift pair of messengers, delivering their accurate report to the
commander of the fortress, would then go back by the route by which they had come. Then a
swift pair of messengers, coming from the west...the north...the south, would say to the
gatekeeper, 'Where, my good man, is the commander of this fortress?' He would say, 'There
he is, sirs, sitting in the central square.' The swift pair of messengers, delivering
their accurate report to the commander of the fortress, would then go back by the route by
which they had come.
"I have given you this simile, monk, to convey a message. The message is this: The
fortress stands for this body -- composed of four elements, born of mother & father,
nourished with rice & barley gruel, subject to constant rubbing & abrasion, to
breaking & falling apart. The six gates stand for the six internal sense media. The
gatekeeper stands for mindfulness. The swift pair of messengers stands for tranquillity (samatha)
and insight (vipassana). The commander of the fortress stands for consciousness.
The central square stands for the four great elements: the earth-property, the
liquid-property, the fire-property, & the wind-property. The accurate report stands
for Unbinding (nibbana). The route by which they had come stands for the noble
eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood,
right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration."
Note
1. Literally, a "what's it" tree -- apparently Butea
frondosa, the flame of the forest. It is often the subject of riddles in lands where
it grows because its seasonal changes -- e.g., losing all its leaves just before its
striking red flowers bloom -- are so vivid and unusual. [Go back]