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- Samyutta Nikaya XXXV.207
- Yavakalapi Sutta
- The Sheaf of Barley
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
"Suppose, monks, that a sheaf of barley were thrown down at a
large four-way intersection, and six men were to come along with flails in their hands.
They would thrash the sheaf of barley with their six flails. Thus the sheaf of barley
would be thoroughly thrashed with the six flails. Then a seventh man would come along with
a flail in his hand. He would thrash the sheaf of barley with a seventh flail. Thus the
sheaf of barley would be even more thoroughly thrashed with the seventh flail.
"In the same way, the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person is thrashed in the eye
by charming & pleasurable forms...thrashed in the ear by charming & pleasurable
sounds...thrashed in the nose by charming & pleasurable aromas...thrashed in the
tongue by charming & pleasurable flavors...thrashed in the body by charming &
pleasurable tactile sensations...thrashed in the intellect by charming & pleasurable
ideas. And if that uninstructed run-of-the-mill person forms intentions for the sake of
further becoming in the future, then he -- that foolish person -- is even more thoroughly
thrashed, just like the sheaf of barley thrashed with the seventh flail.
"Once, monks, the devas & asuras were arrayed for battle. Then Vepacitti, the lord of the asuras, addressed the asuras: 'If, dear
sirs, in the battle of the devas arrayed against the asuras, the asuras win and the devas
are defeated, bind Sakka, the lord of the devas, neck, hand, & foot and bring him
before me in the city of the asuras.'
"As for Sakka, lord of the devas, he addressed the devas of
the Thirty-three: 'If dear sirs, in the battle of the devas arrayed against the asuras,
the devas win and the asuras are defeated, bind Vepacitti, the lord of the asuras, neck,
hand, & foot and bring him before me in the righteous assembly of the devas.'
"Now, in that battle the devas won. So the devas of the Thirty-three bound
Vepacitti, the lord of the asuras, neck, hand, & foot and brought him before Sakka in
the righteous assembly of the devas.
"So there was Vepacitti, the lord of the asuras, bound neck, hand, & foot.
When the thought occurred to him, 'The devas are in the right and the asuras are in the
wrong. I'm now going over to the city of the devas,' then he viewed himself as freed from
that fivefold bond. He was fully provided with the fivefold strands of heavenly sensual
pleasure. But when the thought occurred to him, 'The asuras are in the right and the devas
are in the wrong. I will go over to the city of the asuras,' then he viewed himself as
bound with that fivefold bond, deprived of the fivefold strands of heavenly sensual
pleasure. That's how subtle the bonds of Vepacitti were. But the bonds of Mara
are even more subtle. Anyone who construes is bound by Mara. Anyone who doesn't construe
is freed from the Evil One.
"'I am' is a construing. 'I am this' is a construing. 'I shall be' is a
construing. 'I shall not be'...'I shall be possessed of form'...'I shall not be possessed
of form'...'I shall be percipient'...'I shall not be percipient'...'I shall be neither
percipient nor non-percipient' is a construing. Construing is a disease, construing is a
cancer, construing is an arrow. Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves: 'We will
dwell with an awareness free of construings.'
"'I am' is a perturbation. 'I am this' is a perturbation. 'I shall be' is a
perturbation. 'I shall not be'...'I shall be possessed of form'...'I shall not be
possessed of form'...'I shall be percipient'...'I shall not be percipient'...'I shall be
neither percipient nor non-percipient' is a perturbation. Perturbation is a disease,
perturbation is a cancer, perturbation is an arrow. Therefore, monks, you should train
yourselves: 'We will dwell with an awareness free of perturbations.'
"'I am' is a wavering. 'I am this' is a wavering. 'I shall be' is a wavering. 'I
shall not be'...'I shall be possessed of form'...'I shall not be possessed of form'...'I
shall be percipient'...'I shall not be percipient'...'I shall be neither percipient nor
non-percipient' is a wavering. Wavering is a disease, wavering is a cancer, wavering is an
arrow. Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves: 'We will dwell with an awareness
free of waverings.'
"'I am' is a complication. 'I am this' is a complication. 'I shall be' is a
complication. 'I shall not be'...'I shall be possessed of form'...'I shall not be
possessed of form'...'I shall be percipient'...'I shall not be percipient'...'I shall be
neither percipient nor non-percipient' is a complication. Complication is a disease,
complication is a cancer, complication is an arrow. Therefore, monks, you should train
yourselves: 'We will dwell with an awareness free of complications.'
"'I am' is an act of conceit. 'I am this' is an act of conceit. 'I shall be' is an
act of conceit. 'I shall not be'...'I shall be possessed of form'...'I shall not be
possessed of form'...'I shall be percipient'...'I shall not be percipient'...'I shall be
neither percipient nor non-percipient' is an act of conceit. An act of conceit is a
disease, an act of conceit is a cancer, an act of conceit is an arrow. Therefore, monks,
you should train yourselves: 'We will dwell with an awareness free of acts of
conceit.'"