Teachings¶
Principles of Cordiality
Cha sāraṇīya-dhammā
[MN 48]
ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā kosambiyaṃ viharati ghositārāme
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ekaṃ samayaṃ | idioṃ | at one time, on one occasion | |
| bhagavā | noun | masc.nom.sg | the Sublime One, Blessed One, Fortunate One Buddha |
| kosambiyaṃ | noun | fem.loc.sg | in Kosambī |
| viharati | verb | pr.3.sg | lives, stays, remains, continues |
| ghosita- | noun | Ghosita; lit: shouted, announced, proclaimed | |
| arāme | noun | masc.loc.sg | in park, parkland, nature reserve |
On one occasion the Blessed One was living in Kosambī, in Ghosita's park.
chayime bhikkhave dhammā sāraṇīyā
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| cha- | card | six (6) | |
| ime | pron | masc.nom.pl | these |
| dhammā | noun | masc.nom.pl | principles, law |
| sāraṇīyā | adj | masc.nom.pl | polite, pleasant, charming, lit. can be delighted |
Monks, there are these six principles of cordiality
piya-karaṇā garu-karaṇā saṅgahāya avivādāya sāmaggiyā ekībhāvāya saṃvattanti
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| piya- | noun | love, friendship | |
| karaṇā | adj | masc.nom.pl | doing, making, causing, effecting |
| garu- | noun | respect, honour | |
| karaṇā | adj | masc.nom.pl | doing, making, causing, effecting |
| saṅgahāya | noun | masc.dat.sg | for friendliness, collaboration, favour lit. holding together |
| avivādāya | noun | masc.dat.sg | for no quarrel, non-dispute, no argument |
| sāmaggiyā | noun | fem.dat.sg | for concord; unity. |
| ekībhāvāya | noun | masc.dat.sg | for unity, state of oneness |
| saṃvattanti | verb | pr.3.pl | they lead (to), conduce to |
that making friendship and respect, and conduce to collaboration, to non-dispute, to concord and unity.
katame cha?
what are the six?
idha bhikkhave bhikkhuno mettaṃ kāyakammaṃ vacīkammaṃ manokammaṃ paccupaṭṭhitaṃ hoti sabrahmacārīsu āvi c'eva raho ca
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| mettaṃ | adj | nt.acc.sg | friendly, benevolent, kind |
| kāyakammaṃ | noun | nt.acc.sg | physical action, bodily action |
| vacīkammaṃ | noun | nt.acc.sg | verbal action, vocal act, speech |
| manokammaṃ | noun | nt.acc.sg | mental action, thought, intention, lit. mind action |
| paccupaṭṭhitaṃ | pp | nt.acc.sg | is present (for), is ready (for), is standing by (for) |
| hoti | verb | pr.3.sg | there is |
| sabrahmacārīsu | noun | masc.loc.pl | in spiritual companions |
| āvi | ind | openly, in full view | |
| c'eva | ind | and even, as well as | |
| raho | ind | in private, in secret, in seclusion | |
| ca | ind | and |
Here for a monks there are bodily actions, verbal actions and mental actions, full of friendliness present towards (his) spiritual companions openly and even in private.
bhikkhu ye te lābhā dhammikā dhammaladdhā antamaso pattapariyāpannamattampi, tathārūpehi lābhehi appaṭivibhattabhogī hoti sīlavantehi sabrahmacārīhi sādhāraṇabhogī.
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| bhikkhu | noun | masc.nom.sg | monk |
| ye | pron | masc.acc.pl | whatever |
| te | pron | masc.acc.pl | those |
| lābhā | noun | masc.nom.pl | gains, profits, acquisitions |
| dhammikā | adj | masc.nom.pl | legal, legitimate, righteous, just |
| dhammaladdhā | adj | masc.nom.pl | justly acquired, honestly gained, legally obtained, legitimately acquired |
| antamaso | ind | even so much as, even with, even down to | with as little as |
| patta- | noun | bowl, alms bowl | |
| pariyāpanna- | adj | gone completely into,” included in | belonging to, got into |
| mattam'pi | adj | just merely, the fact of, by virtue of | |
| tathārūpehi | adj | masc.ins.pl | with such, so formed, of such quality |
| lābhehi | noun | masc.ins.pl | with gains, profits, acquisitions |
| hoti | verb | pr.3.sg | is, there is |
| sīlavantehi | adj | masc.ins.pl | with virtuous, ethical, moral, |
| sabrahmacārīhi | noun | masc.ins.pl | with fellow monks, spiritual companions |
| appaṭivibhatta- | adj | not for onself dividing, without reservations, | not without sharing with others |
| bhogī | adj | enjoying, using, experiencing, partaking in | |
| sādhāraṇa- | adj | in common, together | |
| bhogī | adj | enjoying, using, experiencing, partaking in |
Whatever a monk gains, that has been righteously and legally obtained, even including the mere contents of his bowl, such gains he does not using without sharing, but using in common with his virtuous spiritual companions.
bhikkhu yāni tāni sīlāni akhaṇḍāni acchiddāni asabalāni akammāsāni bhujissāni viññuppasatthāni aparāmaṭṭhāni samādhisaṃvattanikāni tathārūpesu sīlesu sīlasāmaññagato viharati sabrahmacārīsu āvi ceva raho ca.
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| bhikkhu | noun | masc.nom.sg | monk |
| yāni | pron | nt.acc.pl | whatever |
| tāni | pron | nt.acc.pl | those |
| sīlāni | noun | nt.acc.pl | behaviour, conduct, morality |
| akhaṇḍāni | adj | nt.acc.pl | unbroken, unfragmented, whole |
| acchiddāni | adj | nt.acc.pl | unbroken, flawless |
| asabalāni | adj | nt.acc.pl | not spotted, not mottled |
| akammāsāni | adj | nt.acc.pl | unblemished, spotless, pure, lit. not spotted |
| bhujissāni | adj | nt.acc.pl | cleansing, freeing, liberating |
| viññuppasatthāni | adj | nt.acc.pl | praised by the wise |
| aparāmaṭṭhāni | adj | nt.acc.pl | irreproachable, untouchable, untarnished |
| samādhi- | noun | perfect peace of mind, stability of mind | stillness of mind |
| saṃvattanikāni | adj | nt.acc.pl | leading to, conducive to |
| tathārūpesu | adj | nt.loc.pl | in such, so formed, of such quality |
| sīlesu | noun | nt.loc.pl | in behaviour, conduct, morality |
| sīla- | noun | behaviour, conduct, morality | |
| sāmaññagato | adj | masc.nom.sg | possessing, endowed (with), having lit. going together (with) |
| viharati | verb | pr.3.sg | lives, stays, remains, continues |
| sabrahmacārīsu | noun | masc.loc.pl | among spiritual companions |
| āvi ceva raho ca | idioṃ | openly and even in private |
Monk dwells both in public and in private possessing in common with his companions in the holy life those virtues that are unbroken, flawless, not spotted, unblemished, liberating, praised by the wise, untarnished and conducive to stability of mind.
bhikkhu yāyaṃ diṭṭhi ariyā niyyānikā niyyāti takkarassa sammā dukkhakkhayāya tathārūpāya diṭṭhiyā diṭṭhisāmaññagato viharati sabrahmacārīsu āvi ceva raho ca
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| bhikkhu | noun | masc.nom.sg | monk |
| yā + ayaṃ | pron | fem.nom.sg | that which, whatever, whichever |
| diṭṭhi | noun | fem.nom.sg | view, belief, opinion, concept, theory, opinion attitude |
| ariyā | adj | fem.nom.sg | noble, distinguished |
| niyyānikā | adj | fem.nom.sg | redemptive, salvatory, leading to deliverance lit. leading out |
| niyyāti | verb | pr.3.sg | goes out, goes forth (to); leading to |
| takkarassa | adj | masc.dat.sg | for who does that, doing that, who practices in accordance with that |
| sammā | ind | completely, thoroughly, fully, totally | |
| dukkhakkhayāya | noun | masc.dat.sg | for destruction of suffering, termination of misery |
| tathārūpāya | adj | fem.loc.sg | in such, so formed, of such quality |
| diṭṭhiyā | noun | fem.loc.sg | in view, belief, opinion, concept, theory opinion, attitude |
| diṭṭhi- | noun | view, belief, opinion, concept, theory, opinion | attitude |
| sāmaññagato | adj | masc.nom.sg | possessing, endowed (with), having lit. going together (with) |
| viharati | verb | pr.3.sg | lives, stays, remains, continues |
| sabrahmacārīsu | noun | masc.loc.pl | among spiritual companions |
| āvi ceva raho ca | idioṃ | openly and even in private |
Monk dwells both in public and in private possessing in common with his companions in the holy life that view that is noble and redemptive, and leads one who practises in accordance with that to the complete destruction of suffering.
[MN 104]
ime kho bhikkhave cha sāraṇīyā dhammā piyakaraṇā garukaraṇā saṅgahāya avivādāya sāmaggiyā ekībhāvāya saṃvattanti
Monks, there are these six principles of cordiality that making friendship and respect, and conduce to collaboration, to non-dispute, to concord and unity.
ime ce tumhe cha sāraṇīye dhamme samādāya vatteyyātha,
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ime | pron | masc.nom.pl | these |
| ce | ind | if | |
| cha | card | pl | six (6) |
| sāraṇīye | adj | masc.acc.pl | polite, pleasant, charming, lit. can be delighted |
| dhamme | noun | masc.acc.pl | principles, law |
| samādāya | verb | ger | accepting, undertaking, taking up |
| vatteyyātha | verb | opt.2.pl | you should proceed, continue, go forward practice |
If you could undertake and practice these six principles of cordiality,
passatha no tumhe taṃ vacana-pathaṃ aṇuṃ vā thūlaṃ vā yaṃ tumhe n'ādhivāseyyāthā'ti
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| passatha | verb | pr.2.pl | you see |
| no | ind | interr | ? (integration) |
| tumhe | pron | 2.nom.pl | you all, you |
| taṃ | pron | masc.acc.sg | that |
| vacana- | noun | saying; expressing, speech | |
| pathaṃ | noun | masc.acc.sg | way; course; means, manner |
| aṇuṃ vā | adj | masc.acc.sg | or tiny; trivial; small |
| thūlaṃ vā | adj | masc.acc.sg | or gross; coarse |
| yaṃ | pron | masc.acc.sg | that which |
| tumhe | pron | 2.nom.pl | you all, you |
| n'ādhivāseyyāthā'ti | verb | opt.2.pl | could not accept, should not endure |
do you see any manner of speech trivial or gross that you could not endure?
no h'etaṃ bhante
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| no | ind | not | |
| hi- | ind | indeed, certainly, truly, definitely | |
| etaṃ | pron | nt.nom.sg | this |
'This is definitely not, Venerable Sir.'
tasmā't'iha ime cha sāraṇīyesāra dhamme samādāya vattatha
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| tasmā't'iha | ind | therefore here | |
| vattatha | verb | imp.2.sg | you must proceed, continue, go forward, practice |
Therefore you must undertake and practice these six principles of cordiality.
taṃ vo bhavissati dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāyā'ti
| Pāli | POS | Grammar | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| taṃ | pron | nt.nom.sg | that |
| vo | pron | 2.gen.pl | your |
| dīgharattaṃ | ind | adv | for a long time, a long time |
| hitāya | noun | nt.dat.sg | for welfare, good, benefit, blessing |
| sukhāya | noun | nt.dat.sg | for ease, comfort, happiness, pleasure |
That is for your welfare and happiness for a long time