SN 16.3 Candūpama Sutta. Like the Moon.

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mikenz66
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SN 16.3 Candūpama Sutta. Like the Moon.

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SN 16.3 Candūpama Sutta. Like the Moon.
Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi.


https://suttacentral.net/en/sn16.3

At Savatthī. “Bhikkhus, you should approach families like the moon— drawing back the body and mind, always acting like newcomers, without impudence towards families. [272] Just as a man looking down an old well, a precipice, or a steep riverbank would draw back the body and mind, so too, bhikkhus, should you approach families.

“Bhikkhus, Kassapa approaches families like the moon—drawing back the body and mind, always acting like a newcomer, without impudence towards families. What do you think, bhikkhus, what kind of bhikkhu is worthy to approach families?”

“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, take recourse in the Blessed One. It would be good if the Blessed One would clear up the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from him, the bhikkhus will remember it.”

Then the Blessed One waved his hand in space [273] and said: “Bhikkhus, just as this hand does not get caught in space, is not held fast by it, is not bound by it, so when a bhikkhu approaches families his mind does not get caught, held fast, and bound amidst families, thinking: ‘May those desiring gains acquire gains, may those desiring merits make merits!’ [274] He is as elated and happy over the gains of others as he is over his own gains. Such a bhikkhu is worthy to approach families.

“Bhikkhus, when Kassapa approaches families his mind does not get caught, held fast, or bound amidst families, thinking: ‘May those desiring gains acquire gains, may those desiring merits make merits!’ He is as elated and happy over the gains of others as he is over his own gains.

“What do you think, bhikkhus, how is a bhikkhu’s teaching of the Dhamma impure, and how is his teaching of the Dhamma pure?”

“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….”

“Then listen and attend closely, bhikkhus, I will speak.”

“Yes, venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

“A bhikkhu teaches the Dhamma to others with the thought: ‘Oh, may they listen to the Dhamma from me! Having listened, may they gain confidence in the Dhamma! Being confident, may they show their confidence to me!’ [275] Such a bhikkhu’s teaching of the Dhamma is impure.

“But a bhikkhu teaches the Dhamma to others with the thought: ‘The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise. Oh, may they listen to the Dhamma from me! Having listened, may they understand the Dhamma! Having understood, may they practise accordingly!’ Thus he teaches the Dhamma to others because of the intrinsic excellence of the Dhamma; he teaches the Dhamma to others from compassion and sympathy, out of tender concern. [276] Such a bhikkhu’s teaching of the Dhamma is pure.

“Bhikkhus, Kassapa teaches the Dhamma to others with the thought: ‘The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One…. Oh, may they listen to the Dhamma from me! Having listened, may they understand the Dhamma! Having understood, may they practise accordingly!’ He teaches the Dhamma to others because of the intrinsic excellence of the Dhamma; he teaches the Dhamma to others from compassion and sympathy, out of tender concern.

“Bhikkhus, I will exhort you by the example of Kassapa or one who is similar to Kassapa. Being exhorted, you should practise accordingly.”

Notes

[272] Spk: “As the moon, gliding across the sky, does not form intimacy, affection, or attachment with anyone, nor give rise to fondness, longing, and obsession, yet remains dear and agreeable to the multitude, so you too should not form intimacy, etc., with anyone; then, by doing so, you will approach families like the moon, dear and agreeable to the multitude. Further, as the moon dispels darkness and emits light, so you will dispel the darkness of defilements and emit the light of knowledge.”

Spk explains apakassa as an absolutive, equivalent to apakassitvā and glossed apanetvā, “having pulled away.” A bhikkhu draws back the body when he lives in a forest abode (rather than a village temple) and draws back the mind when he refrains from sensual thoughts and other harmful mental states.

[273] Spk: This is a unique phrase (asambhinnapada) in the Word of the Buddha preserved in the Tipiṭaka. Spk-pṭ: For nowhere else has this phrase, “The Blessed One waved his hand in space,” been recorded.

[274] This is a self-serving thought. The bhikkhu wants to see the bhikkhus receive offerings and the lay followers “make merit” by offering gifts to them. The bhikkhu who is elated over the gains of others has the virtue of altruistic joy (muditā); he does not become envious when others are chosen to receive gifts rather than himself.

[275] Pasannākāraṃ kareyyuṃ. This idiom also occurs below at SN 20.9 (II 269,24, 33) and at MN III 131,30-31 MN 125 and III 144,18-19 MN 127. A pasannākāraṃ (lit. “a mode of the confident”) is a gift given as an expression of appreciation. The hiatus in Ee should be closed up. Spk: “May they give the requisites, a robe and so forth!”

[276] Kāruññaṃ paṭicca anudayaṃ paṭicca anukampaṃ upādāya. I generally translate both karuṇā (of which kāruññaṃ is a cognate) and anukampā as “compassion.” This is usually successful as the two seldom occur together, but the present passage is a rare exception; thus I use “tender concern” as a makeshift for anukampā.
Spk glosses anudaya with rakkhaṇabhāva (the protective state) and anukampā with muducittatā (tender-heartedness), and says that both terms are synonymous with kāruññaṃ. In the next paragraph, where the same statement is applied to Kassapa, Ee has omitted a line (at II 200,3), apparently by oversight: … paresaṃ dhammaṃ deseti; kāruññaṃ paṭicca.…
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mikenz66
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Re: SN 16.3 Candūpama Sutta. Like the Moon.

Post by mikenz66 »

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Kim OHara
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Re: SN 16.3 Candūpama Sutta. Like the Moon.

Post by Kim OHara »

Thanks, Mike. That's a good sutta for teachers, whatever they/we teach.
From Piya Tan's commentary:
In short, the Buddha himself, as a teacher, feels for his audience (and for us), but his mind is neverthe- less always at peace, unaffected by success or failure.49 Similarly, when we teach the Dharma, we do not measure its result like some business or worldly activity. Our task is to plant the Dharma-seeds and let them grow when the conditions are right. Our task is to make the true Dharma available to anyone with an open mind and ready heart, or a desire to rise above their sufferings. Hence, it is said of the Buddha that “he teaches the Dharma to others out of compassion, out of concern, moved by kind concern.” [§14.4]
Just omitting or changing a couple of words:
In short, the ... teacher, feels for his audience (and for us), but his mind is neverthe- less always at peace, unaffected by success or failure.49 Similarly, when we teach ..., we do not measure its result like some business or worldly activity. Our task is to plant the ...seeds and let them grow when the conditions are right. Our task is to make [our knowledge] available to anyone with an open mind and ready heart, ...
:namaste:
Kim
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Re: SN 16.3 Candūpama Sutta. Like the Moon.

Post by mikenz66 »

Thanks Kim. Yes, it's great advice.

:heart:
Mike
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