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sn.16.1 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Content

At Savatthī. “Bhikkhus, this Kassapa is content with any kind of robe, and he speaks in praise of contentment with any kind of robe, and he does not engage in a wrong search, in what is improper, for the sake of a robe. If he does not get a robe he is not agitated, and if he gets one he uses it without being tied to it, uninfatuated with it, not blindly absorbed in it, seeing the danger in it, understanding the escape.

“Bhikkhus, this Kassapa is content with any kind of almsfood … with any kind of lodging … with any kind of medicinal requisites … and if he gets them he uses them without being tied to them, uninfatuated with them, not blindly absorbed in them, seeing the danger in them, understanding the escape.

“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will be content with any kind of robe, and we will speak in praise of contentment with any kind of robe, and we will not engage in a wrong search, in what is improper, for the sake of a robe. If we do not get a robe we will not be agitated, and if we get one we will use it without being tied to it, uninfatuated with it, not blindly absorbed in it, seeing the danger in it, understanding the escape.

“‘We will be content with any kind of almsfood … with any kind of lodging … with any kind of medicinal requisites … and if we get them we will use them without being tied to them, uninfatuated with them, not blindly absorbed in them, seeing the danger in them, understanding the escape.’ Thus should you train yourselves.

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

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh


Content

At Sāvatthī.
“Mendicants, Kassapa is content with any kind of robe, and praises such contentment.
He doesn’t try to get hold of a robe in an improper way. He doesn’t get upset if he doesn’t get a robe. And if he does get a robe, he uses it untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawback, and understanding the escape.
Kassapa is content with any kind of almsfood …
Kassapa is content with any kind of lodging …
Kassapa is content with any kind of medicines and supplies for the sick …
So you should train like this: ‘We will be content with any kind of robe, and praise such contentment. We won’t try to get hold of a robe in an improper way.
We won’t get upset if we don’t get a robe. And if we do get a robe, we’ll use it untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawback, and understanding the escape.’
(All should be treated the same way.)
‘We will be content with any kind of almsfood …’
‘We will be content with any kind of lodging …’
‘We will be content with any kind of medicines and supplies for the sick …’
That’s how you should train.
I will exhort you with the example of Kassapa or someone like him. You should practice accordingly.”