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sn.20.7 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

The Drum-Peg

Thus have I heard: the Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. There the Exalted One addressed the brethren:

Once upon a time, brethren, the Dasārahas had a kettle-drum called Summoner. As it began to split the Dasārahas fixed in ever another peg, until the time came that the Summoner's original drumhead had vanished and only the framework of pegs remained. Even so, brethren, will the brethren become in the future.

Those Suttantas uttered by the Tathāgata, deep, deep in meaning, not of the world, dealing with the void, to these when uttered, they will not listen, they will not lend a ready ear, they will not bring to them an understanding heart, they will not deem those doctrines that which should be learnt by heart, that which should be mastered. But those Suttantas which are made by poets, which are poetry, which are a manifold of words, a manifold of phrases, alien, the utterances of disciples, to these when uttered they will listen, they will lend a ready ear, they will bring an understanding heart, they will deem these doctrines that which should be learnt by heart, which should be mastered.

Thus it is, brethren, that the Suttantas uttered by the Tathāgata, deep, deep in meaning, not of the world, dealing with the void, will disappear. Wherefore, brethren, ye are thus to train yourselves: to these very Suttantas will we listen, will we give a ready ear, to these will we bring an understanding heart. And we will deem these doctrines that which should be learnt by heart, and mastered, even thus.

- Translator: C.A.F. Rhys Davids

- Editor: Brother Joe Smith

The Drum Peg

At Sāvatthī.
“Once upon a time, mendicants, the Dasārahas had a clay drum called the Commander.
Each time the Commander split they repaired it by inserting another peg.
But there came a time when the clay drum Commander’s original wooden rim disappeared
and only a mass of pegs remained.
In the same way, in a future time there will be mendicants who won’t want to listen when discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—are being recited. They won’t pay attention or apply their minds to understand them, nor will they think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.
But when discourses composed by poets—poetry, with fancy words and phrases, composed by outsiders or spoken by disciples—are being recited they will want to listen. They’ll pay attention and apply their minds to understand them, and they’ll think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.
And that is how the discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—will disappear.
So you should train like this:
‘When discourses spoken by the Realized One—deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness—are being recited we will want to listen. We will pay attention and apply our minds to understand them, and we will think those teachings are worth learning and memorizing.’
That’s how you should train.”