Nandavaggo
3-9: Sippasuttaṁ (29)
The Discourse about the Crafts
Evaṁ me sutaṁ:
Thus I heard:
ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati,
at one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
Jetavane Anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
in Jeta's Wood, at Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.
Tena kho pana samayena sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ,
Then at that time, amongst many monks,
pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ,
after returning from the alms-round after the meal,
Maṇḍalamāle sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ,
assembling together, and sitting in the Round Hall,
ayam-antarākathā udapādi:
this conversation arose:
“Ko nu kho āvuso sippaṁ jānāti?
“Now who, venerable friends, knows a craft?
Ko kiṁ sippaṁ sikkhi?
Who has trained in what craft?
Kataraṁ sippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan?”-ti.
Which craft is the greatest of the crafts?”
Tatthekacce evam-āhaṁsu, “Hatthisippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
Then some said this: “Elephant-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Assasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Horse-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Rathasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Chariot-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Dhanusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Bow-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Tharusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Sword-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Muddāsippaṁ The Commentary explains this as: hatthamuddāya gaṇanasippaṁ. See the article by Edgerton in BHSD, s.v. mudrā ; and cf. also Divyāvadāna pgs. 3, 26, etc.01 sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Finger-calculation-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Gaṇanasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Abacus-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Saṅkhānasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Accountancy-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Lekhāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Writing-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Kāveyyasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Poetry-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Lokāyatasippaṁ Ireland renders lokāyatana (lit.: world-sphere) as: the art of debate; and has a note supporting the interpretation, but cites no authority for his assertion. It appears that it really means a form of materialism or worldly science.02 sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Natural philosophy-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Khattavijjāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti.
some said this: “Political science-craft is the greatest of the crafts.”
Ayañ-carahi tesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ antarākathā hoti vippakatā.
Now this conversation that arose amongst those monks was left unfinished.
Atha kho Bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito,
Then the Gracious One, having risen from seclusion in the evening time,
yena Maṇḍalamālo tenupasaṅkami,
went to the Round Hall,
upasaṅkamitvā, paññatte āsane nisīdi.
and after going, he sat down on the prepared seat.
Nisajja kho Bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
Having sat down the Gracious One addressed the monks, (saying):
“Kāyanuttha bhikkhave etarahi kathāya sannisinnā,
“What is the talk about, monks, amongst those who have assembled at present,
kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā?” ti.
and what is the conversation amongst you that was left unfinished?”
“Idha bhante amhākaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ,
“Here, reverend Sir, after returning from the alms-round after the meal,
Maṇḍalamāle sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ,
assembling together, and sitting in the Round Hall,
ayam-antarākathā udapādi:
this conversation arose:
“Ko nu kho āvuso sippaṁ jānāti?
“Now who, venerable friends, knows a craft?
Ko kiṁ sippaṁ sikkhi?
Who has trained in what craft?
Kataraṁ sippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan?”-ti.
Which of the crafts is the greatest of the crafts?”
Tatthekacce evam-āhaṁsu, “Hatthisippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
Then some said this: “Elephant-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Assasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Horse-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Rathasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Chariot-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Dhanusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Bow-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Tharusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Sword-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Muddāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Finger-calculation-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Gaṇanasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Abacus-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Saṅkhānasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Accountancy-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Lekhāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Writing-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Kāveyyasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Poetry-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Lokāyatasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti,
some said this: “Natural philosophy-craft is the greatest of the crafts,”
ekacce evam-āhaṁsu: “Khattavijjāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”-ti.
some said this: “Political science-craft is the greatest of the crafts.”
Ayaṁ kho no bhante antarākathā hoti vippakatā,
This is the conversation, reverend Sir, that we left unfinished,
atha kho Bhagavā anuppatto” ti.
then the Gracious One arrived.”
“Nakhvetaṁ bhikkhave tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ
“This is certainly not suitable, monks, for you
kulaputtānaṁ saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitānaṁ,
sons of good family who through faith have gone forth from the home to homelessness,
yaṁ tumhe evarūpiṁ kathaṁ katheyyātha.
that you should talk such talk.
Sannipatitānaṁ vo bhikkhave dvayaṁ karaṇīyaṁ:
When you have assembled together, monks, there are two things that you ought to do:
Dhammī vā kathā, ariyo vā tuṇhībhāvo” ti.
talk about the Dhamma, or maintain noble silence.”
Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it,
tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:
“Asippajīvī lahu atthakāmo, The Commentary takes this as meaning desiring the welfare of the world: sadevakassa lokassa attham-eva kāmetī ti atthakāmo.03
“One who lives without craft, light, desiring (others') welfare,
Yatindriyo sabbadhi vippamutto,
With restrained faculties, completely free in every way,
Anokasārī amamo nirāso,
Who wanders homeless, unselfish, not yearning,
Hitvā mānaṁ ekacaro - sa bhikkhū” ti.
Having given up conceit, solitary - he is a monk.”