ud4.8:0.1Heartfelt Sayings 4.8
ud4.8:0.2With Sundarī
ud4.8:1.1So I have heard.
ud4.8:1.2At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
ud4.8:1.3Now at that time the Buddha was honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And he received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.
ud4.8:1.4And the mendicant Saṅgha was also honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And they received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.
ud4.8:1.5But the wanderers who followed other religions were not honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And they didn’t receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.
ud4.8:2.1Then those wanderers who followed other religions, unable to bear the esteem of the mendicant Saṅgha, approached the female wanderer Sundarī and said,
ud4.8:2.2“Sister, are you able to do something for the welfare of your kin?”
ud4.8:2.3“What can I do, masters?
ud4.8:2.4How can I help?
ud4.8:2.5I’d even give my life for the welfare of my kin.”
ud4.8:3.1“Well then, sister, frequently visit Jeta’s Grove.”
ud4.8:3.2“Yes, masters,” she replied, and did as they asked.
ud4.8:4.1When those wanderers knew
ud4.8:4.2that Sundarī had been clearly seen by many people frequently visiting Jeta’s Grove,
ud4.8:4.3they killed her and dumped her in the ditch around Jeta’s Grove. Then they went to see King Pasenadi of Kosala and said to him,
ud4.8:4.4“Great king, we cannot find the female wanderer Sundarī.”
ud4.8:4.5“But where do you suspect she is?”
ud4.8:4.6“At Jeta’s Grove, Great King.”
ud4.8:4.7“Well then, search Jeta’s Grove.”
ud4.8:5.1So the wanderers searched Jeta’s Grove. They pulled her body up from the ditch where they had dumped it, and lifted it on a bier. Having entered Sāvatthī, they went from street to street and from square to square, complaining to people:
ud4.8:6.1“See the deed of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan!
ud4.8:6.2Shameless are these ascetics who follow the Sakyan, immoral and wicked. They are liars and unchaste.
ud4.8:6.3Sure, they claim to be of principled and moral conduct, to be chaste, truthful, ethical, and of good character.
ud4.8:6.4But they have no asceticism, no spirituality.
ud4.8:6.5Asceticism and spirituality are lost to them!
ud4.8:6.6Where is their asceticism, where their spirituality?
ud4.8:6.7They have abandoned asceticism and spirituality!
ud4.8:6.8How on earth can a man, having done a man’s business, kill a woman!”
ud4.8:7.1Then at that time when the people of Sāvatthī saw the mendicants they abused and insulted them with rude, harsh words:
ud4.8:8.1“Shameless are these ascetics who follow the Sakyan, immoral, wicked. They are liars and unchaste.
ud4.8:8.2Sure, they claim to be of principled and moral conduct, to be chaste, truthful, ethical, and of good character.
ud4.8:8.3But they have no asceticism, no spirituality.
ud4.8:8.4Asceticism and spirituality are lost to them!
ud4.8:8.5Where is their asceticism, where their spirituality?
ud4.8:8.6They have abandoned asceticism and spirituality!
ud4.8:8.7How on earth can a man, having done a man’s business, kill a woman!”
ud4.8:9.1Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms.
ud4.8:9.2Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening.
ud4.8:11.1“That rumor, mendicants, won’t last long. It will only be seven days, then it will vanish.
ud4.8:11.2So you may respond to those critics with this verse:
ud4.8:12.1A liar goes to hell,
ud4.8:12.2as does one who denies what they did.
ud4.8:12.3Both are equal in the hereafter,
ud4.8:12.4those men of base deeds.”
ud4.8:13.1The mendicants memorized that verse in the Buddha’s presence, then used it to respond to those critics.
ud4.8:15.1People thought,
ud4.8:15.2“These ascetics who follow the Sakyan didn’t do it, it was not done by them, they swear it.”
ud4.8:15.3That rumor didn’t last long. It was seven days, then it vanished.
ud4.8:16.1Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,
ud4.8:17.1“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing!
ud4.8:17.2How well said this was by the Buddha:
ud4.8:17.3‘That rumor, mendicants, won’t last long. It will only be seven days, then it will vanish.’
ud4.8:17.4That rumor has vanished, sir.”
ud4.8:18.1Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
ud4.8:19.1“People out of control stab with words,
ud4.8:19.2like they stab a tusker in battle with darts.
ud4.8:19.3When they hear a harsh word spoken,
ud4.8:19.4a mendicant should endure with no anger in heart.”