Sundarīsuttaṃ [Ud 4.8, PTS 44–45]

8.

The Discourse on Sundarī

38. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now at that time the Blessed One was honoured, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed, an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicine for the sick. The Community of monks too was honoured, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed, obtainers of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicine for the sick. But the heterodox wandering ascetics were not honoured, not respected, not revered, not venerated, not esteemed, not obtainers of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicine for the sick.

Then those heterodox wandering ascetics, not enduring the honour shown to the Blessed One and to the Community of monks, approached the female wandering ascetic Sundarī; having approached, they said this to the female wandering ascetic Sundarī - "Are you able, sister, to act for the benefit of your relatives?" "What shall I do, sirs? What am I not able to do? Even my life is given up for the benefit of my relatives."

"Well then, sister, go constantly to Jeta's Grove." "Yes, sirs," the female wandering ascetic Sundarī, having assented to those heterodox wandering ascetics, went constantly to Jeta's Grove.

When those heterodox wandering ascetics knew - "The female wandering ascetic Sundarī has been seen by many people going constantly to Jeta's Grove." Then, having deprived her of life, having deposited her right there in the moat ditch of Jeta's Grove, they approached King Pasenadi of Kosala; having approached, they said this to King Pasenadi of Kosala - "That female wandering ascetic Sundarī, great king; she is not seen by us." "But where do you suspect?" "In Jeta's Grove, great king." "Well then, search Jeta's Grove."

Then those heterodox wandering ascetics, having searched Jeta's Grove, having pulled her out from the moat ditch where she had been deposited, having lifted her onto a small bed, having entered Sāvatthī, having gone from road to road, from crossroads to crossroads, made the people look down upon them -

"See, sirs, the deed of the ascetics, disciples of the Sakyan! These ascetics, disciples of the Sakyan, are shameless, immoral, of bad character, liars, not practitioners of the holy life. Yet these will claim to be practitioners of the Teaching, practitioners of righteousness, practitioners of the holy life, speakers of truth, moral, of good character! There is no asceticism in them, there is no commitment to holy life in them. Their asceticism is lost, their commitment to holy life is lost. From where would they have asceticism, from where would they have commitment to holy life? They have departed from asceticism, they have departed from commitment to holy life. How indeed could a man, having done a man's deed, deprive a woman of life!"

Now at that time in Sāvatthī, people, having seen monks, reviled, abused, irritated, and harassed them with vulgar and harsh speech -

"These shameless ascetics, disciples of the Sakyan, are immoral, of bad character, liars, not practitioners of the holy life. Yet these will claim to be practitioners of the Teaching, practitioners of righteousness, practitioners of the holy life, speakers of truth, moral, of good character! There is no asceticism in them, there is no commitment to holy life in them. Their asceticism is lost, their commitment to holy life is lost. From where would they have asceticism, from where would they have commitment to holy life? They have departed from asceticism, they have departed from commitment to holy life. How indeed could a man, having done a man's deed, deprive a woman of life!"

Then several monks, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for almsfood. Having walked for almsfood in Sāvatthī, after the meal, having returned from their alms round, they approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One -

"Now, venerable sir, in Sāvatthī, people, having seen monks, revile, abuse, irritate, and harass them with vulgar and harsh speech - 'These shameless ascetics, disciples of the Sakyan, are immoral, of bad character, liars, not practitioners of the holy life. These indeed will claim to be practitioners of the Teaching, practitioners of righteousness, practitioners of the holy life, speakers of truth, moral, of good character. There is no asceticism in them, there is no commitment to holy life in them. Their asceticism is lost, their commitment to holy life is lost. From where would they have asceticism, from where would they have commitment to holy life? They have departed from asceticism, they have departed from commitment to holy life. How indeed could a man, having done a man's deed, deprive a woman of life!'"

"This sound, monks, will not last long; it will last only seven days. After the elapse of seven days, it will disappear. Therefore, monks, those people who, having seen monks, revile, abuse, irritate, and harass them with vulgar and harsh speech, reprove them with this verse -

Then those monks, having learnt this verse thoroughly in the presence of the Blessed One, reprove with this verse those people who, having seen monks, revile, abuse, irritate, and harass them with vulgar and harsh speech -

This occurred to the people - "These ascetics, disciples of the Sakyan, are innocent. This was not done by them. These ascetics, disciples of the Sakyan, are swearing an oath." Indeed that sound did not last long. It lasted only a week. After the elapse of a week, it disappeared.

Then several monks approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One -

"Wonderful, venerable sir, marvellous, venerable sir! How well spoken is this, venerable sir, by the Blessed One - 'This sound, monks, will not last long. It will last only a week. After the elapse of a week, it will disappear.' That sound, venerable sir, has disappeared."

Then the Blessed One, having understood this matter, at that time uttered this inspired utterance -