International Master of Arts Programme

2011

Doctrines of the Suttanta Piaka

Assignment:

Take Home Examination:

Find, analyse and compare two
versions of the Yodhjvasutta1
Lecturer: Dr Dion Peoples
Length: 8-10 pages

Value:

Student:

Dhammadsa Bhikkhu

Student ID:

5301405001

Date Due:

Friday, 30 September 2011

Digital copies of this work may be made and distributed provided no change is made and no alteration is
made to the content. Reproduction in any other format, with the exception of a single copy for private study,
requires the written permission of the author. All enquiries to:

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ANALYSIS OF THE YODHJVA SUTTA VERSIONS

PREFACE
This paper was written for the subject Doctrines in Suttanta Piaka, a second year first
semester subject for the International Master of Arts Program (IMAP) at
Mahchulalongkorn-rjavidyalya University (MCU) class XI, 2011.
We had two professors for this subject: Phra Medhiratanadilok for the first half of the
semester and Dr Dion Peoples for the second half. Our first professor gave us a topic to
research, write up and present on. This paper was written for the second professor.
During the semester we analysed eight discourses with Dr Dion Peoples and were asked to do
our own analysis based on this experience. This paper is the outcome of my research.

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION .............................................................. 3
ANALYSIS OF THE SUTTA VERSIONS .............................. 5
Version 1 .................................................................... 5
Doctrinal Analysis .................................................... 5
Linguistic Analysis ................................................... 7
Version 3 .................................................................... 8
Doctrinal Analysis .................................................... 8
Linguistic Analysis ................................................. 12
COMPARISON OF THE VERSIONS .................................. 12
CONCLUSION ............................................................... 13
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................ 14
APPENDIX 1 ................................................................. 15

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INTRODUCTION
In this paper I refer to the Theravda Pli Canon of which there are many versions,
sometimes more than one in each of the Theravda Buddhist countries. In this paper I will
focus on the international standard version which is produced by the Pali Text Society and
which has been digitised by the Dhammakaya Foundation (2011). Quotations from the
original Pli text will be taken from this edition.
For the most, part the paper will rely on translations of the original Pli text. For the
Sayuttanikya, I reference Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation (2000) and for the Aguttaranikya,
I reference Woodward's translation (1986) from the Pali Text Society.
"Yodhjvasutta" is comprised of three words, yodha-jva-sutta. According to the
Pali Text Society's Dictionary (2009): "yodha" means: warrior, soldier, fighter, champion;
"jva" means: livelihood, mode of living, living, subsistence; and "sutta" in this context
would mean discourse. Woodward translates "yodha-jva" as "fighting-man" and Bodhi
translates it as "mercenary" or "professional soldier" 2 adding that the commentary says it
means "one who earns a living by warfare". For me, the context of the suttas shows that
'mercenary' would be too strong a word to use as a translation. As "mercenary" means
(TheFreeDictionary 2011): i) motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain; and
ii) hired for service in a foreign army. There is no idea in the suttas that the people or
occupation referred to: i) was working solely for money; as a soldier, one is also concerned
with protecting his loved ones and there would be ethics there; it is not just a matter of
whoever pays the most money; nor is there ii) the idea of a foreign country. I shall use the
term "warrior" as a translation for "yodha".
What could be considered Yodhjvasutta versions, appear in six places in the Pli
Canon: once in the Sayuttanikya (S IV 308-309) and five times in the Aguttaranikya:
1. A I 284-285 (Book of the Threes)
2. A II 170-171 (Book of the Fours)
3. A II 201-202 (Book of the Fours)3
4. A III 87-93 (Book of the Fives)
5. A III 94-100 (Book of the Fives)
Of the Aguttaranikya versions, apart from number 3, all others are named
"Yodhjvasutta." Number 3 is identified on the basis of the topic. It only deals with three
items, even though it is in the Book of the Fours where it is about the last third of the
Shasutta4. It is practically identical with number 1, with only a few extra phrases, but the
extra phrases give some important information. Number 2 is covers the same material as
numbers 1 and 3, with one extra topic.
The six occurrences could be referred to in this way:
Version 1
Version 2
Version 3
Version 4

S IV 308-309
A II 170-171 (Book of the Fours) representing:
A II 201-202 (Book of the Fours, but with only three items) and
A I 284-285 (Book of the Threes)
A III 87-93 (Book of the Fives)
A III 94-100 (Book of the Fives)

See footnote 339 of the translation.

This was a version of the sutta our lecturer did not know of.
4
It is quite a strange situation, as the rest of the sutta deals with morality and/or self mortification as the means
for enlightenment, which would seem to be two points, plus the three about the warrior, makes five, not four.
Four may have been calculated as 1 the path to enlightenment and 3 qualities of a warrior.
3

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In this paper I will examine Version 1 and Version 3.

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ANALYSIS OF THE SUTTA VERSIONS

Version 1
Doctrinal Analysis
This discourse is very interesting, because the Buddha is talking to a layman
committed to warfare, but the Buddha tries to avoid answering the layman's direct question.
In another place (A II 46) the Buddha has said that there are four types of question, that type
which requires: a categorical reply; a counter-question; to be waived; and a discriminating
reply (Woodward 1982: p 54). It would seem this question required to be waived, at least
initially. It is very interesting that the Buddha did not stick to his guns (so to speak), but after
being asked three times, he decided to answer. This may show that some questions are not
fixed in categories, but may change category depending on the actions of those asking.
There was a set of questions that the Buddha did not answer and called them
"undeclared" (M I 432):
Therefore, Malunkyaputta, remember what I have left undeclared as undeclared, and
remember what 1 have declared as declared. And what have I left undeclared?
1. 'The world is eternal' I have left undeclared.
2. 'The world is not eternal' I have left undeclared.
3. 'The world is finite' I have left undeclared.
4. 'The world is infinite' 1 have left undeclared.
5. 'The soul is the same as the body' I have left undeclared.
6. 'The soul is one thing and the body another' I have left undeclared.
7. 'After death a Tathagata exists' I have left undeclared.
8. 'After death a Tathagata does not exist' I have left undeclared.
9. 'After death a Tathagata both exists and does not exist' I have left undeclared.
10. 'After death a Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist' I have left undeclared.
"Why have I left that undeclared? Because it is unbeneficial, it does not belong to the
fundamentals of the holy life, it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to
cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbana. That is why I
have left it undeclared (amoli and Bodhi 1995: p 536).
I have not seen an example of the Buddha changing his mind on these questions. Since the
question asked was not in this category, it would seem that the category it belonged to could
change according to circumstances. We could therefore say there are two categories in "the
questions that should be waived", a relative one and an absolute one.
According to the discourse after being asked three times5, the Buddha changed his
mind. Things are repeated three times very often in the Buddhist tradition, e.g. the passage on
homage to the Buddha (Namo tassa Bhagavato), taking refuge (Buddha saraa gacchmi,
dutiyampi, tatiyampi) etc. This discourse prompts me to think that the traditional ritual
of repeating something three times is based on this type of practical situation, as most rituals
might well be.
It would seem the Buddha inferred a certain quality in the questioner after being asked
three times, such that he saw it was appropriate to change his mind (his judgement of the type
of question) and to answer. At least we could say that asking three times shows that one
really wanted to know. We should note that this is asking three times and being told "no" on

Let us assume the record is correct, that it was thrice, not twice that the person asked the question. I think it
may not have necessarily been thrice, but at least it was more than once. The traditional practice of repeating
things thrice could be seen as evidence to support it was thrice not twice.

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the first two occasions. It is not simply that the Buddha got distracted and forgot the question,
as an unenlightened person could well do and so had to be asked again.
The belief of the warrior that if he died on the battlefield he would go to a warrior
heaven is found in other cultures, possibly influenced by Vedic thought. The Vikings had
texts called the "Edda" which may be linked to the "Veda". They believed very similar and
called the heaven "Valhalla" (Wikipedia contributors 2011). Nevertheless thinking that one
will attain wholesome results from unwholesome action, such as killing, is wrong view in the
Buddha's teaching and one holding such view is bound for hell or the animal realm. The
question was directly related to the questioner's livelihood and it seems the Buddha had not
yet had a chance to determine the level of faith the warrior had in him. Could this be why the
Buddha did not want to answer?
We have the Buddha teaching elsewhere that there are two forms of speech that
should be spoken (M I 396):
Such speech as the Tathagata knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, but which is
unwelcome and disagreeable to others: the Tathagata knows the time to use such
speech. Such speech as the Tathagata knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, and
which is welcome and agreeable to others: the Tathagata knows the time to use such
speech. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has compassion for beings (amoli and
Bodhi 1995: p 500).
Thus, at the beginning of the conversation, the Buddha did not answer the question, but he
would then have found that it was the correct time and answered, even though it was not
agreeable for the person to hear the answer. Not only was it not agreeable for the warrior, but
it seems it was a bit traumatic, as "he cried out and burst into tears" (Bodhi 2000: p 1335).
This seems quite strange behaviour for a "warrior", but I guess even warriors cannot suppress
their feelings forever. The Buddha said the motivation is compassion, even saying what is
unwelcome, as long as it is true and beneficial. So we must assume that the Buddha saw the
warrior was seeking the truth and though initially unwelcome hearing it would be for his
benefit, long term.
The response from the Buddha is also interesting. He assumes the warrior cried
because of his reply, but the warrior says that he was not crying because of the Buddha's
words, but because he had been deceived by words of his warrior teachers. This shows the
warriors deep commitment to his tradition, but also his faith in the Buddha. This mistaken
assumption by the Buddha could show that he was not omniscient, but it is only in relation to
the Buddha's words that the warrior judged the words of his warrior teachers wrong. So it is
because of the Buddha's words that the warrior reacted so and not due the Buddha's words in
isolation.
Lastly, we are told the warrior 'goes for refuge', but we are not told if it is to the Triple
Gem, or to just two, or just to the Buddha, which might give us an idea of when the discourse
took place. In any case we see that the Buddha did not instruct him to do so. In the early texts
the Buddha so very often tells people to "develop faith in the Triple Gem" 6 which is a
practice (see for example S V 344-347) (Bodhi 2000: p 1790-1791), not to "take refuge" in
the Triple Gem, which is a ritual. In fact he specifically says to take only one refuge:
oneself/Dhamma (D II 100) (Walshe 1995: p 245). We have a refuge; we have the Dhamma
as our refuge (M III 9) are the words of Venerable nanda, when it was suggested he no
longer had a refuge shortly after the Buddha's passing (amoli and Bodhi 1995: p 882).
This confirms the Buddha's instruction. The idea of taking refuge in the Triple Gem is found

The Reflection on the Qualities of the Triple Gem, the means taught to develop faith, occurs frequently e.g. M
I 37; A III 285 etc.

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very rarely in later texts like the Dhammapada (Nrada 1995: vv 190-191) and Apadna I
74.7

Linguistic Analysis
Initially I thought the translation "misdirected by the thought" (Bodhi 2000; p 1335)
was very interesting, as shortly after it, the Buddha talks about the "view" of the warrior. So I
looked at the Pli to find the particular words to see if I could come to better understand the
Pli terms used. The translation "misdirected by the thought" seems to be the translation of
"duppaihita" as there is/are no extra Pli word/s to match "by the thought". According to
PTS Dictionary which quotes our text:
Du1 (indecl.) [Sk. du; antithetic prefix, generally opposed to su). 1. syllable of
exclamation (=du) "bad, woe"; 2. prefix, implying perverseness, difficulty, badness
(cp. dukkha). assimilated to a following consonant according to the rules of
assimilation, i.e. the consonant is doubled.
and
Paihita [pp. of paidahati] applied, directed, intent, bent on, well directed, controlled S
IV 309 (dup).
Therefore simply "misdirected" would be more accurate and if any addition were made,
possibly "thus" would be sufficient. This is not a very important point, but shows what may
be an elaboration of the translator.
"Uppajjati" is translated "reborn", but PTS Dictionary says:
Upa prefix denoting nearness or close touch, usually with the idea of approach from
below or rest on top, on, upon, up, by. Meanings: (1) (Rest): on upon, up; (2) (Aim):
(out) up to (the speaker or hearer); (3) (Nearness): close by, close to, near; (4)
(Intensive use): quite, altogether, "up"; (5) nearly, about, somewhat, a little, secondary,
by.
and
Pajjati [pad, Vedic padyate only in meaning "to come to fall," later Sk. also "to go to"]
to go, go to; usually not in simplex, but only in combination with prefixes; as pajjati,
uppajjati, nipajjati etc.
So, "born" could be used, but "arose" is probably better, there is no idea in the Pli word for
the English prefix "re-" meaning "again".
This second poor translation is the most harmful for understanding the Buddha's teaching
and is an example of misrepresenting him (A I 59):
Monks, these two misrepresent the Tathagata. What two? He who proclaims, as utterances
of the Tathagata, what he never said or uttered, and he who denies what was said or
uttered by the Tathagata. These are the two (Woodward 1979: p 54).
For indeed the idea that something is born again flies in the face of a well known
foundational principle of the Buddha's Teaching that is: impermanence (aniccat), the first of
the Three Characteristics (Payutto 1992: p 104).
For something to be born again implies that it is the same on both birth occasions. It
must be the same "thing" to be "RE-born" or "born-again". If it is not the same "thing" that is
born, but something different, then we cannot say the "thing" is "RE-born". This common
misunderstanding is based on the interpretation of the first of the Three Super-Knowledges
(Tevijj: D I 81-84) as dealing with many past "lives", but the text8 does not mention the Pli
7

I did a Tipiaka search on Chaa Sagyana CD version 3 for "tisara*" and it only occurs in the Apadna.
Apart from that it is found in the commentaries and sub-commentaries.
8
'So eva samhite citte parisuddhe pariyodte anagae vigatpakkilese mudu-bhte kammaniye hite
nejjappatte pubbe-nivsnussati-ya citta abhin-harati abhininnmeti. So anekavihita pubbenivsa
anussarati seyyathda ekam pi jti dve pi jtiyo tisso pi jtiyo catasso pi jtiyo paca pi jtiyo dasa pi jtiyo

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word for "life" (specifically jva/jvita) at all. It does talk about many "births" (jtiyo) and
mentions "duration of life, longevity, life, vitality" (yu) twice. The term "rebirth" would be
"puna-jti" in Pli, which is not found in the Pli Canon or Commentaries9.
The related term that is so very often discussed in the Pli Canon or Commentaries
and which has been misunderstood as "rebirth" is "punabbhava" 10 , which means "rebecoming" not "rebirth". We can see that "bhava" and "jti" are separate links in the chain of
Dependent Origination and therefore not the same thing. The resolution of this problem can
be seen in recognising that "becoming" occurs over again, but the outcome is a different (but
related) birth each time. To understand this I use the simile of cooking a cake elsewhere
(Dhammadsa 2011). The process of becoming is the same process that is repeated each time,
but producing a different birth, just as making a banana cake (human being) will require
following the same process, but each time it will be a different banana cake (human being).
There will be general similarities, otherwise one could not call both outcomes "banana cake"
(human being). In no way are the cakes part of each other. They are related, but are not-self.
The idea that the being is the same being as before (in any way), totally misses the point of
impermanence/change and anatt (non-self). The fact that the Buddha focuses on "becoming"
not "being" has been well demonstrated by Kalupahana (1999).

Version 3
Doctrinal Analysis
In this discourse the Buddha is talking to the monks, but does not take a stance of
anti-fighting. Instead, as we can see often in the discourses, the Buddha skilfully changes the
meaning of "fighting" to a spiritual or psychological fight, rather than a physical one. He says
the monk is like each of five types of warrior.
Here the Buddha compares a warrior losing heart at different stages of battle, to a
monk losing heart at different stages in the training. The simile shows that the divine practice
(brahmacariya) involves confronting one's desires, thus a psychological/ spiritual/ internal
battle. This idea is found in many religious traditions that focus on inner life more than the
external world, e.g. the Sufis, Chassidic schools of Judaism and Christian Mysticism, e.g.
Jesus said (Matt 5:28): "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already
committed adultery with her in his heart" (Various 1983).
The five stages are compared in the following table:

The Warrior

The Monk

Loses heart at:

1. seeing the cloud of dust of battle
2. seeing the standard lifted up

Loses heart at:

1. = rumours of beautiful women
2. = seeing those beautiful women for
himself
3. = the laughing and mocking of women
when they see him practising in the forest

3. the sound of the tumult

vsatim pi jtiyo tisam pi jtiyo {cattrsam} pi jtiyo pasam pi jtiyo jti-satam pi jti-sahassam pi jtisatasahassam pi aneke pi savaa-kappe aneke pi vivaa-kappe aneke pi savaa-vivaa-kappe. Amutrsi
eva-nmo eva-gotto eva-vao evam-hro eva-sukha-{dukkha}-paisaved evam-yu-pariyanto. So
tato cuto amutra udapdi. Tatrpsi eva-nmo eva-gotto eva-vao evam-hro eva-sukha-dukkhapaisaved evam-yu-pariyanto. So tato cuto idhpapanno" ti iti sk-ra sa-uddesa aneka-vihita pubbe
nivsa anussarati.
9
I did a Tipiaka search on Chaa Sagyana CD version 3 for "punajt*" and had a negative result.
10
I did a Tipiaka search on Chaa Sagyana CD version 3 for "punabbhav*" and received a result of more
than 700; "punabhav*" = 9 occurrences; "ponobhav* = 78 occurrences and "ponobbhav" = 84 occurrences.

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4. being struck in conflict

5. enduring all of these, he is
victorious and continues fighting.

4. = the sensual touch of a woman when

they see him practising in the forest
5. = he disentangles and frees himself
from that woman and goes off wherever
he wants, frees his mind from the 5
hindrances, develops the 4 jhn and
eradicates the three cankers of lust,
becoming and ignorance. He knows he is
free.

It is at the prospect of death or deadly suffering, that a warrior (-to-be) loses heart.
When a monk "declares his weakness, gives up the training and returns to the lower life" he is
said to "die" (S II 271):
"So too, bhikkhus, here some bhikkhu dresses in the morning and, taking bowl and robe,
enters a village or town for alms with body, speech, and mind unguarded, without
setting up mindfulness, unrestrained in his sense faculties. He sees women there lightly
clad or lightly attired and lust invades his mind. With his mind invaded by lust he meets
death or deadly suffering. For this, bhikkhus, is death in the Noble One's Discipline:
that one gives up the training and returns to the lower life. This is deadly suffering: that
one commits a certain defiled offence of a kind that allows for rehabilitation11" (Bodhi
2000: pp 711-712).
We see from the text that women are not taught to be a problem in themselves, but just their
behaviour in relation to a celibate monk who has not yet freed himself from suffering.
The Buddha has instructed us to make a comparative study of his teachings at (D III
127):
All you to whom I have taught these truths that I have realised by super-knowledge
should come together and recite them, setting meaning beside meaning and expression
beside expression, without dissension, in order that this holy life may continue and be
established for a long time for the profit and happiness of the many (Walshe 1995: pp
431-432).
Yes, it does specifically mention after this quote the 37 Enlightenment Factors, but we find
(M III 83-85) the Buddha making exactly this type of comparison between the 16 steps of the
npnasati Sutta and the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (amoli and Bodhi 1995: pp
944-946). Seeing as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness are part of the 37 Enlightenment
Factors, we thus know that he didn't limit the comparison to only those teachings amongst
themselves. Therefore it may be asked whether the text has been corrupted and that it
originally meant, to compare other teachings to (a teaching from) the 37 Enlightenment
Factors. Practically that would be irrelevant, as once a different teaching has been seen to fit
with a teaching from the 37 Enlightenment Factors (like npnasati with the Four
Foundations of Mindfulness) it then can be said to equate with them to a point and be used in
further comparisons with other teachings not in the 37 Enlightenment Factors. Seeing as the
Buddha said his teaching has one taste, that of liberation (A IV 200), then we can expect that
any authentic teaching will have the same essence and be comparable to any other teaching.
Eradicating the Three Cankers (sav) is mentioned as the goal of the monk's life.
Three words are used in regard to an Arahat: (1) savna khaya (knowledge of destruction
of the Cankers) (2) khsava (Cankers-destroyed) (3) ansava (free from the Cankers) (Pali
Text Society 2009: sava). In order to get a better understanding of them, it seems useful to
compare them to the Three Trainings (A I 229) (Woodward 1979: p 208), which is generally
accepted to be a summary of the Buddha's teaching and the Ten Fetters (A V 17) (Woodward
11

Probably the 13 rules which require a formal meeting of the Sagha are meant here.

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1986), which is generally understood to cover the path of the Noble Trainer to the ending of
suffering/Arahatship.

The 3 Cankers

The 3 Trainings
Higher Morality

Lust (kma)

Higher Thought
(Concentration)

Becoming (bhava)
Ignorance (avijj)

Higher Insight
(Wisdom)

The 10 Fetters
Individual-group view
Doubt-and-wavering
Wrong habit and ritual
Sensual desire (kmachanda)
Malevolence (vypda)
Lust of objective form (rparga)
Lust of the formless (arparga)
Excitement (uddhacca)12
Conceit12
Ignorance

The Training in Higher Morality matches the first three Fetters very well, as the
Sotpanna Fruit is said to be their ending (M I 141-2). A person who has realised that fruit, is
said to have Unbroken Noble Morality (S V 364-366, V 403-4 - and the Mirror of the
Dhamma D II 93-4 etc).
The Canker of Lust (kmsava) would not seem to match the first three Fetters, but
there would surely be a strong link with sensual desire (kma-chanda) and quite likely with
the lust of objective form (rpa-rga) and lust of the formless (arpa-rga). The English
translations here of "rga" in the Ten Fetters as "lust", gives a stronger impression of a link
than the Pli words do, but certainly "excitement" (coming after the two terms regarding rga)
is part of the experience of "lust".
The Pali Texts Society Dictionary points out "vivicc'eva kmehi, aloof from sensuous
joys is the prescription for all Jhna-exercise" (Pali Text Society 2009: kma). The Four
Rpa-jhn are defined as Right Concentration (D II 314). Therefore we see a strong link
between the Canker of Lust and Concentration, the second of our Three Trainings. The Five
Hindrances have to be overcome to develop jhna and we see some parallel between them
and the Fetters (numbers 4-8 in our list above):
The Five Hindrances
Sensual Desire (kmachanda)
Malevolence (vypda)
Sloth and Torpor (thna-middha)
Restlessness and worry
(uddhacca-kukkucca)
Doubt (vicikicch)

Items 4-8 in Our List of Fetters

Sensual desire (kmachanda)
Malevolence (vypda)
Lust of objective form (rparga)
Lust of the formless (arparga)
Excitement (uddhacca)

We see equivalence of the first two in both lists. Rparga does not seem to have any match
in the Hindrances. Sloth and torpor could be related to not wanting mental content or thoughtforms. Thus "formless" in one sense could relate. Uddhacca is translated in different ways,
12

The order of these two is reversed in the Pli texts, but when comparing the Three Trainings, one can see that
eradicating excitement would be in the domain of Concentration and eradicating conceit in the domain of
Wisdom, the most fundamental conceit being "the conceit 'I am'". Therefore this would be a corruption in the
text as I have pointed out elsewhere (Smith, N. J. (2005). The Gift of the Buddha - A Happy Life. Bloomington,
IN, AuthorHouse. p 155).

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but present in both our lists, in a similar position. Only doubt (vicikicch) has no place in this
section of the Fetters, but we have seen it previously, as one of the first three Fetters that are
eradicated by the Stream Enterer. Therefore it would seem that placing vicikicch as the fifth
Hindrance is probably a corruption in the text as I have pointed out elsewhere (Smith 2005: p
155).
The Canker of Becoming would seem to match Conceit. The "conceit 'I am'" probably
makes the link the clearest, as, when we want to become something, we make identification
statements, "I want to be x" or "I will be x". The English word "becoming", has the meaning
of "the coming of be (from the verb to be, of which "I am" is one form)". So in a more
specific example we could say it's the "coming of 'I am'". Thus we see a close relationship
here.
The following quote indicates a close relationship between the Three Cankers and the
Fetters, including the '"I am" conceit' (M I 139-140):
31."And how is the bhikkhu one whose shaft has been lifted? Here the bhikkhu has
abandoned ignorance (avijj), has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, done
away with it, so that it is no longer subject to future arising. That is how the bhikkhu is
one whose shaft has been lifted.
32."And how is the bhikkhu one whose trench has been filled in? Here the bhikkhu
has abandoned the round of births that brings renewed being (ponobhaviko jtisasro),
has cut it off at the root...so that it is no longer subject to future arising. That is how the
bhikkhu is one whose trench has been filled in.
33. "And how is the bhikkhu one whose pillar has been uprooted? Here the bhikkhu
has abandoned craving (tah), has cut it off at the root...so that it is no longer subject
to future arising. That is how the bhikkhu is one whose pillar has been uprooted.
34. "And how is the bhikkhu one who has no bar? Here the bhikkhu has abandoned
the five lower fetters, has cut them off at the root...so that they are no longer subject to
future arising. That is how the bhikkhu is one who has no bar.
35. "And how is the bhikkhu a noble one13 whose banner is lowered, whose burden
is lowered, who is unfettered? Here a bhikkhu has abandoned the conceit 'I am,' has cut
it off at the root [140]...so that it is no longer subject to future arising. That is how the
bhikkhu is a noble one whose banner is lowered, whose burden is lowered, who is
unfettered. (amoli and Bodhi 1995: p 233)
The first three paragraphs here speak of ignorance, becoming and craving, which are a close
match to our Three Cankers in reverse: ignorance, becoming and lust. We do not know if lust
or craving was originally identified as the first Canker. In any case the first of the three types
of craving is "kma-tah" (D II 308). So there is a very close relationship. The clearest link
in our comparative table is between the Canker of Ignorance and the Fetter of Ignorance.
The texts make clear that the Stream Enterer perfects Morality, the Once- and NonReturner develop and perfect Concentration and the Worthy One perfects Wisdom (M I 47748014, M I 141-2, A I 231, A IV 378-81 see the table in Appendix 1 from my book (Smith
13

Only the last paragraph mentions that the monk is a noble one but surely if one has eradicated ignorance (the
first paragraph) one would be a noble one!
14
This text indicates that some types of Stream Enterers have some "taints (sava) destroyed", but it is not sure
which taints those might be. This question is beyond the scope of this paper, but would be a good point to
research further. Initially I would guess the taint to be dihsava canker of views or speculation, which is third
in a list of four, including the three we have here. The list is found at Vbh.373 (Payutto, P. A. (1992). Dictionary
of Buddhism. Bangkok, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University. p 133). It might be the association of
dihsava with avijjsava that lead later scholars to move "doubt" to the last place in the Five Hindrances. I did
a Tipiaka search on Chaa Sagyana CD version 3 for dihsav* and got just over 160 results, but none from
the first four Niky. So having references to dihsava in the later texts coupled with this vague quote in the
sutta may indicate some lost sutta texts, or simply that no one questioned the Buddha about this.

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2005: p 84), which needs correcting in the third column). The comparison above indicates
that the Noble Trainer eradicates the first Canker in developing Concentration, but only while
developing Wisdom are the other two Cankers eradicated.

Linguistic Analysis
Woodward has translated "rpa-rga" as "Lust of objective form". I take it that "rpa"
here is referring to the first of the five aggregates. His use of "objective" I take to mean
external to oneself, that is, in opposition to subjective or internal.
The five aggregates are all said to have five qualities in eleven possibilities (see
Version 2 of the sutta):
1. Temporal: past, future or present,
2. Locational: internal or external,
3. Compositional: gross or subtle,
4. Comparative: mean or exalted,
5. Spatial: far or near.
Therefore to qualify an aggregate in any way would be to refer to a specific type, which
misses the point the Buddha is making by indicating the whole range of the aggregate by
mentioning the eleven possibilities. In other places (see Version 2 of the sutta) Woodward
translates "rpa" as "object". Maybe in the period of this translation, Woodward was in a
transitional phase from understanding "rpa" as "form" then as "objective form" then as
"object". I think "object" would be better than "objective form", but "form" even better than
"object", as "object" gives the impression of grossness, one of the other eleven possibilities.

COMPARISON OF THE VERSIONS

We can see from that the two discourses are very different. The Buddha did not talk
about the dangers of lust for women to the layman, as he did not really have a chance to
choose his topic of discussion. It seems that laypeople most often had a question to ask the
Buddha, so the topic was already chosen. Monks, being able to see him more often, or to
meet with other advanced monks, would have had more opportunity to have questions
answered and the Buddha could then choose a topic, in the absence of questions. We do not
know what the Buddha would have discussed with him, if the warrior had not insisted on an
answer to his question, but we could guess that it may have been a discourse on the gradual
training and including the type of information discussed with the monks in our sutta Version
3. Bhikkhu Bodhi says this about the gradual training (amoli and Bodhi 1995: p 35):
The main paradigm for the gradual training found in the Majjhima Nikaya is that laid
out in MN 27 and MN 51; alternative versions are found at MN 38, MN 39, MN 53,
MN 107, and MN 125... The sequence opens with the appearance of a Tathagata in the
world and his exposition of the Dhamma, hearing which the disciple acquires faith and
follows the Teacher into homelessness. Having gone forth, he undertakes and observes
the rules of discipline that promote the purification of conduct and livelihood. The next
three steps contentment, restraint of the sense faculties, and mindfulness and full
awareness are intended to internalise the process of purification and thereby bridge
the transition from virtue to concentration. Alternative versions (MN 39, MN 53, MN
107, MN 125) insert two additional steps here, moderation in eating and devotion to
wakefulness.
Then it goes on to eradication of the Five Hindrances, developing the Four Jhn, the Three
Super-Knowledges (tevijj) and liberation.
In the first version of our sutta the Buddha explains the wrong view of the warrior and
the consequences. Though these words were hard to bear, they would have been true and
beneficial, or the Buddha would not have said them. In the second version, some monks may
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also not have wanted to hear about the dangers of lust for women, but since they had already
taken the Buddha as the teacher, almost any time would have been suitable for the Buddha to
instruct them on essential matters, with either pleasant or unpleasant speech, but which are
both true and beneficial. Pointing out each and every small fault, would not be compassionate
action for a teacher to a student, as the student could lose heart. This is stated in the
discourses somewhere, but at present I do not have the reference.

CONCLUSION
For around 10 years I have been using the method of comparing the Buddha's
teachings mentioned and applied above, that the Buddha gave in the Psdika Sutta and have
found it extraordinary. I am confident it is the Buddha's antidote to the gradual corruption of
his teaching. For example when we compare the Ten Fetters to the Three Trainings, it
becomes obvious that items 8 and 9 in the list of Ten Fetters have been transposed and this
would be a corruption of the text. Secondly, when we compare the Five Hindrances to the
Ten Fetters the position of eradicating doubt at the start of the path (in the Fetters) shows the
place of doubt as the last of the Five Hindrances is probably a later corruption. This method
also shows how each of the authentic teachings of the Buddha is a version of Dependent
Origination (each step leads to the next a gradual training), as the quote (M I 191) says,
"One who sees dependent origination sees the Dhamma; one who sees the Dhamma sees
dependent origination" (amoli and Bodhi 1995: p 283).
The Buddha warned in a few suttas that not paying attention to his words, would be a
cause for the loss of his teaching. Two suttas particularly mention paying attention to "words
of disciples" (as well as others) instead of the Buddha's words: Ani Sutta The Peg
(Thanissaro 2010a) where the simile is given of a drum that originally could be heard for
miles, but after time, is constantly repaired by pegs (applying the simile = others' words),
such that the original drum body is replaced and assumedly its effectiveness greatly reduced
or no longer existent; another warns against listening to "words of disciples" but does not
have the simile (Thanissaro 2010b). This second sutta has been identified as one of the suttas
King Asoka wrote about on his stone pillars (Thanissaro 2007). I hope that more people will
take interest in the words of the Buddha and to do this comparative study, as it enables the
Buddha to interpret the teaching for us, rather than relying on third party interpretations.
The interesting things I have learnt in the study of these two versions of the sutta are:
from Version 1, the category of a question can probably change dependent on the conditions,
except the "undeclared" questions. From Version 3 I have learnt the likely relationship
between the eradication of the Cankers, the Fetters and the development of the 3 Trainings.
Of course the important points of the danger of wrong view and being unguarded towards
sense input are re-emphasised respectively in these versions of the sutta.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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APPENDIX 1

IMAP MCU 2010, Dhammadsa Bhikkhu, Student ID: 5301405001