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### Sutta Nipata I.5

# Cunda Sutta

# To Cunda

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
For free distribution only.

[Cunda the smith:]

> "I ask the sage of abundant discernment,
> awakened, lord of the Dhamma, free
> of craving,
> supreme
> among two-legged beings,
> best
> of charioteers:
> "How many contemplatives
> are there in the world?
> Please tell me."

[The Buddha:]

> "Four contemplatives, Cunda. There isn't a fifth.
> Being asked face-to-face, I'll explain:
> the Victor of the path,
> the teacher of the path,
> one who lives by the path,
> & one who corrupts the path."

[Cunda:]

> "Whom do the Awakened
> call the Victor of the path
> [&] one who is an unequalled teacher of the path?
> Tell me the one who lives by the path,
> and explain to me one who corrupts the path."

[The Buddha:]

> "He's crossed over perplexity,
> his arrow removed,
> delighting in Unbinding, free
> of greed,
> the leader of the world with its devas:
> one like this
> the Awakened
> call the Victor
> of the path.

> He here knows the foremost as foremost,
> who right here shows & analyzes the Dhamma,
> that sage, a cutter-of-doubt unperturbed:
> he's called the second of monks,
> the teacher of the path.

> Mindful, restrained,
> he lives by the well-taught Dhamma-principles,
> path,
> associating with principles without blame:
> he's called the third of monks,
> one who lives by the path.

> Creating a counterfeit
> of those with good practices,
> self-asserting, a corrupter of families,[1] intrusive,
> deceitful, unrestrained, chaff,
> going around in disguise:
> he's one who corrupts the path.

> Any householder, having ferreted these out
> -- a discerning disciple of those who are noble --
> knowing they aren't all the same,
> seeing this, his conviction's not harmed.
> For how could the corrupt with the un-
> corrupt,
> the impure with the pure,
> be put on a par?"

### Note

1. A corrupter of families is a monk who ingratiates himself into a family's affections by performing services for them that are inappropriate for a monk to do, thus diverting their faith away from those who live by the Dhamma and Vinaya. For more on this term, see The Buddhist Monastic Code, Sanghadisesa 13. [Go back]

Revised: Thu 14 March 2002