MN 23, The Ant-hill Sutta (Vammika Sutta)
Translation – Christopher Ash, 2022
This is how I heard it.
Once the Fortunate One was staying in Savatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s Park. On that occasion, the venerable Kumara Kassapa was staying in the Blind Men’s Grove; and, one night, a beautiful deva, lighting up the entire Blind Men’s Grove, approached the venerable Kumara Kassapa and stood to one side.
The deva said: “Bhikkhu, this ant-hill fumes by night and flames by day. A brahmin said: ‘Dig deep with the sword, Wise One.’
“Digging with the sword, the wise one found a bar. He reported: ‘A bar, O Venerable Lord.’ The brahmin said: ‘Throw away the bar. Dig deep with the sword, Wise One.’
“Digging with the sword, the wise one found a toad. ‘A toad, O Venerable Lord.’ The brahmin said: ‘ Throw away the toad. Dig deep with the sword, Wise One.’
“Digging with the sword, the wise one found a fork. ‘A fork, O Venerable Lord.’ The brahmin said: ‘Throw away the fork. Dig deep with the sword, Wise One.’
“Digging with the sword, the wise one found a sieve: ‘A sieve, O Venerable Lord.’ The brahmin said: ‘Throw away the sieve. Dig deep with the sword, Wise One.’
“Digging with the sword the wise one found a tortoise: ‘A tortoise, O Venerable Lord.’ The brahmin said: ‘Discard the tortoise. Dig deep with the sword, Wise One.’
“Digging with the sword the wise one found an chopper and block: ‘An axe and block, O Venerable Lord.’ The brahmin said: ‘Discard the chopper and block. Dig deep with the sword, Wise One.’
“Digging with the sword the wise one found a piece of meat: ‘A piece of meat, O Venerable Lord.’ The brahmin said: ‘Discard the piece of meat. Dig deep with the sword, Wise One.’
“Digging with the sword the wise one found a Naga serpent: ‘A Naga serpent, O Venerable Lord.’ ‘Let the Naga serpent be,’ the brahmin said: ‘Do no harm to the Naga serpent; honor the Naga serpent.’
“Bhikkhu, you should go to the Fortunate One and ask him about this riddle. As the Fortunate One tells you, as such you should remember it. Bhikkhu, other than a tathagata or a disciple of a tathagata, or someone who learned it from them, I see no-one in this world – with its gods, its Maras, its Brahmas, its recluses and brahmins, its royalty and its common folk – whose explanation of this riddle might satisfy the heart.” So said the deva, who immediately disappeared.
When the night was over, the venerable Kumara Kassapa went to the Fortunate One. After paying him respect, Kumara sat down to one side and told the Fortunate One what had happened.
Then Kassapa asked, “Venerable sir, what is the ant-hill; what is the fuming at night, and the flaming by day? Who is the brahmin? Who is the wise one? What is the sword, and the digging? And what are the bar, the toad, the fork, the sieve, the tortoise? What the chopper and block? What the piece of meat? And, what is the Naga serpent?”
The Fortunate One responded: “Bhikkhu, the ant-hill is a symbol for this body of material form, consisting of the four great elements, produced by a mother and father, supported by boiled rice and porridge, subject to impermanence; subject to abrasion, fragile; subject to dissolution and disintegration.
“Thinking and ruminating at night, on the basis of one’s actions during the day – this is ‘smoking at night.’ The actions of body, speech and mind one undertakes during the day, after thinking and reflecting at night, this is the ‘flaming by day.’
“The brahmin is a symbol of a tathagata, an accomplished and fully enlightened person. The wise one is a symbol of a practitioner in the higher training.
“The sword is a symbol of noble wisdom. The digging is a symbol for applying energy.
“The bar is a symbol of ignorance. To throw away the bar means to give up ignorance. Delve with the sword, Wise One. This is the meaning.
“The toad symbolizes anger and distress. To throw away the toad means to give up anger and distress. Delve with the sword, Wise One. This is the meaning.
“The fork is a symbol of doubt. Throwing away the fork means dispelling doubt. Delve with the sword, Wise One. This is the meaning.
“The sieve is a symbol for the five blocking processes, namely: sensual desire, ill-will, dullness and torpor, restlessness and regret, and doubt. ‘Discard the sieve’ means to let go of the five blocking processes. Delve with the sword, Wise One. This is the meaning.
“The tortoise is a symbol for the five sentient processes affected by clinging, namely: material form, feeling-tones, perception, forming-processes, and consciousness. To ‘throw away the tortoise’ is to release the sentient processes affected by clinging. Delve with the sword, Wise One. This is the meaning.
“The chopper and block are a symbol for the five cords of sensual pleasure – shapes recognizable to the eye; sounds recognizable by the ear, smells recognizable by the nose, tastes recognizable by the tongue, tangibles detectable by the body – all desired, pleasurable and pleasing, yoked to sensual desire, and provoking lust. ‘Throw away the chopper and block’ means abandon the five cords of sensual pleasure. Delve with the sword, Wise One. This is the meaning.
“The piece of flesh is a symbol of pleasure and lust. To ‘throw away the piece of meat’ means to let go pleasure and lust. Delve with the sword, Wise One. This is the meaning.
“The naga serpent is a symbol for a practitioner who has destroyed the taints (that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, and ignorance). Let the naga serpent be. Do no harm to the naga serpent. Honour the naga serpent. This is the meaning.”
That is what the Fortunate One said. The venerable Kumara Kassapa was satisfied and pleased with the words of the Fortunate One.