The Related Discourses
4. The Truths
| （四〇四） 申恕林 | 55 (404). The Rosewood Grove |
|---|---|
| 如是我聞： 一時，佛在摩竭國人間遊行。 王舍城波羅利弗是中間竹林聚落，大王於中作福德舍。 爾時，世尊與諸大眾於中止宿。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying in Magadha and traveling among the people. At Pāṭaliputra of Rājagṛha, there was a village in the middle of a bamboo forest where a great king had built a house of virtue. At the time, the Bhagavān and the great assembly had stopped there. |
| 爾時，世尊告諸比丘： 「汝等當行，共至申恕林。」爾時，世尊與諸大眾到申恕林，坐樹下。 | 2. It was then that the Bhagavān told the monks, “All of you, let’s walk together to the rosewood forest.” Then, the Bhagavān and the great assembly went to the rosewood forest and sat down under the trees. |
| 爾時，世尊手把樹葉，告諸比丘： 「此手中葉為多耶？ 大林樹葉為多？」 | 3. The Bhagavān took a handful of leaves and asked the monks, “Are there many leaves in my hand? Are there many leaves in this great forest?” |
| 比丘白佛： 「世尊，手中樹葉甚少，彼大林中樹葉無量。 百千億萬倍⋯乃至⋯ 算數譬類不可為比。」 | 4. The monks said to the Buddha, “Bhagavān, the leaves in your hand are few, but the leaves in this great forest are measureless. Hundreds of thousands of millions of times more … up to … Their number can’t be likened to any analogy.” |
| 「如是，諸比丘。 我成等正覺，自所見法，為人定說者，如手中樹葉。 所以者何？ 彼法義饒益、法饒益、梵行饒益。 明、慧、正覺、向於涅槃。 | 5. “So it is, monks. The things seen by me after I achieved the complete and correct awakening that I definitely explain for people are like the leaves in my hand. Why is that? Those teachings are beneficial to the aim, beneficial to the teaching, beneficial to the religious practice. They are insightful, wise, correctly awakened, and the way to nirvāṇa. |
| 「如大林樹葉，如我成等正覺，自知正法，所不說者，亦復如是。 所以者何？ 彼法非義饒益，非法饒益，非梵行饒益、明、慧、正覺、正向涅槃故。 是故，諸比丘，於四聖諦未無間等者，當勤方便，起增上欲，學無間等。」 | 6. “The correct teaching that I know but don’t teach is like the leaves of this great forest and like my achievement of complete awakening. Why is that? Those teachings are not beneficial to the aim, not beneficial to the teaching, not beneficial to the religious practice and aren’t insightful, wise, correctly awakened, or the correct way to nirvāṇa. Therefore, monks, those who have yet to directly realize the four noble truths should apply themselves to the method, arouse increased motivation, and train for that direct realization.” |
| 佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜，奉行。 | 7. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved. |
Notes
This is sūtra no. 404 in the Taisho edition and no. 596 in Yinshun (T99.2.108a24-b12, Y30.127a4-15). It’s parallel with SN 56.31. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 7 March 2026
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