Santaka Sutta: To Ananda

[Lyn]

I have been looking through the Samutta Nikaya to find a reference thread to a story I read once. I cant find it which is apropos considering the story i am looking for:)
Please understand I am making all of this up to be cohesive, so see if you can pluck out things to point me towards. So far I have this
It involved a Man looking for the best land to start a farm, he sconsults a monk who tells hi to shoot an arrow and says where it lands he is to plant. the arrow never sticks in the ground
He shoots an arrow but doesnt like where and how it landed, it didnt stick in the ground, so he walks back to his porch and shoots again.
This time he decides to shoot an arrow from where it lands to another spot, this went on and on and he missed the time to plant. He finally makes it back to his hut in the dead of winter. And manages to try and shoot one more time, but he is weak and the arrow falls ojut of his bow and sticks directly in the ground.

it may involve treasure/self/ etc.

I have PTSD from the military (Non-Combat) and I have been going through a CPT program at the VA. I remeber somewhere in the grouped sutras there being something about thoughts that lead to feelings that lead to thoughts that lead to feelings (as in a constant merry go round)
But I cant find what I thought was there. so far only the "story I have Imagined" and this:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .nypo.html

thnaks,
Lyn

[Bakmoon]

I ran a word search for farmer and arrow in my pdf of the Samyutta Nikaya and didn't come up with anything matching that story unfortunately. Perhaps it was in some other kind of book?

[Jesse]

is this it?

Once upon a time, there was an old forest monk who went wandering for alms from village to village. When it was near the Vassa months (rainy season) the old monk came upon a poor farmer's house to ask for food. The kind farmer was happy and asked the monk to stay with him for the 3 months' rains retreat where he built a small hut for the monk and made food offerings once a day.
When the rainy season was over, the monk had to say goodbye. The poor farmer's family was very sad to see the monk go. But before the monk left, he told them that he wanted to thank the farmer for his kind hospitality, and he had seen with his powers that there was some treasure buried somewhere near the farmer's house. If the farmer followed his instructions and dig up that treasure, then they will never live poor again.
The old monk gave the farmer these instructions. "Tomorrow morning, stand at your front door, and hold a bow and arrow. As the sun rises, aim that arrow towards the sun, and let the arrow go. Where the arrow falls, dig up a hole, and you will find the treasure."
So the poor farmer followed the old monk's instructions. He stood at his front door, pulled up a bow and arrow, and watch the sunrise. Then he shot the arrow at the sun, and followed the arrow. When it fell, he dug up the land where the arrow was, hoping to find the treasure.
But instead of treasure, he found trouble, because the arrow landed in a rich man's garden. The rich man was furious that the poor farmer had ruined his garden, and wanted to beat him up. But before he did, the poor farmer blurted out that it wasn't his fault, an old monk told him there would be treasure where the arrow landed. So the rich man said, "Old monks don't lie. What he said must be true. If there's no treasure, then it must be something wrong with your technique. You are a thin and weak farmer. It must be because you don't shoot the arrow strongly enough. Tomorrow morning, I will shoot the arrow from your house. And when we find the treasure, we will share it equally."
The farmer agreed, and the next morning, the rich man did the same thing that the poor man did. Only that he was indeed, a well-fed and stronger man, and he did shoot the arrow farther. But where the arrow landed, there was no treasure, only more trouble. For this time it landed in the army general's garden, who was furious with the rich man and wanted to punish him. But when the rich man told his story, the general said: "Old monks don't lie. What do you know about shooting arrows, you lazy rich man! I am an army soldier, I will definitely have the better technique at shooting arrows. Tomorrow, I will shoot the arrow from the poor man's house. Then we will find the treasure and share it 3-ways."
So the General shot the arrow from the poor man's front door next morning, following the instructions of the old monk. Where the arrow landed, which was indeed much farther away, there was still no treasure, and this time the 3 men had dug up the King's garden. The King's guards caught them and brought them before the King, who was not pleased that his garden had been ruined. So the General told the King about the story of the old monk.
This time, the King was wiser. To get to the bottom of this, he asked his guards to look for the old monk. When they found him, the King and the 3 men all went to the farmer's house the next morning, where the King now held the bow and arrow, and prepared to follow the old monk's instructions.
The King stood at the front door, and looked at the old monk, who reaffirmed that the King was correct. Then he waited for the rising sun, and he aimed the arrow at the sun, and again the old monk affirmed that the King was correct. When the King pulled on the bow strings, and looked at the old monk, the old monk said, "No, that is wrong, I didn't say shoot the arrow at the sun, I said aim at the sun and let the arrow go." So the wise King let the arrow drop right at his feet, and the old monk said that was correct. Where the arrow landed, which was right by the front door, the men dug up a hole and in it they found a treasure chest. Old monks don't lie.

http://betweenbabyandwork.blogspot.com/ ... t-lie.html

its from: Don't Worry, Be Grumpy: Inspiring Stories for Making the Most of Each Moment By Ajahn Brahm

https://books.google.com/books?id=Vf5tA ... &q&f=false

[Bakmoon]

Ah, I should have known. Ajahn Brahm's stories always have a nice twist at the end like that.

[Tenpa2010]

isn't it a forum for maha-and vajrayana only?

[Techno Yogi]

isn't it a forum for maha-and vajrayana only?

Theravada is a sect; Mahayana and Vajrayana are yanas. Sects =/= yanas.

[Lobsang Chojor]

Theravada is a sect; Mahayana and Vajrayana are yanas. Sects =/= yanas.

Yana means oxen cart or vehicle, meaning it is a way of dharma.

But, not wanting to be a pedant, theravada (way of the elders) is called that because the traditional name Hinyana (Lesser vehicle) has negative connotations of it being lesser or a worse path, while infact it is the basis of all practice.

(NOTE: I'm not wanting to offend or cause division)

[Bakmoon]

Theravada is a sect; Mahayana and Vajrayana are yanas. Sects =/= yanas.

Yana means oxen cart or vehicle, meaning it is a way of dharma.

But, not wanting to be a pedant, theravada (way of the elders) is called that because the traditional name Hinyana (Lesser vehicle) has negative connotations of it being lesser or a worse path, while infact it is the basis of all practice.

(NOTE: I'm not wanting to offend or cause division)

I think that Techno Yogi's point is that Theravada is a particular school of Buddhism, while the term Hinayana refers to a class of teachings. There were about 18-20 non-Mahayana schools of Buddhism, and the Theravada school is only one of those schools, so you have other Hinayana schools as well that are not Theravada. For example, the Sarvastivada school was very influential and many of their texts were translated into Chinese. It would be incorrect to look at their texts and call them Theravada texts because Theravada is a different school than Sarvastivada.

[Lobsang Chojor]

I think that Techno Yogi's point is that Theravada is a particular school of Buddhism, while the term Hinayana refers to a class of teachings. There were about 18-20 non-Mahayana schools of Buddhism, and the Theravada school is only one of those schools, so you have other Hinayana schools as well that are not Theravada. For example, the Sarvastivada school was very influential and many of their texts were translated into Chinese. It would be incorrect to look at their texts and call them Theravada texts because Theravada is a different school than Sarvastivada.

Thank you, there was some misunderstanding on my part there I believe, thank you for helping correct my view.

[Techno Yogi]

I think that Techno Yogi's point is that Theravada is a particular school of Buddhism, while the term Hinayana refers to a class of teachings.

Yes. I think of yanas as being like cars, or classes of cars, and sects as being like car companies. Most car companies offer a broad range of vehicles: sports cars, sedans, SUVs, although some specialize in one type of vehicle or are best known for offering a particular class of vehicle. It is the same with Buddhist sects.

There is in principle no reason why Theravadins could not practice Bodhisattvayana or even Tantra. In fact if you look at both contemporary practice of Theravada Buddhism and as well as the history of Theravada, you will find ample evidence of both.

The essay "Bodhisattva Ideal in Buddhism" by Ven. W. Rahula makes this point and provides references for numerous Theravadins taking the Bodhisattva vow. And there is quite a bit of Mantrayana and "Tantric Theravada" if you know where to look.