MN 54 · Khotbah kepada Potaliya Sang Perumah Tangga

Tokoh, tempat, dan gagasan utamanya

Perumah tangga Potaliya mengaku telah 'meninggalkan dunia' hanya karena berhenti bekerja, namun Buddha menjelaskan makna sejati lewat tujuh perumpamaan tajam tentang kenikmatan indria. Inilah Potaliya Sutta.

TOKOH

Buddha

Guru yang mengoreksi pemahaman Potaliya lewat tujuh perumpamaan tentang bahaya kenikmatan indria.

TOKOH

Potaliya

Perumah tangga yang mengaku telah 'meninggalkan dunia' hanya karena berhenti bekerja, dikoreksi pemahamannya oleh Buddha.

TEMPAT

Āpaṇa (negeri Aṅguttarāpa)

Hutan dekat kota Āpaṇa, tempat Buddha bertemu Potaliya setelah kembali dari mengumpulkan dana makanan.

KONSEP

Tujuh perumpamaan kenikmatan indria

Kenikmatan indria digambarkan bagaikan tulang tak berdaging bagi anjing, sepotong daging yang direbut burung lain, dan perumpamaan tajam lainnya — semua menggambarkan bahaya besar di balik kenikmatan sesaat.

Visual pengantar Tiga Keranjang · bukan bagian dari teks kanonik.

Sinopsis singkat

Potaliya menemui Buddha dengan penampilan seorang perumah tangga, tetapi mengatakan bahwa ia telah menyerahkan urusan duniawinya kepada anak-anak dan menganggap dirinya telah meninggalkan kehidupan rumah tangga. Buddha menjelaskan bahwa menurut disiplin para mulia, memutus urusan duniawi berarti jauh lebih dalam daripada sekadar menyerahkan harta. Percakapan bergerak menuju meninggalkan pembunuhan, pencurian, dusta, fitnah, keserakahan, kemarahan dan keangkuhan. Buddha lalu memakai serangkaian perumpamaan tajam—termasuk anjing yang menggerogoti tulang tanpa daging, burung yang membawa sepotong daging, obor jerami melawan angin, lubang bara, mimpi, barang pinjaman dan buah di atas pohon—untuk menunjukkan betapa sedikit kepuasan dan besarnya bahaya kenikmatan indria.

BAGIAN 21

mn54:21.1 “Suppose there was a dense forest grove not far from a town or village.

mn54:21.2 And there was a tree laden with fruit, yet none of the fruit had fallen to the ground.

mn54:21.3 And along came a person in need of fruit, wandering in search of fruit.

mn54:21.4 Having plunged deep into that forest grove, they’d see that tree laden with fruit.

mn54:21.5 They’d think:

mn54:21.6 ‘That tree is laden with fruit, yet none of the fruit has fallen to the ground.

mn54:21.7 But I know how to climb a tree.

mn54:21.8 Why don’t I climb the tree, eat as much as I like, then fill my pouch?’

mn54:21.9 And that’s what they’d do.

mn54:21.10 And along would come a second person in need of fruit, wandering in search of fruit, carrying a sharp axe.

mn54:21.11 Having plunged deep into that forest grove, they’d see that tree laden with fruit.

mn54:21.12 They’d think:

mn54:21.13 ‘That tree is laden with fruit, yet none of the fruit has fallen to the ground.

mn54:21.14 But I don’t know how to climb a tree.

mn54:21.15 Why don’t I chop this tree down at the root, eat as much as I like, then fill my pouch?’

mn54:21.16 And so they’d chop the tree down at the root.

mn54:21.17 What do you think, householder?

mn54:21.18 If the first person, who climbed the tree, doesn’t quickly come down, when that tree fell wouldn’t they break their hand or arm or other major or minor limb, resulting in death or deadly suffering for them?”

mn54:21.19 “Yes, sir.”

mn54:21.20 “In the same way, a noble disciple reflects:

mn54:21.21 ‘With the simile of the fruit tree the Buddha said that sensual pleasures give little gratification and much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks.’

mn54:21.22 Having truly seen this with right understanding, they shun equanimity based on diversity and develop only the equanimity based on unity, where all kinds of grasping to the worldly pleasures of the flesh cease without remainder.