The Boys

Ud 5.4 · Kumārakasutta

Three birch trunks in an open misty woodland.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time, between Sāvatthī and the Jeta Grove, several boys were tormenting some fish.

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. He saw the boys tormenting the fish. He went to them and said, “Boys, do you fear pain? Do you dislike pain?” “Yes, sir,” they replied. “We dislike pain.”

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“If you fear pain, if you dislike pain, don’t do bad deeds either openly or in secret.
If you should do a bad deed, now or in the future, you won’t be freed from suffering, though you fly away and flee.”

Connections

Collection & context

UdānaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.