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AN 9.11 
Sihanāda Sutta 
“The Lion’s Roar” 
Translated by Candana Bhikkhu 
 
Copyright © Candana Bhikkhu 2021 
At one time, the Blessed One was abiding in the monastery offered by Anāthapindika at 
Jeta's grove, in the city of Sāvatthi. Then, the Venerable Sāriputta approached The Blessed One, 
and after paying homage to him, sat to one side and said: 
“Bhante, I have completed the rains retreat in Sāvatthi and I would like to go to the countryside, 
on a tour.” 
“Sāriputta, you may do what you think is suitable,” replied the Blessed One. 
Then the Venerable Sāriputta, rising from his seat and after paying homage to and 
circumambulating The Blessed One by keeping him on his right side, went away. Soon after the 
Venerable Sāriputta had gone, a certain Bhikkhu said to The Blessed One:  
“Bhante, Venerable Sāriputta offended me by hitting me and, although he hurt me, he went off to 
the countryside on a tour without even offering me an apology for what he did!” 
Then the Blessed One addressed a certain Bhikkhu:  
“Come! Bhikkhu, go to Sāriputta, and in my name say to him: 
“Friend Sāriputta, The Blessed One calls you.”  
And that Bhikkhu, having consented to deliver the message, thus caught up to the Venerable 
Sāriputta and said:  
“Friend Sāriputta, the Teacher calls you.” 
“The Venerable Sāriputta started heading back in order to see The Blessed One.  
Meanwhile, both Venerable Mahāmoggallāna and Venerable Ānanda were going from door to 
door with keys to the various monastic quarters, calling all Bhikkhus to gather at the meeting 
hall, saying: 
Venerable ones, come, right away! Come quickly, Venerables! The Venerable Sāriputta will roar 
his lion’s roar in the presence of the Blessed One! Come quickly!  
Then the Venerable Sāriputta approached The Blessed One, and after paying homage to Him sat 
to one side. Once seated, The Blessed One said:

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“Sāriputta, one of your companions in the Holy Life has made an accusation against you. He 
states that you offended him, by hitting and hurting him, and then going off to the countryside on 
a tour without offering him an apology.” 
1. “Bhante, if it were to be someone who had not established himself in the mindfulness of the 
body, then such a person could offend a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him 
and then going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
Bhante, people keep throwing into the Earth all things that are pure and impure, clean and dirty, 
whether it be feces, urine, saliva, pus, or blood, but the Earth accepts them all without shrinking 
away nor becoming humiliated or disgusted by any of it. In the same manner, Bhante, I live with 
an accepting heart that is the same as the earth, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without 
hostility, and without ill-will. Bhante, if I were not established in the mindfulness of the body, 
then I would have offended a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him and going 
off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
2. “Bhante, if it were to be someone who had not established himself in the mindfulness of the 
body, then such a person could offend a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him 
and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
Bhante, people keep washing in water all things that are pure and impure, clean and dirty, 
whether it be feces, urine, saliva, pus, or blood, but water accepts and washes them all without 
shrinking away nor becoming humiliated or disgusted by any of it. In the same manner, Bhante, I 
live with an accepting heart that is the same as water, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without 
hostility, and without ill-will. Bhante, if I were not established in the mindfulness of the body, 
then I would have offended a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him and going 
off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
3. “Bhante, if it were to be someone who had not established himself in the mindfulness of the 
body, then such a person could offend a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him 
and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
Bhante, people keep burning in fire all things that are pure and impure, clean and dirty, whether 
it be feces, urine, saliva, pus, or blood, but fire accepts and burns them all without shrinking 
away nor becoming humiliated or disgusted by any of it. In the same manner, Bhante, I live with 
an accepting heart that is the same as fire, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, 
and without ill-will. Bhante, if I were not established in the mindfulness of the body, then I 
would have offended a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him and going off to 
the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
4. “Bhante, if it were to be someone who had not established himself in the mindfulness of the 
body, then such a person could offend a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him 
and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
Bhante, people keep throwing into the air all things that are pure and impure, clean and dirty, 
whether it be feces, urine, saliva, pus, or blood, but the air accepts and diffuses by taking them

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all away without shrinking away nor becoming humiliated or disgusted by any of it. In the same 
manner, Bhante, I live with an accepting heart that is the same as air, abundant, exalted, 
immeasurable, without hostility, and without ill-will. Bhante, if I were not established in the 
mindfulness of the body, then I would have offended a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting 
and hurting him and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
5. “Bhante, if it were to be someone who had not established himself in the mindfulness of the 
body, then such a person could offend a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him 
and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
Bhante, people use a cleaning rag to wipe all things that are pure and impure, clean and dirty, 
whether it be feces, urine, saliva, pus, or blood, but the cleaning rag accepts and wipes them all 
away without shrinking away nor becoming humiliated or disgusted by any of it. In the same 
manner, Bhante, I live with an accepting heart that is the same as the cleaning rag, abundant, 
exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, and without ill-will. Bhante, if I were not established 
in the mindfulness of the body, then I would have offended a companion in the Holy Life, by 
hitting and hurting him and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an 
apology. 
6. “Bhante, if it were to be someone who had not established himself in the mindfulness of the 
body, then such a person could offend a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him 
and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
Bhante, just as an outcast boy or a girl in torn clothes, with the begging basin in hand, would 
enter a village or town with a humble mind, in the same manner, Bhante, I live with an accepting 
heart that is the same as an outcast boy or a girl in torn clothes with the begging basin in hand, 
who would enter a village or town with a humble mind, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, 
without hostility, and without ill-will. Bhante, if I were not established in the mindfulness of 
the body, then I would have offended a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him 
and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
7. “Bhante, if it were to be someone who had not established himself in the mindfulness of the 
body, then such a person could offend a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him 
and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
Bhante, just like a domesticated or a tamed bull devoted to people, with its horns cut, would 
wander from street to street and from square to square without hurting anyone whether with its 
feet or horns, in the same manner, Bhante, I live with an accepting heart that is the same as a 
domesticated bull devoted to people, with its horns cut, that would wander from street to street 
and from square to square without hurting anyone whether with its feet or horns, abundant, 
exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, and without ill-will. Bhante, if I were not established 
in the mindfulness of the body, then I would have offended a companion in the Holy Life, by 
hitting and hurting him and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an 
apology.

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8. “Bhante, if it were to be someone who had not established himself in the mindfulness of the 
body, then such a person could offend a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him 
and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
Bhante, just like a young or a youthful woman or a man who enjoys adornments who, after 
cleaning oneself and bathing from head to toe, would shrink away by becoming humiliated and 
disgusted if someone were to place the festering carcass of a dead dog or a dead snake around 
their neck, in the same manner, Bhante, I live with a heart that shrinks away by becoming 
humiliated and disgusted by this putrid physical body. Bhante, if I were not established in the 
mindfulness of the body, then I would have offended a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting 
and hurting him and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
9. “Bhante, if it were to be someone who had not established himself in the mindfulness of the 
body, then such a person could offend a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting and hurting him 
and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
Bhante, just like someone using a leaky and a cracked frying pan for cooking where the boiling 
oil keeps leaking and dripping out, in the same manner, Bhante, I live in this leaky and cracked 
physical body that keeps dripping and leaking. Bhante, if I were not established in the 
mindfulness of the body, then I would have offended a companion in the Holy Life, by hitting 
and hurting him and going off to the countryside on a tour, without offering him an apology. 
Then that accusing Bhikkhu got up from his seat and, by arranging his robe on one shoulder, he 
placed his head at the Blessed One’s feet, and said:  
“Blessed Lord, please forgive me for my transgression, in that I accused the Venerable Sāriputta 
baselessly, using a false accusation as I slandered against him, owing to my hateful foolishness 
and delusion. Bhante, may the Blessed Lord please forgive me for my transgression, for the sake 
of future restraint.”  
“Bhikkhu, indeed you have committed a transgression here, as you baselessly accused and 
slandered the Venerable Sāriputta, owing to your hateful foolishness and delusion. But, as you 
see your fault and ask for forgiveness by making amends for it, according to the Dhamma, we 
accept your forgiveness for this transgression. After all, Bhikkhu, in the Noble Ones' Discipline 
it is seen as growth when someone sees their transgression as a fault and transgression and asks 
for pardon by making amends for it, according to the Dhamma, for the sake of future restraint.” 
Then, the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Sāriputta and said:  
“Sāriputta, forgive this foolish man, before his head splits open and is cut into seven pieces, right 
here and now!” 
“Surely Bhante, I will forgive him the moment he says: ‘Bhante, please forgive me.’ 
 
Sadhu 
Sadhu 
Sadhu
