If we are already
‘shot’ by suffering now,
why are we suffering longer?
Shilashanti
As summarised from the Cūḷa Mālukya Sutta (Shorter Discourse To Mālunkyāputta):
A monk, thinking that if the Buddha
does not answer his speculative questions,
will abandon monkhood and return to lay life,
thereupon to the Buddha asked them.
The Buddha counter-questioned
if he ever promised to answer such questions
if he were to live a holy life as a monk,
followed by a parable.
A man is shot by a heavily poisoned arrow,
with others bringing a doctor to remove it.
However, the man will not allow it,
till he knows the caste of the shooter,
his name and clan,
height and complexion, address,
the weapon being a long or crossbow,
the material of the bowstring,
the shaft being wild or cultivated,
the kind of feathers in the shaft,
the kind of sinew binding the shaft,
the kind of arrowhead…
all these will still not be known
while the man will surely die.
Likewise, wanting the speculative answered,
one will die first too.
What the Buddha teaches instead,
is that there is suffering and the path to end it,
while the pointlessly speculative is not taught,
with it not beneficial for liberation from birth and death.
If we are already
‘shot’ by suffering now,
why are we not eliminating it now?
Shilashanti
Related Article:
Are You Shot By One Or Two Arrows?
https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2025/07/are-you-shot-by-one-or-two-arrows
