Saṁyutta Nikāya — Discursos Conectados — 17.3 — A Turtle

1At Sāvatthī.

2“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …

3Once upon a time, in a certain lake there was a large family of turtles that had lived there for a long time. Then one of the turtles said to another, ‘My dear turtle, don’t you go to that place.’

4But that turtle did go to that place, and a hunter pierced her with a harpoon.

5Then that turtle went back to the other turtle. When the other turtle saw her coming off in the distance, he said, ‘My dear turtle, I hope you didn’t go to that place!’

6‘I did.’

7‘But my dear turtle, I hope you’re not hurt or injured!’

8‘I’m not hurt or injured. But this cord keeps dragging behind me.’

9‘Indeed, my dear turtle, you’re hurt and injured! Your father and grandfather met with tragedy and disaster because of such a cord. Go now, you are no longer one of us.’

10‘Hunter’ is a term for Māra the Wicked.

11‘Harpoon’ is a term for possessions, honor, and popularity.

12‘Cord’ is a term for greed and relishing.

13Whoever enjoys and likes arisen possessions, honor, and popularity is called a mendicant who has been pierced with a harpoon. They’ve met with tragedy and disaster, and the Wicked One can do with them what he wants.

14So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”