Muni's PlayThis famous sutta addresses the immense debt children owe to their parents. The Buddha explains that material repayment, no matter how extravagant, is never enough. The only true way to repay parents is by guiding them towards spiritual development.
1. The Impossibility of Material Repayment
The Buddha highlights that parents do so much for their children—bringing them into the world, raising them, and guiding them—that mundane forms of repayment always fall short.
Pali
“द्विन्नाहं, भिक्खवे, न सुप्पतिकारं वदामि। कतमेसं द्विन्नं? मातु च पितु च। … एकेन, भिक्खवे, अंसेन मातरं परिहरेय्य, एकेन अंसेन पितरं परिहरेय्य वस्ससतायुको वस्ससतजीवी सो च नेसं उच्छादनपरिमद्दनन्हापनसम्बाहनेन। ते च तत्थेव मुत्तकरीसं चजेय्युं, न त्वेव, भिक्खवे, मातापितूनं कतं वा होति पटिकतं वा। … इमिस्सा च, भिक्खवे, महापथविया पहूतरत्तरतनाय मातापितरो इस्सराधिपच्चे रज्जे पतिट्ठापेय्य, न त्वेव … कतं वा होति पटिकतं वा। तं किस्स हेतु? बहुकारा, भिक्खवे, मातापितरो पुत्तानं आपादका पोसका इमस्स लोकस्स दस्सेतारो।”
Sanskrit Chaya
“द्वयोरहं भिक्षवो न सुप्रतीकारं वदामि। कतमेषां द्वयोः? मातुश्च पितुश्च। … एकेन भिक्षवोऽंसेन मातरं परिहरेद् एकेनांसेन पितरं परिहरेद् वर्षशतायुको वर्षशतजीवी स च तयोरुत्सादनपरिमर्दनस्नापनसम्वाहनेन। तौ च तत्रैव मूत्रकरीषं त्यजेताम्, न त्वेव भिक्षवो मातापित्रोः कृतं वा भवति प्रतिकृतं वा। … अस्यां च भिक्षवो महापृथिव्यां प्रभूतसप्तरत्नायां मातापितरावीश्वराधिपत्ये राज्ये प्रतिष्ठापयेत्, न त्वेव … कृतं वा भवति प्रतिकृतं वा। तत्कस्य हेतोः? बहुकारा भिक्षवो मातापितरः पुत्राणामापादकाः पोषका अस्य लोकस्य दर्शयितारः।”
“I declare, monks, that there are two people who are not easily repaid. Which two? Mother and father. Even if one were to carry one’s mother on one shoulder and one’s father on the other for a hundred years… and even if they were to void their excrement right there, one would still not have done enough for one’s parents, nor repaid them. Even if one were to establish one’s parents as supreme rulers of this great earth… one would still not have repaid them. Why? Parents do much for their children: they bring them up, nourish them, and introduce them to this world.”
2. The True Method of Repayment
The only way to truly repay the debt to one’s parents is by helping them cultivate wholesome qualities if they lack them.
Pali
“यो च खो, भिक्खवे, मातापितरो अस्सद्धे सद्धासम्पदाय समादपेति निवेसेति पतिट्ठापेति, दुस्सीले सीलसम्पदाय समादपेति निवेसेति पतिट्ठापेति, मच्छरी चागसम्पदाय समादपेति निवेसेति पतिट्ठापेति, दुप्पञ्ञे पञ्ञासम्पदाय समादपेति निवेसेति पतिट्ठापेति, एत्तावता खो, भिक्खवे, मातापितूनं कतञ्च होति पटिकतञ्चा”ति।”
Sanskrit Chaya
“यश्च खलु भिक्षवो मातापितरावश्रद्धौ श्रद्धासम्पदि समादापयति निवेशयति प्रतिष्ठापयति, दुश्शीलौ शीलसम्पदि समादापयति… मत्सरी त्यागसम्पदि समादापयति… दुष्प्रज्ञौ प्रज्ञासम्पदि समादापयति निवेशयति प्रतिष्ठापयति, एतावता खलु भिक्षवो मातापित्रोः कृतं च भवति प्रतिकृतं च।”
“But, monks, whoever encourages, settles, and establishes their parents in the accomplishment of faith if they are faithless; in the accomplishment of ethical conduct if they are immoral; in the accomplishment of generosity if they are stingy; and in the accomplishment of wisdom if they are unwise—in this way one has done enough for one’s parents, repaid them, and done more than enough for them.”
Summary of True Repayment
To truly repay one’s parents, one must help establish them in four spiritual accomplishments (सम्पदा - sampadā):
| Establishing the Parents in… | Replaces the Defect of… | Pali | Sanskrit Chaya |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accomplishment of Faith | Lack of faith (assaddha) | सद्धासम्पदा (saddhāsampadā) | श्रद्धासम्पद् (śraddhāsampad) |
| Accomplishment of Virtue | Immorality (dussīla) | सीलसम्पदा (sīlasampadā) | शीलसम्पद् (śīlasampad) |
| Accomplishment of Generosity | Stinginess (maccharī) | चागसम्पदा (cāgasampadā) | त्यागसम्पद् (tyāgasampad) |
| Accomplishment of Wisdom | Lack of wisdom (duppañña) | पञ्ञासम्पदा (paññāsampadā) | प्रज्ञासम्पद् (prajñāsampad) |