Edaka Sutta : The Bamboo Acrobat (SN 47.19)
[The Buddha addressed the monks:]
Once upon a time, monks, a bamboo acrobat,
setting himself upon his bamboo pole,
addressed his assistant Medakathalika:
"Come you, my dear Medakathalika,
and climbing up the bamboo pole,
stand upon my shoulders."
"Okay, master" the assistant Medakathalika
replied to the bamboo acrobat;
and climbing up the bamboo pole
she stood on the master's shoulders.
So then the bamboo acrobat said this to his assistant
Medakathalika:
"You look after me, my dear Medakathalika, and
I'll look after you.
Thus with us looking after one another, guarding one
another,
we'll show off our craft, receive some payment,
and safely climb down the bamboo pole."
This being said, the assistant Medakathalika said this
to the bamboo acrobat:
"That will not do at all, master!
You look after yourself, master, and I will look after
myself.
Thus with each of us looking after ourselves, guarding
ourselves,
we'll show off our craft, receive some payment,
and safely climb down from the bamboo pole.
That's the right way to do it!"
[The Buddha said:]
Just like the assistant Medakathalika said to her
master:
"I will look after myself,"
so should you, monks, practice the establishment of
mindfulness.
You should (also) practice the establishment of
mindfulness (by saying)
"I will look after others."
Looking after oneself, one looks after others.
Looking after others, one looks after oneself.
And how does one look after others by looking after
oneself?
By practicing (mindfulness), by developing (it), by
doing (it) a lot.
And how does one look after oneself by looking after
others?
By patience, by non-harming, by loving kindness, by
caring (for others).
(Thus) looking after oneself, one looks after others;
and looking after others, one looks after oneself.
Attānaṃ, bhikkhave, rakkhanto paraṃ rakkhati, paraṃ
rakkhanto attānaṃ rakkhatī ti.
Source : Access to Insight
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