MN58: Abhayarājakumārasutta - With Prince Abhaya
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
mn58:1.1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.This sutta is framed as a response to a challenge by Mahāvīra, the Jain leader. It shows the Buddha’s characteristic dry humor to undermine religious pretensions (see eg. MN76:21.1, DN11:82.6). The dialogue slyly shows the Buddha defeating Mahāvīra by using one of Mahāvīra’s key methods against him.
mn58:2.1Then Prince Abhaya went up to the Jain ascetic of the Ñātika clan, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Jain Ñātika said to him,Prince Abhaya (“fearless”) raised Jīvaka after discovering him abandoned Khandaka 8 verse 3 on . In this sutta he appears as an acolyte of Mahāvīra, while in SN46.56 he asks the Buddha about Pūraṇa Kassapa. Apart from these details he is unknown in the early texts. Commentaries say he was the son of King Bimbisāra by one of his queens, Padumavatī of Ujjenī, making him half-brother to Ajātasattu. They also say that following Bimbisāra’s death, Abhaya went forth and spoke the verse at Theragatha 1 verse 26.
Not to be confused with Abhaya the Licchavī of AN3.74 and AN4.196; nor with the author of Theragatha 1 verse 98; nor is Therigatha 2 verse 33 addressed to his mother, but that of the nun Abhayā (Therigatha 2 verse 35-6).
“Come, prince, refute the ascetic Gotama’s doctrine. Then you will get a good reputation: ‘Prince Abhaya refuted the doctrine of the ascetic Gotama, so mighty and powerful!’”
mn58:3.4“But sir, how am I to do this?”
mn58:3.5“Here, prince, go to the ascetic Gotama and say to him: ‘Sir, may the Realized One utter speech that is disliked by others?’The Jain doctrine anekantavāda (“doctrine of many-sidedness”, “non-categorical doctrine”) posits that in metaphysical propositions, one must conditionally affirm multiple possibilities so as to illuminate the complex, multifacted nature of reality. An aspect of anekantavāda is the syadvada, which frames all statements with syā, “it may be”. This uses the optative tense to conditionally affirm or deny without making absolute statements. The same tense is employed here by Mahāvīra in order to trap the Buddha on the horns of a dilemma (ubhatokoṭika). Needless to say, this is not how he is presented in Jain texts. When he’s asked this, if he answers: ‘He may, prince,’ say this to him, ‘Then, sir, what exactly is the difference between you and an ordinary person?When springing the trap, the voice shifts from the respectful third person to the familiar second person. For even an ordinary person may utter speech that is disliked by others.’ But if he answers, ‘He may not, prince,’ say this to him: ‘Then, sir, why exactly did you declare of Devadatta: “Devadatta is going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable”?Mahāvīra is quoting from the Buddha at AN8.7 = Khandaka 17 verse 73. This dates this sutta to the last years of the Buddha’s life, after the rebellion of Devadatta and the ascension of Ajātasattu, and shortly before Mahāvīra’s passing. Devadatta was angry and upset with what you said.’
mn58:3.16When you put this dilemma to him, the Buddha won’t be able to either spit it out or swallow it down. He’ll be like a man with an iron cross stuck in his throat, unable to either spit it out or swallow it down.”
mn58:4.1“Yes, sir,” replied Abhaya. He got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Jain Ñātika, keeping him on his right. Then he went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side.
mn58:4.2Then he looked up at the sun and thought, “It’s too late to refute the Buddha’s doctrine today. I shall refute his doctrine in my own home tomorrow.” He said to the Buddha, “Sir, may the Buddha please accept tomorrow’s meal from me, together with three other monks.” The Buddha consented with silence.
mn58:5.1Then, knowing that the Buddha had consented, Abhaya got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.
mn58:5.2Then when the night had passed, the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to Abhaya’s home, and sat down on the seat spread out. Then Abhaya served and satisfied the Buddha with his own hands with delicious fresh and cooked foods.
mn58:5.4When the Buddha had eaten and washed his hand and bowl, Abhaya took a low seat, sat to one side, and said to him, “Sir, may the Realized One utter speech that is disliked by others?”
mn58:6.3“This matter is not categorical, prince.”The Buddha solves the dilemma by avoiding a categorical statement, thus beating the Jains at their own game. Unlike the Jains, the Buddha did not advocate giving non-categorical answers as a general principle; different questions require different approaches when answering (AN3.67, MN136:5.1). Cf. AN3.78 and AN3.21.
mn58:6.4“Then the Jains have lost in this, sir.”
mn58:6.5“But prince, why do you say that the Jains have lost in this?”
mn58:6.7Then Abhaya told the Buddha all that had happened.
mn58:7.1Now at that time a little baby boy was sitting in Prince Abhaya’s lap. Then the Buddha said to Abhaya, “What do you think, prince? If—because of your negligence or his nursemaid’s negligence—your boy were to put a stick or stone in his mouth, what would you do to him?”
mn58:7.5“I’d try to take it out, sir. If that didn’t work, I’d cradle his head with my left hand and take it out using a hooked finger of my right hand, even if it drew blood. Why is that? Because I have sympathy for the boy, sir.”
mn58:8.1“In the same way, prince, the Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be untrue, false, and pointless, and which is disliked by others. The Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be true and correct, but which is harmful and disliked by others. The Realized One knows the right time to speak so as to explain what he knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, but which is disliked by others.For the phrase “speak so as to explain” (vācāya veyyākaraṇāya) I follow the commentary. The Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be untrue, false, and pointless, but which is liked by others. The Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be true and correct, but which is harmful, even if it is liked by others. The Realized One knows the right time to speak so as to explain what he knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, and which is liked by others. Why is that? Because the Realized One has sympathy for sentient beings.”Here the optatives are gone and the Buddha states his views directly, showing that just because a question is not “categorical” does not mean that it cannot be given a definitive answer. However, it cannot be answered all-at-once or “categorically”, but must be broken into parts by “analysis” before answering.
mn58:9.1“Sir, there are clever aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics who come to see you with a question already planned. Do you think beforehand that if they ask you like this, you’ll answer like that, or does the answer just strike you on the spot?”
mn58:10.1“Well then, prince, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, prince? Are you skilled in the various parts of a chariot?”
mn58:10.4“I am, sir.”
mn58:10.5“What do you think, prince? When they come to you and ask: ‘What’s the name of this chariot part?’ Do you think beforehand that if they ask you like this, you’ll answer like that, or does the answer appear to you on the spot?”
mn58:10.9“Sir, I’m well-known as a charioteer skilled in a chariot’s parts. All the major and minor parts are well-known to me. The answer just appears to me on the spot.”
mn58:11.1“In the same way, when clever aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics come to see me with a question already planned, the answer just strikes me on the spot. Why is that? Because the Realized One has clearly comprehended the principle of the teachings, so that the answer just strikes him on the spot.”
mn58:12.1When he had spoken, Prince Abhaya said to the Buddha, “Excellent, sir! Excellent! … From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”
1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro yena nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho abhayaṁ rājakumāraṁ nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto etadavoca:
"ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, samaṇassa gotamassa vādaṁ āropehi. Evaṁ te kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchissati: ‘abhayena rājakumārena samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādo āropito’"ti.
"Yathā kathaṁ panāhaṁ, bhante, samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādaṁ āropessāmī"ti?
"Ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ vadehi: ‘bhāseyya nu kho, bhante, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā’ti? Sace te samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti: ‘bhāseyya, rājakumāra, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā’ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi: ‘atha kiñcarahi te, bhante, puthujjanena nānākaraṇaṁ? Puthujjanopi hi taṁ vācaṁ bhāseyya yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā’ti. Sace pana te samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti: ‘na, rājakumāra, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ bhāseyya yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā’ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi: ‘atha kiñcarahi te, bhante, devadatto byākato: "āpāyiko devadatto, nerayiko devadatto, kappaṭṭho devadatto, atekiccho devadatto"ti? Tāya ca pana te vācāya devadatto kupito ahosi anattamano’ti.
Imaṁ kho te, rājakumāra, samaṇo gotamo ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno neva sakkhiti uggilituṁ na sakkhiti ogilituṁ. Seyyathāpi nāma purisassa ayosiṅghāṭakaṁ kaṇṭhe vilaggaṁ, so neva sakkuṇeyya uggilituṁ na sakkuṇeyya ogilituṁ; evameva kho te, rājakumāra, samaṇo gotamo imaṁ ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno neva sakkhiti uggilituṁ na sakkhiti ogilitun"ti.
"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho abhayo rājakumāro nigaṇṭhassa nāṭaputtassa paṭissutvā uṭṭhāyāsanā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
2Ekamantaṁ nisinnassa kho abhayassa rājakumārassa sūriyaṁ ulloketvā etadahosi: "akālo kho ajja bhagavato vādaṁ āropetuṁ. Sve dānāhaṁ sake nivesane bhagavato vādaṁ āropessāmī"ti bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "adhivāsetu me, bhante, bhagavā svātanāya attacatuttho bhattan"ti. Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.
Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavato adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.
Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena abhayassa rājakumārassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi.
Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ bhuttāviṁ onītapattapāṇiṁ aññataraṁ nīcaṁ āsanaṁ gahetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
3Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "bhāseyya nu kho, bhante, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā"ti?
"Na khvettha, rājakumāra, ekaṁsenā"ti.
"Ettha, bhante, anassuṁ nigaṇṭhā"ti.
"Kiṁ pana tvaṁ, rājakumāra, evaṁ vadesi: ‘ettha, bhante, anassuṁ nigaṇṭhā’"ti?
"Idhāhaṁ, bhante, yena nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho maṁ, bhante, nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto etadavoca: ‘ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, samaṇassa gotamassa vādaṁ āropehi. Evaṁ te kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchissati – abhayena rājakumārena samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādo āropito’ti. Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘yathā kathaṁ panāhaṁ, bhante, samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādaṁ āropessāmī’ti? ‘Ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ vadehi: "bhāseyya nu kho, bhante, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā"ti? Sace te samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti: "bhāseyya, rājakumāra, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā"ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi: "atha kiñcarahi te, bhante, puthujjanena nānākaraṇaṁ? Puthujjanopi hi taṁ vācaṁ bhāseyya yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā"ti. Sace pana te samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti: "na, rājakumāra, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ bhāseyya yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā"ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi — atha kiñcarahi te, bhante, devadatto byākato: "āpāyiko devadatto, nerayiko devadatto, kappaṭṭho devadatto, atekiccho devadatto"ti? Tāya ca pana te vācāya devadatto kupito ahosi anattamano’ti. Imaṁ kho te, rājakumāra, samaṇo gotamo ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno neva sakkhiti uggilituṁ na sakkhiti ogilituṁ. Seyyathāpi nāma purisassa ayosiṅghāṭakaṁ kaṇṭhe vilaggaṁ, so neva sakkuṇeyya uggilituṁ na sakkuṇeyya ogilituṁ; evameva kho te, rājakumāra, samaṇo gotamo imaṁ ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno neva sakkhiti uggilituṁ na sakkhiti ogilitun"ti.
4Tena kho pana samayena daharo kumāro mando uttānaseyyako abhayassa rājakumārassa aṅke nisinno hoti. Atha kho bhagavā abhayaṁ rājakumāraṁ etadavoca: "taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra, sacāyaṁ kumāro tuyhaṁ vā pamādamanvāya dhātiyā vā pamādamanvāya kaṭṭhaṁ vā kaṭhalaṁ vā mukhe āhareyya, kinti naṁ kareyyāsī"ti?
"Āhareyyassāhaṁ, bhante. Sace, bhante, na sakkuṇeyyaṁ ādikeneva āhattuṁ, vāmena hatthena sīsaṁ pariggahetvā dakkhiṇena hatthena vaṅkaṅguliṁ karitvā salohitampi āhareyyaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Atthi me, bhante, kumāre anukampā"ti.
"Evameva kho, rājakumāra, yaṁ tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti abhūtaṁ atacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā, na taṁ tathāgato vācaṁ bhāsati. Yampi tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā, tampi tathāgato vācaṁ na bhāsati. Yañca kho tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ atthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā, tatra kālaññū tathāgato hoti tassā vācāya veyyākaraṇāya. Yaṁ tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti abhūtaṁ atacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ piyā manāpā, na taṁ tathāgato vācaṁ bhāsati. Yampi tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ piyā manāpā tampi tathāgato vācaṁ na bhāsati. Yañca tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ atthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ piyā manāpā, tatra kālaññū tathāgato hoti tassā vācāya veyyākaraṇāya. Taṁ kissa hetu? Atthi, rājakumāra, tathāgatassa sattesu anukampā"ti.
5"Yeme, bhante, khattiyapaṇḍitāpi brāhmaṇapaṇḍitāpi gahapatipaṇḍitāpi samaṇapaṇḍitāpi pañhaṁ abhisaṅkharitvā tathāgataṁ upasaṅkamitvā pucchanti, pubbeva nu kho, etaṁ, bhante, bhagavato cetaso parivitakkitaṁ hoti ‘ye maṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ pucchissanti tesāhaṁ evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākarissāmī’ti, udāhu ṭhānasovetaṁ tathāgataṁ paṭibhātī"ti?
6"Tena hi, rājakumāra, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi, yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra, kusalo tvaṁ rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgānan"ti?
7"Evaṁ, bhante, kusalo ahaṁ rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgānan"ti.
8"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra, ye taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘kiṁ nāmidaṁ rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgan’ti? Pubbeva nu kho te etaṁ cetaso parivitakkitaṁ assa ‘ye maṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ pucchissanti tesāhaṁ evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākarissāmī’ti, udāhu ṭhānasovetaṁ paṭibhāseyyā"ti?
9"Ahañhi, bhante, rathiko saññāto kusalo rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgānaṁ. Sabbāni me rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgāni suviditāni. Ṭhānasovetaṁ maṁ paṭibhāseyyā"ti.
10"Evameva kho, rājakumāra, ye te khattiyapaṇḍitāpi brāhmaṇapaṇḍitāpi gahapatipaṇḍitāpi samaṇapaṇḍitāpi pañhaṁ abhisaṅkharitvā tathāgataṁ upasaṅkamitvā pucchanti, ṭhānasovetaṁ tathāgataṁ paṭibhāti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Sā hi, rājakumāra, tathāgatassa dhammadhātu suppaṭividdhā yassā dhammadhātuyā suppaṭividdhattā ṭhānasovetaṁ tathāgataṁ paṭibhātī"ti.
11Evaṁ vutte, abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante … pe … ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.
Abhayarājakumārasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ.