MN74: Dīghanakhasutta - With Dīghanakha
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
mn74:1.1So I have heard.This sutta records the occasion of the full enlightenment of the Buddha’s greatest disciple, Sāriputta, as well as the conversion of Dīghanakha. The commentary says this became the occasion for a unique four-factored gathering: it is the full moon in the month of Māgha; 1,250 mendicants spontaneously assemble; all were arahants with the six high knowledges; all were ordained by the “come, mendicant” formula. Today this is celebrated in the Makha Puja festival in Thailand. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain in the Boar’s Cave.
mn74:2.1Then the wanderer Dīghanakha went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.Dīghanakha means “Long-nails”; it must have been a nickname. Long nails are forbidden in the Vinaya (Khandaka 15 verse 147 - ) and also to the one performing a Brahmanical consecration (dīkṣā, Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 3.1.2). Further, EA 34.4 says that long nails (爪長), uncut hair, and unwashed robes were disgraceful characteristics of ascetics. Ācārāṅgasūtra 2.8.5 speaks of the ascetic practice of abandoning the care of the hair of the head, beard, and nails.
Dīghanakha was Sāriputta’s nephew according to the Pali commentaries (not here, but in MN111, SN11.2, etc.) and northern texts such as Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa-śāstra, Mahāvibhāṣā, and Avadānaśataka. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side and said to the Buddha, “Worthy Gotama, this is my doctrine and view: ‘Nothing is acceptable to me.’”Dīghanakha’s view “nothing is acceptable to me” (sabbaṁ me nakkhamati) is obscure, which seems to be the point. Sanskrit and Tibetan parallels to this passage are identical to the Pali, so when some Chinese translations say “no view” or “no teaching” is acceptable, this is probably because the translators felt the need to clarify, echoing the common expression, “the acceptance of a view after consideration” (diṭṭhinijjhānakkhanti). This reading fits the text, but the sense may be broader than that. The closest phrasing in Pali is at DN25:10.10, where “this is not acceptable to me” (idaṁ me nakkhamati) refers to food that a picky monk rejects. Views about acceptable food are recorded in detail in Jain texts, and we may presume that other orders had similar systems. Strictness in such matters is seen as a sign of virtue, escalating ultimately to the refusal of all food.
mn74:2.5“This view of yours, Aggivessana—Aggivessana is his Brahmanical clan name. is that acceptable to you?”While this displays the Buddha’s ready wit, like much good humor it plays on a deeper anxiety. For it is easy to say that one believes in nothing, but the state of unknowing is psychologically unstable, as minds seek answers. When someone claims to hold no views, their skepticism is how they hide their views from themselves
mn74:2.7“If I were to accept this view, worthy Gotama, it would make no difference, it would make no difference!”
mn74:3.1“Well, Aggivessana, there are many more in the world who say, ‘It would make no difference! It would make no difference!’ But they don’t give up that view, and they grasp another view. And there are a scant few in the world who say, ‘It would make no difference! It would make no difference!’ And they give up that view by not grasping another view.
mn74:4.1There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view: ‘Everything is acceptable to me.’ There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view: ‘Nothing is acceptable to me.’ There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view: ‘Some things are acceptable to me and some things are not.’ Regarding this, the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom everything is acceptable is close to greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping. The view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom nothing is acceptable is far from greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.”
mn74:5.1When he said this, the wanderer Dīghanakha said to the Buddha, “Worthy Gotama commends my conviction! He recommends my conviction!”
mn74:5.3“Now, regarding the ascetics and brahmins to whom some things are acceptable and some things are not. Their view of what is acceptable is close to greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping. Their view of what is not acceptable is far from greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.
mn74:6.1When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom everything is acceptable, a sensible person reflects like this: ‘I have the view that everything is acceptable. Suppose I were to obstinately stick to this view and insist, “This is the only truth, anything else is futile.” Then I’d argue with two people—an ascetic or brahmin to whom nothing is acceptable, and an ascetic or brahmin to whom some things are acceptable and some things are not. And when there’s arguing, there’s quarreling; when there’s quarreling there’s distress; and when there’s anguish there’s harm.’ So, considering in themselves the potential for arguing, quarreling, distress, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view. That’s how those views are given up and let go.
mn74:7.1When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom nothing is acceptable, a sensible person reflects like this: ‘I have the view that nothing is acceptable. Suppose I were to obstinately stick to this view and insist, “This is the only truth, anything else is futile.” Then I’d argue with two people—an ascetic or brahmin to whom everything is acceptable, and an ascetic or brahmin to whom some things are acceptable and some things are not. And when there’s arguing, there’s quarreling; when there’s quarreling there’s distress; and when there’s anguish there’s harm.’ So, considering in themselves the potential for arguing, quarreling, distress, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view. That’s how those views are given up and let go.
mn74:8.1When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom some things are acceptable to me and some things are not, a sensible person reflects like this: ‘I have the view that some things are acceptable and some things are not. Suppose I were to obstinately stick to this view and insist, “This is the only truth, anything else is futile.” Then I’d argue with two people—an ascetic or brahmin to whom everything is acceptable, and an ascetic or brahmin to whom nothing is acceptable. And when there’s arguing, there’s quarreling; when there’s quarreling there’s distress; and when there’s anguish there’s harm.’ So, considering in themselves the potential for arguing, quarreling, distress, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view. That’s how those views are given up and let go.
mn74:9.1Aggivessana, this body is formed. It’s made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction. You should see it as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as a boil, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as falling apart, as empty, as not-self. Doing so, you’ll give up desire, affection, and subservience to the body.For kāyanvayatā (“subservience to the body”) see MN36:4.1. The inclusion of this rare phrase here suggests that Jain-like practices such as starvation may be indicated.
mn74:10.1There are these three feelings: pleasant, painful, and neutral. At a time when you feel a pleasant feeling, you don’t feel a painful or neutral feeling; you only feel a pleasant feeling. At a time when you feel a painful feeling, you don’t feel a pleasant or neutral feeling; you only feel a painful feeling. At a time when you feel a neutral feeling, you don’t feel a pleasant or painful feeling; you only feel a neutral feeling.
mn74:11.1Pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings are impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated, liable to end, vanish, fade away, and cease.
mn74:12.1Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.
mn74:12.3They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’
mn74:13.1A mendicant whose mind is freed like this doesn’t side with anyone or dispute with anyone. They use the language of the world to communicate without getting stuck on it.”See DN9:52.1.
mn74:14.1Now at that time Venerable Sāriputta was standing behind the Buddha fanning him. Then he thought, “It seems the Buddha speaks of giving up and letting go all these things through direct knowledge.” Reflecting like this, Venerable Sāriputta’s mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping.Sāriputta became a stream-enterer on hearing a short teaching from the monk Assaji (Khandaka 1 verse 223 - ), whereupon he told his friend Moggallāna. They both promptly left their former teacher Sañjaya, a traumatic loss to Sañjaya and his community. AN4.172 says that Sāriputta became enlightened a fortnight after he ordained, a detail confirmed in multiple parallels to this passage; MN111:2.1 details the practice he undertook in that fortnight. This means that the current discussion must have taken place only a fortnight after leaving Sañjaya. Now, Sañjaya’s philosophy was to systematically avoid taking any position (DN2:32.1), which is similar to Dīghanakha’s doctrine. It seems likely, then, that Dīghanakha was a disciple of Sañjaya. This supposition finds support in several parallels, which say Dīghanakha was annoyed to learn that Sāriputta had rejected other teachers and gone over to the Buddha (eg. Avadānaśataka, Vaidya 1958a 256: sarve tīrthakarā nigṛhītāḥ; also in Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa-śāstra and Mahāvibhāṣā). These sources do not specify Sañjaya, but who else could it be?
mn74:15.1And the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in the wanderer Dīghanakha: “Everything that has a beginning has an end.” Then Dīghanakha saw, attained, understood, and fathomed the Dhamma. He went beyond doubt, got rid of indecision, and became self-assured and independent of others regarding the Teacher’s instructions. He said to the Buddha:
mn74:16.1“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”The Pali is alone in saying Dīghanakha became a lay follower, as all parallels report that he ordained and became an arahant. As with Vacchagotta at MN72:221, it is unlikely that a wanderer would become a lay follower and the Pali is probably in error.
The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa-śāstra, Tibetan Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya, and Avadānaśataka say that, having cut his long nails before ordination, he was known by his actual name, Koṣṭhila, that is, the monk known in Pali as Mahākoṭṭhita. This contradicts the Pali tradition, but as Anālayo shows, there are several inconsistencies in the Pali accounts, so the northern tradition is credible (Comparative Study, vol. 1, p. 406, note 88).
1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate sūkarakhatāyaṁ.
Atha kho dīghanakho paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho dīghanakho paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "ahañhi, bho gotama, evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’"ti.
"Yāpi kho te esā, aggivessana, diṭṭhi: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti, esāpi te diṭṭhi nakkhamatī"ti?
"Esā ce me, bho gotama, diṭṭhi khameyya, taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā"ti.
"Ato kho te, aggivessana, bahū hi bahutarā lokasmiṁ ye evamāhaṁsu: ‘taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā’ti. Te tañceva diṭṭhiṁ nappajahanti aññañca diṭṭhiṁ upādiyanti. Ato kho te, aggivessana, tanū hi tanutarā lokasmiṁ ye evamāhaṁsu: ‘taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā’ti. Te tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahanti aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyanti.
Santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’ti; santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti; santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti. Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’ti tesamayaṁ diṭṭhi sārāgāya santike, saññogāya santike, abhinandanāya santike, ajjhosānāya santike, upādānāya santike; tatraggivessana ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti tesamayaṁ diṭṭhi asārāgāya santike, asaññogāya santike, anabhinandanāya santike, anajjhosānāya santike, anupādānāya santike"ti.
2Evaṁ vutte, dīghanakho paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "ukkaṁseti me bhavaṁ gotamo diṭṭhigataṁ, samukkaṁseti me bhavaṁ gotamo diṭṭhigatan"ti.
3"Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti. Yā hi tesaṁ khamati sāyaṁ diṭṭhi sārāgāya santike, saññogāya santike, abhinandanāya santike, ajjhosānāya santike, upādānāya santike; yā hi tesaṁ nakkhamati sāyaṁ diṭṭhi asārāgāya santike, asaññogāya santike, anabhinandanāya santike, anajjhosānāya santike, anupādānāya santike.
Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’ti tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi – sabbaṁ me khamatīti, imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ — idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti; dvīhi me assa viggaho — yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi — sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti, yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi — ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti — imehi assa dvīhi viggaho. Iti viggahe sati vivādo, vivāde sati vighāto, vighāte sati vihesā’. Iti so viggahañca vivādañca vighātañca vihesañca attani sampassamāno tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahati aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyati. Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.
4Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi – sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti, imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ — idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti; dvīhi me assa viggaho — yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi — sabbaṁ me khamatīti, yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi — ekaccaṁ me khamati ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti — imehi assa dvīhi viggaho. Iti viggahe sati vivādo, vivāde sati vighāto, vighāte sati vihesā’. Iti so viggahañca vivādañca vighātañca vihesañca attani sampassamāno tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahati aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyati. Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.
5Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi — ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti, imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ — idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti; dvīhi me assa viggaho — yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi – sabbaṁ me khamatīti, yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi – sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti — imehi assa dvīhi viggaho. Iti viggahe sati vivādo, vivāde sati vighāto, vighāte sati vihesā’. Iti so viggahañca vivādañca vighātañca vihesañca attani sampassamāno tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahati aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyati. Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.
6Ayaṁ kho panaggivessana, kāyo rūpī cātumahābhūtiko mātāpettikasambhavo odanakummāsūpacayo aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo, aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassitabbo. Tassimaṁ kāyaṁ aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassato yo kāyasmiṁ kāyachando kāyasneho kāyanvayatā sā pahīyati.
7Tisso kho imā, aggivessana, vedanā — sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā. Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti; sukhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti. Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti; dukkhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti. Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti; adukkhamasukhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti.
Sukhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā; dukkhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā; adukkhamasukhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.
Evaṁ passaṁ, aggivessana, sutavā ariyasāvako sukhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati, dukkhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati, adukkhamasukhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati; nibbindaṁ virajjati, virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ, vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.
‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.
Evaṁ vimuttacitto kho, aggivessana, bhikkhu na kenaci saṁvadati, na kenaci vivadati, yañca loke vuttaṁ tena voharati, aparāmasan"ti.
8Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto bhagavato piṭṭhito ṭhito hoti bhagavantaṁ bījayamāno. Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi: "tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no bhagavā dhammānaṁ abhiññā pahānamāha, tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no sugato dhammānaṁ abhiññā paṭinissaggamāhā"ti. Iti hidaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa paṭisañcikkhato anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucci.
Dīghanakhassa pana paribbājakassa virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi: "yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman"ti. Atha kho dīghanakho paribbājako diṭṭhadhammo pattadhammo viditadhammo pariyogāḷhadhammo tiṇṇavicikiccho vigatakathaṁkatho vesārajjappatto aparappaccayo satthusāsane bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
"Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama. Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evameva kho bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṁghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.
Dīghanakhasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ catutthaṁ.