1So I have heard. At one time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying in the land of the Avantis near Kuraraghara on Steep Mountain.

Then the householder Hāliddikāni went up to Venerable Mahākaccāna, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, this was said by the Buddha in the Chapter of the Eights, in ‘The Questions of Māgandiya’:

‘After leaving shelter to become an unsettled migrant,
a sage doesn’t get close to anyone in town.
Rid of sensual pleasures, expecting nothing,
they don’t argue with anyone.’

How should we see the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement?”

“Householder, the form element is a shelter for consciousness. One whose consciousness is shackled to greed for the form element is called a migrant going from shelter to shelter. The feeling element is a shelter for consciousness. One whose consciousness is attached to greed for the feeling element is called a migrant going from shelter to shelter. The perception element is a shelter for consciousness. One whose consciousness is attached to greed for the perception element is called a migrant going from shelter to shelter. The choices element is a shelter for consciousness. One whose consciousness is attached to greed for the choices element is called a migrant going from shelter to shelter. That’s how one is a migrant going from shelter to shelter.

And how is one a migrant without a shelter? The Realized One has given up any desire, greed, relishing, and craving for the form element; any attraction, grasping, mental fixation, insistence, and underlying tendencies. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future. That’s why the Realized One is called a migrant without a shelter. The Realized One has given up any desire, greed, relishing, and craving for the feeling element … the perception element … the choices element … the consciousness element; any attraction, grasping, mental fixation, insistence, and underlying tendencies. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future. That’s why the Realized One is called a migrant without a shelter. That’s how one is a migrant without a shelter.

And how is one a migrant going from settlement to settlement? Being attached to migrating from settlement to settlement in pursuit of sights, one is called a migrant going from settlement to settlement. Being attached to migrating from settlement to settlement in pursuit of sounds … smells … tastes … touches … thoughts, one is called a migrant going from settlement to settlement. That’s how one is a migrant going from settlement to settlement.

And how is one an unsettled migrant? The Realized One has given up attachment to migrating from settlement to settlement in pursuit of sights. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future. That’s why the Realized One is called an unsettled migrant. The Realized One has given up attachment to migrating from settlement to settlement in pursuit of sounds … smells … tastes … touches … thoughts. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future. That’s why the Realized One is called an unsettled migrant. That’s how one is an unsettled migrant.

And how does one get close to people in town? It’s when someone mixes closely with laypeople, sharing their joys and sorrows — happy when they’re happy and sad when they’re sad — and getting involved in their business. That’s how one gets close to people in town.

And how does one not get close to people in town? It’s when a mendicant doesn’t mix closely with laypeople, not sharing their joys and sorrows — not happy when they’re happy or sad when they’re sad — and not getting involved in their business. That’s how one doesn’t get close to people in town.

And how is one not rid of sensual pleasures? It’s when someone isn’t rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures. That’s how one is not rid of sensual pleasures.

And how is one rid of sensual pleasures? It’s when someone is rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures. That’s how one is rid of sensual pleasures.

And how does one have expectations? It’s when someone thinks: ‘In the future, may I be of such form, such feeling, such perception, such choices, and such consciousness!’ That’s how one has expectations.

And how does one expect nothing? It’s when someone doesn’t think: ‘In the future, may I be of such form, such feeling, such perception, such choices, and such consciousness!’ That’s how one expects nothing.

And how does one argue with people? It’s when someone takes part in this sort of discussion: ‘You don’t understand this teaching and training. I understand this teaching and training. What, you understand this teaching and training? You’re practicing wrong. I’m practicing right. You said last what you should have said first. You said first what you should have said last. I stay on topic, you don’t. What you’ve thought so much about has been disproved. Your doctrine is refuted. Go on, save your doctrine! You’re trapped; get yourself out of this — if you can!’ That’s how one argues with people.

And how does one not argue with people? It’s when a mendicant doesn’t take part in this sort of discussion: ‘You don’t understand this teaching and training … get yourself out of this — if you can!’ That’s how one doesn’t argue with people.

So, householder, that’s how to understand the detailed meaning of what the Buddha said in brief in the Chapter of the Eights, in ‘The Questions of Māgandiya’:

‘After leaving shelter to become an unsettled migrant,
a sage doesn’t get close to anyone in town.
Rid of sensual pleasures, expecting nothing,
they don’t argue with anyone.’”

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākaccāno avantīsu vihārati kuraraghare papāte pabbate. Atha kho hāliddikāni gahapati yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho hāliddikāni gahapati āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca:

"Vuttamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā aṭṭhakavaggiye māgaṇḍiyapañhe: 

2‘Okaṁ pahāya aniketasārī,
Gāme akubbaṁ muni santhavāni;
Kāmehi ritto apurakkharāno,
Kathaṁ na viggayha janena kayirā’ti.

3Imassa nu kho, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa kathaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo"ti?

4"Rūpadhātu kho, gahapati, viññāṇassa oko. Rūpadhāturāgavinibandhañca pana viññāṇaṁ ‘okasārī’ti vuccati. Vedanādhātu kho, gahapati, viññāṇassa oko. Vedanādhāturāgavinibandhañca pana viññāṇaṁ ‘okasārī’ti vuccati. Saññādhātu kho, gahapati, viññāṇassa oko. Saññādhāturāgavinibandhañca pana viññāṇaṁ ‘okasārī’ti vuccati. Saṅkhāradhātu kho, gahapati, viññāṇassa oko. Saṅkhāradhāturāgavinibandhañca pana viññāṇaṁ ‘okasārī’ti vuccati. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, okasārī hoti.

5Kathañca, gahapati, anokasārī hoti? Rūpadhātuyā kho, gahapati, yo chando yo rāgo yā nandī yā taṇhā ye upayupādānā cetaso adhiṭṭhānābhinivesānusayā te tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anup pāda dhammā. Tasmā tathāgato ‘anokasārī’ti vuccati. Vedanādhātuyā kho, gahapati … saññādhātuyā kho, gahapati … saṅkhāradhātuyā kho, gahapati … viññāṇadhātuyā kho, gahapati, yo chando yo rāgo yā nandī yā taṇhā ye upayupādānā cetaso adhiṭṭhānābhinivesānusayā te tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anup pāda dhammā. Tasmā tathāgato ‘anokasārī’ti vuccati. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, anokasārī hoti.

6Kathañca, gahapati, niketasārī hoti? Rūpanimittaniketavisāravinibandhā kho, gahapati, ‘niketasārī’ti vuccati. Saddanimitta … pe … gandhanimitta … rasanimitta … phoṭṭhabbanimitta … dhammanimittaniketavisāravinibandhā kho, gahapati, ‘niketasārī’ti vuccati. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, niketasārī hoti.

7Kathañca, gahapati, aniketasārī hoti? Rūpanimittaniketavisāravinibandhā kho, gahapati, tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anup pāda dhammā. Tasmā tathāgato ‘aniketasārī’ti vuccati. Saddanimitta … gandhanimitta … rasanimitta … phoṭṭhabbanimitta … dhammanimittaniketavisāravinibandhā kho, gahapati, tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anup pāda dhammā. Tasmā tathāgato ‘aniketasārī’ti vuccati. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, aniketasārī hoti.

8Kathañca, gahapati, gāme santhavajāto hoti? Idha, gahapati, ekacco gihīhi saṁsaṭṭho vihārati sahanandī sahasokī, sukhitesu sukhito, dukkhitesu dukkhito, uppannesu kiccakaraṇīyesu attanā tesu yogaṁ āpajjati. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, gāme santhavajāto hoti.

9Kathañca, gahapati, gāme na santhavajāto hoti? Idha, gahapati, bhikkhu gihīhi asaṁsaṭṭho vihārati na sahanandī na sahasokī na sukhitesu sukhito na dukkhitesu dukkhito, uppannesu kiccakaraṇīyesu na attanā tesu yogaṁ āpajjati. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, gāme na santhavajāto hoti.

10Kathañca, gahapati, kāmehi aritto hoti? Idha, gahapati, ekacco kāmesu avigatarāgo hoti avigatacchando avigatapemo avigatapipāso avigatapariḷāho avigātataṇho. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, kāmehi aritto hoti.

11Kathañca, gahapati, kāmehi ritto hoti? Idha, gahapati, ekacco kāmesu vigatarāgo hoti vigatacchando vigatapemo vigatapipāso vigatapariḷāho vigātataṇho. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, kāmehi ritto hoti.

12Kathañca, gahapati, purakkharāno hoti? Idha, gahapati, ekaccassa evaṁ hoti: ‘evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁvedano siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁsañño siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, purakkharāno hoti.

13Kathañca, gahapati, apurakkharāno hoti? Idha, gahapati, ekaccassa na evaṁ hoti: ‘evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁvedano siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁsañño siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, apurakkharāno hoti.

14Kathañca, gahapati, kathaṁ viggayha janena kattā hoti? Idha, gahapati, ekacco evarūpiṁ kathaṁ kattā hoti: ‘Na tvaṁ imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ ājānāsi; ahaṁ imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ ājānāmi. Kiṁ tvaṁ imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ ājānissasi? Micchāpaṭipanno tvamasi; ahamasmi sammāpaṭipanno. Pure vacanīyaṁ pacchā avaca; pacchā vacanīyaṁ pure avaca. Sahitaṁ me, asahitaṁ te. Adhiciṇṇaṁ te viparāvattaṁ. Āropito te vādo; cara vādappamokkhāya. Niggahitosi; nibbeṭhehi vā sace pahosī’ti. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, kathaṁ viggayha janena kattā hoti.

15Kathañca, gahapati, kathaṁ na viggayha janena kattā hoti? Idha, gahapati, bhikkhu na evarūpiṁ kathaṁ kattā hoti: ‘Na tvaṁ imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ ājānāsi … pe … nibbeṭhehi vā sace pahosī’ti. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, kathaṁ na viggayha janena kattā hoti.

16Iti kho, gahapati, yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā aṭṭhakavaggiye māgaṇḍiyapañhe: 

17‘Okaṁ pahāya aniketasārī,
Gāme akubbaṁ munisanthavāni;
Kāmehi ritto apurakkharāno,
Kathaṁ na viggayha janena kayirā’ti.

18Imassa kho, gahapati, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.