35. Saḷāyatanasaṁyutta: On the Six Sense Fields
XIII. Householders — SN35.132: With Lohicca
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1At one time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying in the land of the Avantis in a wilderness hut near Makkarakaṭa.
Then several youths, students of the brahmin Lohicca, approached Mahākaccāna’s wilderness hut while collecting firewood. They walked and wandered all around the hut, making a dreadful racket and all kinds of jeers: “These shavelings, fake ascetics, riffraff, black spawn from the feet of our Kinsman, the Lord! They’re honored, respected, esteemed, revered, and venerated by those who pretend to inherit Vedic culture.”
And then Mahākaccāna left his dwelling and said to those brahmin students: “Students, stop being so noisy. I will speak to you on the teaching.”
When this was said, the students fell silent. Then Mahākaccāna recited these verses for them.
2“The brahmins of old excelled in ethics,
and remembered the ancient traditions.
Their sense doors were guarded, well protected,
and they had mastered anger.
3Those brahmins who remembered the ancient traditions
enjoyed virtue and absorption.
4But these have lost their way. Claiming to recite,
they live out of balance, judging everyone by their clan.
Mastered by anger, they take up many arms,
attacking both the strong and the weak.
5All is vain for someone who doesn’t guard the sense doors,
like the wealth a person finds in a dream.
Fasting, sleeping on bare ground,
bathing at dawn, the three Vedas,
6rough hides, dreadlocks, and dirt,
hymns, precepts and observances, and self-mortification,
those fake bent staffs,
and rinsing with water.
These emblems of the brahmins
are only used to generate profits.
7A mind that’s serene,
clear and undisturbed,
kind to all creatures:
that’s the path to attainment of Brahmā!”
8Then those students, offended and upset, went to the brahmin Lohicca and said to him: “Please, master, you should know this. The ascetic Mahākaccāna condemns and rejects outright the hymns of the brahmins!”
When they said this, Lohicca was offended and upset. Then he thought: “But it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to abuse or insult the ascetic Mahākaccāna solely because of what I’ve heard from these students. Why don’t I go and ask him about it?”
9Then the brahmin Lohicca together with those students went to Venerable Mahākaccāna and exchanged greetings with him.
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to him:
“Master Kaccāna, did several young students of mine come by here collecting firewood?”
“They did, brahmin.”
“But did you have some discussion with them?”
“I did.”
“But what kind of discussion did you have with them?”
“This is the discussion I had with these students.”
10-11Mahākaccāna repeats the verses.
12“Master Kaccāna spoke of someone who doesn’t guard the sense doors. How do you define someone who doesn’t guard the sense doors?”
“Brahmin, take someone who sees a sight with their eyes. If it’s pleasant they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant they dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body unestablished and their heart restricted. And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.
When they hear a sound with their ears …
When they smell an odor with their nose …
When they taste a flavor with their tongue …
When they feel a touch with their body …
When they know a thought with their mind, if it’s pleasant they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant they dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body unestablished and a limited heart. And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.
That’s how someone doesn’t guard the sense doors.”
“It’s incredible, Master Kaccāna, it’s amazing! How accurately you’ve explained someone whose sense doors are unguarded!
13You also spoke of someone who does guard the sense doors. How do you define someone who does guard the sense doors?”
“Brahmin, take someone who sees a sight with their eyes. If it’s pleasant they don’t hold on to it, and if it’s unpleasant they don’t dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body established and a limitless heart. And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.
When they hear a sound with their ears …
When they smell an odor with their nose …
When they taste a flavor with their tongue …
When they feel a touch with their body …
When they know a thought with their mind, if it’s pleasant they don’t hold on to it, and if it’s unpleasant they don’t dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body established and a limitless heart. And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.
That’s how someone guards the sense doors.”
14“It’s incredible, Master Kaccāna, it’s amazing! How accurately you’ve explained someone whose sense doors are guarded! Excellent, Master Kaccāna! 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 good eyes can see what’s there, Master Kaccāna has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may Master Kaccāna remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.
Please come to my family just as you go to the families of the lay followers in Makkarakaṭa. The brahmin boys and girls there will bow to you, rise in your presence, and give you a seat and water. That will be for their lasting welfare and happiness.”
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākaccāno avantīsu vihārati makkarakate araññakuṭikāyaṁ.
Atha kho lohiccassa brāhmaṇassa sambahulā antevāsikā kaṭṭhahārakā māṇavakā yenāyasmato mahākaccānassa araññakuṭikā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā parito parito kuṭikāya anucaṅkamanti anuvicaranti uccāsaddā mahāsaddā kānici kānici seleyyakāni karonti: "ime pana muṇḍakā samaṇakā ibbhā kaṇhā bandhupādāpaccā, imesaṁ bharatakānaṁ sakkatā garukatā mānitā pūjitā apacitā"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā mahākaccāno vihārā nikkhamitvā te māṇavake etadavoca: "mā māṇavakā saddamakattha; dhammaṁ vo bhāsissāmī"ti.
Evaṁ vutte, te māṇavakā tuṇhī ahesuṁ. Atha kho āyasmā mahākaccāno te māṇavake gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:
2"Sīluttamā pubbatarā ahesuṁ,
Te brāhmaṇā ye purāṇaṁ saranti;
Guttāni dvārāni surakkhitāni,
Ahesuṁ tesaṁ abhibhuyya kodhaṁ.
3Dhamme ca jhāne ca ratā ahesuṁ,
Te brāhmaṇā ye purāṇaṁ saranti.
4Ime ca vokkamma japāmaseti,
Gottena mattā visamaṁ caranti;
Kodhābhibhūtā puthuattadaṇḍā,
Virajjamānā sataṇhātaṇhesu.
5Aguttadvārassa bhavanti moghā,
Supineva laddhaṁ purisassa vittaṁ;
Anāsakā thaṇḍilasāyikā ca,
Pāto sinānañca tayo ca vedā.
6Kharājinaṁ jaṭāpaṅko,
mantā sīlabbataṁ tapo;
Kuhanā vaṅkadaṇḍā ca,
udakācamanāni ca;
Vaṇṇā ete brāhmaṇānaṁ,
katā kiñcikkhabhāvanā.
7Cittañca susamāhitaṁ,
vippasannamanāvilaṁ;
Akhilaṁ sabbabhūtesu,
so maggo brahmapattiyā"ti.
8Atha kho te māṇavakā kupitā anattamanā yena lohicco brāhmaṇo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā lohiccaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavocuṁ:
"yagghe bhavaṁ jāneyya, samaṇo mahākaccāno brāhmaṇānaṁ mante ekaṁsena apavadati, paṭikkosatī"ti?
Evaṁ vutte, lohicco brāhmaṇo kupito ahosi anattamano. Atha kho lohiccassa brāhmaṇassa etadahosi: "na kho pana metaṁ patirūpaṁ yohaṁ aññadatthu māṇavakānaṁyeva sutvā samaṇaṁ mahākaccānaṁ akkoseyyaṁ paribhāseyyaṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ upasaṅkamitvā puccheyyan"ti.
9Atha kho lohicco brāhmaṇo tehi māṇavakehi saddhiṁ yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākaccānena saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho lohicco brāhmaṇo āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca:
"āgamaṁsu nu khvidha, bho kaccāna, amhākaṁ sambahulā antevāsikā kaṭṭhahārakā māṇavakā"ti?
"Āgamaṁsu khvidha te, brāhmaṇa, sambahulā antevāsikā kaṭṭhahārakā māṇavakā"ti.
"Ahu pana bhoto kaccānassa tehi māṇavakehi saddhiṁ kocideva kathāsallāpo"ti?
"Ahu kho me, brāhmaṇa, tehi māṇavakehi saddhiṁ kocideva kathāsallāpo"ti.
"Yathā kathaṁ pana bhoto kaccānassa tehi māṇavakehi saddhiṁ ahosi kathāsallāpo"ti?
"Evaṁ kho me, brāhmaṇa, tehi māṇavakehi saddhiṁ ahosi kathāsallāpo:
10‘Sīluttamā pubbatarā ahesuṁ,
Te brāhmaṇā ye purāṇaṁ saranti;
… pe …
Akhilaṁ sabbabhūtesu,
So maggo brahmapattiyā’ti.
11Evaṁ kho me, brāhmaṇa, tehi māṇavakehi saddhiṁ ahosi kathāsallāpo"ti.
12"‘Aguttadvāro’ti bhavaṁ kaccāno āha. Kittāvatā nu kho, bho kaccāna, aguttadvāro hotī"ti?
"Idha, brāhmaṇa, ekacco cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā piyarūpe rūpe adhimuccati, appiyarūpe rūpe byāpajjati, anupaṭṭhitakāyassati ca vihārati, parittacetaso tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.
Sotena saddaṁ sutvā … ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya piyarūpe dhamme adhimuccati, appiyarūpe ca dhamme byāpajjati, anupaṭṭhitakāyassati ca vihārati, parittacetaso tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.
Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, aguttadvāro hotī"ti.
"Acchariyaṁ, bho kaccāna, abbhutaṁ, bho kaccāna. Yāvañcidaṁ bhotā kaccānena aguttadvārova samāno aguttadvāroti akkhāto.
13‘Guttadvāro’ti bhavaṁ kaccāno āha. Kittāvatā nu kho, bho kaccāna, guttadvāro hotī"ti?
"Idha, brāhmaṇa, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā piyarūpe rūpe nādhimuccati, appiyarūpe rūpe na byāpajjati, upaṭṭhitakāyassati ca vihārati, appamāṇacetaso tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.
Sotena saddaṁ sutvā … ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya piyarūpe dhamme nādhimuccati, appiyarūpe dhamme na byāpajjati, upaṭṭhitakāyassati ca vihārati, appamāṇacetaso tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.
Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, guttadvāro hotī"ti.
14"Acchariyaṁ, bho kaccāna, abbhutaṁ, bho kaccāna. Yāvañcidaṁ bhotā kaccānena guttadvārova samāno guttadvāroti akkhāto. Abhikkantaṁ, bho kaccāna; abhikkantaṁ, bho kaccāna. Seyyathāpi, bho kaccāna, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā kaccānena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ, bho kaccāna, taṁ bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi, dhammañca, bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ kaccāno dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gataṁ.
Yathā ca bhavaṁ kaccāno makkarakate upāsakakulāni upasaṅkamati; evameva lohiccakulaṁ upasaṅkamatu. Tattha ye māṇavakā vā māṇavikā vā bhavantaṁ kaccānaṁ abhivādessanti paccuṭṭhissanti āsanaṁ vā udakaṁ vā dassanti, tesaṁ taṁ bhavissati dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā"ti.
Navamaṁ.