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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

Vol 1:
Verses
SN1-11
Vol 2:
Causation
SN12-21
Vol 3:
Aggregates
SN22-34
Vol 4:
Sense Bases
SN35-44
Vol 5:
Great Book
SN45-56

42. Gāmaṇisaṁyutta: With Chiefs

I. Chiefs — SN42.11: With Bhadraka

1At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Mallas, near the Mallian town called Uruvelakappa. Then Bhadraka the village chief went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Please, sir, teach me the origin and cessation of suffering.”


“Chief, if I were to teach you about the origin and ending of suffering in the past, saying ‘this is how it was in the past,’ you might have doubts or uncertainties about that. If I were to teach you about the origin and ending of suffering in the future, saying ‘this is how it will be in the future,’ you might have doubts or uncertainties about that. Rather, chief, I will teach you about the origin and ending of suffering as I am sitting right here and you are sitting right there. Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Yes, sir,” Bhadraka replied. The Buddha said this:


2“What do you think, chief? Are there any people here in Uruvelakappa who, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or condemned, it would cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress?”

“There are, sir.”

“But are there any people here in Uruvelakappa who, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or condemned, it would not cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress?”

“There are, sir.”

“What’s the cause, chief, what’s the reason why, if this was to happen to some people it could cause you sorrow, while if it happens to others it does not?”

“The people regarding whom this would give rise to sorrow are those I desire and love. The people regarding whom this would not give rise to sorrow are those I don’t desire and love.”

“With this present phenomenon that is seen, known, immediate, attained, and fathomed, you may infer to the past and future: ‘All the suffering that arose in the past was rooted and sourced in desire. For desire is the root of suffering. All the suffering that will arise in the future will be rooted and sourced in desire. For desire is the root of suffering.’”

“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! How well said this was by the Buddha! ‘All the suffering that arises is rooted and sourced in desire. For desire is the root of suffering.’

I have a boy called Ciravāsi, who resides in a house away from here. I rise early and send someone, saying: ‘Go, my man, and check on my boy Ciravāsi.’ Until they get back I worry: ‘I hope nothing’s wrong with Ciravāsi!’”


3“What do you think, chief? If Ciravāsi was executed, imprisoned, fined, or condemned, would it cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress?”

“How could it not, sir?”

“This too is a way to understand: ‘All the suffering that arises is rooted and sourced in desire. For desire is the root of suffering.’


4What do you think, chief? Before you’d seen or heard of Ciravāsi’s mother, did you have any desire or love or fondness for her?”

“No, sir.”


“Then was it because you saw or heard of her that you had desire or love or fondness for her?”

“Yes, sir.”


5“What do you think, chief? If Ciravāsi’s mother was executed, imprisoned, fined, or condemned, would it cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress?”

“How could it not, sir?”

“This too is a way to understand: ‘All the suffering that arises is rooted and sourced in desire. For desire is the root of suffering.’”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā mallesu vihārati uruvelakappaṁ nāma mallānaṁ nigamo. Atha kho bhadrako gāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho bhadrako gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā dukkhassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca desetū"ti.


"Ahañce te, gāmaṇi, atītamaddhānaṁ ārabbha dukkhassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca deseyyaṁ: ‘evaṁ ahosi atītamaddhānan’ti, tatra te siyā kaṅkhā, siyā vimati. Ahañce te, gāmaṇi, anāgatamaddhānaṁ ārabbha dukkhassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca deseyyaṁ: ‘evaṁ bhavissati anāgatamaddhānan’ti, tatrāpi te siyā kaṅkhā, siyā vimati. Api cāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, idheva nisinno ettheva te nisinnassa dukkhassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca desessāmi. Taṁ suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho bhadrako gāmaṇi bhagavato paccassosi. Bhagavā etadavoca: 


2"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, atthi te uruvelakappe manussā yesaṁ te vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti?

"Atthi me, bhante, uruvelakappe manussā yesaṁ me vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti.

"Atthi pana te, gāmaṇi, uruvelakappe manussā yesaṁ te vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā nuppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti?

"Atthi me, bhante, uruvelakappe manussā yesaṁ me vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā nuppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti.

"Ko nu kho, gāmaṇi, hetu, ko paccayo yena te ekaccānaṁ uruvelakappiyānaṁ manussānaṁ vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti?

"Yesaṁ me, bhante, uruvelakappiyānaṁ manussānaṁ vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā, atthi me tesu chandarāgo. Yesaṁ pana, bhante, uruvelakappiyānaṁ manussānaṁ vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā nuppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā, natthi me tesu chandarāgo"ti.

"Iminā tvaṁ, gāmaṇi, dhammena diṭṭhena viditena akālikena pattena pariyogāḷhena atītānāgate nayaṁ nehi: ‘Yaṁ kho kiñci atītamaddhānaṁ dukkhaṁ uppajjamānaṁ uppajji sabbaṁ taṁ chandamūlakaṁ chandanidānaṁ. Chando hi mūlaṁ dukkhassa. Yampi hi kiñci anāgatamaddhānaṁ dukkhaṁ uppajjamānaṁ uppajjissati, sabbaṁ taṁ chandamūlakaṁ chandanidānaṁ. Chando hi mūlaṁ dukkhassā’"ti.

"Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā: ‘Yaṁ kiñci dukkhaṁ uppajjamānaṁ uppajjati, sabbaṁ taṁ chandamūlakaṁ chandanidānaṁ. Chando hi mūlaṁ dukkhassā’ti.

Atthi me, bhante, ciravāsī nāma kumāro bahi āvasathe paṭivasati. So khvāhaṁ, bhante, kālasseva vuṭṭhāya purisaṁ uyyojemi: ‘gaccha, bhaṇe, ciravāsiṁ kumāraṁ jānāhī’ti. Yāvakīvañca, bhante, so puriso nāgacchati, tassa me hoteva aññathattaṁ: ‘mā heva ciravāsissa kumārassa kiñci ābādhayitthā’"ti.


3"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, ciravāsissa kumārassa vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti?

"Ciravāsissa me, bhante, kumārassa vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā jīvitassapi siyā aññathattaṁ, kiṁ pana me nuppajjissanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti.

"Imināpi kho etaṁ, gāmaṇi, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ: ‘Yaṁ kiñci dukkhaṁ uppajjamānaṁ uppajjati, sabbaṁ taṁ chandamūlakaṁ chandanidānaṁ. Chando hi mūlaṁ dukkhassā’ti.


4Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, yadā te ciravāsimātā adiṭṭhā ahosi, assutā ahosi, te ciravāsimātuyā chando vā rāgo vā pemaṁ vā"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".


"Dassanaṁ vā te, gāmaṇi, āgamma savanaṁ vā evaṁ te ahosi: ‘ciravāsimātuyā chando vā rāgo vā pemaṁ vā’"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante".


5"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, ciravāsimātuyā te vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti?

"Ciravāsimātuyā me, bhante, vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā jīvitassapi siyā aññathattaṁ, kiṁ pana me nuppajjissanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti.

"Imināpi kho etaṁ, gāmaṇi, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ: ‘Yaṁ kiñci dukkhaṁ uppajjamānaṁ uppajjati, sabbaṁ taṁ chandamūlakaṁ chandanidānaṁ. Chando hi mūlaṁ dukkhassā’"ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.