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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

44. Abyākatasaṁyutta: On the Undeclared

I. The Undeclared Points — SN44.2: With Anurādha

1At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Now at that time Venerable Anurādha was staying not far from the Buddha in a wilderness hut. Then several wanderers who follow other paths went up to Venerable Anurādha and exchanged greetings with him.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side and said to him:


“Reverend Anurādha, when a Realized One is describing a Realized One — a supreme person, highest of people, who has reached the highest point — they describe them in these four ways: After death, a Realized One exists, or doesn’t exist, or both exists and doesn’t exist, or neither exists nor doesn’t exist.”

“Reverends, when a Realized One is describing a Realized One — a supreme person, highest of people, who has reached the highest point — they describe them other than these four ways: After death, a Realized One exists, or doesn’t exist, or both exists and doesn’t exist, or neither exists nor doesn’t exist.”

When he said this, the wanderers said to him: “This mendicant must be junior, recently gone forth, or else a foolish, incompetent senior mendicant.” Then, after rebuking Venerable Anurādha by calling him “junior” and “foolish”, the wanderers got up from their seat and left.


2Soon after they had left, Anurādha thought: “If those wanderers were to inquire further, how should I answer them so as to repeat what the Buddha has said, and not misrepresent him with an untruth? How should I explain in line with his teaching, so that there would be no legitimate grounds for rebuke and criticism?”


Then Venerable Anurādha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.


3“What do you think, Anurādha? Is form permanent or impermanent?”

4“Impermanent, sir.”

5“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”


6“Suffering, sir.”

7“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and liable to fall apart, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”


8“No, sir.”

9“Is feeling … perception … choices … consciousness permanent or impermanent?”


10“Impermanent, sir.”

11“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

12“Suffering, sir.”

13“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and liable to fall apart, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”


14“No, sir.”


15“So, Anurādha, you should truly see any kind of form at all — past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; far or near: *all* form — with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Any kind of feeling … perception … choices … consciousness at all — past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; far or near: *all* consciousness — with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.’


16What do you think, Anurādha? Do you regard the Realized One as form?”

“No, sir.”


“Do you regard the Realized One as feeling … perception … choices … consciousness?”


“No, sir.”

“What do you think, Anurādha? Do you regard the Realized One as in form?”

“No, sir.”

“Or do you regard the Realized One as distinct from form?”

“No, sir.”


“Do you regard the Realized One as in feeling … or distinct from feeling … as in perception … or distinct from perception … as in choices … or distinct from choices … as in consciousness … or as distinct from consciousness?”

“No, sir.”


17“What do you think, Anurādha? Do you regard the Realized One as possessing form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness?”


“No, sir.”

“What do you think, Anurādha? Do you regard the Realized One as one who is without form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness?”


“No, sir.”

“In that case, Anurādha, since you don’t acknowledge the Realized One as a genuine fact in the present life, is it appropriate to declare: ‘Reverends, when a Realized One is describing a Realized One — a supreme person, highest of people, who has reached the highest point — they describe them other than these four ways: After death, a Realized One exists, or doesn’t exist, or both exists and doesn’t exist, or neither exists nor doesn’t exist’?”


“No, sir.”

“Good, good, Anurādha! In the past, as today, what I describe is suffering and the cessation of suffering.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ vihārati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā anurādho bhagavato avidūre araññakuṭikāyaṁ vihārati. Atha kho sambahulā aññatitthiyā paribbājakā yenāyasmā anurādho tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā anurādhena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā āyasmantaṁ anurādhaṁ etadavocuṁ:


"yo so, āvuso anurādha, tathāgato uttamapuriso paramapuriso paramapattipatto, taṁ tathāgato imesu catūsu ṭhānesu paññāpayamāno paññāpeti: ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā"ti?

"Yo so, āvuso, tathāgato uttamapuriso paramapuriso paramapattipatto, taṁ tathāgato aññatra imehi catūhi ṭhānehi paññāpayamāno paññāpeti: ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā"ti.

Evaṁ vutte, te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā āyasmantaṁ anurādhaṁ etadavocuṁ: "so cāyaṁ bhikkhu navo bhavissati acirapabbajito, thero vā pana bālo abyatto"ti. Atha kho te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā āyasmantaṁ anurādhaṁ navavādena ca bālavādena ca apasādetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu.


2Atha kho āyasmato anurādhassa acirapakkantesu aññatitthiyesu paribbājakesu etadahosi: "Sace kho maṁ te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā uttariṁ puccheyyuṁ, kathaṁ byākaramāno nu khvāhaṁ tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ vuttavādī ceva bhagavato assaṁ, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyyaṁ, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyyaṁ, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyyā"ti?


Atha kho āyasmā anurādho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā anurādho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Idhāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato avidūre araññakuṭikāyaṁ viharāmi. Atha kho, bhante, sambahulā aññatitthiyā paribbājakā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā mayā saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho, bhante, te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā maṁ etadavocuṁ: ‘yo so, āvuso anurādha, tathāgato uttamapuriso paramapuriso paramapattipatto, taṁ tathāgato imesu catūsu ṭhānesu paññāpayamāno paññāpeti: "hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti vā … pe … "neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti vā’ti? Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, te aññatitthiye paribbājake etadavocaṁ: ‘yo so, āvuso, tathāgato uttamapuriso paramapuriso paramapattipatto, taṁ tathāgato aññatra imehi catūhi ṭhānehi paññāpayamāno paññāpeti: "hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti vā … pe … "neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā"ti vā’ti. Evaṁ vutte, bhante, te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā maṁ etadavocuṁ: ‘so cāyaṁ bhikkhu navo bhavissati acirapabbajito thero vā pana bālo abyatto’ti. Atha kho maṁ, bhante, te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā navavādena ca bālavādena ca apasādetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, acirapakkantesu tesu aññatitthiyesu paribbājakesu etadahosi: ‘sace kho maṁ te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā uttariṁ puccheyyuṁ, kathaṁ byākaramāno nu khvāhaṁ tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ vuttavādī ceva bhagavato assaṁ, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyyaṁ, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyyaṁ, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyyā’"ti?


3"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, anurādha, rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?

4"Aniccaṁ, bhante".

5"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?


6"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".

7"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’"ti?


8"No hetaṁ, bhante".

9"Vedanā niccā vā aniccā vā"ti? … pe … Saññā … pe … saṅkhārā … pe … "viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?


10"Aniccaṁ, bhante".

11"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?

12"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".

13"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’"ti?


14"No hetaṁ, bhante".


15"Tasmātiha, anurādha, yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā yaṁ dūre santike vā, sabbaṁ rūpaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ. Yā kāci vedanā atītānāgatapaccuppannā … pe … yā kāci saññā … pe … ye keci saṅkhārā … pe … yaṁ kiñci viññāṇaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā yaṁ dūre santike vā, sabbaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

Evaṁ passaṁ, anurādha, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati. Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.


16Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, anurādha, rūpaṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".


"vedanāṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Saññaṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Saṅkhāre tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Viññāṇaṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?


"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, anurādha, rūpasmiṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Aññatra rūpā tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".


"Vedanāya … pe … aññatra vedanāya … pe … saññāya … pe … aññatra saññāya … pe … saṅkhāresu … pe … aññatra saṅkhārehi … pe … viññāṇasmiṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Aññatra viññāṇā tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".


17"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, anurādha, rūpaṁ, vedanāṁ, saññaṁ, saṅkhāre, viññāṇaṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?


"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, anurādha, ayaṁ so arūpī avedano asaññī asaṅkhāro aviññāṇo tathāgatoti samanupassasī"ti?


"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Ettha ca te, anurādha, diṭṭheva dhamme saccato thetato tathāgate anupalabbhiyamāne kallaṁ nu te taṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ – yo so, āvuso, tathāgato uttamapuriso paramapuriso paramapattipatto, taṁ tathāgato aññatra imehi catūhi ṭhānehi paññāpayamāno paññāpeti: ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā … pe … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā"ti?


"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Sādhu sādhu, anurādha. Pubbe cāhaṁ, anurādha, etarahi ca dukkhañceva paññāpemi dukkhassa ca nirodhan"ti.

Dutiyaṁ.