51. Iddhipādasaṁyutta: On the Bases of Psychic Power
II. Shaking the Stilt Longhouse — SN51.15: The Brahmin Uṇṇābha
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1So I have heard. At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Kosambi, in Ghosita’s Monastery. Then Uṇṇābha the brahmin went up to Venerable Ānanda, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to him: “Master Ānanda, what’s the purpose of living the spiritual life with the ascetic Gotama?”
“The purpose of living the spiritual life under the Buddha, brahmin, is to give up desire.”
2“But is there a path and a practice for giving up that desire?”
“There is.”
3“What is that path?”
“It’s when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm … energy … mental development … inquiry, and active effort. This is the path and the practice for giving up that desire.”
“This being the case, Master Ānanda, the path is endless, not finite. For it’s not possible to give up desire by means of desire.”
“Well then, brahmin, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, brahmin? Have you ever had a desire to walk to the park, but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding desire faded away?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Have you ever had the energy to walk to the park, but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding energy faded away?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Have you ever had the idea to walk to the park, but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding idea faded away?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Have you ever inquired regarding a walk to the park, but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding inquiry faded away?”
“Yes, sir.”
5“In the same way, take a mendicant who is perfected — with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment. They formerly had the desire to attain perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding desire faded away. They formerly had the energy to attain perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding energy faded away. They formerly had the idea to attain perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding idea faded away. They formerly inquired regarding attaining perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding inquiry faded away. What do you think, brahmin? This being the case, is the path endless or finite?”
6“Clearly, Master Ānanda, this being the case, the path is finite, not endless. Excellent, Master Ānanda! 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 Ānanda has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may Master Ānanda remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”
1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ vihārati ghositārāme. Atha kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ etadavoca: "kimatthiyaṁ nu kho, bho Ānanda, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
"Chandappahānatthaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti.
2"Atthi pana, bho Ānanda, maggo atthi paṭipadā etassa chandassa pahānāyā"ti?
"Atthi kho, brāhmaṇa, maggo, atthi paṭipadā etassa chandassa pahānāyā"ti.
3"Katamo pana, bho Ānanda, maggo katamā paṭipadā etassa chandassa pahānāyā"ti?
"Idha, brāhmaṇa, bhikkhu chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhi pāda ṁ bhāveti, vīriyasamādhi … pe … cittasamādhi … vīmaṁsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhi pāda ṁ bhāveti – ayaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā etassa chandassa pahānāyā"ti.
4"Evaṁ sante, bho Ānanda, santakaṁ hoti no asantakaṁ. Chandeneva chandaṁ pajahissatīti – netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati".
"Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā taṁ byākareyyāsi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, ahosi te pubbe chando ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti? Tassa te ārāmagatassa yo tajjo chando so paṭippassaddho"ti?
"Evaṁ, bho".
"Ahosi te pubbe vīriyaṁ ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti? Tassa te ārāmagatassa yaṁ tajjaṁ vīriyaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhan"ti?
"Evaṁ, bho".
"Ahosi te pubbe cittaṁ ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti? Tassa te ārāmagatassa yaṁ tajjaṁ cittaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhan"ti?
"Evaṁ, bho".
"Ahosi te pubbe vīmaṁsā ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti? Tassa te ārāmagatassa yā tajjā vīmaṁsā sā paṭippassaddhā"ti?
"Evaṁ, bho".
5"Evameva kho, brāhmaṇa, yo so bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, tassa yo pubbe chando ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yo tajjo chando so paṭippassaddho; yaṁ pubbe vīriyaṁ ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yaṁ tajjaṁ vīriyaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhaṁ; yaṁ pubbe cittaṁ ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yaṁ tajjaṁ cittaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhaṁ; yā pubbe vīmaṁsā ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yā tajjā vīmaṁsā sā paṭippassaddhā.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, iti evaṁ sante, santakaṁ vā hoti no asantakaṁ vā"ti?
6"Addhā, bho Ānanda, evaṁ sante, santakaṁ hoti no asantakaṁ. Abhikkantaṁ, bho Ānanda, abhikkantaṁ, bho Ānanda. Seyyathāpi, bho Ānanda, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā ānandena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ, bho Ānanda, taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ ānando dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.
Pañcamaṁ.