The Connected Discourses of the Buddha
Page 78
Detached is he, free from fetters,
Attained to Nibbāna by nonclinging.
He carries about his final body,
Having conquered Māra and his mount.”
6 Lakuṇṭaka Bhaddiya
At Sāvatthī. Then the Venerable Lakuṇṭaka Bhaddiya approached the Blessed One.390 The Blessed One saw him coming in the distance and addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus, do you see that bhikkhu coming, ugly, unsightly, deformed, despised among the bhikkhus?”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“That bhikkhu is of great spiritual power and might. It is not easy to find an attainment which that bhikkhu has not already attained. And he is one who, by realizing it for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life enters and dwells in that unsurpassed goal of the holy life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the household life into homelessness.”
This is what the Blessed One said … [who] further said this:“Geese, herons, and peacocks,
Elephants, and spotted deer,
All are frightened of the lion
Regardless of their bodies’ size.
“In the same way among human beings
The small one endowed with wisdom—
He is the one that is truly great,
Not the fool with a well-built body.” [280]
7 Visākha
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the Great Wood in the Hall with the Peaked Roof. Now on that occasion the Venerable Visākha Pañcāliputta was instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, [spoken] with speech that was polished, clear, articulate, expressing well the meaning, comprehensive, unattached.391
Then, in the evening, the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and approached the assembly hall. He sat down in the appointed seat and addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus, who has been instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, [spoken] with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressing well the meaning, comprehensive, unattached?”
“It was this Venerable Visākha Pañcāliputta, venerable sir.”
Then the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Visākha Pañcāliputta thus: “Good, good, Visākha! It is good that you thus instruct the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk.”
This is what the Blessed One said … [who] further said this:“When the wise man is in the midst of fools
They do not know him if he does not speak,392
But they know him when he speaks,
Pointing out the deathless state.
“He should speak and explain the Dhamma,
He should raise high the seers’ banner.
Well-spoken words are the seers’ banner:
For the Dhamma is the banner of seers.” [281]
8 Nanda
At Sāvatthī. Then the Venerable Nanda, the Blessed One’s maternal cousin, put on well-pressed and well-ironed robes, painted his eyes, took a glazed bowl, and approached the Blessed One.393 Having paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side, and the Blessed One said to him:
“Nanda, this is not proper for you, a clansman who has gone forth out of faith from the household life into homelessness, that you wear well-pressed and well-ironed robes, paint your eyes, and carry a glazed bowl. This is proper for you, Nanda, a clansman who has gone forth out of faith from the household life into homelessness, that you be a forest dweller, an almsfood eater, a rag-robes wearer, and that you dwell indifferent to sensual pleasures.”
This is what the Blessed One said … [who] further said this:“When shall I see Nanda as a forest dweller,
Wearing robes stitched from rags,
Subsisting on the scraps of strangers,394
Indifferent towards sensual pleasures?”
Then, some time later, the Venerable Nanda became a forest dweller, an almsfood eater, a rag-robes wearer, and he dwelt indifferent to sensual pleasures.
9 Tissa
At Sāvatthī. [282] Then the Venerable Tissa, the Blessed One’s paternal cousin,395 approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side—miserable, sorrowful, with tears streaming down. Then the Blessed One said to him:
“Tissa, why are you sitting there, miserable, sorrowful, with tears streaming down?”
“Because, venerable sir, the bhikkhus have attacked me on all sides with sharp words.”396
“That, Tissa, is because you admonish others but cannot bear being admonished yourself. Tissa, this is not proper for you, a clansman who has gone forth out of faith from the household life into homelessness, that you admonish others but cannot accept admonition in turn. This is proper for you, Tissa, a clansman who has gone forth out of faith from the household life into homelessness, that you admonish others and accept admonition in turn.”
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:“Why are you angry? Don’t be angry!
Nonanger is better for you, Tissa.
It is to remove anger, conceit, and scorn,
That the holy life is lived, O Tissa.”
10 A Bhikkhu Named Elder
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. Now on that occasion a certain bhikkhu named Elder397 was a lone dweller and spoke in praise of dwelling alone. He entered the village for alms alone, he returned alone, he sat alone in private, he undertook walking meditation alone.
Then a number of bhikkhus approached the Blessed One, [283] paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Here, venerable sir, there is a certain bhikkhu named Elder who is a lone dweller and who speaks in praise of dwelling alone.”
Then the Blessed One addressed a certain bhikkhu thus: “Come, bhikkhu, tell the bhikkhu Elder in my name that the Teacher calls him.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” that bhikkhu replied, and he went to the Venerable Elder and told him: “The Teacher calls you, friend Elder.”
“Yes, friend,” the Venerable Elder replied, and he approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to him: “Is it true, Elder, that you are a lone dweller and speak in praise of dwelling alone?”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“But how, Elder, are you a lone dweller and how do you speak in praise of dwelling alone?”
“Here, venerable sir, I enter the village for alms alone, I return alone, I sit alone in private, and I undertake walking meditation alone. It is in such a way that I am a lone dweller and speak in praise of dwelling alone.”
“That is a way of dwelling alone, Elder, I do not deny this. But as to how dwelling alone is fulfilled in detail, listen to that and attend closely, I will speak.”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“And how, Elder, is dwelling alone fulfilled in detail? Here, Elder, what lies in the past has been abandoned, what lies in the future has been relinquished, and desire and lust for present forms of individual existence has been thoroughly removed.398 It is in such a way, Elder, that dwelling alone is fulfilled in detail.” [284]
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:“The wise one, all-conqueror, all-knower,
Among all things unsullied, with all cast off,
Liberated in the destruction of craving:
I call that person ‘one who dwells alone.’”399
11 Mahākappina
At Sāvatthī. Then the Venerable Mahākappina approached the Blessed One.400 The Blessed One saw him coming in the distance and addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus, do you see that bhikkhu coming, fair-skinned, thin, with a prominent nose?”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“That bhikkhu is of great spiritual power and might. It is not easy to find an attainment which that bhikkhu has not already attained. And he is one who, by realizing it for himself with dir
ect knowledge, in this very life enters and dwells in that unsurpassed goal of the holy life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the household life into homelessness.”
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:“The khattiya is the best among people
For those whose standard is the clan,
But one accomplished in knowledge and conduct
Is best among devas and humans.
“The sun shines by day,
The moon glows at night,
The khattiya shines clad in armour,
The meditative brahmin shines.
But all the time, day and night,
The Buddha shines with glory.” [285]
12 Companions
At Sāvatthī. Then two bhikkhus who were companions, pupils of the Venerable Mahākappina, approached the Blessed One. The Blessed One saw them coming in the distance and addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus, do you see those two bhikkhus who are companions coming, pupils of Kappina?”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Those bhikkhus are of great spiritual power and might. It is not easy to find an attainment that those bhikkhus have not already attained. And they are ones who, by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life enter and dwell in that unsurpassed goal of the holy life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the household life into homelessness.”
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:“These [two] companion bhikkhus
Have been united for a very long time.401
The true Dhamma has united them
In the Dhamma proclaimed by the Buddha.
“They have been disciplined well by Kappina
In the Dhamma proclaimed by the Noble One.
They carry about their final bodies,
Having conquered Māra and his mount.”
The Book of Causation is finished.
Notes
12. Nidānasaṃyutta
1 Spk: When it is said, “With ignorance as condition, volitional formations,” the meaning should be understood by this method: “It is ignorance and it is a condition, hence ‘ignorance-as-condition’ (avijjā ca sā paccayo cā ti avijjāpaccayo). Through that ignorance-as-condition volitional formations come to be (tasmā avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā sambhavanti ).”This explanation suggests that the verb sambhavanti, which in the text occurs only at the end of the whole formula, should be connected to each proposition, thus establishing that each conditioned state arises through its condition. The twelve terms of the formula are treated analytically in the next sutta.
At the end of the paragraph, Ee reads ayaṃ vuccati bhikkhave samuppādo, but this must be an editorial error as both Be and Se have paṭicca-samuppādo.
2 Se adds, at the end of the definition of death, jīvitindriyassa upacchedo, which (according to a note in Be) is also found in the Thai and Cambodian eds. The fact that Spk does not gloss this expression may be taken as evidence that it was not in the text available to the commentator. The expression is found, however, in the definition of death at Vibh 99,23-24 and is commented upon at Vibh-a 101,8-12.Spk: By the terms from “passing away” through “completion of time” he expounds death in worldly conventional terminology (lokasammutiyā); by the expressions “breakup of the aggregates” and “the laying down of the carcass” he expounds death in the ultimate sense (paramattha ). For in the ultimate sense it is only the aggregates that break up; there is no “being” that dies. When the aggregates are breaking up one says, “A being is dying,” and when they have broken up it is said, “The being has died.”
3 Spk: From “birth” through “production” the teaching is conventional (vohāradesanā); the last two terms are an ultimate teaching (paramatthadesanā). For in the ultimate sense it is only aggregates that become manifest, not a being.
4 On the meaning of bhava, see the General Introduction, pp. 52-53. Spk: In the exposition of existence, sense-sphere existence is both kamma-existence (kammabhava) and rebirth-existence (upapattibhava). Of these, kamma-existence is just kamma that leads to sense-sphere existence; for the kamma, being the cause for rebirth-existence in that realm, is spoken of as “existence” by assigning the name of the result to the cause. Rebirth-existence is the set of five kammically acquired aggregates produced by that kamma; for this is called “existence” in the sense that “it comes to be there.” The same method of explanation applies to form-sphere and formless-sphere existence (except that in formless-sphere rebirth-existence only the four mental aggregates exist).It should be noted that in interpreting the expression upādānapaccayā bhavo, the commentaries take bhava as either kammabhava or upapattibhava, since both volitional activity and rebirth are conditioned by clinging; but in the expression bhavapaccayā jāti, they confine bhava to kammabhava , since upapattibhava includes jāti and thus cannot be a condition for it. See Vism 572-73 (Ppn 17:258-60) and Vism 575 (Ppn 17:270).
5 Spk defines clinging as tight grasping (upādānan ti daḷhaggahaṇaṃ vuccati). Definitions of the four kinds of clinging are at Dhs §§1214-17. In brief, clinging to sensual pleasures (kāmupādāna) is identical with sensual desire, sensual lust, sensual delight, sensual craving, etc. Clinging to views (diṭṭhupādāna) is the adoption of any wrong view except those included in the third and fourth types of clinging; Dhs §1215 mentions as an example the nihilist view (see 24:5). The expression sīlabbatupādāna is often translated “clinging to rites and rituals,” but neither the canon nor commentaries supports this. I render sīla as rules and vata as vows, though the intention is actual modes of behaviour prescribed by rules and vows. The laconic definition at Dhs §1222 reads: “Clinging to rules and vows is the view of ascetics and brahmins outside of here (i.e., outside the Buddhist fold) that purification is achieved by rules, by vows, by rules and vows” (condensed). The reference is evidently to the various types of austerities that the Buddha’s contemporaries adopted in the belief that they lead to heaven or to ultimate purification. An example is the “dog rule, dog vow” (kukkurasīla, kukkuravata) at MN I 387,18-20; see too the common phrase, iminā ’haṃ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā (e.g., at MN I 102,10-11). Clinging to a doctrine of self (attavādupādāna) is defined by way of the twenty types of identity view (sakkāyadiṭṭhi), on which see 22:7, etc.
6 On the translation of nāmarūpa, see the General Introduction, pp. 47-49. Vism 558,23-28 (Ppn 17:187) explains that nāma denotes the three aggregates—of feeling, perception, and volitional formations—which are called thus because of their “bending” (namana) on to an object (in the act of cognizing it). Volition, contact, and attention belong to the aggregate of volitional formations and, according to Spk, have been selected to represent that aggregate here because they are operative even in the weakest classes of consciousness.
7 On the translation of saṅkhārā, see the General Introduction, pp. 44-47. Spk: Volitional formations have the characteristic of forming (abhisaṅkharaṇa). The bodily volitional formation is a volitional formation that occurs through the body; the term is a designation for the twenty kinds of bodily volition (kāyasañcetanā)—eight sense-sphere wholesome and twelve unwholesome—that motivate activity in the body door (see CMA 1:4-7, 13). The verbal volitional formation is a volitional formation that occurs through speech; the term is a designation for the twenty kinds of verbal volition (vacīsañcetanā) that motivate verbal utterances (i.e., the same twenty kinds as mentioned just above, but expressed through speech rather than bodily action). The mental volitional formation is a volitional formation that occurs through the mind; the term is a designation for the twenty-nine mundane wholesome and unwholesome mental volitions (manosañcetanā) that occur privately in thought without motivating action in the doors of body and speech. (The additional nine volitions are the five of the form-sphere and four of the formless-sphere cittas, s
tates of purely meditative experience; see CMA 1:18, 22.)This triad of saṅkhārā should not be confused with the triad discussed at 41:6 (IV 293,14-28, also at MN I 301,17-29). I have added “volitional” to the present set to distinguish them from the other, though the Pāli terms are identical. The latter triad is always introduced in relation to the cessation of perception and feeling and is never brought into connection with dependent origination.
8 This definition shows that ignorance, as the most basic cause of saṃsāric existence, is lack of knowledge of the Four Noble Truths. Although in popular accounts ignorance is often identified with the idea of self, the definitions here show that the view of self is an aspect of clinging, which is itself conditioned by craving, while the latter is in turn conditioned by ignorance (see AN V 116,16-21).
9 Spk: By the term “cessation” in all these phrases Nibbāna is being expounded. For all those phenomena cease in dependence on Nibbāna, and therefore the latter is spoken of as their cessation. Thus in this sutta the Blessed One taught the round of existence (vaṭṭa) and the ending of the round (vivaṭṭa) by twelve phrases and brought the discourse to a climax in arahantship.