Tripiṭaka 7. Mahāvagga
7. The Great Chapter
Tip — double-click any Pāli word to look it up in the dictionary.
Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.
At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana.
Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita came out of retreat, went to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta:
“kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, sayaṅkataṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, paraṅkataṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca jarāmaraṇaṁ, udāhu asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ jarāmaraṇan”ti?
“Well, Reverend Sāriputta, are old age and death made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or do they arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?”
“Na kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkataṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, na paraṅkataṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, na sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca jarāmaraṇaṁ, nāpi asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ.
“No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, old age and death are not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor do they arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another.
“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, sayaṅkatā jāti, paraṅkatā jāti, sayaṅkatā ca paraṅkatā ca jāti, udāhu asayaṅkārā aparaṅkārā adhiccasamuppannā jātī”ti?
“Well, Reverend Sāriputta, is rebirth made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or does it arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?”
“Na kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkatā jāti, na paraṅkatā jāti, na sayaṅkatā ca paraṅkatā ca jāti, nāpi asayaṅkārā aparaṅkārā adhiccasamuppannā jāti.
“No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, rebirth is not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor does it arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another.
“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, sayaṅkato bhavo …pe…
“Well, Reverend Sāriputta, is continued existence made by oneself? …” …
sayaṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, paraṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca nāmarūpaṁ, udāhu asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ nāmarūpan”ti?
“Well, Reverend Sāriputta, are name and form made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or do they arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?”
“Na kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, na paraṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, na sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca nāmarūpaṁ, nāpi asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ, adhiccasamuppannaṁ nāmarūpaṁ.
“No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, name and form are not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor do they arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another.
“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, sayaṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, paraṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca viññāṇaṁ, udāhu asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ viññāṇan”ti?
“Well, Reverend Sāriputta, is consciousness made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or does it arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?”
“Na kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, na paraṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, na sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca viññāṇaṁ, nāpi asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ viññāṇaṁ.
“No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, consciousness is not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor does it arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another.
“Idāneva kho mayaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa bhāsitaṁ evaṁ ājānāma:
“Just now I understood you to say:
‘na khvāvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, na paraṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, na sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca nāmarūpaṁ, nāpi asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ nāmarūpaṁ.
‘No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, name and form are not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor do they arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another.
Idāneva ca pana mayaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa bhāsitaṁ evaṁ ājānāma:
But I also understood you to say:
‘na khvāvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, na paraṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, na sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca viññāṇaṁ, nāpi asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ viññāṇaṁ.
‘No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, consciousness is not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor does it arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another.
Yathā kathaṁ panāvuso sāriputta, imassa bhāsitassa attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?
How then should we see the meaning of this statement?”
Upamāyapidhekacce viññū purisā bhāsitassa atthaṁ jānanti.
For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said.
Seyyathāpi, āvuso, dve naḷakalāpiyo aññamaññaṁ nissāya tiṭṭheyyuṁ.
Suppose there were two sheaves of reeds leaning up against each other.
Evameva kho, āvuso, nāmarūpapaccayā viññāṇaṁ;
In the same way, name and form are requirements for consciousness.
evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.
That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.
Tāsañce, āvuso, naḷakalāpīnaṁ ekaṁ ākaḍḍheyya, ekā papateyya;
If the first of those sheaves of reeds were to be pulled away, the other would collapse.
aparañce ākaḍḍheyya, aparā papateyya.
And if the other were to be pulled away, the first would collapse.
Evameva kho, āvuso, nāmarūpanirodhā viññāṇanirodho;
In the same way, when name and form cease, consciousness ceases.
evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.
That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”
abbhutaṁ, āvuso sāriputta.
Idañca pana mayaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa bhāsitaṁ imehi chattiṁsāya vatthūhi anumodāma:
And we can express our agreement with Venerable Sāriputta’s statement on these thirty-six grounds.
‘Jarāmaraṇassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya dhammaṁ deseti, dhammakathiko bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāya.
If a mendicant teaches Dhamma for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding old age and death, they’re qualified to be called ‘a mendicant who speaks on Dhamma’.
Jarāmaraṇassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti, dhammānudhammappaṭipanno bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāya.
If they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding old age and death, they’re qualified to be called ‘a mendicant who practices in line with the teaching’.
Jarāmaraṇassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidā virāgā nirodhā anupādā vimutto hoti, diṭṭhadhammanibbānappatto bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāya.
If they’re freed by not grasping by disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding old age and death, they’re qualified to be called ‘a mendicant who has attained extinguishment in this very life’.
avijjāya ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya dhammaṁ deseti, dhammakathiko bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāya.
If a mendicant teaches Dhamma for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding ignorance, they’re qualified to be called ‘a mendicant who speaks on Dhamma’.
Avijjāya ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti, dhammānudhammappaṭipanno bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāya.
If they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding ignorance, they’re qualified to be called ‘a mendicant who practices in line with the teaching’.
Avijjāya ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidā virāgā nirodhā anupādā vimutto hoti, diṭṭhadhammanibbānappatto bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāyā’”ti.
If they’re freed by not grasping by disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding ignorance, they’re qualified to be called ‘a mendicant who has attained extinguishment in this very life’.”
Sattamaṁ.