1. Nakulapituvagga
1. Nakula’s Father
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ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākaccāno avantīsu viharati kuraraghare papāte pabbate.
At one time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying in the land of the Avantis near Kuraraghara on Steep Mountain.
Atha kho hāliddikāni gahapati yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho hāliddikāni gahapati āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca:
Then the householder Hāliddikāni went up to Venerable Mahākaccāna, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,
“vuttamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā aṭṭhakavaggiye māgaṇḍiyapañhe:
“Sir, this was said by the Buddha in the Chapter of the Eights, in ‘The Questions of Māgandiya’:
Imassa nu kho, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa kathaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?
How should we see the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement?”
“Rūpadhātu kho, gahapati, viññāṇassa oko.
“Householder, the form element is a shelter for consciousness.
Rūpadhāturāgavinibandhañca pana viññāṇaṁ ‘okasārī’ti vuccati.
One whose consciousness is shackled by greed for the form element is called a migrant going from bastion to bastion.
Vedanādhāturāgavinibandhañca pana viññāṇaṁ ‘okasārī’ti vuccati.
One whose consciousness is shackled to greed for the feeling element is called a migrant going from bastion to bastion.
Saññādhātu kho, gahapati, viññāṇassa oko.
The perception element is a shelter for consciousness.
Saññādhāturāgavinibandhañca pana viññāṇaṁ ‘okasārī’ti vuccati.
One whose consciousness is shackled to greed for the perception element is called a migrant going from bastion to bastion.
Saṅkhāradhātu kho, gahapati, viññāṇassa oko.
The choices element is a shelter for consciousness.
Saṅkhāradhāturāgavinibandhañca pana viññāṇaṁ ‘okasārī’ti vuccati.
One whose consciousness is shackled to greed for the choices element is called a migrant going from bastion to bastion.
Rūpadhātuyā kho, gahapati, yo chando yo rāgo yā nandī yā taṇhā ye upayupādānā cetaso adhiṭṭhānābhinivesānusayā te tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.
The Realized One has given up any desire, greed, relishing, and craving for the form element; any attraction, grasping, mental fixation, insistence, and underlying tendencies. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.
Tasmā tathāgato ‘anokasārī’ti vuccati.
That’s why the Realized One is called a migrant with no bastion.
Vedanādhātuyā kho, gahapati …
The Realized One has given up any desire, greed, relishing, and craving for the feeling element …
viññāṇadhātuyā kho, gahapati, yo chando yo rāgo yā nandī yā taṇhā ye upayupādānā cetaso adhiṭṭhānābhinivesānusayā te tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.
the consciousness element; any attraction, grasping, mental fixation, insistence, and underlying tendencies. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.
Tasmā tathāgato ‘anokasārī’ti vuccati.
That’s why the Realized One is called a migrant with no bastion.
Rūpanimittaniketavisāravinibandhā kho, gahapati, ‘niketasārī’ti vuccati.
Shackled to chasing the abodes that are the features of sights, one is called a migrant going from abode to abode.
dhammanimittaniketavisāravinibandhā kho, gahapati, ‘niketasārī’ti vuccati.
thoughts, one is called a migrant going from abode to abode.
Rūpanimittaniketavisāravinibandhā kho, gahapati, tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.
The Realized One has given up chasing the abodes that are the features of sights. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.
Tasmā tathāgato ‘aniketasārī’ti vuccati.
That’s why the Realized One is called a migrant without abode.
Saddanimitta …
The Realized One has given up chasing the abodes that are the features of sounds …
dhammanimittaniketavisāravinibandhā kho, gahapati, tathāgatassa pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.
ideas. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.
Tasmā tathāgato ‘aniketasārī’ti vuccati.
That’s why the Realized One is called a migrant without abode.
Idha, gahapati, ekacco gihīhi saṁsaṭṭho viharati sahanandī sahasokī, sukhitesu sukhito, dukkhitesu dukkhito, uppannesu kiccakaraṇīyesu attanā tesu yogaṁ āpajjati.
It’s when someone mixes closely with laypeople, sharing their joys and sorrows—happy when they’re happy and sad when they’re sad—and getting themselves involved in their business.
Kathañca, gahapati, gāme na santhavajāto hoti?
And how does one not get close to people in town?
Idha, gahapati, bhikkhu gihīhi asaṁsaṭṭho viharati na sahanandī na sahasokī na sukhitesu sukhito na dukkhitesu dukkhito, uppannesu kiccakaraṇīyesu na attanā tesu yogaṁ āpajjati.
It’s when a mendicant doesn’t mix closely with laypeople, not sharing their joys and sorrows—not happy when they’re happy or sad when they’re sad—and not getting themselves involved in their business.
Evaṁ kho, gahapati, gāme na santhavajāto hoti.
That’s how one doesn’t get close to people in town.
Idha, gahapati, ekacco kāmesu avigatarāgo hoti avigatacchando avigatapemo avigatapipāso avigatapariḷāho avigatataṇho.
It’s when someone isn’t rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures.
Idha, gahapati, ekacco kāmesu vigatarāgo hoti vigatacchando vigatapemo vigatapipāso vigatapariḷāho vigatataṇho.
It’s when someone is rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures.
‘evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁvedano siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁsañño siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti.
‘In the future, may I be of such form, such feeling, such perception, such choices, and such consciousness!’
‘evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁvedano siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁsañño siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti.
‘In the future, may I be of such form, such feeling, such perception, such choices, and such consciousness!’
Idha, gahapati, ekacco evarūpiṁ kathaṁ kattā hoti:
It’s when someone takes part in this sort of discussion:
‘na tvaṁ imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ ājānāsi; ahaṁ imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ ājānāmi. Kiṁ tvaṁ imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ ājānissasi? Micchāpaṭipanno tvamasi; ahamasmi sammāpaṭipanno. Pure vacanīyaṁ pacchā avaca; pacchā vacanīyaṁ pure avaca. Sahitaṁ me, asahitaṁ te. Adhiciṇṇaṁ te viparāvattaṁ. Āropito te vādo; cara vādappamokkhāya. Niggahitosi; nibbeṭhehi vā sace pahosī’ti.
‘You don’t understand this teaching and training. I understand this teaching and training. What, you understand this teaching and training? You’re practicing wrong. I’m practicing right. You said last what you should have said first. You said first what you should have said last. I stay on topic, you don’t. What you’ve thought so much about has been disproved. Your doctrine is refuted. Go on, save your doctrine! You’re trapped; get yourself out of this—if you can!’
Kathañca, gahapati, kathaṁ na viggayha janena kattā hoti?
And how does one not argue with people?
Idha, gahapati, bhikkhu na evarūpiṁ kathaṁ kattā hoti:
It’s when a mendicant doesn’t take part in this sort of discussion:
‘na tvaṁ imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ ājānāsi …pe… nibbeṭhehi vā sace pahosī’ti.
‘You don’t understand this teaching and training … get yourself out of this—if you can!’
Evaṁ kho, gahapati, kathaṁ na viggayha janena kattā hoti.
That’s how one doesn’t argue with people.
Iti kho, gahapati, yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā aṭṭhakavaggiye māgaṇḍiyapañhe:
So, householder, that’s how to understand the detailed meaning of what the Buddha said in brief in the Chapter of the Eights, in ‘The Questions of Māgandiya’:
Imassa kho, gahapati, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti.
Tatiyaṁ.