sutta » an » an3 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.74

Nigaṇṭhasutta

Jains

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.
At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Atha kho abhayo ca licchavi paṇḍitakumārako ca licchavi yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho abhayo licchavi āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:
Then the Licchavis Abhaya and Paṇḍitakumāra went up to Venerable Ānanda, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“nigaṇṭho, bhante, nāṭaputto sabbaññū sabbadassāvī aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti:
“Sir, the Jain ascetic of the Ñātika clan claims to be all-knowing and all-seeing, to know and see everything without exception, thus:

‘carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti.
‘Knowledge and vision are constantly and continually present to me, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking.’

So purāṇānaṁ kammānaṁ tapasā byantībhāvaṁ paññāpeti navānaṁ kammānaṁ akaraṇā setughātaṁ.
He advocates the elimination of past deeds by fervent mortification, and breaking the bridge by not doing any new deeds.

Iti kammakkhayā dukkhakkhayo, dukkhakkhayā vedanākkhayo, vedanākkhayā sabbaṁ dukkhaṁ nijjiṇṇaṁ bhavissati—
So with the ending of deeds, suffering ends; with the ending of suffering, feeling ends; and with the ending of feeling, all suffering will have been worn away.

evametissā sandiṭṭhikāya nijjarāya visuddhiyā samatikkamo hoti.
This is how to go beyond suffering by means of this purification by wearing away in the present life.

Idha, bhante, bhagavā kimāhā”ti?
What, sir, does the Buddha say about this?”

“Tisso kho imā, abhaya, nijjarā visuddhiyo tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātā sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya.
“Abhaya, these three kinds of purification by wearing away have been rightly explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.

Katamā tisso?
What three?

Idha, abhaya, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti …pe… samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu.
It’s when, Abhaya, a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti.
They don’t perform any new deeds, and old deeds are eliminated by experiencing their results little by little.

Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhīti.
This wearing away is apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

Sa kho so, abhaya, bhikkhu evaṁ sīlasampanno vivicceva kāmehi …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Then a mendicant accomplished in ethics, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption … second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption.

So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti.
They don’t perform any new deeds, and old deeds are eliminated by experiencing their results little by little.

Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhīti.
This wearing away is apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

Sa kho so, abhaya, bhikkhu evaṁ samādhisampanno āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.
Then a mendicant accomplished in immersion realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.

So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti.
They don’t perform any new deeds, and old deeds are eliminated by experiencing their results little by little.

Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhīti.
This wearing away is apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

Imā kho, abhaya, tisso nijjarā visuddhiyo tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātā sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.
These are the three kinds of purification by wearing away that have been rightly explained by the Buddha … in order to realize extinguishment.”

Evaṁ vutte, paṇḍitakumārako licchavi abhayaṁ licchaviṁ etadavoca:
When he said this, Paṇḍitakumāra said to Abhaya,

“kiṁ pana tvaṁ, samma abhaya, āyasmato ānandassa subhāsitaṁ subhāsitato nābbhanumodasī”ti?
“Dear Abhaya, is there anything in what Ānanda has said so well that you would disagree with?”

“Kyāhaṁ, samma paṇḍitakumāraka, āyasmato ānandassa subhāsitaṁ subhāsitato nābbhanumodissāmi.
“How could I not agree with what was said so well by Ānanda?

Muddhāpi tassa vipateyya yo āyasmato ānandassa subhāsitaṁ subhāsitato nābbhanumodeyyā”ti.
If anyone didn’t agree with him, their head would explode!”

Catutthaṁ.