sutta » an » an10 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.27

Paṭhamamahāpañhāsutta

The Great Questions (1st)

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu.
Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms.

Atha kho tesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ etadahosi:
Then it occurred to him,

“atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ;
“It’s too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī.

yannūna mayaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyāmā”ti.
Why don’t we visit the monastery of the wanderers of other religions?”

Atha kho te bhikkhū yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu.
Then they went to the monastery of the wanderers of other religions and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho te bhikkhū te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā etadavocuṁ:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side. The wanderers said to them:

“Samaṇo, āvuso, gotamo sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:
“Reverends, the ascetic Gotama teaches his disciples like this:

‘etha tumhe, bhikkhave, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānātha, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya viharathā’ti;
‘Please, mendicants, directly know all things. Meditate having directly known all things.’

mayampi kho, āvuso, sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ desema:
We too teach our disciples:

‘etha tumhe, āvuso, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānātha, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya viharathā’ti.
‘Please, reverends, directly know all things. Live having directly known all things.’

Idha no, āvuso, ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ samaṇassa vā gotamassa amhākaṁ vā, yadidaṁ dhammadesanāya vā dhammadesanaṁ anusāsaniyā vā anusāsanin”ti?
What, then, is the difference between the ascetic Gotama’s teaching and instruction and ours?”

Atha kho te bhikkhū tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandiṁsu nappaṭikkosiṁsu.
Those mendicants neither approved nor dismissed that statement of the wanderers of other religions.

Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu:
They got up from their seat, thinking,

“bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmā”ti.
“We will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”

Atha kho te bhikkhū sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:
Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

“Idha mayaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisimhā.

Tesaṁ no, bhante, amhākaṁ etadahosi:

‘atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ;

yannūna mayaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyāmā’ti.

Atha kho mayaṁ, bhante, yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkamimhā; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodimhā.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdimhā. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho, bhante, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā amhe etadavocuṁ:

‘Samaṇo, āvuso, gotamo sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti—

etha tumhe, bhikkhave, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānātha, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya viharathāti;

mayampi kho, āvuso, sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ desema—

etha tumhe, āvuso, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānātha, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya viharathāti.

Idha no, āvuso, ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ samaṇassa vā gotamassa amhākaṁ vā, yadidaṁ dhammadesanāya vā dhammadesanaṁ anusāsaniyā vā anusāsanin’ti?

Atha kho mayaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandimhā nappaṭikkosimhā.

Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamimhā:

‘bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmā’”ti.

“Evaṁvādino, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evamassu vacanīyā:
“Mendicants, when wanderers of other religions say this, you should say to them:

‘eko, āvuso, pañho eko uddeso ekaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ, dve pañhā dve uddesā dve veyyākaraṇāni, tayo pañhā tayo uddesā tīṇi veyyākaraṇāni, cattāro pañhā cattāro uddesā cattāri veyyākaraṇāni, pañca pañhā pañcuddesā pañca veyyākaraṇāni, cha pañhā cha uddesā cha veyyākaraṇāni, satta pañhā sattuddesā satta veyyākaraṇāni, aṭṭha pañhā aṭṭhuddesā aṭṭha veyyākaraṇāni, nava pañhā navuddesā nava veyyākaraṇāni, dasa pañhā dasuddesā dasa veyyākaraṇānī’ti.
‘One thing: question, passage for recitation, and answer. Two … three … four … five … six … seven … eight … nine … ten things: question, passage for recitation, and answer.’

Evaṁ puṭṭhā, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā na ceva sampāyissanti, uttari ca vighātaṁ āpajjissanti.
Questioned like this, the wanderers of other religions would be stumped, and, in addition, would get frustrated.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Yathā taṁ, bhikkhave, avisayasmiṁ.
Because they’re out of their element.

Nāhaṁ taṁ, bhikkhave, passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya yo imesaṁ pañhānaṁ veyyākaraṇena cittaṁ ārādheyya, aññatra tathāgatena vā tathāgatasāvakena vā ito vā pana sutvā.
I don’t see anyone in this world—with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—who could provide a satisfying answer to these questions except for the Realized One or his disciple or someone who has heard it from them.

‘Eko pañho eko uddeso ekaṁ veyyākaraṇan’ti,
‘One thing: question, passage for recitation, and answer.’

iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
That’s what I said, but why did I say it?

Ekadhamme, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.
Becoming completely disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding one thing, seeing its limits and fully comprehending its meaning, a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.

Katamasmiṁ ekadhamme?
What one thing?

‘Sabbe sattā āhāraṭṭhitikā’—
‘All sentient beings are sustained by food.’

imasmiṁ kho, bhikkhave, ekadhamme bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.
Becoming completely disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding this one thing, seeing its limits and fully comprehending its meaning, a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.

‘Eko pañho eko uddeso ekaṁ veyyākaraṇan’ti,
‘One thing: question, passage for recitation, and answer.’

iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.
That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.

‘Dve pañhā dve uddesā dve veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

Dvīsu, bhikkhave, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

Katamesu dvīsu?
What two?

Nāme ca rūpe ca—
Name and form. …

imesu kho, bhikkhave, dvīsu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

‘Dve pañhā dve uddesā dve veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘Tayo pañhā tayo uddesā tīṇi veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

Tīsu, bhikkhave, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

Katamesu tīsu?
What three?

Tīsu vedanāsu—
Three feelings. …

imesu kho, bhikkhave, tīsu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

‘Tayo pañhā tayo uddesā tīṇi veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘Cattāro pañhā cattāro uddesā cattāri veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

Catūsu, bhikkhave, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

Katamesu catūsu?
What four?

Catūsu āhāresu—
The four foods. …

imesu kho, bhikkhave, catūsu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

‘Cattāro pañhā cattāro uddesā cattāri veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘Pañca pañhā pañcuddesā pañca veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

Pañcasu, bhikkhave, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

Katamesu pañcasu?
What five?

Pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu—
The five grasping aggregates. …

imesu kho, bhikkhave, pañcasu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

‘Pañca pañhā pañcuddesā pañca veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘Cha pañhā cha uddesā cha veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

Chasu, bhikkhave, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

Katamesu chasu?
What six?

Chasu ajjhattikesu āyatanesu—
The six interior sense fields. …

imesu kho, bhikkhave, chasu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

‘Cha pañhā cha uddesā cha veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘Satta pañhā sattuddesā satta veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

Sattasu, bhikkhave, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

Katamesu sattasu?
What seven?

Sattasu viññāṇaṭṭhitīsu—
The seven planes of consciousness. …

imesu kho, bhikkhave, sattasu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

‘Satta pañhā sattuddesā satta veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘Aṭṭha pañhā aṭṭhuddesā aṭṭha veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

Aṭṭhasu, bhikkhave, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

Katamesu aṭṭhasu?
What eight?

Aṭṭhasu lokadhammesu—
The eight worldly conditions. …

imesu kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhasu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno …pe… dukkhassantakaro hoti.

‘Aṭṭha pañhā aṭṭhuddesā aṭṭha veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘Nava pañhā navuddesā nava veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ.

Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?

Navasu, bhikkhave, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

Katamesu navasu?
What nine?

Navasu sattāvāsesu—
The nine abodes of sentient beings. …

imesu kho, bhikkhave, navasu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.

‘Nava pañhā navuddesā nava veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘Dasa pañhā dasuddesā dasa veyyākaraṇānī’ti,
‘Ten things: question, passage for recitation, and answer.’

iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
That’s what I said, but why did I say it?

Dasasu, bhikkhave, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.
Becoming completely disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding ten things, seeing their limits and fully comprehending their meaning, a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.

Katamesu dasasu?
What ten?

Dasasu akusalesu kammapathesu—
The ten ways of performing unskillful deeds.

imesu kho, bhikkhave, dasasu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti.
Becoming completely disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding these ten things, seeing their limits and fully comprehending their meaning, a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.

‘Dasa pañhā dasuddesā dasa veyyākaraṇānī’ti,
‘Ten things: question, passage for recitation, and answer.’

iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti.
That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.”

Sattamaṁ.