Majjhima Nikāya 74

Translators: sujato

Middle Discourses 74

Dīghanakhasutta

With Dīghanakha

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate sūkarakhatāyaṁ.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain in the Boar’s Cave.

Atha kho dīghanakho paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then the wanderer Dīghanakha went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho dīghanakho paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side, and said to the Buddha,

“ahañhi, bho gotama, evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi:
“Master Gotama, this is my doctrine and view:

‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’”ti.
‘I believe in nothing.’”

“Yāpi kho te esā, aggivessana, diṭṭhi:
“This view of yours, Aggivessana—

‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti, esāpi te diṭṭhi nakkhamatī”ti?
do you believe in that?”

“Esā ce me, bho gotama, diṭṭhi khameyya, taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā”ti.
“If I believed in this view, Master Gotama, it wouldn’t make any difference, it wouldn’t make any difference!”

“Ato kho te, aggivessana, bahū hi bahutarā lokasmiṁ ye evamāhaṁsu:
“Well, Aggivessana, there are many more in the world who say,

‘taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā’ti.
‘It wouldn’t make any difference! It wouldn’t make any difference!’

Te tañceva diṭṭhiṁ nappajahanti aññañca diṭṭhiṁ upādiyanti.
But they don’t give up that view, and they grasp another view.

Ato kho te, aggivessana, tanū hi tanutarā lokasmiṁ ye evamāhaṁsu:
And there are a scant few in the world who say,

‘taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā’ti.
‘It wouldn’t make any difference! It wouldn’t make any difference!’

Te tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahanti aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyanti.
And they give up that view by not grasping another view.

Santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:
There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:

‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’ti;
‘I believe in everything.’

santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:
There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:

‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti;
‘I believe in nothing.’

santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:
There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:

‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti.
‘I believe in some things, and not in others.’

Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’ti
Regarding this, the view of the ascetics and brahmins who believe in everything

tesamayaṁ diṭṭhi sārāgāya santike, saññogāya santike, abhinandanāya santike, ajjhosānāya santike, upādānāya santike;
is close to greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.

tatraggivessana ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti
The view of the ascetics and brahmins who believe in nothing

tesamayaṁ diṭṭhi asārāgāya santike, asaññogāya santike, anabhinandanāya santike, anajjhosānāya santike, anupādānāya santike”ti.
is far from greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.”

Evaṁ vutte, dīghanakho paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When he said this, the wanderer Dīghanakha said to the Buddha,

“ukkaṁseti me bhavaṁ gotamo diṭṭhigataṁ, samukkaṁseti me bhavaṁ gotamo diṭṭhigatan”ti.
“Master Gotama commends my conviction! He recommends my conviction!”

“Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:
“Now, regarding the ascetics and brahmins who

‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti.
believe in some things and not in others.

Yā hi tesaṁ khamati sāyaṁ diṭṭhi sārāgāya santike, saññogāya santike, abhinandanāya santike, ajjhosānāya santike, upādānāya santike;
Their view of what they believe in is close to greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.

yā hi tesaṁ nakkhamati sāyaṁ diṭṭhi asārāgāya santike, asaññogāya santike, anabhinandanāya santike, anajjhosānāya santike, anupādānāya santike.
Their view of what they don’t believe in is far from greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.

Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:
When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins who

‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’ti
believe in everything,

tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati:
a sensible person reflects like this:

‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi—
‘I have the view that

sabbaṁ me khamatīti,
I believe in everything.

imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ—
Suppose I obstinately stick to this view and insist that,

idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti;
“This is the only truth, other ideas are silly.”

dvīhi me assa viggaho—
Then I’d argue with two people—

yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti,
an ascetic or brahmin who believes in nothing,

yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti—
and an ascetic or brahmin who believes in some things and not in others.

imehi assa dvīhi viggaho.

Iti viggahe sati vivādo, vivāde sati vighāto, vighāte sati vihesā’.
And when there’s arguing, there’s quarreling; when there’s quarreling there’s anguish; and when there’s anguish there’s harm.’

Iti so viggahañca vivādañca vighātañca vihesañca attani sampassamāno tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahati aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyati.
So, considering in themselves the potential for arguing, quarreling, anguish, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view.

Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.
That’s how those views are given up and let go.

Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:
When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins who

‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti
believe in nothing,

tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati:
a sensible person reflects like this:

‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi—
‘I have the view that

sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti,
I believe in nothing.

imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ—
Suppose I obstinately stick to this view and insist that,

idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti;
“This is the only truth, other ideas are silly.”

dvīhi me assa viggaho—
Then I’d argue with two people—

yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me khamatīti,
an ascetic or brahmin who believes in everything,

yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—ekaccaṁ me khamati ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti—
and an ascetic or brahmin who believes in some things and not in others.

imehi assa dvīhi viggaho.

Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.
That’s how those views are given up and let go.

Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:
When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins who

‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti
believe in some things and not in others,

tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati:
a sensible person reflects like this:

‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi—
‘I have the view that

ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti,
I believe in some things and not in others.

imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ—
Suppose I obstinately stick to this view and insist that,

idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti;
“This is the only truth, other ideas are silly.”

dvīhi me assa viggaho—
Then I’d argue with two people—

yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me khamatīti,
an ascetic or brahmin who believes in everything,

yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti—
and an ascetic or brahmin who believes in nothing.

imehi assa dvīhi viggaho.

Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.
That’s how those views are given up and let go.

Ayaṁ kho panaggivessana, kāyo rūpī cātumahābhūtiko mātāpettikasambhavo odanakummāsūpacayo aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo, aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassitabbo.
Aggivessana, this body is physical. It’s made up of the four primary elements, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction. You should see it as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as a boil, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as falling apart, as empty, as not-self.

Tassimaṁ kāyaṁ aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassato yo kāyasmiṁ kāyachando kāyasneho kāyanvayatā sā pahīyati.
Doing so, you’ll give up desire, affection, and subservience to the body.

Tisso kho imā, aggivessana, vedanā—
There are these three feelings:

sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā.
pleasant, painful, and neutral.

Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti;
At a time when you feel a pleasant feeling, you don’t feel a painful or neutral feeling;

sukhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti.
you only feel a pleasant feeling.

Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti;
At a time when you feel a painful feeling, you don’t feel a pleasant or neutral feeling;

dukkhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti.
you only feel a painful feeling.

Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti;
At a time when you feel a neutral feeling, you don’t feel a pleasant or painful feeling;

adukkhamasukhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti.
you only feel a neutral feeling.

Sukhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā;
Pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings are impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated, liable to end, vanish, fade away, and cease.

dukkhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā;

adukkhamasukhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.

Evaṁ passaṁ, aggivessana, sutavā ariyasāvako sukhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati, dukkhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati, adukkhamasukhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati;
Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings.

nibbindaṁ virajjati, virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ, vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.
Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.
They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.’

Evaṁ vimuttacitto kho, aggivessana, bhikkhu na kenaci saṁvadati, na kenaci vivadati, yañca loke vuttaṁ tena voharati, aparāmasan”ti.
A mendicant whose mind is freed like this doesn’t side with anyone or dispute with anyone. They speak the language of the world without misapprehending it.”

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto bhagavato piṭṭhito ṭhito hoti bhagavantaṁ bījayamāno.
Now at that time Venerable Sāriputta was standing behind the Buddha fanning him.

Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi:
Then he thought,

“tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no bhagavā dhammānaṁ abhiññā pahānamāha, tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no sugato dhammānaṁ abhiññā paṭinissaggamāhā”ti.
“It seems the Buddha speaks of giving up and letting go all these things through direct knowledge.”

Iti hidaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa paṭisañcikkhato anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucci.
Reflecting like this, Venerable Sāriputta’s mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping.

Dīghanakhassa pana paribbājakassa virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi:
And the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in the wanderer Dīghanakha:

“yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman”ti.
“Everything that has a beginning has an end.”

Atha kho dīghanakho paribbājako diṭṭhadhammo pattadhammo viditadhammo pariyogāḷhadhammo tiṇṇavicikiccho vigatakathaṅkatho vesārajjappatto aparappaccayo satthusāsane bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Dīghanakha saw, attained, understood, and fathomed the Dhamma. He went beyond doubt, got rid of indecision, and became self-assured and independent of others regarding the Teacher’s instructions. He said to the Buddha:

“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama.
“Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent!

Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evameva kho bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.
As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, Master Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways.

Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.
I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.

Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
From this day forth, may Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Dīghanakhasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ catutthaṁ.