Majjhima Nikāya 131
Translators: sujato
Middle Discourses 131
Bhaddekarattasutta
One Fine Night
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Mendicants!”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:
“bhaddekarattassa vo, bhikkhave, uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desessāmi.
“I shall teach you the passage for recitation and the analysis of One Fine Night.
Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Yes, sir,” they replied.
Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:
“Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
“Don’t run back to the past,
nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;
don’t hope for the future.
Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,
What’s past is left behind;
appattañca anāgataṁ.
the future has not arrived;
Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,
and phenomena in the present
Tattha tattha vipassati;
are clearly seen in every case.
Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
Knowing this, foster it—
Taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.
unfaltering, unshakable.
Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,
Today’s the day to keenly work—
ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;
who knows, tomorrow may bring death!
Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,
For there is no bargain to be struck
mahāsenena maccunā.
with Death and his mighty hordes.
Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,
The peaceful sage explained it’s those
ahorattamatanditaṁ;
who keenly meditate like this,
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
tireless all night and day,
santo ācikkhate muni.
who truly have that one fine night.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, atītaṁ anvāgameti?
And how do you run back to the past?
‘Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—
You muster delight there, thinking: ‘I had such form in the past.’ … ‘I had such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the past.’
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atītaṁ anvāgameti.
That’s how you run back to the past.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, atītaṁ nānvāgameti?
And how do you not run back to the past?
‘Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—
You don’t muster delight there, thinking: ‘I had such form in the past.’ … ‘I had such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the past.’
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.
That’s how you don’t run back to the past.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati?
And how do you hope for the future?
‘Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe… evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—
You muster delight there, thinking: ‘May I have such form in the future.’ … ‘May I have such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the future.’
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati.
That’s how you hope for the future.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati?
And how do you not hope for the future?
‘Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ … evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … ‘evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—
You don’t muster delight there, thinking: ‘May I have such form in the future.’ … ‘May I have such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the future.’
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.
That’s how you don’t hope for the future.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati?
And how do you falter amid presently arisen phenomena?
Idha, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto
It’s when an unlearned ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons.
rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;
They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.
vedanaṁ …pe…
They regard feeling …
saññaṁ …
perception …
saṅkhāre …
choices …
viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—
consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati.
That’s how you falter amid presently arisen phenomena.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati?
And how do you not falter amid presently arisen phenomena?
Idha, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto
It’s when a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons.
na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;
They don’t regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.
na vedanaṁ …
They don’t regard feeling …
na saññaṁ …
perception …
na saṅkhāre …
choices …
na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—
consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.
That’s how you don’t falter amid presently arisen phenomena.
Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
Don’t run back to the past,
nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;
don’t hope for the future.
Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,
What’s past is left behind;
appattañca anāgataṁ.
the future has not arrived;
Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,
and phenomena in the present
tattha tattha vipassati;
are clearly seen in every case.
Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
Knowing this, foster it—
taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.
unfaltering, unshakable.
Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,
Today’s the day to keenly work—
ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;
who knows, tomorrow may bring death!
Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,
For there is no bargain to be struck
mahāsenena maccunā.
with Death and his mighty hordes.
Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,
The peaceful sage explained it’s those
ahorattamatanditaṁ;
who keenly meditate like this,
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
tireless all night and day,
santo ācikkhate munīti.
who truly have that one fine night.
‘Bhaddekarattassa vo, bhikkhave, uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desessāmī’ti—
And that’s what I meant when I said: ‘I shall teach you the passage for recitation and the analysis of One Fine Night.’”
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
That is what the Buddha said.
Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.
Bhaddekarattasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.