Majjhima Nikāya 132
Translators: sujato
Middle Discourses 132
Ānandabhaddekarattasutta
Ānanda and 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.
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ānando upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca bhāsati.
Now at that time Venerable Ānanda was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk on the topic of the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.
Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenupaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.
Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat, went to the assembly hall, where he sat on the seat spread out,
Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
and addressed the mendicants,
“ko nu kho, bhikkhave, upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti?
“Who was inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night?”
“Āyasmā, bhante, ānando upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti.
“It was Venerable Ānanda, sir.”
Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:
Then the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda,
“yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti?
“But in what way were you inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night?”
“Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesiṁ samādapesiṁ samuttejesiṁ sampahaṁsesiṁ, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsiṁ—
“I was doing so in this way, sir,” replied Ānanda.
Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
“Don’t run back to the past,
nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;
don’t anticipate the future.
Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,
What’s past is left behind,
appattañca anāgataṁ.
the future has not arrived;
Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,
and any present phenomenon
tattha tattha vipassati;
you clearly discern in every case.
Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
The unfaltering, the unshakable:
taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.
having known that, foster it.
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 horde.
Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,
One who keenly meditates like this,
ahorattamatanditaṁ;
tireless all night and day:
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
that’s who has one fine night—
santo ācikkhate muni.
so declares the peaceful sage.
‘Kathañca, āvuso, atītaṁ anvāgameti?
And how do you run back to the past? …
Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, atītaṁ anvāgameti.
Kathañca, āvuso, atītaṁ nānvāgameti?
And how do you not run back to the past? …
Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.
Kathañca, āvuso, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati?
And how do you anticipate the future? …
Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe…
evaṁsañño siyaṁ …
evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ …
evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati.
Kathañca, āvuso, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati?
And how do you not anticipate the future? …
Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe…
evaṁsañño siyaṁ …
evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ …
evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.
Kathañca, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati?
And how do you falter amid presently arisen phenomena? …
Idha, āvuso, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto
rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;
vedanaṁ …
saññaṁ …
saṅkhāre …
viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati.
Kathañca, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati?
And how do you not falter amid presently arisen phenomena? …
Idha, āvuso, sutavā ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto
na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;
na vedanaṁ …
na saññaṁ …
na saṅkhāre …
na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, 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 anticipate the future. …
Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,
appattañca anāgataṁ.
Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,
tattha tattha vipassati;
Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.
Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,
ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;
Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,
mahāsenena maccunā.
Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,
ahorattamatanditaṁ;
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
that’s who has one fine night—
santo ācikkhate munī’ti.
so declares the peaceful sage.’
Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesiṁ samādapesiṁ samuttejesiṁ sampahaṁsesiṁ, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsin”ti.
That’s how I was inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.”
“Sādhu sādhu, ānanda.
“Good, good, Ānanda.
Sādhu kho tvaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsi:
It’s good that you were inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.”
‘Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
…pe…
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
santo ācikkhate munī’ti.
Kathañca, ānanda, atītaṁ anvāgameti …pe…
And the Buddha repeated the verses and analysis once more.
evaṁ kho, ānanda, atītaṁ anvāgameti.
Kathañca, ānanda, atītaṁ nānvāgameti …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.
Kathañca, ānanda, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati.
Kathañca, ānanda, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.
Kathañca, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati.
Kathañca, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.
‘Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
…pe…
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
santo ācikkhate munī’”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
That is what the Buddha said.
Attamano āyasmā ānando bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Satisfied, Venerable Ānanda approved what the Buddha said.
Ānandabhaddekarattasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.