Saṁyutta Nikāya 16.10

Translators: sujato

Linked Discourses 16.10

1. Kassapavagga
1. Kassapa

Upassayasutta

The Nuns’ Quarters

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākassapo sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time Venerable Mahākassapa was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:
Then Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to Mahākassapa and said,

“āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā”ti.
“Kassapa, come, sir. Let’s go to one of the nuns’ quarters.”

“Gaccha tvaṁ, āvuso ānanda, bahukicco tvaṁ bahukaraṇīyo”ti.
“You go, Reverend Ānanda. You have many duties and responsibilities.”

Dutiyampi kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:
And a second time …

“āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā”ti.

“Gaccha tvaṁ, āvuso ānanda, bahukicco tvaṁ bahukaraṇīyo”ti.

Tatiyampi kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:
And a third time, Ānanda said,

“āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā”ti.
“Come, Honorable Kassapa. Let’s go to one of the nuns’ quarters.”

Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya āyasmatā ānandena pacchāsamaṇena yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.
Then Venerable Mahākassapa robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went with Venerable Ānanda as his second monk to one of the nuns’ quarters, where he sat on the seat spread out.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhuniyo yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.
And then several nuns went up to Mahākassapa, bowed, and sat down to one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho tā bhikkhuniyo āyasmā mahākassapo dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi.
Mahākassapa educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired those nuns with a Dhamma talk,

Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo tā bhikkhuniyo dhammiyā kathāya sandassetvā samādapetvā samuttejetvā sampahaṁsetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.
after which he got up from his seat and left.

Atha kho thullatissā bhikkhunī anattamanā anattamanavācaṁ nicchāresi:
But the nun Thullatissā was upset and blurted out,

“kiṁ pana ayyo mahākassapo, ayyassa ānandassa vedehamunino sammukhā dhammaṁ bhāsitabbaṁ maññati?
“What is Mister Mahākassapa thinking, that he’d teach Dhamma in front of Mister Ānanda, the Videhan sage?

Seyyathāpi nāma sūcivāṇijako sūcikārassa santike sūciṁ vikketabbaṁ maññeyya;
He’s like a needle seller who thinks they can sell a needle to a needle maker!”

evameva ayyo mahākassapo ayyassa ānandassa vedehamunino sammukhā dhammaṁ bhāsitabbaṁ maññatī”ti.

Assosi kho āyasmā mahākassapo thullatissāya bhikkhuniyā imaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānāya.
Mahākassapa heard Thullatissā say these words,

Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:
and he said to Ānanda,

“kiṁ nu kho, āvuso ānanda, ahaṁ sūcivāṇijako, tvaṁ sūcikāro;
“Is that right, Reverend Ānanda? Am I the needle seller and you the needle maker?

udāhu ahaṁ sūcikāro, tvaṁ sūcivāṇijako”ti?
Or am I the needle maker and you the needle seller?”

“Khama, bhante kassapa, bālo mātugāmo”ti.
“Forgive her, sir. The woman’s a fool.”

“Āgamehi tvaṁ, āvuso ānanda, mā te saṅgho uttari upaparikkhi.
“Hold on, Reverend Ānanda! Don’t make the Saṅgha investigate you further!

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, āvuso ānanda,
What do you think, Reverend Ānanda?

api nu tvaṁ bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto:
Was it you who the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of mendicants, saying:

‘ahaṁ, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhāmi vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.
‘Mendicants, whenever I want, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, I enter and remain in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.

Ānandopi, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhati vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharatī’”ti?
And so does Ānanda’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto:
“I was the one the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of mendicants, saying:

Kassapopi, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhati vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi …pe… paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharatī’ti …pe….
And so does Kassapa. …’

(Navannaṁ anupubbavihārasamāpattīnaṁ pañcannañca abhiññānaṁ evaṁ vitthāro veditabbo.)
(The nine progressive meditations and the five insights should be told in full.)

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, āvuso ānanda,
What do you think, Reverend Ānanda?

api nu tvaṁ bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto:
Was it you who the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of mendicants, saying:

‘ahaṁ, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi.
‘I have realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And I live having realized it with my own insight due to the ending of defilements.

Ānandopi, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’”ti?
And so does Ānanda’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto:
“I was the one the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of mendicants, saying:

Kassapopi, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti.
And so does Kassapa.’

Sattaratanaṁ vā, āvuso, nāgaṁ aḍḍhaṭṭhamaratanaṁ vā tālapattikāya chādetabbaṁ maññeyya, yo me cha abhiññā chādetabbaṁ maññeyyā”ti.
Reverend, you might as well think to hide a bull elephant that’s three or three and a half meters tall behind a palm leaf as to hide my six insights.”

Cavittha ca pana thullatissā bhikkhunī brahmacariyamhāti.
But the nun Thullatissā fell from the spiritual life.

Dasamaṁ.