sutta » sn » sn22 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.86

Anurādhasutta

With Anurādha

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā anurādho bhagavato avidūre araññakuṭikāyaṁ viharati.
Now at that time Venerable Anurādha was staying not far from the Buddha in a wilderness hut.

Atha kho sambahulā aññatitthiyā paribbājakā yenāyasmā anurādho tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā anurādhena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu.
Then several wanderers of other religions went up to Venerable Anurādha and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā āyasmantaṁ anurādhaṁ etadavocuṁ:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side and said to him:

“yo so, āvuso anurādha, tathāgato uttamapuriso paramapuriso paramapattipatto, taṁ tathāgato imesu catūsu ṭhānesu paññāpayamāno paññāpeti:
“Reverend Anurādha, when a realized one is describing a realized one—a supreme person, highest of people, who has reached the highest point—they describe them in these four ways:

‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā”ti?
After death, a realized one still exists, or no longer exists, or both still exists and no longer exists, or neither still exists nor no longer exists.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā anurādho te aññatitthiye paribbājake etadavoca:
When they said this, Venerable Anurādha said to those wanderers:

“yo so āvuso tathāgato uttamapuriso paramapuriso paramapattipatto taṁ tathāgato aññatra imehi catūhi ṭhānehi paññāpayamāno paññāpeti:
“Reverends, when a realized one is describing a realized one—a supreme person, highest of people, who has reached the highest point—they describe them other than these four ways:

‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā”ti.
After death, a realized one still exists, or no longer exists, or both still exists and no longer exists, or neither still exists nor no longer exists.”

Evaṁ vutte, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā āyasmantaṁ anurādhaṁ etadavocuṁ:
When he said this, the wanderers said to him:

“so cāyaṁ bhikkhu navo bhavissati acirapabbajito, thero vā pana bālo abyatto”ti.
“This mendicant must be junior, recently gone forth, or else a foolish, incompetent senior mendicant.”

Atha kho aññatitthiyā paribbājakā āyasmantaṁ anurādhaṁ navavādena ca bālavādena ca apasādetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu.
Then, after rebuking Venerable Anurādha by calling him “junior” and “foolish”, the wanderers got up from their seats and left.

Atha kho āyasmato anurādhassa acirapakkantesu tesu aññatitthiyesu paribbājakesu etadahosi:
Soon after they had left, Anurādha thought:

“sace kho maṁ te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā uttariṁ pañhaṁ puccheyyuṁ.
“If those wanderers were to inquire further,

Kathaṁ byākaramāno nu khvāhaṁ tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ vuttavādī ceva bhagavato assaṁ, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyyaṁ, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyyaṁ, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyyā”ti?
how should I answer them so as to repeat what the Buddha has said, and not misrepresent him with an untruth? How should I explain in line with his teaching, so that there would be no legitimate grounds for rebuttal and criticism?”

Atha kho āyasmā anurādho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā anurādho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Venerable Anurādha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him all that had happened.

“idhāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato avidūre araññakuṭikāyaṁ viharāmi.

Atha kho, bhante, sambahulā aññatitthiyā paribbājakā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu …pe… maṁ etadavocuṁ:

‘yo so, āvuso anurādha, tathāgato uttamapuriso paramapuriso paramapattipatto taṁ tathāgato imesu catūsu ṭhānesu paññāpayamāno paññāpeti—

hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, na hoti …

hoti ca na ca hoti, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā’”ti?

Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, te aññatitthiye paribbājake etadavocaṁ:

“yo so, āvuso, tathāgato uttamapuriso paramapuriso paramapattipatto, taṁ tathāgato aññatra imehi catūhi ṭhānehi paññāpayamāno paññāpeti:

‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā …pe…

‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vāti.

Evaṁ vutte, bhante, te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā maṁ etadavocuṁ:

‘so cāyaṁ bhikkhu na vo bhavissati acirapabbajito thero vā pana bālo abyatto’ti.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā navavādena ca bālavādena ca apasādetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, acirapakkantesu tesu aññatitthiyesu paribbājakesu etadahosi:

‘sace kho maṁ te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā uttariṁ pañhaṁ puccheyyuṁ.

Kathaṁ byākaramāno nu khvāhaṁ tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ vuttavādī ceva bhagavato assaṁ, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyyaṁ, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyyaṁ, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyyā’”ti?

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, anurādha,
“What do you think, Anurādha?

rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
Is form permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.
“Impermanent, sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?
“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.
“Suffering, sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:
“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:

‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?
‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Vedanā …
“Is feeling …

saññā …
perception …

saṅkhārā …
choices …

viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
consciousness permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante” …pe…
“Impermanent, sir.” …

tasmātiha …pe…
“So you should truly see …

evaṁ passaṁ …pe…
Seeing this …

nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāti”.
They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, anurādha,
What do you think, Anurādha?

rūpaṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī”ti?
Do you regard a realized one as form?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Vedanaṁ …
“Do you regard a realized one as feeling …

saññaṁ …
perception …

saṅkhāre …
choices …

viññāṇaṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī”ti?
consciousness?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, anurādha,
“What do you think, Anurādha?

rūpasmiṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī”ti?
Do you regard a realized one as in form?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Aññatra rūpā tathāgatoti samanupassasī”ti?
“Or do you regard a realized one as distinct from form?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Vedanāya …pe…
“Do you regard a realized one as in feeling …

aññatra vedanāya …pe…
or distinct from feeling …

saññāya …
as in perception …

aññatra saññāya …
or distinct from perception …

saṅkhāresu …
as in choices …

aññatra saṅkhārehi …
or distinct from choices …

viññāṇasmiṁ …
as in consciousness …

aññatra viññāṇā tathāgatoti samanupassasī”ti?
or as distinct from consciousness?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, anurādha,
“What do you think, Anurādha?

rūpaṁ … vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ tathāgatoti samanupassasī”ti?
Do you regard a realized one as possessing form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, anurādha,
“What do you think, Anurādha?

ayaṁ so arūpī … avedano … asaññī … asaṅkhāro … aviññāṇo tathāgatoti samanupassasī”ti?
Do you regard a realized one as one who is without form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Ettha ca te, anurādha, diṭṭheva dhamme saccato thetato tathāgate anupalabbhiyamāne kallaṁ nu te taṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ:
“In that case, Anurādha, since you don’t actually find a realized one in this very life, is it appropriate to declare:

‘yo so, āvuso, tathāgato uttamapuriso paramapuriso paramapattipatto taṁ tathāgato aññatra imehi catūhi ṭhānehi paññāpayamāno paññāpeti—
‘Reverends, when a realized one is describing a realized one—a supreme person, highest of people, who has reached the highest point—they describe them other than these four ways:

hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā … na hoti … hoti ca na ca hoti … neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā’”ti?
After death, a realized one still exists, or no longer exists, or both still exists and no longer exists, or neither still exists nor no longer exists’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Sādhu sādhu, anurādha.
“Good, good, Anurādha!

Pubbe cāhaṁ, anurādha, etarahi ca dukkhañceva paññapemi, dukkhassa ca nirodhan”ti.
In the past, as today, what I describe is suffering and the cessation of suffering.”

Catutthaṁ.