Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.101
Translators: sujato
Linked Discourses 22.101
10. Pupphavagga
10. Flowers
Vāsijaṭasutta
The Adze
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
“Jānato ahaṁ, bhikkhave, passato āsavānaṁ khayaṁ vadāmi, no ajānato no apassato.
“Mendicants, I say that the ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know or see.
Kiñca, bhikkhave, jānato kiṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti?
For one who knows and sees what?
‘Iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo;
‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form.
iti vedanā …
Such is feeling …
iti saññā …
Such is perception …
iti saṅkhārā …
Such are choices …
iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti—
Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, jānato evaṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti.
The ending of the defilements is for one who knows and sees this.
Bhāvanānuyogaṁ ananuyuttassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
When a mendicant is not committed to development, they might wish:
‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti, atha khvassa neva anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.
‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’ Even so, their mind is not freed from defilements by not grasping.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
‘Abhāvitattā’ tissa vacanīyaṁ.
You should say: ‘It’s because they’re undeveloped.’
Kissa abhāvitattā?
Undeveloped in what?
Abhāvitattā catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ, abhāvitattā catunnaṁ sammappadhānānaṁ, abhāvitattā catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ, abhāvitattā pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ, abhāvitattā pañcannaṁ balānaṁ, abhāvitattā sattannaṁ bojjhaṅgānaṁ, abhāvitattā ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.
Undeveloped in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā.
Suppose there was a chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs.
Tānassu kukkuṭiyā na sammā adhisayitāni, na sammā pariseditāni, na sammā paribhāvitāni.
But she had not properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.
Kiñcāpi tassā kukkuṭiyā evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
That chicken might wish:
‘aho vata me kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjeyyun’ti,
‘If only my chicks could break out of the eggshell with their claws and beak and hatch safely!’
atha kho abhabbāva te kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjituṁ.
But they can’t break out and hatch safely.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Tathā hi pana, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā;
Because that chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs
tāni kukkuṭiyā na sammā adhisayitāni, na sammā pariseditāni, na sammā paribhāvitāni.
has not properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanānuyogaṁ ananuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
In the same way, when a mendicant is not committed to development, they might wish:
‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti, atha khvassa neva anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.
‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’ Even so, their mind is not freed from defilements by not grasping.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
‘Abhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
You should say: ‘It’s because they’re undeveloped.’
Kissa abhāvitattā?
Undeveloped in what?
Abhāvitattā catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ …pe… aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.
Undeveloped in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
Bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyuttassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
When a mendicant is committed to development, they might not wish:
‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti, atha khvassa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.
‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’ Even so, their mind is freed from defilements by not grasping.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
‘Bhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
You should say: ‘It’s because they are developed.’
Kissa bhāvitattā?
Developed in what?
Bhāvitattā catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ, bhāvitattā catunnaṁ sammappadhānānaṁ, bhāvitattā catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ, bhāvitattā pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ, bhāvitattā pañcannaṁ balānaṁ, bhāvitattā sattannaṁ bojjhaṅgānaṁ, bhāvitattā ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.
Developed in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā.
Suppose there was a chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs.
Tānassu kukkuṭiyā sammā adhisayitāni, sammā pariseditāni, sammā paribhāvitāni.
And she properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.
Kiñcāpi tassā kukkuṭiyā na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
That chicken might not wish:
‘aho vata me kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjeyyun’ti,
‘If only my chicks could break out of the eggshell with their claws and beak and hatch safely!’
atha kho bhabbāva te kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjituṁ.
But still they can break out and hatch safely.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Tathā hi pana, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā;
Because that chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs
tānassu kukkuṭiyā sammā adhisayitāni, sammā pariseditāni, sammā paribhāvitāni.
properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
In the same way, when a mendicant is committed to development, they might not wish:
‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti, atha khvassa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.
‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’ Even so, their mind is freed from defilements by not grasping.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
‘Bhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
You should say: ‘It’s because they are developed.’
Kissa bhāvitattā?
Developed in what?
Bhāvitattā catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ …pe… bhāvitattā ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.
Developed in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, palagaṇḍassa vā palagaṇḍantevāsissa vā vāsijaṭe dissanteva aṅgulipadāni dissati aṅguṭṭhapadaṁ.
Suppose a carpenter or their apprentice sees the marks of his fingers and thumb on the handle of his adze.
No ca khvassa evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
They don’t know
‘ettakaṁ vata me ajja vāsijaṭassa khīṇaṁ, ettakaṁ hiyyo, ettakaṁ pare’ti.
how much of the handle was worn away today, how much yesterday, and how much previously.
Atha khvassa khīṇe khīṇantveva ñāṇaṁ hoti.
They just know what has been worn away.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi na evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
In the same way, when a mendicant is committed to development, they don’t know
‘ettakaṁ vata me ajja āsavānaṁ khīṇaṁ, ettakaṁ hiyyo, ettakaṁ pare’ti, atha khvassa khīṇe khīṇantveva ñāṇaṁ hoti.
how much of the defilements were worn away today, how much yesterday, and how much previously. They just know what has been worn away.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sāmuddikāya nāvāya vettabandhanabaddhāya vassamāsāni udake pariyādāya hemantikena thalaṁ ukkhittāya vātātapaparetāni vettabandhanāni. Tāni pāvusakena meghena abhippavuṭṭhāni appakasireneva paṭippassambhanti pūtikāni bhavanti;
Suppose there was a sea-faring ship bound together with ropes. For six months they deteriorated in the water. Then in the cold season it was hauled up on dry land, where the ropes were weathered by wind and sun. When the clouds soaked it with rain, the ropes would readily collapse and rot away.
evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato appakasireneva saṁyojanāni paṭippassambhanti pūtikāni bhavantī”ti.
In the same way, when a mendicant is committed to development their fetters readily collapse and rot away.”
Navamaṁ.