sutta » sn » sn24 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 24.5

Natthidinnasutta

There’s No Meaning in Giving

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.

“Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:
“Mendicants, when what exists, because of grasping what and insisting on what, does the view arise:

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ, natthi hutaṁ, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko; natthi ayaṁ loko, natthi paro loko, natthi mātā, natthi pitā, natthi sattā opapātikā; natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedenti.
‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no such thing as mother and father, or beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.

Cātumahābhūtiko ayaṁ puriso yadā kālaṁ karoti pathavī pathavīkāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati, āpo āpokāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati, tejo tejokāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati, vāyo vāyokāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati.
This person is made up of the four primary elements. When they die, the earth in their body merges and coalesces with the substance of earth. The water in their body merges and coalesces with the substance of water. The fire in their body merges and coalesces with the substance of fire. The air in their body merges and coalesces with the substance of air.

Ākāsaṁ indriyāni saṅkamanti.
The faculties are transferred to space.

Āsandipañcamā purisā mataṁ ādāya gacchanti.
Four men with a bier carry away the corpse.

Yāva āḷāhanā padāni paññāyanti.
Their footprints show the way to the cemetery.

Kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni bhavanti.
The bones become bleached.

Bhassantā āhutiyo.
Offerings dedicated to the gods end in ashes.

Dattupaññattaṁ yadidaṁ dānaṁ.
Giving is a doctrine of morons.

Tesaṁ tucchaṁ musā vilāpo ye keci atthikavādaṁ vadanti.
When anyone affirms a positive teaching it’s just baseless, false nonsense.

Bāle ca paṇḍite ca kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?
Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and don’t exist after death’?”

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe…
“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …”

“Rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati, rūpaṁ upādāya, rūpaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:
“When form exists, because of grasping form and insisting on form, the view arises:

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…
‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. …

kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’ti.
Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and don’t exist after death.’

Vedanāya sati …pe…
When feeling …

saññāya sati …
perception …

saṅkhāresu sati …
choices …

viññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:
consciousness exists, because of grasping consciousness and insisting on consciousness, the view arises:

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…
‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. …

kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’ti.
Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and don’t exist after death.’

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
What do you think, mendicants?

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

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

api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…

kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Vedanā …
“Is feeling …

saññā …
perception …

saṅkhārā …
choices …

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

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

api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…

kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
“That which is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, and explored by the mind: is that permanent or impermanent?”

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

api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:
“But by not grasping what’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, would such a view arise?”

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…

ye keci atthikavādaṁ vadanti;

bāle ca paṇḍite ca kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imesu ca ṭhānesu kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti, dukkhepissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāyapissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti—
“When a noble disciple has given up doubt in these six cases, and has given up doubt in suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation,

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano”ti.
they’re called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening.”

Pañcamaṁ.