sutta » sn » sn45 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.41

Rāgavirāgasutta

The Fading Away of Greed

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.

“Sace vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ:
“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow another religion were to ask you:

‘kimatthiyaṁ, āvuso, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha:
‘Reverends, what’s the purpose of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?’ You should answer them like this:

‘rāgavirāgatthaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti.
‘The purpose of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is the fading away of greed.’

Sace pana vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ:
If wanderers of other religions were to ask you:

‘atthi panāvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyā’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha:
‘Is there a path and a practice for the fading away of greed?’ You should answer them like this:

‘atthi kho, āvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyā’ti.
‘There is a path and a practice for the fading away of greed.’

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, maggo, katamā ca paṭipadā rāgavirāgāya?
And what is that path, what is that practice for the fading away of greed?

Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ—
It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:

sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.
right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, maggo, ayaṁ paṭipadā rāgavirāgāyāti.
This is the path, this is the practice for the fading away of greed.

Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyāthā”ti.
When questioned by wanderers of other religions, that’s how you should answer them.”

Paṭhamaṁ.