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Majjhima Nikāya 101

Devadahasutta

At Devadaha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā among the Sakyanssakkesu was stayingviharati Devadahadevadahaṁ namednāma of the Sakyanssakyānaṁ townnigamo.
thereTatra indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near the Sakyan town named Devadaha. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“mendicants!”“bhikkhavo”ti.
“venerable sir,”“Bhadante”ti theyte mendicantsbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato they replied.paccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said this:etadavoca:
“there are,“santi, mendicants,bhikkhave, someeke ascetic + brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā thus + doctrineevaṁvādino having this view:evaṁdiṭṭhino:
whatever‘yaṁ thiskiñcāyaṁ person + individualpurisapuggalo experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti pleasurable,sukhaṁ orvā painful,dukkhaṁ orvā not·painful + pleasurableadukkhamasukhaṁ or,vā, allsabbaṁ thattaṁ is because of past deeds.pubbekatahetu.
so,Iti of oldpurāṇānaṁ of deedskammānaṁ by fervent mortificationtapasā due to eliminating,byantībhāvā, of newnavānaṁ of deedskammānaṁ by not doing,akaraṇā, in the futureāyatiṁ there is nothing to come up;anavassavo;
in the futureāyatiṁ not + influxanavassavā deeds end;kammakkhayo; deed + endingkammakkhayā suffering ends;dukkhakkhayo; suffering + endingdukkhakkhayā feeling ends;vedanākkhayo; with the ending of feeling,vedanākkhayā allsabbaṁ sufferingdukkhaṁ worn awaynijjiṇṇaṁ will have been.’bhavissatī’ti.
such is the doctrine ofEvaṁvādino, mendicants,bhikkhave, the Jain ascetics.nigaṇṭhā.

“Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “Mendicants, there are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view: ‘Everything this individual person experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—is because of past deeds. So, due to eliminating past deeds by fervent mortification, and not doing any new deeds, there’s nothing to come up in the future. With no future consequence, deeds end. With the ending of deeds, suffering ends. With the ending of suffering, feeling ends. And with the ending of feeling, all suffering will have been worn away.’ Such is the doctrine of the Jain ascetics.

thus·doctrine + IEvaṁvādāhaṁ, monksbhikkhave, to the Jain asceticsnigaṇṭhe up·goupasaṅkamitvā thusevaṁ I sayvadāmi:
is it true‘saccaṁ indeedkira youtumhe, friendāvuso Jain asceticsnigaṇṭhā, of such doctrineevaṁvādino of such viewevaṁdiṭṭhino—
whateveryaṁ whatever + thiskiñcāyaṁ individual personpurisapuggalo experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti pleasuresukhaṁ orvā paindukkhaṁ orvā neither-pain-nor-pleasureadukkhamasukhaṁ orvā, allsabbaṁ thattaṁ due to past deedspubbekatahetu.
thusIti oldpurāṇānaṁ of deedskammānaṁ by austeritytapasā from destructionbyantībhāvā, newnavānaṁ of deedskammānaṁ from not doingakaraṇā, in the futureāyatiṁ no influxanavassavo;
in the futureāyatiṁ from no influxanavassavā destruction of kammakammakkhayo; from destruction of kammakammakkhayā destruction of sufferingdukkhakkhayo; from destruction of sufferingdukkhakkhayā destruction of feelingvedanākkhayo; from destruction of feelingvedanākkhayā allsabbaṁ sufferingdukkhaṁ worn outnijjiṇṇaṁ will bebhavissatī’ti?
theyTe andca by meme, monksbhikkhave, Jain asceticsnigaṇṭhā thusevaṁ askedpuṭṭhā “yes”‘āmā’ti they admitpaṭijānanti.

I’ve gone up to the Jain ascetics who say this and said, ‘Is it really true that this is the venerables’ view?’ They admitted that it is.

I to themTyāhaṁ thusevaṁ I say:vadāmi:
quotation marker: whether‘kiṁ butpana youtumhe, reverendāvuso Jainsnigaṇṭhā, you know—jānātha—
we existedahuvamheva wemayaṁ in the pastpubbe, notna we did not exist?nāhuvamhā’ti?
quotation marker: no‘No indeed thishidaṁ, reverend.āvuso’.
quotation marker: whether‘Kiṁ butpana youtumhe, reverendāvuso Jainsnigaṇṭhā, you know—jānātha—
we didakaramheva wemayaṁ in the pastpubbe bad deedspāpakammaṁ, notna we did not do?nākaramhā’ti?
quotation marker: no‘No indeed thishidaṁ, reverend.āvuso’.
quotation marker: whether‘Kiṁ butpana youtumhe, reverendāvuso Jainsnigaṇṭhā, you know—jānātha—
of such kindevarūpaṁ orvā of such kindevarūpaṁ orvā bad·deedpāpakammaṁ we did?akaramhā’ti?
quotation marker: no‘No indeed thishidaṁ, reverend.āvuso’.
quotation marker: whether‘Kiṁ butpana youtumhe, reverendāvuso Jainsnigaṇṭhā, you know—jānātha—
so muchettakaṁ orvā sufferingdukkhaṁ worn awaynijjiṇṇaṁ, so muchettakaṁ orvā sufferingdukkhaṁ to be worn awaynijjīretabbaṁ, in so muchettakamhi orvā sufferingdukkhe down·wornnijjiṇṇe allsabbaṁ sufferingdukkhaṁ down·wornnijjiṇṇaṁ will be?bhavissatī’ti?
quotation marker: no‘No indeed thishidaṁ, reverend.āvuso’.
quotation marker: whether‘Kiṁ butpana youtumhe, reverendāvuso Jainsnigaṇṭhā, you know—jānātha—
in this very lifediṭṭheva in the doctrinedhamme not·skillfulakusalānaṁ qualitiesdhammānaṁ giving uppahānaṁ, of skillfulkusalānaṁ qualitiesdhammānaṁ embracing?upasampadan’ti?
quotation marker: no‘No indeed thishidaṁ, reverend.āvuso’.

I said to them, ‘But reverends, do you know for sure that you existed in the past, and it is not the case that you did not exist?’ ‘No we don’t, reverend.’ ‘But reverends, do you know for sure that you did bad deeds in the past?’ ‘No we don’t, reverend.’ ‘But reverends, do you know that you did bad deeds of this type or that?’ ‘No we don’t, reverend.’ ‘But reverends, do you know that so much suffering has already been worn away? Or that so much suffering still remains to be worn away? Or that when so much suffering is worn away all suffering will have been worn away?’ ‘No we don’t, reverend.’ ‘But reverends, do you know about giving up unskillful qualities in this very life and embracing skillful qualities?’ ‘No we don’t, reverend.’

thus‘Iti indeedkira youtumhe, friendsāvuso Jainsnigaṇṭhā, notna you knowjānātha—
were·indeedahuvamheva wemayaṁ beforepubbe, notna was-not·quotationnāhuvamhāti, notna you knowjānātha—
did·indeedakaramheva wemayaṁ beforepubbe evil·deedpāpakammaṁ, notna did-not·quotationnākaramhāti, notna you knowjānātha—
suchevarūpaṁ orvā suchevarūpaṁ orvā evil·deedpāpakammaṁ did·quotationakaramhāti, notna you knowjānātha—
this muchettakaṁ orvā sufferingdukkhaṁ exhaustednijjiṇṇaṁ, this muchettakaṁ orvā sufferingdukkhaṁ to be exhaustednijjīretabbaṁ, when so muchettakamhi orvā sufferingdukkhe exhaustednijjiṇṇe allsabbaṁ sufferingdukkhaṁ exhaustednijjiṇṇaṁ will bebhavissatīti, notna you knowjānātha—
seen·indeeddiṭṭheva in the doctrinedhamme of unwholesomeakusalānaṁ qualitiesdhammānaṁ abandoningpahānaṁ, of wholesomekusalānaṁ qualitiesdhammānaṁ undertakingupasampadaṁ;
thusevaṁ being sosante of venerablesāyasmantānaṁ of Jainsnigaṇṭhānaṁ notna it would be properkallamassa to declareveyyākaraṇāya:
whatever“yaṁ whatever + thiskiñcāyaṁ person·individualpurisapuggalo experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti pleasuresukhaṁ orvā paindukkhaṁ orvā neither painful nor pleasantadukkhamasukhaṁ orvā, allsabbaṁ thattaṁ past·done·causepubbekatahetu.
thusIti of oldpurāṇānaṁ actionskammānaṁ by austeritytapasā by eliminationbyantībhāvā, of newnavānaṁ actionskammānaṁ by non-doingakaraṇā, in the futureāyatiṁ no influxanavassavo;
in the futureāyatiṁ from no influxanavassavā action·endingkammakkhayo; from ending of actionkammakkhayā suffering·endingdukkhakkhayo; from ending of sufferingdukkhakkhayā feeling·endingvedanākkhayo; from ending of feelingvedanākkhayā allsabbaṁ sufferingdukkhaṁ exhaustednijjiṇṇaṁ will bebhavissatī”ti.

‘So it seems that you don’t know any of these things. In that case, it’s not appropriate for the Jain venerables to declare this.

ifSace thenpana youtumhe, friendsāvuso Jainsnigaṇṭhā, you would knowjāneyyātha—
exist + indeedahuvamheva wemayaṁ in the pastpubbe, notna we did not existnāhuvamhāti, you would knowjāneyyātha—
perform + indeedakaramheva wemayaṁ in the pastpubbe evil actionpāpakammaṁ, notna we did not performnākaramhāti, you would knowjāneyyātha—
suchevarūpaṁ orvā suchevarūpaṁ orvā evil·actionpāpakammaṁ we performedakaramhāti, you would knowjāneyyātha—
so muchettakaṁ orvā sufferingdukkhaṁ worn awaynijjiṇṇaṁ, so muchettakaṁ orvā sufferingdukkhaṁ to be worn awaynijjīretabbaṁ, when so muchettakamhi orvā sufferingdukkhe worn awaynijjiṇṇe allsabbaṁ sufferingdukkhaṁ worn awaynijjiṇṇaṁ will bebhavissatīti, you would knowjāneyyātha—
seen + indeeddiṭṭheva dhammadhamme of unwholesomeakusalānaṁ of dhammasdhammānaṁ abandoningpahānaṁ, of wholesomekusalānaṁ of dhammasdhammānaṁ attainmentupasampadaṁ;
thusevaṁ being sosante of the venerablesāyasmantānaṁ of the Jainsnigaṇṭhānaṁ it would be fittingkallamassa for declaringveyyākaraṇāya:
whatever“yaṁ anything thiskiñcāyaṁ person·individualpurisapuggalo experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti pleasuresukhaṁ orvā paindukkhaṁ orvā not·painful + and·not·pleasantadukkhamasukhaṁ orvā, allsabbaṁ thattaṁ caused by past deedspubbekatahetu.
thusIti of oldpurāṇānaṁ of kammaskammānaṁ by austeritytapasā by annihilationbyantībhāvā, of newnavānaṁ of kammaskammānaṁ by non-doingakaraṇā, in the futureāyatiṁ no influxanavassavo;
in the futureāyatiṁ from no influxanavassavā destruction of kammakammakkhayo; from destruction of kammakammakkhayā destruction of sufferingdukkhakkhayo; from destruction of sufferingdukkhakkhayā destruction of feelingvedanākkhayo; from destruction of feelingvedanākkhayā allsabbaṁ sufferingdukkhaṁ worn awaynijjiṇṇaṁ will bebhavissatī”ti.

Now, supposing you did know these things. In that case, it would be appropriate for the Jain venerables to declare this.

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