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Majjhima Nikāya 105

Sunakkhattasutta

With Sunakkhatta · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulehi bhikkhūhi bhagavato santike aññā byākatā hoti:
“‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāmā”ti.
Assosi kho sunakkhatto licchaviputto:
“sambahulehi kira bhikkhūhi bhagavato santike aññā byākatā hoti:
‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmā’”ti.

Now at that time several mendicants had declared their enlightenment in the Buddha’s presence: “We understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’” Sunakkhatta the Licchavi heard about this.

Atha kho sunakkhatto licchaviputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho sunakkhatto licchaviputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

He went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante:
‘sambahulehi kira bhikkhūhi bhagavato santike aññā byākatā—
khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmā’ti.
Ye te, bhante, bhikkhū bhagavato santike aññaṁ byākaṁsu:
‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmā’ti, kacci te, bhante, bhikkhū sammadeva aññaṁ byākaṁsu udāhu santetthekacce bhikkhū adhimānena aññaṁ byākaṁsū”ti?

“Sir, I have heard that several mendicants have declared their enlightenment in the Buddha’s presence. I trust they did so rightly—or are there some who declared enlightenment out of overestimation?”

“Ye te, sunakkhatta, bhikkhū mama santike aññaṁ byākaṁsu:
‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmā’ti.
Santetthekacce bhikkhū sammadeva aññaṁ byākaṁsu, santi panidhekacce bhikkhū adhimānenapi aññaṁ byākaṁsu.
Tatra, sunakkhatta, ye te bhikkhū sammadeva aññaṁ byākaṁsu tesaṁ taṁ tatheva hoti;
ye pana te bhikkhū adhimānena aññaṁ byākaṁsu tatra, sunakkhatta, tathāgatassa evaṁ hoti:
‘dhammaṁ nesaṁ desessan’ti.
Evañcettha, sunakkhatta, tathāgatassa hoti:
‘dhammaṁ nesaṁ desessan’ti.
Atha ca panidhekacce moghapurisā pañhaṁ abhisaṅkharitvā abhisaṅkharitvā tathāgataṁ upasaṅkamitvā pucchanti.
Tatra, sunakkhatta, yampi tathāgatassa evaṁ hoti:
‘dhammaṁ nesaṁ desessan’ti tassapi hoti aññathattan”ti.

“Some of them did so rightly, Sunakkhatta, while others did so out of overestimation. Now, when mendicants declare enlightenment rightly, that is their truth. But when mendicants declare enlightenment out of overestimation, the Realized One thinks: ‘I should teach them the Dhamma.’ If the Realized One thinks he should teach them the Dhamma, but then certain futile men, having carefully planned a question, approach the Realized One and ask it, then the Realized One changes his mind.”

“Etassa bhagavā kālo, etassa sugata kālo,
yaṁ bhagavā dhammaṁ deseyya. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
“Tena hi, sunakkhatta, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho sunakkhatto licchaviputto bhagavato paccassosi.
Bhagavā etadavoca—

“Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One! Let the Buddha teach the Dhamma. The mendicants will listen and remember it.” “Well then, Sunakkhatta, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” replied Sunakkhatta. The Buddha said this:

Pañca kho ime, sunakkhatta, kāmaguṇā.
Katame pañca?
Cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā,
sotaviññeyyā saddā …pe…
ghānaviññeyyā gandhā …
jivhāviññeyyā rasā …
kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā—
ime kho, sunakkhatta, pañca kāmaguṇā.

“Sunakkhatta, there are these five kinds of sensual stimulation. What five? Sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. Sounds known by the ear … Smells known by the nose … Tastes known by the tongue … Touches known by the body, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. These are the five kinds of sensual stimulation.

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, sunakkhatta, vijjati yaṁ idhekacco purisapuggalo lokāmisādhimutto assa.
Lokāmisādhimuttassa kho, sunakkhatta, purisapuggalassa tappatirūpī ceva kathā saṇṭhāti, tadanudhammañca anuvitakketi, anuvicāreti, tañca purisaṁ bhajati, tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati;
āneñjapaṭisaṁyuttāya ca pana kathāya kacchamānāya na sussūsati, na sotaṁ odahati, na aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpeti, na ca taṁ purisaṁ bhajati, na ca tena vittiṁ āpajjati.

It’s possible that a certain individual person may be intent on worldly pleasures of the flesh. Such an individual engages in pertinent conversation, thinking and considering in line with that. They associate with that kind of person, and they find it rewarding. But when talk connected with the imperturbable is going on they don’t want to listen. They don’t actively listen or try to understand. They don’t associate with that kind of person, and they don’t find it rewarding.

Seyyathāpi, sunakkhatta, puriso sakamhā gāmā vā nigamā vā ciravippavuttho assa.
So aññataraṁ purisaṁ passeyya tamhā gāmā vā nigamā vā acirapakkantaṁ.
So taṁ purisaṁ tassa gāmassa vā nigamassa vā khematañca subhikkhatañca appābādhatañca puccheyya;
tassa so puriso tassa gāmassa vā nigamassa vā khematañca subhikkhatañca appābādhatañca saṁseyya.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sunakkhatta,
api nu so puriso tassa purisassa sussūseyya, sotaṁ odaheyya, aññā cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpeyya, tañca purisaṁ bhajeyya, tena ca vittiṁ āpajjeyyā”ti?
“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Evameva kho, sunakkhatta, ṭhānametaṁ vijjati yaṁ idhekacco purisapuggalo lokāmisādhimutto assa.
Lokāmisādhimuttassa kho, sunakkhatta, purisapuggalassa tappatirūpī ceva kathā saṇṭhāti, tadanudhammañca anuvitakketi, anuvicāreti, tañca purisaṁ bhajati, tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati;

Suppose a person had left their own village or town long ago, and they saw another person who had only recently left there. They would ask about whether their village was safe, with plenty of food and little disease, and the other person would tell them the news. What do you think, Sunakkhatta? Would that person want to listen to that other person? Would they actively listen and try to understand? Would they associate with that person, and find it rewarding?” “Yes, sir.” “In the same way, it’s possible that a certain individual may be intent on worldly pleasures of the flesh. Such an individual engages in pertinent conversation, thinking and considering in line with that. They associate with that kind of person, and they find it rewarding.

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