Gaṇakamoggallānasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 107

Gaṇakamoggallānasutta

With Moggallāna the Accountant · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Yato kho, brāhmaṇa, bhikkhu satisampajaññena samannāgato hoti, tamenaṁ tathāgato uttariṁ vineti:
‘ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, vivittaṁ senāsanaṁ bhajāhi araññaṁ rukkhamūlaṁ pabbataṁ kandaraṁ giriguhaṁ susānaṁ vanapatthaṁ abbhokāsaṁ palālapuñjan’ti.

When they have mindfulness and situational awareness, the Realized One guides them further: ‘Come, mendicant, frequent a secluded lodging—a wilderness, the root of a tree, a hill, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a forest, the open air, a heap of straw.’

So vivittaṁ senāsanaṁ bhajati araññaṁ rukkhamūlaṁ pabbataṁ kandaraṁ giriguhaṁ susānaṁ vanapatthaṁ abbhokāsaṁ palālapuñjaṁ.
So pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā, ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya, parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.
So abhijjhaṁ loke pahāya vigatābhijjhena cetasā viharati, abhijjhāya cittaṁ parisodheti;
byāpādapadosaṁ pahāya abyāpannacitto viharati sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī, byāpādapadosā cittaṁ parisodheti;
thinamiddhaṁ pahāya vigatathinamiddho viharati ālokasaññī sato sampajāno, thinamiddhā cittaṁ parisodheti;
uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahāya anuddhato viharati ajjhattaṁ vūpasantacitto, uddhaccakukkuccā cittaṁ parisodheti;
vicikicchaṁ pahāya tiṇṇavicikiccho viharati akathaṅkathī kusalesu dhammesu, vicikicchāya cittaṁ parisodheti.

And they do so. After the meal, they return from almsround, sit down cross-legged, set their body straight, and bring mindfulness to the present. Giving up covetousness for the world, they meditate with a heart rid of covetousness, cleansing the mind of covetousness. Giving up ill will and malevolence, they meditate with a mind rid of ill will, full of sympathy for all living beings, cleansing the mind of ill will. Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness. Giving up restlessness and remorse, they meditate without restlessness, their mind settled internally, cleansing the mind of restlessness and remorse. Giving up doubt, they meditate having gone beyond doubt, not undecided about skillful qualities, cleansing the mind of doubt.

So ime pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe
vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ …pe… dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Pītiyā ca virāgā … tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Sukhassa ca pahānā … catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

They give up these five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom. Then, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, they enter and remain in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. And with the fading away of rapture, they enter and remain in the third absorption, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, experiencing for themselves the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’ With the giving up of pleasure and pain and the disappearance of former happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.

Ye kho te, brāhmaṇa, bhikkhū sekkhā apattamānasā anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ patthayamānā viharanti tesu me ayaṁ evarūpī anusāsanī hoti.
Ye pana te bhikkhū arahanto khīṇāsavā vusitavanto katakaraṇīyā ohitabhārā anuppattasadatthā parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojanā sammadaññāvimuttā tesaṁ ime dhammā diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya ceva saṁvattanti, satisampajaññāya cā”ti.

That’s how I instruct the mendicants who are trainees—who haven’t achieved their heart’s desire, but live aspiring to the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. But for those mendicants who are perfected—who have ended the defilements, completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart’s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and are rightly freed through enlightenment—these things lead to blissful meditation in this life, and to mindfulness and awareness.”

Evaṁ vutte, gaṇakamoggallāno brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“kiṁ nu kho bhoto gotamassa sāvakā bhotā gotamena evaṁ ovadīyamānā evaṁ anusāsīyamānā sabbe accantaṁ niṭṭhaṁ nibbānaṁ ārādhenti udāhu ekacce nārādhentī”ti?
“Appekacce kho, brāhmaṇa, mama sāvakā mayā evaṁ ovadīyamānā evaṁ anusāsīyamānā accantaṁ niṭṭhaṁ nibbānaṁ ārādhenti, ekacce nārādhentī”ti.

When he had spoken, Moggallāna the Accountant said to the Buddha, “When his disciples are instructed and advised like this by the worthy Gotama, do all of them achieve the ultimate goal, extinguishment, or do some of them fail?” “Some succeed, while others fail.”

“Ko nu kho, bho gotama, hetu ko paccayo yaṁ tiṭṭhateva nibbānaṁ, tiṭṭhati nibbānagāmī maggo, tiṭṭhati bhavaṁ gotamo samādapetā;
atha ca pana bhoto gotamassa sāvakā bhotā gotamena evaṁ ovadīyamānā evaṁ anusāsīyamānā appekacce accantaṁ niṭṭhaṁ nibbānaṁ ārādhenti, ekacce nārādhentī”ti?

“What is the cause, worthy Gotama, what is the reason why, though extinguishment is present, the path leading to extinguishment is present, and the worthy Gotama is present to encourage them, still some succeed while others fail?”

“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, taṁyevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa,
kusalo tvaṁ rājagahagāmissa maggassā”ti?
“Evaṁ, bho, kusalo ahaṁ rājagahagāmissa maggassā”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa,
idha puriso āgaccheyya rājagahaṁ gantukāmo.
So taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya:
‘icchāmahaṁ, bhante, rājagahaṁ gantuṁ;
tassa me rājagahassa maggaṁ upadisā’ti.
Tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi:
‘ehambho purisa, ayaṁ maggo rājagahaṁ gacchati.
Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha, tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi amukaṁ nāma gāmaṁ, tena muhuttaṁ gaccha, tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi amukaṁ nāma nigamaṁ;
tena muhuttaṁ gaccha, tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi rājagahassa ārāmarāmaṇeyyakaṁ vanarāmaṇeyyakaṁ bhūmirāmaṇeyyakaṁ pokkharaṇīrāmaṇeyyakan’ti.
So tayā evaṁ ovadīyamāno evaṁ anusāsīyamāno ummaggaṁ gahetvā pacchāmukho gaccheyya.

“Well then, brahmin, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, brahmin? Are you skilled in the road to Rājagaha?” “Yes, I am.” “What do you think, brahmin? Suppose a person was to come along who wanted to go to Rājagaha. He’d approach you and say: ‘Sir, I wish to go to Rājagaha. Please point out the road to Rājagaha.’ You’d say to them: ‘Here, my man, this road goes to Rājagaha. Go along it for an hour, and you’ll see a certain village. Go along an hour further, and you’ll see a certain town. Go along an hour further and you’ll see Rājagaha with its delightful parks, woods, meadows, and lotus ponds.’ Instructed like this by you, they might still take the wrong road, heading west.

Atha dutiyo puriso āgaccheyya rājagahaṁ gantukāmo.
So taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya:
‘icchāmahaṁ, bhante, rājagahaṁ gantuṁ;
tassa me rājagahassa maggaṁ upadisā’ti.
Tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi:
‘ehambho purisa, ayaṁ maggo rājagahaṁ gacchati.
Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha, tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi amukaṁ nāma gāmaṁ;
tena muhuttaṁ gaccha, tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi amukaṁ nāma nigamaṁ;
tena muhuttaṁ gaccha, tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi rājagahassa ārāmarāmaṇeyyakaṁ vanarāmaṇeyyakaṁ bhūmirāmaṇeyyakaṁ pokkharaṇīrāmaṇeyyakan’ti.
So tayā evaṁ ovadīyamāno evaṁ anusāsīyamāno sotthinā rājagahaṁ gaccheyya.
Ko nu kho, brāhmaṇa, hetu ko paccayo yaṁ tiṭṭhateva rājagahaṁ, tiṭṭhati rājagahagāmī maggo, tiṭṭhasi tvaṁ samādapetā;

But a second person might come with the same question and receive the same instructions. Instructed by you, they might safely arrive at Rājagaha. What is the cause, brahmin, what is the reason why, though Rājagaha is present, the path leading to Rājagaha is present, and you are there to encourage them,

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