Gopakamoggallānasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 108

With Moggallāna the Guardian · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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very learnedBahussuto ishoti remembering what has been learnedsutadharo keeping what has been learnedsutasannicayo.
whichYe thosete teachingsdhammā beginning·goodādikalyāṇā, middle·goodmajjhekalyāṇā, end·goodpariyosānakalyāṇā, meaningfulsātthaṁ, with·phrasingsabyañjanaṁ, entire·fullkevalaparipuṇṇaṁ completely·pureparisuddhaṁ holy·conductbrahmacariyaṁ forth·speakabhivadanti such·kindtathārūpāssa teachingsdhammā very learnedbahussutā arehonti remembereddhātā by speechvacasā rehearsedparicitā mentally scrutinizedmanasānupekkhitā theoreticallydiṭṭhiyā well·penetratedsuppaṭividdhā.

They’re very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, rehearsing them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically.

together·satisfySantuṭṭho ishoti robe·almsfood·lodging·sick + requisite·medicinecīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārehi.

They’re content with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.

of the fourCatunnaṁ of the absorptionsjhānānaṁ of the higher mindābhicetasikānaṁ seen·dhamma·blissful·dwellingdiṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ obtaining when they wantnikāmalābhī they arehoti not·troubleakicchalābhī not·difficultyakasiralābhī.

They get the four absorptions—blissful meditations in this life that belong to the higher mind—when they want, without trouble or difficulty.

many·arrangedAnekavihitaṁ psychic-power·kindiddhividhaṁ experiences·one·evenpaccanubhoti—ekopi having becomehutvā manifoldbahudhā becomeshoti, many·alsobahudhāpi having becomehutvā oneeko becomes;hoti; visible·becomingāvibhāvaṁ hidden·becomingtirobhāvaṁ; through·walltirokuṭṭaṁ through·ramparttiropākāraṁ through·mountaintiropabbataṁ not·attachasajjamāno goesgacchati, just asseyyathāpi in space;ākāse; earth·alsopathaviyāpi emerging·divingummujjanimujjaṁ doeskaroti, just asseyyathāpi in water;udake; water·alsoudakepi not·breakabhijjamāne goesgacchati, just asseyyathāpi on earth;pathaviyaṁ; space·alsoākāsepi cross-leggedpallaṅkena moveskamati, just asseyyathāpi wingedpakkhī bird;sakuṇo; these·alsoimepi moon·suncandimasūriye thus·mightyevaṁmahiddhike thus·powerfulevaṁmahānubhāve with the handpāṇinā touchesparimasati strokes,parimajjati, as far asyāva divinity·realm·evenbrahmalokāpi with the bodykāyena powervasaṁ they wield.vatteti.

They wield the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again; materializing and dematerializing; going unobstructed through a wall, a rampart, or a mountain as if through space; diving in and out of the earth as if it were water; walking on water as if it were earth; flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird; touching and stroking with the hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful. They control the body as far as the realm of divinity.

with divineDibbāya ear·elementsotadhātuyā thoroughly·purevisuddhāya surpassing·humanatikkantamānusikāya bothubho soundssadde hear + divinesuṇāti—dibbe andca humanmānuse andca, whetherye fardūre nearsantike andca.

With clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, they hear both kinds of sounds, human and heavenly, whether near or far.

They understand the minds of other beings and individuals, having encompassed them with their own mind. They understand mind with greed as ‘mind with greed’, and mind without greed as ‘mind without greed’. They understand mind with hate … mind without hate … mind with delusion … mind without delusion … constricted mind … scattered mind … expansive mind … unexpansive mind … mind that is not supreme … mind that is supreme … mind immersed in samādhi … mind not immersed in samādhi … freed mind …

not·freedavimuttaṁ orvā mindcittaṁ not·freed‘avimuttaṁ mind’cittan’ti forth·knowpajānāti.

They understand unfreed mind as ‘unfreed mind’.

many·arrangedAnekavihitaṁ before·dwellingpubbenivāsaṁ along·rememberanussarati, that is + one·evenseyyathidaṁ—ekampi birthjātiṁ two·evendvepi birthsjātiyo three·eventissopi birthsjātiyo four·evencatassopi birthsjātiyo five·evenpañcapi birthsjātiyo ten·evendasapi birthsjātiyo twenty·evenvīsampi birthsjātiyo thirty·eventiṁsampi birthsjātiyo forty·evencattārīsampi birthsjātiyo fifty·evenpaññāsampi birthsjātiyo birth·hundred·evenjātisatampi birth·thousand·evenjātisahassampi birth·hundred·thousand·evenjātisatasahassampi many·evenanekepi contraction·eonsaṁvaṭṭakappe many·evenanekepi expansion·eonvivaṭṭakappe many·evenanekepi contraction·expansion·eonsaṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe: there I was‘amutrāsiṁ such·nameevaṁnāmo with such a clanevaṅgotto such·appearanceevaṁvaṇṇo such·foodevamāhāro such·pleasure·pain·experiencerevaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī such·life·endevamāyupariyanto, heso from theretato passed awaycuto thereamutra up·aroseudapādiṁ; there too I wastatrāpāsiṁ such·nameevaṁnāmo with such a clanevaṅgotto such·appearanceevaṁvaṇṇo such·foodevamāhāro such·pleasure·pain·experiencerevaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī such·life·endevamāyupariyanto, heso from theretato passed awaycuto reborn hereidhūpapanno’ti. thusIti with featuressākāraṁ with·detailsauddesaṁ many·arrangedanekavihitaṁ before·dwellingpubbenivāsaṁ along·rememberanussarati.

They recollect many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. They remember: ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so they recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

with divineDibbena with eyecakkhunā thoroughly·purevisuddhena beyond·humanatikkantamānusakena sentient beingssatte they seepassati passing awaycavamāne being rebornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte good·colorsuvaṇṇe bad·colordubbaṇṇe, in a good placesugate in a bad placeduggate according to·deedyathākammūpage sentient beingssatte thoroughly·knowpajānāti.

With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.

of the defilementsĀsavānaṁ because of endingkhayā without·defilementanāsavaṁ heart·freedomcetovimuttiṁ wisdom·freedompaññāvimuttiṁ seen·indeeddiṭṭheva in the teachingdhamme oneselfsayaṁ direct·knowledgeabhiññā with insight·makesacchikatvā up·together·enterupasampajja they liveviharati.
theseIme indeedkho, brahminbrāhmaṇa, by thattena by the Blessed Onebhagavatā who knowsjānatā who seespassatā by the perfected onearahatā fully·fully·awakensammāsambuddhena tendasa inspiringpasādanīyā thingsdhammā explainedakkhātā.
in whomYasmiṁ indeedno theseime thingsdhammā together·foundsaṁvijjanti himtaṁ wemayaṁ nowetarahi we honorsakkaroma respectgaruṁ we makekaroma we esteemmānema we worshippūjema; having honoredsakkatvā respectgaruṁ having madekatvā near·relyupanissāya we liveviharāmā”ti.

They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements. These are the ten inspiring things explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. We honor anyone in whom these things are found, and rely on them.”

thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, Vassakāravassakāro brahminbrāhmaṇo Magadha·great·ministermagadhamahāmatto Upanandaupanandaṁ generalsenāpatiṁ toward·speakāmantesi:
that“Taṁ whatkiṁ thinksmaññati honored sirbhavaṁ generalsenāpati which + theseyadime venerable onesbhonto one who is worthy of honorsakkātabbaṁ they honorsakkaronti, respectgaruṁ one who is worthy of respectkātabbaṁ respectgaruṁ they makekaronti,
one who is worthy of reverencemānetabbaṁ they reveremānenti, one who is worthy of venerationpūjetabbaṁ they veneratepūjenti”?
indeed“Tagghime venerable onesbhonto one who is worthy of honorsakkātabbaṁ they honorsakkaronti, respectgaruṁ one who is worthy of respectkātabbaṁ respectgaruṁ they makekaronti, one who is worthy of reverencemānetabbaṁ they reveremānenti, one who is worthy of venerationpūjetabbaṁ they veneratepūjenti.
this + andImañca indeedhi thesete venerable onesbhonto notna would honorsakkareyyuṁ notna respectgaruṁ would makekareyyuṁ notna would reveremāneyyuṁ notna would veneratepūjeyyuṁ;
thenatha what + thenkiñcarahi thesete venerable onesbhonto would honorsakkareyyuṁ respectgaruṁ would makekareyyuṁ would reveremāneyyuṁ would veneratepūjeyyuṁ, having honoredsakkatvā respectgaruṁ having madekatvā having reveredmānetvā having veneratedpūjetvā depending onupanissāya would dwellvihareyyun”ti?

When he had spoken, Vassakāra addressed General Upananda, “What do you think, general? Do these venerables honor, respect, revere, and venerate those who are worthy?” “Indeed they do. For if these venerables were not to honor, respect, revere, and venerate them, who then would they honor?”

thenAtha indeedkho Vassakāravassakāro brahminbrāhmaṇo chief minister of Magadhamagadhamahāmatto venerableāyasmantaṁ Ānandaānandaṁ this·sayetadavoca:
where“kahaṁ thenpana worthybhavaṁ Ānandaānando at presentetarahi dwellviharatī”ti?
in the Bamboo Grove“Veḷuvane indeed·Ikhohaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, at presentetarahi I dwellviharāmī”ti.
I hope“Kacci thenpana, worthybho Ānandaānanda, Bamboo Groveveḷuvanaṁ delightful·and·indeedramaṇīyañceva quiet·andappasaddañca still·andappanigghosañca far from the madding crowdvijanavātaṁ remote from human settlementsmanussarāhasseyyakaṁ fit for retreatpaṭisallānasāruppan”ti?
indeed“Taggha, brahminbrāhmaṇa, Bamboo Groveveḷuvanaṁ delightful·and·indeedramaṇīyañceva quiet·andappasaddañca still·andappanigghosañca far from the madding crowdvijanavātaṁ remote from human settlementsmanussarāhasseyyakaṁ fit for retreatpaṭisallānasāruppaṁ, asyathā thattaṁ such as yourselftumhādisehi protectorsrakkhakehi guardiansgopakehī”ti.
surely“Taggha, worthybho Ānandaānanda, Bamboo Groveveḷuvanaṁ delightful·and·indeedramaṇīyañceva quiet·andappasaddañca still·andappanigghosañca far from the madding crowdvijanavātaṁ remote from human settlementsmanussarāhasseyyakaṁ fit for retreatpaṭisallānasāruppaṁ, asyathā thattaṁ worthy onesbhavantehi meditatingjhāyīhi making a habit of meditatingjhānasīlīhi.
meditatingJhāyino indeedceva good fellowsbhavanto making a habit of meditatingjhānasīlino andca.
one timeEkamidāhaṁ, worthybho Ānandaānanda, timesamayaṁ thatso worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo near Vesālīvesāliyaṁ was stayingviharati at the Great Woodmahāvane in the hall with the peaked roofkūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.
thenAtha indeed Ikhvāhaṁ, worthybho Ānandaānanda, whereyena Great Woodmahāvanaṁ hall with the peaked roofkūṭāgārasālā whereyena thatso worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo there I approachedtenupasaṅkamiṁ.
thereTatra andca thenpana thatso worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo in many waysanekapariyāyena talk on meditationjhānakathaṁ spokekathesi.

Then Vassakāra said to Ānanda, “Where are you staying at present?” “In the Bamboo Grove, brahmin.” “I hope the Bamboo Grove is delightful, quiet and still, far from the madding crowd, remote from human settlements, and fit for retreat?” “Indeed it is, brahmin. And it is like that owing to such protectors and guardians as yourself.” “Surely, worthy Ānanda, it is owing to the good fellows who meditate, making a habit of meditating. For the good fellows do in fact meditate and make a habit of meditating. This one time, worthy Ānanda, worthy Gotama was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. So I went there to see him. And there he spoke about meditation in many ways.

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