Gopakamoggallānasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 108

With Moggallāna the Guardian · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

“Evaṁ appaṭisaraṇe ca pana, bho ānanda, ko hetu sāmaggiyā”ti?
“Na kho mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa, appaṭisaraṇā;
sappaṭisaraṇā mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa;
dhammappaṭisaraṇā”ti.

“But since you lack a refuge, worthy Ānanda, what’s the reason for your harmony?” “We don’t lack a refuge, brahmin, we have a refuge. The teaching is our refuge.”

“‘Atthi nu kho, bho ānanda, ekabhikkhupi tena bhotā gotamena ṭhapito—
ayaṁ vo mamaccayena paṭisaraṇaṁ bhavissatīti, yaṁ tumhe etarahi paṭipādeyyāthā’ti—
iti puṭṭho samāno ‘natthi kho, brāhmaṇa, ekabhikkhupi tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena ṭhapito—
ayaṁ vo mamaccayena paṭisaraṇaṁ bhavissatīti, yaṁ mayaṁ etarahi paṭipādeyyāmā’ti vadesi;
‘atthi pana, bho ānanda, ekabhikkhupi saṅghena sammato, sambahulehi therehi bhikkhūhi ṭhapito—
ayaṁ no bhagavato accayena paṭisaraṇaṁ bhavissatīti, yaṁ tumhe etarahi paṭipādeyyāthā’ti—
iti puṭṭho samāno ‘natthi kho, brāhmaṇa, ekabhikkhupi saṅghena sammato, sambahulehi therehi bhikkhūhi ṭhapito—
ayaṁ no bhagavato accayena paṭisaraṇaṁ bhavissatīti, yaṁ mayaṁ etarahi paṭipādeyyāmā’ti—
vadesi;

“But Worthy Ānanda, when asked whether there was even a single mendicant—either appointed by the worthy Gotama, or elected by the Saṅgha and appointed by several senior mendicants— who serves as your refuge after the Buddha passed away, to whom you now turn, you replied, ‘No, there is not.’

‘evaṁ appaṭisaraṇe ca pana, bho ānanda, ko hetu sāmaggiyā’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na kho mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa, appaṭisaraṇā;
sappaṭisaraṇā mayaṁ, brāhmaṇa;
dhammappaṭisaraṇā’ti vadesi.
Imassa pana, bho ānanda, bhāsitassa kathaṁ attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?
“Atthi kho, brāhmaṇa, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena bhikkhūnaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ paññattaṁ, pātimokkhaṁ uddiṭṭhaṁ.
Te mayaṁ tadahuposathe yāvatikā ekaṁ gāmakhettaṁ upanissāya viharāma te sabbe ekajjhaṁ sannipatāma;
sannipatitvā yassa taṁ pavattati taṁ ajjhesāma.
Tasmiñce bhaññamāne hoti bhikkhussa āpatti hoti vītikkamo taṁ mayaṁ yathādhammaṁ yathānusiṭṭhaṁ kāremāti.
Na kira no bhavanto kārenti;
dhammo no kāreti”.

But you say that the reason for your harmony is that you have the teaching as a refuge. How should I see the meaning of this statement?” “The Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha laid down training rules and recited the monastic code for the mendicants. On the day of the sabbath all of us who live in dependence on one village district gather together as one. We invite one who transmits the code to recite it. If anyone remembers an offense or transgression while they’re reciting, we make them act in line with the teaching and in line with the instructions. It’s not the good fellows who make us act, it’s the teaching that makes us act.”

“Atthi nu kho, bho ānanda, ekabhikkhupi yaṁ tumhe etarahi sakkarotha garuṁ karotha mānetha pūjetha; sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharathā”ti?
“Natthi kho, brāhmaṇa, ekabhikkhupi yaṁ mayaṁ etarahi sakkaroma garuṁ karoma mānema pūjema; sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharāmā”ti.
“‘Atthi nu kho, bho ānanda, ekabhikkhupi tena bhotā gotamena ṭhapito—
ayaṁ vo mamaccayena paṭisaraṇaṁ bhavissatīti yaṁ tumhe etarahi paṭipādeyyāthā’ti—
iti puṭṭho samāno ‘natthi kho, brāhmaṇa, ekabhikkhupi tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena ṭhapito—

“Worthy Ānanda, is there even a single mendicant who you honor, respect, revere, venerate, and rely on?” “There is not, brahmin.” “Worthy Ānanda, when asked whether there was even a single mendicant—either appointed by the worthy Gotama,

ayaṁ vo mamaccayena paṭisaraṇaṁ bhavissatīti yaṁ mayaṁ etarahi paṭipādeyyāmā’ti vadesi;
‘atthi pana, bho ānanda, ekabhikkhupi saṅghena sammato, sambahulehi therehi bhikkhūhi ṭhapito—
ayaṁ no bhagavato accayena paṭisaraṇaṁ bhavissatīti yaṁ tumhe etarahi paṭipādeyyāthā’ti—
iti puṭṭho samāno ‘natthi kho, brāhmaṇa, ekabhikkhupi saṅghena sammato, sambahulehi therehi bhikkhūhi ṭhapito—
ayaṁ no bhagavato accayena paṭisaraṇaṁ bhavissatīti yaṁ mayaṁ etarahi paṭipādeyyāmā’ti vadesi;
‘atthi nu kho, bho ānanda, ekabhikkhupi yaṁ tumhe etarahi sakkarotha garuṁ karotha mānetha pūjetha; sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharathā’ti—
iti puṭṭho samāno ‘natthi kho, brāhmaṇa, ekabhikkhupi yaṁ mayaṁ etarahi sakkaroma garuṁ karoma mānema pūjema; sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharāmā’ti vadesi.

or elected by the Saṅgha and appointed by several senior mendicants— who serves as your refuge after the Buddha passed away, to whom you now turn, you replied, ‘No, there is not.’ And when asked whether there is even a single mendicant who you honor, respect, revere, venerate, and rely on, you replied, ‘There is not.’

Imassa pana, bho ānanda, bhāsitassa kathaṁ attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?

How should I see the meaning of this statement?”

“Atthi kho, brāhmaṇa, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena dasa pasādanīyā dhammā akkhātā.
Yasmiṁ no ime dhammā saṁvijjanti taṁ mayaṁ etarahi sakkaroma garuṁ karoma mānema pūjema; sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharāma.
Katame dasa?

“There are 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. What ten?

Idha, brāhmaṇa, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno, aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu.

It’s when a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and resorting for alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version