Gopakamoggallānasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 108

With Moggallāna the Guardian · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heard—sutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ venerableāyasmā Ānandaānando in Rājagaharājagahe was stayingviharati in the Bamboo Groveveḷuvane in the squirrels' feeding groundkalandakanivāpe not long after fully quenchedaciraparinibbute of the Blessed One.bhagavati.

So I have heard. At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. It was not long after the Buddha had become fully quenched.

at thatTena indeedkho nowpana at the timesamayena kingrājā of Magadhamāgadho Ajātasattuajātasattu son of the princess of Videhavedehiputto Rājagaharājagahaṁ was having fortifiedpaṭisaṅkhārāpeti of the kingrañño Pajjotapajjotassa being suspiciousāsaṅkamāno.

Now at that time King Ajātasattu of Magadha, son of the princess of Videha, being suspicious of King Pajjota, was having Rājagaha fortified.

thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Ānandaānando in the morningpubbaṇhasamayaṁ having robed upnivāsetvā taking bowl and robepattacīvaramādāya Rājagaharājagahaṁ for almspiṇḍāya he enteredpāvisi.
thenAtha indeedkho to the venerableāyasmato to Ānandaānandassa this occurredetadahosi:
too early“atippago indeedkho yettāva in Rājagaharājagahe for almspiṇḍāya to wandercarituṁ.
why IYannūnāhaṁ whereyena of the Guardian Moggallānagopakamoggallānassa of the brahminbrāhmaṇassa place of workkammanto, whereyena the Guardian Moggallānagopakamoggallāno brahminbrāhmaṇo there I should approachtenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.

Then Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms. Then it occurred to him, “It’s too early to wander for alms in Rājagaha. Why don’t I go to see the brahmin Moggallāna the Guardian at his place of work?”

thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Ānandaānando whereyena of Gopaka Moggallānagopakamoggallānassa of the brahminbrāhmaṇassa workshopkammanto, whereyena Gopaka Moggallānagopakamoggallāno the brahminbrāhmaṇo approached him theretenupasaṅkami.
sawAddasā indeedkho Gopaka Moggallānagopakamoggallāno the brahminbrāhmaṇo venerableāyasmantaṁ Ānandaānandaṁ from afardūratova comingāgacchantaṁ.
having seenDisvāna venerableāyasmantaṁ Ānandaānandaṁ said thisetadavoca:
let him come“etu indeedkho worthybhavaṁ Ānandaānando.
welcomeSvāgataṁ of the worthy onebhoto of Ānandaānandassa.
for a long timeCirassaṁ indeedkho worthybhavaṁ Ānandaānando thisimaṁ made the opportunitypariyāyamakāsi that is to sayyadidaṁ for coming hereidhāgamanāya.
let him sit downNisīdatu worthybhavaṁ Ānandaānando, this seatidamāsanaṁ is readypaññattan”ti.
sat downNisīdi indeedkho venerableāyasmā Ānandaānando on the prepared seatpaññatte on the seatāsane.
Gopaka Moggallāna tooGopakamoggallānopi indeedkho the brahminbrāhmaṇo a certainaññataraṁ lownīcaṁ seatāsanaṁ having takengahetvā to one sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdi.
to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho Gopaka Moggallānagopakamoggallāno the brahminbrāhmaṇo venerableāyasmantaṁ Ānandaānandaṁ said thisetadavoca:

So that’s what he did. Moggallāna the Guardian saw Ānanda coming off in the distance and said to him, “Come, worthy Ānanda! Welcome, worthy Ānanda! It’s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here. Please, sir, sit down, here, a seat is ready.” Ānanda sat down on the seat spread out, while Moggallāna took a low seat and sat to one side. Then he said to Ānanda,

there is“atthi indeednu indeedkho, worthybho Ānandaānanda, even one monkekabhikkhupi with thesetehi qualitiesdhammehi in every waysabbenasabbaṁ in every respectsabbathāsabbaṁ endowedsamannāgato with whichyehi qualitiesdhammehi endowedsamannāgato thatso worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo wasahosi perfected onearahaṁ fully awakened Buddha”, end quotesammāsambuddho”ti?
there is not“Natthi indeedkho, brahminbrāhmaṇa, even one monkekabhikkhupi with thesetehi qualitiesdhammehi in every waysabbenasabbaṁ in every respectsabbathāsabbaṁ endowedsamannāgato with whichyehi qualitiesdhammehi endowedsamannāgato thatso Blessed Onebhagavā wasahosi perfected onearahaṁ fully awakened Buddhasammāsambuddho.
HeSo forhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, Blessed Onebhagavā of the unarisenanuppannassa of the pathmaggassa produceruppādetā, of the unbornasañjātassa of the pathmaggassa generatorsañjanetā, of the unexplainedanakkhātassa of the pathmaggassa explainerakkhātā, knower of the pathmaggaññū, discoverer of the pathmaggavidū, expert on the pathmaggakovido;
following the pathmaggānugā andca nowpana at presentetarahi disciplessāvakā liveviharanti afterwardspacchā endowed”, end quotesamannāgatā”ti.

“Worthy Ānanda, is there even a single mendicant who has all the same qualities in each and every way as possessed by the worthy Gotama, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha?” “No, brahmin, there is not. For the Blessed One gave rise to the unarisen path, gave birth to the unborn path, and explained the unexplained path. He is the knower of the path, the discoverer of the path, the expert on the path. And now the disciples live following the path; they acquire it later.”

and thisAyañca herehidaṁ of the venerableāyasmato Ānandaānandassa with Moggallāna the Guardiangopakamoggallānena with the brahminbrāhmaṇena together withsaddhiṁ conversationantarākathā left unfinishedvippakatā wasahosi.
thenAtha indeedkho Vassakāravassakāro brahminbrāhmaṇo chief minister of Magadhamagadhamahāmatto at Rājagaharājagahe the workkammante while supervisinganusaññāyamāno whereyena of Moggallāna the Guardiangopakamoggallānassa of the brahminbrāhmaṇassa the place of workkammanto, where the venerableyenāyasmā Ānandaānando there he approachedtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā with the venerableāyasmatā Ānandaānandena together withsaddhiṁ he exchanged greetingssammodi.
greetingSammodanīyaṁ conversationkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ having exchangedvītisāretvā to one sideekamantaṁ he sat downnisīdi. to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho Vassakāravassakāro brahminbrāhmaṇo chief minister of Magadhamagadhamahāmatto to the venerableāyasmantaṁ Ānandaānandaṁ said thisetadavoca:
what“kāya now herenuttha, worthybho Ānandaānanda, nowetarahi with a talkkathāya sitting togethersannisinnā, whatkā andca thenpana of youvo conversationantarākathā left unfinishedvippakatā”ti?
here“Idha to memaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, Moggallāna the Guardiangopakamoggallāno brahminbrāhmaṇo said thusevamāha:
there is‘atthi indeednu indeedkho, worthybho Ānandaānanda, even one bhikkhuekabhikkhupi with those qualitiestehi with qualitiesdhammehi fully and completelysabbenasabbaṁ in every waysabbathāsabbaṁ endowedsamannāgato with whichyehi qualitiesdhammehi endowedsamannāgato heso blessedbhavaṁ Gotamagotamo wasahosi Arahantarahaṁ Perfectly Enlightened Onesammāsambuddho’ti.
thusEvaṁ when this was saidvutte, Iahaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, Moggallāna the Guardiangopakamoggallānaṁ brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ said thisetadavocaṁ:

But this conversation between Ānanda and Moggallāna the Guardian was left unfinished. For just then the brahmin Vassakāra, a chief minister of Magadha, while supervising the work at Rājagaha, approached Ānanda at Moggallāna’s place of work and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Ānanda, “Worthy Ānanda, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?” So Ānanda told him of the conversation that they were having when Vassakāra arrived. Vassakāra said:

there is not‘natthi indeedkho, brahminbrāhmaṇa, even one bhikkhuekabhikkhupi with thosetehi qualitiesdhammehi in every way allsabbenasabbaṁ in every manner allsabbathāsabbaṁ endowedsamannāgato with whichyehi qualitiesdhammehi endowedsamannāgato heso the Blessed Onebhagavā wasahosi worthyarahaṁ perfectly awakenedsammāsambuddho.
HeSo indeedhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, the Blessed Onebhagavā un-arisenanuppannassa of the pathmaggassa one who arousesuppādetā, un-producedasañjātassa of the pathmaggassa one who producessañjanetā, un-declaredanakkhātassa of the pathmaggassa one who declaresakkhātā, knower of the pathmaggaññū, discoverer of the pathmaggavidū, skilled in the pathmaggakovido;
followers of the pathmaggānugā andca thenpana nowetarahi disciplessāvakā dwellviharanti afterwardspacchā endowedsamannāgatā’ti.
thisAyaṁ indeedkho ourno, brahminbrāhmaṇa, with Gopaka Moggallānagopakamoggallānena brahminbrāhmaṇena togethersaddhiṁ intervening conversationantarākathā left unfinishedvippakatā.
thenAtha youtvaṁ arrivedanuppatto”ti.

There is not, brahmin, even one bhikkhu endowed in every way all and in every manner all with those qualities with which the Blessed One was endowed, the worthy one, the perfectly awakened one. For he, brahmin, the Blessed One, is the one who arouses the un-arisen path, the one who produces the un-produced path, the one who declares the un-declared path, the knower of the path, the discoverer of the path, the one skilled in the path; and now the disciples dwell as followers of the path, endowed with it afterwards. This, brahmin, was the intervening conversation left unfinished with the brahmin Gopaka Moggallāna. Then you arrived.

there is“Atthi nownu indeedkho, worthybho Ānandaānanda, even a single mendicantekabhikkhupi by thattena by the worthybhotā Gotamagotamena was appointedṭhapito:
this one‘ayaṁ yourvo after my passingmamaccayena refugepaṭisaraṇaṁ will bebhavissatī’ti, thatyaṁ youtumhe nowetarahi would turn topaṭipādeyyāthā”ti?
there is not“Natthi indeedkho, brahminbrāhmaṇa, even a single mendicantekabhikkhupi by thattena by the Blessed Onebhagavatā who knowsjānatā who seespassatā the Arahantarahatā the Fully Enlightened Onesammāsambuddhena was appointedṭhapito:
this one‘ayaṁ yourvo after my passingmamaccayena refugepaṭisaraṇaṁ will bebhavissatī’ti, thatyaṁ wemayaṁ nowetarahi would turn topaṭipādeyyāmā”ti.

“Worthy Ānanda, is there even a single mendicant who was appointed by the worthy Gotama, saying: ‘This one will be your refuge when I have passed away,’ to whom you would now turn?” “No, there is not.”

there is“Atthi butpana, sirbho Ānandaānanda, even a single mendicantekabhikkhupi by the Saṅghasaṅghena electedsammato, by severalsambahulehi seniortherehi mendicantsbhikkhūhi appointedṭhapito:
this‘ayaṁ ourno of the Blessed Onebhagavato after the passingaccayena refugepaṭisaraṇaṁ will bebhavissatī’ti, whomyaṁ youtumhe nowetarahi would followpaṭipādeyyāthā”ti?
there is not“Natthi indeedkho, brahminbrāhmaṇa, even a single mendicantekabhikkhupi by the Saṅghasaṅghena electedsammato, by severalsambahulehi seniortherehi mendicantsbhikkhūhi appointedṭhapito:
this‘ayaṁ ourno of the Blessed Onebhagavato after the passingaccayena refugepaṭisaraṇaṁ will bebhavissatī’ti, whomyaṁ wemayaṁ nowetarahi would followpaṭipādeyyāmā”ti.

“But is there even a single mendicant who has been elected to such a position by the Saṅgha and appointed by several senior mendicants?” “No, there is not.”

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