Cūḷasīhanādasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 11

The Shorter Discourse on the Lion’s Roar · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Dvemā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyo—
bhavadiṭṭhi ca vibhavadiṭṭhi ca.
Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā bhavadiṭṭhiṁ allīnā bhavadiṭṭhiṁ upagatā bhavadiṭṭhiṁ ajjhositā, vibhavadiṭṭhiyā te paṭiviruddhā.
Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā vibhavadiṭṭhiṁ allīnā vibhavadiṭṭhiṁ upagatā vibhavadiṭṭhiṁ ajjhositā, bhavadiṭṭhiyā te paṭiviruddhā.

Mendicants, there are these two views: views favoring existence and views favoring nonexistence. Any ascetics or brahmins who resort to, draw near to, and cling to a view favoring existence will oppose a view favoring nonexistence. Any ascetics or brahmins who resort to, draw near to, and cling to a view favoring nonexistence will oppose a view favoring existence.

Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, te sarāgā te sadosā te samohā te sataṇhā te saupādānā te aviddasuno te anuruddhappaṭiviruddhā te papañcārāmā papañcaratino;
te na parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi;
‘na parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

There are some ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand these two views’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. They’re greedy, hateful, delusional, craving, grasping, and ignorant. They favor and oppose, and they enjoy proliferation. They’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not freed from suffering, I say.

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ dvinnaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, te vītarāgā te vītadosā te vītamohā te vītataṇhā te anupādānā te viddasuno te ananuruddhaappaṭiviruddhā te nippapañcārāmā nippapañcaratino;
te parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi;
‘parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

There are some ascetics and brahmins who do truly understand these two views’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. They’re rid of greed, hate, delusion, craving, grasping, and ignorance. They don’t favor and oppose, and they enjoy non-proliferation. They’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re freed from suffering, I say.

Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, upādānāni.
Katamāni cattāri?
Kāmupādānaṁ, diṭṭhupādānaṁ, sīlabbatupādānaṁ, attavādupādānaṁ.

There are these four kinds of grasping. What four? Grasping at sensual pleasures, views, precepts and observances, and theories of a self.

There are some ascetics and brahmins who claim to propound the complete understanding of all kinds of grasping. But they don’t correctly describe the complete understanding of all kinds of grasping. They describe the complete understanding of grasping at sensual pleasures, but not views, precepts and observances, and theories of a self. Why is that? Because those gentlemen don’t truly understand these three things. That’s why they claim to propound the complete understanding of all kinds of grasping, but they don’t really.

There are some other ascetics and brahmins who claim to propound the complete understanding of all kinds of grasping, but they don’t really. They describe the complete understanding of grasping at sensual pleasures and views, but not precepts and observances, and theories of a self. Why is that? Because those gentlemen don’t truly understand these two things. That’s why they claim to propound the complete understanding of all kinds of grasping, but they don’t really.

There are some other ascetics and brahmins who claim to propound the complete understanding of all kinds of grasping, but they don’t really. They describe the complete understanding of grasping at sensual pleasures, views, and precepts and observances, but not theories of a self. Why is that? Because those gentlemen don’t truly understand this one thing. That’s why they claim to propound the complete understanding of all kinds of grasping, but they don’t really.

Evarūpe kho, bhikkhave, dhammavinaye yo satthari pasādo so na sammaggato akkhāyati;
yo dhamme pasādo so na sammaggato akkhāyati;
yā sīlesu paripūrakāritā sā na sammaggatā akkhāyati;
yā sahadhammikesu piyamanāpatā sā na sammaggatā akkhāyati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti yathā taṁ durakkhāte dhammavinaye duppavedite aniyyānike anupasamasaṁvattanike asammāsambuddhappavedite.

In such a teaching and training, confidence in the Teacher is said to be not rightly placed. Likewise, confidence in the teaching, fulfillment of the precepts, and love and affection for those sharing the same path are said to be not rightly placed. Why is that? It’s because that teaching and training is poorly explained and poorly propounded, not emancipating, not leading to peace, proclaimed by someone who is not a fully awakened Buddha.

Tathāgato ca kho, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho sabbupādānapariññāvādo paṭijānamāno sammā sabbupādānapariññaṁ paññapeti—
kāmupādānassa pariññaṁ paññapeti, diṭṭhupādānassa pariññaṁ paññapeti, sīlabbatupādānassa pariññaṁ paññapeti, attavādupādānassa pariññaṁ paññapeti.

The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha claims to propound the complete understanding of all kinds of grasping. He describes the complete understanding of grasping at sensual pleasures, views, precepts and observances, and theories of a self.

Evarūpe kho, bhikkhave, dhammavinaye yo satthari pasādo so sammaggato akkhāyati;
yo dhamme pasādo so sammaggato akkhāyati;
yā sīlesu paripūrakāritā sā sammaggatā akkhāyati;
yā sahadhammikesu piyamanāpatā sā sammaggatā akkhāyati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti yathā taṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye suppavedite niyyānike upasamasaṁvattanike sammāsambuddhappavedite.

In such a teaching and training, confidence in the Teacher is said to be rightly placed. Likewise, confidence in the teaching, fulfillment of the precepts, and love and affection for those sharing the same path are said to be rightly placed. Why is that? It’s because that teaching and training is well explained and well propounded, emancipating, leading to peace, proclaimed by a fully awakened Buddha.

Ime ca, bhikkhave, cattāro upādānā. Kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?
Ime cattāro upādānā taṇhānidānā taṇhāsamudayā taṇhājātikā taṇhāpabhavā.
Taṇhā cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?
Taṇhā vedanānidānā vedanāsamudayā vedanājātikā vedanāpabhavā.
Vedanā cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?
Vedanā phassanidānā phassasamudayā phassajātikā phassapabhavā.
Phasso cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidāno kiṁsamudayo kiṁjātiko kiṁpabhavo?
Phasso saḷāyatananidāno saḷāyatanasamudayo saḷāyatanajātiko saḷāyatanapabhavo.
Saḷāyatanañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātikaṁ kiṁpabhavaṁ?
Saḷāyatanaṁ nāmarūpanidānaṁ nāmarūpasamudayaṁ nāmarūpajātikaṁ nāmarūpapabhavaṁ.
Nāmarūpañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātikaṁ kiṁpabhavaṁ?
Nāmarūpaṁ viññāṇanidānaṁ viññāṇasamudayaṁ viññāṇajātikaṁ viññāṇapabhavaṁ.
Viññāṇañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātikaṁ kiṁpabhavaṁ?
Viññāṇaṁ saṅkhāranidānaṁ saṅkhārasamudayaṁ saṅkhārajātikaṁ saṅkhārapabhavaṁ.
Saṅkhārā cime, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?
Saṅkhārā avijjānidānā avijjāsamudayā avijjājātikā avijjāpabhavā.

What is the source, origin, birthplace, and inception of these four kinds of grasping? Craving. And what is the source, origin, birthplace, and inception of craving? Feeling. And what is the source of feeling? Contact. And what is the source of contact? The six sense fields. And what is the source of the six sense fields? Name and form. And what is the source of name and form? Consciousness. And what is the source of consciousness? Choices. And what is the source of choices? Ignorance.

Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno avijjā pahīnā hoti vijjā uppannā, so avijjāvirāgā vijjuppādā neva kāmupādānaṁ upādiyati, na diṭṭhupādānaṁ upādiyati, na sīlabbatupādānaṁ upādiyati, na attavādupādānaṁ upādiyati.
Anupādiyaṁ na paritassati, aparitassaṁ paccattaññeva parinibbāyati.
‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Cūḷasīhanādasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.

When that mendicant has given up ignorance and given rise to knowledge, with the fading away of ignorance and the arising of knowledge they don’t grasp at sensual pleasures, views, precepts and observances, or theories of a self. Not grasping, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished. They 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.’” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

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