Dantabhūmisutta

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Majjhima Nikāya 125

The Level of the Tamed · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Tena kho pana samayena aciravato samaṇuddeso araññakuṭikāyaṁ viharati.
Atha kho jayaseno rājakumāro jaṅghāvihāraṁ anucaṅkamamāno anuvicaramāno yena aciravato samaṇuddeso tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā aciravatena samaṇuddesena saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho jayaseno rājakumāro aciravataṁ samaṇuddesaṁ etadavoca:
“Sutaṁ metaṁ, bho aggivessana:
‘idha bhikkhu appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto phuseyya cittassa ekaggatan’”ti.
“Evametaṁ, rājakumāra, evametaṁ, rājakumāra.
Idha bhikkhu appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto phuseyya cittassa ekaggatan”ti.

Now at that time the novice Aciravata was staying in a wilderness hut. Then as Prince Jayasena was going for a walk he approached Aciravata, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Aciravata, “Worthy Aggivessana, I have heard that a mendicant who meditates diligently, keenly, and resolutely can experience unification of mind.” “That’s so true, Prince! That’s so true! A mendicant who meditates diligently, keenly, and resolutely can experience unification of mind.”

“Sādhu me bhavaṁ aggivessano yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ desetū”ti.
“Na kho te ahaṁ, rājakumāra, sakkomi yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ desetuṁ.
Ahañca hi te, rājakumāra, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ, tvañca me bhāsitassa atthaṁ na ājāneyyāsi; so mamassa kilamatho, sā mamassa vihesā”ti.

“Worthy Aggivessana, please teach me the Dhamma as you have learned and memorized it.” “I’m not competent to do so, Prince. For if I were to teach you the Dhamma as I have learned and memorized it, you might not understand the meaning, which would be wearying and troublesome for me.”

“Desetu me bhavaṁ aggivessano yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ.
Appevanāmāhaṁ bhoto aggivessanassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājāneyyan”ti.
“Deseyyaṁ kho te ahaṁ, rājakumāra, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ.
Sace me tvaṁ bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājāneyyāsi, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ;
no ce me tvaṁ bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājāneyyāsi, yathāsake tiṭṭheyyāsi, na maṁ tattha uttariṁ paṭipuccheyyāsī”ti.
“Desetu me bhavaṁ aggivessano yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ.
Sace ahaṁ bhoto aggivessanassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmi, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ;
no ce ahaṁ bhoto aggivessanassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmi, yathāsake tiṭṭhissāmi, nāhaṁ tattha bhavantaṁ aggivessanaṁ uttariṁ paṭipucchissāmī”ti.

“Worthy Aggivessana, please teach me the Dhamma as you have learned and memorized it. Hopefully I will understand the meaning of what you say.” “I shall teach you. If you understand the meaning of what I say, that’s good. If not, then leave each to his own, and do not question me about it further.” “Worthy Aggivessana, please teach me the Dhamma as you have learned and memorized it. If I understand the meaning of what you say, that’s good. If not, then I will leave each to his own, and not question you about it further.”

Atha kho aciravato samaṇuddeso jayasenassa rājakumārassa yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ desesi.
Evaṁ vutte, jayaseno rājakumāro aciravataṁ samaṇuddesaṁ etadavoca:
“aṭṭhānametaṁ, bho aggivessana, anavakāso yaṁ bhikkhu appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto phuseyya cittassa ekaggatan”ti.
Atha kho jayaseno rājakumāro aciravatassa samaṇuddesassa aṭṭhānatañca anavakāsatañca pavedetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.

Then the novice Aciravata taught Prince Jayasena the Dhamma as he had learned and memorized it. When he had spoken, Jayasena said to him, “It is impossible, worthy Aggivessana, it cannot happen that a mendicant who meditates diligently, keenly, and resolutely can experience unification of mind.” Having declared that this was impossible, Jayasena rose from his seat and left.

Atha kho aciravato samaṇuddeso acirapakkante jayasene rājakumāre yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho aciravato samaṇuddeso yāvatako ahosi jayasenena rājakumārena saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesi.

Not long after he had left, Aciravata went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and informed the Buddha of all they had discussed.

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā aciravataṁ samaṇuddesaṁ etadavoca:
“‘taṁ kutettha, aggivessana, labbhā.
Yaṁ taṁ nekkhammena ñātabbaṁ nekkhammena daṭṭhabbaṁ nekkhammena pattabbaṁ nekkhammena sacchikātabbaṁ taṁ vata jayaseno rājakumāro kāmamajjhe vasanto kāme paribhuñjanto kāmavitakkehi khajjamāno kāmapariḷāhena pariḍayhamāno kāmapariyesanāya ussuko ñassati vā dakkhati vā sacchi vā karissatī’ti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

When he had spoken, the Buddha said to him, “How could it possibly be otherwise, Aggivessana? Prince Jayasena dwells in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying them, consumed by thoughts of them, burning with fever for them, and eagerly seeking more. It’s simply impossible for him to know or see or realize what can only be known, seen, and realized by renunciation.

Seyyathāpissu, aggivessana, dve hatthidammā vā assadammā vā godammā vā sudantā suvinītā, dve hatthidammā vā assadammā vā godammā vā adantā avinītā.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana,
ye te dve hatthidammā vā assadammā vā godammā vā sudantā suvinītā, api nu te dantāva dantakāraṇaṁ gaccheyyuṁ, dantāva dantabhūmiṁ sampāpuṇeyyun”ti?
“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Ye pana te dve hatthidammā vā assadammā vā godammā vā adantā avinītā, api nu te adantāva dantakāraṇaṁ gaccheyyuṁ, adantāva dantabhūmiṁ sampāpuṇeyyuṁ, seyyathāpi te dve hatthidammā vā assadammā vā godammā vā sudantā suvinītā”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

Suppose there was a pair of elephants or horse or oxen in training who were well tamed and well trained. And there was a pair who were not tamed or trained. What do you think, Aggivessana? Wouldn’t the pair that was well tamed and well trained perform the tasks of the tamed and reach the level of the tamed?” “Yes, sir.” “But would the pair that was not tamed and trained perform the tasks of the tamed and reach the level of the tamed, just like the tamed pair?” “No, sir.”

“Evameva kho, aggivessana, ‘yaṁ taṁ nekkhammena ñātabbaṁ nekkhammena daṭṭhabbaṁ nekkhammena pattabbaṁ nekkhammena sacchikātabbaṁ taṁ vata jayaseno rājakumāro kāmamajjhe vasanto kāme paribhuñjanto kāmavitakkehi khajjamāno kāmapariḷāhena pariḍayhamāno kāmapariyesanāya ussuko ñassati vā dakkhati vā sacchi vā karissatī’ti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

“In the same way, Prince Jayasena dwells in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying them, consumed by thoughts of them, burning with fever for them, and eagerly seeking more. It’s simply impossible for him to know or see or realize what can only be known, seen, and realized by renunciation.

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