Mahāsīhanādasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 12

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

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā near Vesālīvesāliyaṁ dwellsviharati outside the citybahinagare west of the townaparapure in a woodland grovevanasaṇḍe.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying outside the city of Vesālī in a woodland grove west of the town.

at thatTena indeedkho nowpana timesamayena Sunakkhattasunakkhatto the Licchavilicchaviputto recently departedacirapakkanto washoti from thisimasmā teaching and trainingdhammavinayā.
heSo in Vesālīvesāliyaṁ in an assemblyparisati thusevaṁ speechvācaṁ speaksbhāsati:
there is not“natthi of the asceticsamaṇassa Gotamagotamassa beyonduttari the human normmanussadhammā distinction in noble knowledge and visionalamariyañāṇadassanaviseso.
hammered out by logicTakkapariyāhataṁ the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo the teachingdhammaṁ teachesdeseti following inquiryvīmaṁsānucaritaṁ his own inventionsayampaṭibhānaṁ.
for whichYassa andca indeed of hiskhvāssa purposeatthāya the teachingdhammo taughtdesito itso leads outniyyāti for one who practices ittakkarassa rightlysammā to the ending of suffering (quote)dukkhakkhayāyā”ti.

Now at that time Sunakkhatta the Licchavi had recently left this teaching and training. He was telling a crowd in Vesālī: “The ascetic Gotama has no superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones. He teaches what he’s worked out by logic, following a line of inquiry, expressing his own perspective. Regardless of his goal in teaching the Dhamma, it delivers one who applies it to the complete ending of suffering.”

thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto in the morningpubbaṇhasamayaṁ having dressednivāsetvā taking bowl and robepattacīvaramādāya Vesālīvesāliṁ for almspiṇḍāya enteredpāvisi.
heardAssosi indeedkho venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto of Sunakkhattasunakkhattassa the Licchavilicchaviputtassa in Vesālīvesāliyaṁ in an assemblyparisati thusevaṁ speechvācaṁ as he was speakingbhāsamānassa:
there is not“natthi of the asceticsamaṇassa Gotamagotamassa beyonduttari the human normmanussadhammā distinction in noble knowledge and visionalamariyañāṇadassanaviseso.
hammered out by logicTakkapariyāhataṁ the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo the teachingdhammaṁ teachesdeseti following inquiryvīmaṁsānucaritaṁ his own inventionsayampaṭibhānaṁ.
for whichYassa andca indeed of hiskhvāssa purposeatthāya the teachingdhammo taughtdesito itso leads outniyyāti for one who practices ittakkarassa rightlysammā to the ending of suffering (quote)dukkhakkhayāyā”ti.
thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto in Vesālīvesāliyaṁ for almspiṇḍāya having wanderedcaritvā after the mealpacchābhattaṁ returned from almsroundpiṇḍapātapaṭikkanto whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā there he approachedtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ having bowed toabhivādetvā to one sideekamantaṁ he sat downnisīdi. to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:
Sunakkhatta“sunakkhatto, venerable sirbhante, the Licchavilicchaviputto recently departedacirapakkanto from thisimasmā teaching and trainingdhammavinayā.
heSo in Vesālīvesāliyaṁ in an assemblyparisati thusevaṁ speechvācaṁ speaksbhāsati:
there is not‘natthi of the asceticsamaṇassa Gotamagotamassa beyonduttari the human normmanussadhammā distinction in noble knowledge and visionalamariyañāṇadassanaviseso.
hammered out by logicTakkapariyāhataṁ the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo the teachingdhammaṁ teachesdeseti following inquiryvīmaṁsānucaritaṁ his own inventionsayampaṭibhānaṁ.
for whichYassa andca indeed of hiskhvāssa purposeatthāya the teachingdhammo taughtdesito itso leads outniyyāti for one who practices ittakkarassa rightlysammā to the ending of suffering (quote)dukkhakkhayāyā’”ti.

Then Venerable Sāriputta robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Vesālī for alms. He heard what Sunakkhatta was saying. Then he wandered for alms in Vesālī. After the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

angry“Kodhano indeed thisheso, Sāriputtasāriputta, Sunakkhattasunakkhatto the futile manmoghapuriso.
out of angerKodhā andca moreover hispanassa thisesā speechvācā was spokenbhāsitā.
criticism‘Avaṇṇaṁ I will speak (quote)bhāsissāmī’ti indeedkho, Sāriputtasāriputta, Sunakkhattasunakkhatto the futile manmoghapuriso only praisevaṇṇaṁyeva of the Realized Onetathāgatassa speaksbhāsati.
praiseVaṇṇo indeed thisheso, Sāriputtasāriputta, of the Realized Onetathāgatassa whoyo thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
for which‘yassa andca indeed of hiskhvāssa purposeatthāya the teachingdhammo taughtdesito itso leads outniyyāti for one who practices ittakkarassa rightlysammā to the ending of suffering (quote)dukkhakkhayāyā’ti.

“Sāriputta, Sunakkhatta, that futile man, is angry. His words are spoken out of anger. Thinking he criticizes the Realized One, in fact he just praises him. For it is praise of the Realized One to say: ‘Regardless of his goal in teaching the Dhamma, it delivers one who applies it to the complete ending of suffering.’

But there’s no way Sunakkhatta will infer about me from the teaching: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’

And there’s no way Sunakkhatta will infer about me from the teaching: ‘That Blessed One wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying himself 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; controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity.’

And there’s no way Sunakkhatta will infer about me from the teaching: ‘That Blessed One, with clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, hears both kinds of sounds, human and heavenly, whether near or far.’

And there’s no way Sunakkhatta will infer about me from the teaching: ‘That Blessed One understands the minds of other beings and individuals, having encompassed them with his own mind. He understands mind with greed as “mind with greed,” and mind without greed as “mind without greed.” He understands mind with hate … mind without hate … mind with delusion … mind without delusion … constricted mind … scattered mind … expansive mind … unexpansive mind … mind that is supreme … mind that is not supreme … mind immersed in samādhi … mind not immersed in samādhi … freed mind as “freed mind,” and unfreed mind as “unfreed mind.”’

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