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Majjhima Nikāya 131

Bhaddekarattasutta

One Fine Night · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“bhaddekarattassa vo, bhikkhave, uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desessāmi.
Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

“I shall teach you the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;
Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,
appattañca anāgataṁ.
Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,
Tattha tattha vipassati;
Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
Taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.
Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,
ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;
Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,
mahāsenena maccunā.
Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,
ahorattamatanditaṁ;
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
santo ācikkhate muni.

“Don’t run back to the past, don’t anticipate the future. What’s past is left behind, the future has not arrived; and any present phenomenon you clearly discern in every case. The unfaltering, the unshakable: having known that, foster it. Today’s the day to keenly work— who knows, tomorrow may bring death! For there is no bargain to be struck with Death and his mighty horde. One who keenly meditates like this, tireless all night and day: that’s who has one fine night— so declares the peaceful sage.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, atītaṁ anvāgameti?
‘Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atītaṁ anvāgameti.

And how do you run back to the past? You muster delight there, thinking: ‘I had such form in the past.’ … ‘I had such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the past.’ That’s how you run back to the past.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, atītaṁ nānvāgameti?
‘Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.

And how do you not run back to the past? You don’t muster delight there, thinking: ‘I had such form in the past.’ … ‘I had such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the past.’ That’s how you don’t run back to the past.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati?
‘Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe… evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati.

And how do you anticipate the future? You muster delight there, thinking: ‘May I have such form in the future.’ … ‘May I have such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the future.’ That’s how you anticipate the future.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati?
‘Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ … evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … ‘evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.

And how do you not anticipate the future? You don’t muster delight there, thinking: ‘May I have such form in the future.’ … ‘May I have such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the future.’ That’s how you don’t anticipate the future.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati?
Idha, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto
rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;
vedanaṁ …pe…
saññaṁ …
saṅkhāre …
viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati.

And how do you falter amid presently arisen phenomena? It’s when an unlearned ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons. They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. That’s how you falter amid presently arisen phenomena.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati?
Idha, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto
na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;
na vedanaṁ …
na saññaṁ …
na saṅkhāre …
na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—
evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.

And how do you not falter amid presently arisen phenomena? It’s when a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons. They don’t regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They don’t regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. That’s how you don’t falter amid presently arisen phenomena.

Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;
Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,
appattañca anāgataṁ.
Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,
tattha tattha vipassati;
Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.
Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,
ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;
Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,
mahāsenena maccunā.
Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,
ahorattamatanditaṁ;
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
santo ācikkhate munīti.

‘Don’t run back to the past, don’t anticipate the future. What’s past is left behind, the future has not arrived; and any present phenomenon you clearly discern in every case. The unfaltering, the unshakable: having known that, foster it. Today’s the day to keenly work— who knows, tomorrow may bring death! For there is no bargain to be struck with Death and his mighty horde. One who keenly meditates like this, tireless all night and day: that’s who has one fine night— so declares the peaceful sage.’

‘Bhaddekarattassa vo, bhikkhave, uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desessāmī’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Bhaddekarattasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.

And that’s what I meant when I said: ‘I shall teach you the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.’” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

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