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Majjhima Nikāya 131

Bhaddekarattasutta

One Fine Night · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa in the monasteryārāme.
thereTatra indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
mendicants“bhikkhavo”ti.
venerable sir“Bhadante”ti thosete mendicantsbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

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:

of one who has one fine night“bhaddekarattassa to youvo, monksbhikkhave, and the summary recitaluddesañca and the analysisvibhaṅgañca I shall teachdesessāmi.
thatTaṁ listensuṇātha, wellsādhukaṁ in the mindmanasi applykarotha, I will speakbhāsissāmī”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, sirbhante”ti indeedkho thosete monksbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

“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:

past“Atītaṁ one should not run back tonānvāgameyya,
one should not anticipatenappaṭikaṅkhe futureanāgataṁ;
what is pastYadatītaṁ left behindpahīnaṁ thattaṁ,
and not arrivedappattañca futureanāgataṁ.
and presentPaccuppannañca whoyo phenomenondhammaṁ,
thereTattha theretattha clearly discernsvipassati;
unfalteringAsaṁhīraṁ unshakableasaṅkuppaṁ,
thatTaṁ having knownvidvā one should fostermanubrūhaye.
today indeedAjjeva work with ardorkiccamātappaṁ,
whoko would knowjaññā deathmaraṇaṁ tomorrowsuve;
notNa indeedhi for usno bargainsaṅgaraṁ (with) himtena,
(with) the mighty hordemahāsenena (with) Deathmaccunā.
one dwelling thusEvaṁvihāriṁ ardentātāpiṁ,
tireless night and dayahorattamatanditaṁ;
that oneTaṁ indeedve one fine nightbhaddekarattoti,
peacefulsanto declaresācikkhate sagemuni.

“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.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, the pastatītaṁ you run back toanvāgameti?
such form‘Evaṁrūpo I hadahosiṁ in the pastatītamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ you mustersamanvāneti, such feeling‘evaṁvedano I hadahosiṁ in the pastatītamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ you mustersamanvāneti, such perception‘evaṁsañño I hadahosiṁ in the pastatītamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ you mustersamanvāneti, such choice‘evaṁsaṅkhāro I hadahosiṁ in the pastatītamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ you mustersamanvāneti, such consciousness‘evaṁviññāṇo I hadahosiṁ in the pastatītamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ you mustersamanvāneti—
thusevaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, the pastatītaṁ you run back toanvāgameti.

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.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, the pastatītaṁ does not run back tonānvāgameti?
of such form‘Evaṁrūpo I wasahosiṁ in the pastatītamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ notna musterssamanvāneti, of such feeling‘evaṁvedano I wasahosiṁ in the pastatītamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ notna musterssamanvāneti, of such perception‘evaṁsañño I wasahosiṁ in the pastatītamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ notna musterssamanvāneti, of such choice‘evaṁsaṅkhāro I wasahosiṁ in the pastatītamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ notna musterssamanvāneti, of such consciousness‘evaṁviññāṇo I wasahosiṁ in the pastatītamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ notna musterssamanvāneti—
thusevaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, the pastatītaṁ does not run back tonānvāgameti.

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.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, the futureanāgataṁ you anticipatepaṭikaṅkhati?
of such form‘Evaṁrūpo may I besiyaṁ in the futureanāgatamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ you mustersamanvāneti, of such feelingevaṁvedano may I besiyaṁ … feeling … perception … choice … consciousness ……pe… of such perceptionevaṁsañño may I besiyaṁ …… of such choicesevaṁsaṅkhāro may I besiyaṁ …… of such consciousnessevaṁviññāṇo may I besiyaṁ in the futureanāgatamaddhānanti theretattha delightnandiṁ you mustersamanvāneti—
thusevaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, the futureanāgataṁ you anticipatepaṭikaṅkhati.

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.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, the futureanāgataṁ does not anticipatenappaṭikaṅkhati?
such form‘Evaṁrūpo may I besiyaṁ in the futureanāgatamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ notna does not mustersamanvāneti, such feelingevaṁvedano may I besiyaṁ …… such perceptionevaṁsañño may I besiyaṁ …… such choiceevaṁsaṅkhāro may I besiyaṁ …… such consciousness‘evaṁviññāṇo may I besiyaṁ in the futureanāgatamaddhānan’ti theretattha delightnandiṁ notna does not mustersamanvāneti—
thusevaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, the futureanāgataṁ does not anticipatenappaṭikaṅkhati.

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.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, presently arisenpaccuppannesu phenomenadhammesu one falterssaṁhīrati?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, unlearnedassutavā ordinary personputhujjano of the noble onesariyānaṁ has not seenadassāvī in the teaching of the noble onesariyadhammassa unskilledakovido in the teaching of the noble onesariyadhamme untrainedavinīto of true personssappurisānaṁ has not seenadassāvī in the teaching of the true personssappurisadhammassa unskilledakovido in the teaching of the true personssappurisadhamme untrainedavinīto
formrūpaṁ as selfattato regardssamanupassati, as having formrūpavantaṁ orvā selfattānaṁ, in selfattani orvā formrūpaṁ, in formrūpasmiṁ orvā selfattānaṁ;
feelingvedanaṁ …pe……pe…
perceptionsaññaṁ ……
choicessaṅkhāre ……
consciousnessviññāṇaṁ as selfattato regardssamanupassati, as having consciousnessviññāṇavantaṁ orvā selfattānaṁ in selfattani orvā consciousnessviññāṇaṁ, in consciousnessviññāṇasmiṁ orvā selfattānaṁ—
thusevaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, presently arisenpaccuppannesu phenomenadhammesu one falterssaṁhīrati.

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.

and howKathañca, monksbhikkhave, presently arisenpaccuppannesu phenomenadhammesu notna one falterssaṁhīrati?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, learnedsutavā noble discipleariyasāvako of the noble onesariyānaṁ one who has seendassāvī of the noble teachingariyadhammassa skilledkovido in the noble teachingariyadhamme well trainedsuvinīto of true personssappurisānaṁ one who has seendassāvī of the true persons' teachingsappurisadhammassa skilledkovido in the true persons' teachingsappurisadhamme well trainedsuvinīto
notna formrūpaṁ as selfattato one regardssamanupassati, notna as having formrūpavantaṁ orvā selfattānaṁ, notna in selfattani orvā formrūpaṁ, notna in formrūpasmiṁ orvā selfattānaṁ;
notna feelingvedanaṁ ……
notna perceptionsaññaṁ ……
notna choicessaṅkhāre ……
notna consciousnessviññāṇaṁ as selfattato one regardssamanupassati, notna as having consciousnessviññāṇavantaṁ orvā selfattānaṁ, notna in selfattani orvā consciousnessviññāṇaṁ, notna in consciousnessviññāṇasmiṁ orvā selfattānaṁ—
thusevaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, presently arisenpaccuppannesu phenomenadhammesu notna one falterssaṁhīrati.

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.

the pastAtītaṁ should not run back tonānvāgameyya,
should not anticipatenappaṭikaṅkhe the futureanāgataṁ;
what is pastYadatītaṁ left behindpahīnaṁ thattaṁ,
and the not-arrivedappattañca futureanāgataṁ.
and the presentPaccuppannañca whoyo phenomenondhammaṁ,
theretattha theretattha clearly discernsvipassati;
unfalteringAsaṁhīraṁ unshakableasaṅkuppaṁ,
thattaṁ having knownvidvā should fostermanubrūhaye.
today indeedAjjeva keen workkiccamātappaṁ,
whoko would knowjaññā deathmaraṇaṁ tomorrowsuve;
notNa indeedhi for usno bargainsaṅgaraṁ with that onetena,
with the mighty-horde onemahāsenena with Deathmaccunā.
one dwelling thusEvaṁvihāriṁ keenly meditatingātāpiṁ,
tireless night and dayahorattamatanditaṁ;
that oneTaṁ indeedve has one fine nightbhaddekarattoti,
peacefulsanto declaresācikkhate sagemunīti.

‘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.’

of one fine night‘Bhaddekarattassa to youvo, monksbhikkhave, summary recital anduddesañca analysis andvibhaṅgañca I shall teachdesessāmī’ti—
thusiti whichyaṁ thattaṁ saidvuttaṁ this is thatidametaṁ with reference topaṭicca saidvuttan”ti.
this the Buddha saidIdamavoca the Blessed Onebhagavā.
satisfiedAttamanā thosete monksbhikkhū of the Buddhabhagavato speechbhāsitaṁ approvedabhinandunti.
the Discourse on the One Fine NightBhaddekarattasuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ firstpaṭhamaṁ.

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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