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Majjhima Nikāya 132

Ānandabhaddekarattasutta

Ānanda and One Fine Night · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ānando upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca bhāsati.
Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenupaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.
Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“ko nu kho, bhikkhave, upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti?
“Āyasmā, bhante, ānando upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:
“yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti?

Now at that time Venerable Ānanda was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk on the topic of the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night. Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat, went to the assembly hall, where he sat down on the seat spread out, and addressed the mendicants: “Who was inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night?” “It was Venerable Ānanda, sir.” Then the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda, “But in what way were you inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night?”

“Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesiṁ samādapesiṁ samuttejesiṁ sampahaṁsesiṁ, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsiṁ—
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.

“I was doing so in this way, sir,” replied Ānanda. “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, āvuso, atītaṁ anvāgameti?
Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, atītaṁ anvāgameti.

And how do you run back to the past? …

Kathañca, āvuso, atītaṁ nānvāgameti?
Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.

And how do you not run back to the past? …

Kathañca, āvuso, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati?
Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe…
evaṁsañño siyaṁ …
evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ …
evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati.

And how do you anticipate the future? …

Kathañca, āvuso, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati?
Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe…
evaṁsañño siyaṁ …
evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ …
evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.

And how do you not anticipate the future? …

Kathañca, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati?
Idha, āvuso, 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 …
saññaṁ …
saṅkhāre …
viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—
evaṁ kho, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati.

And how do you falter amid presently arisen phenomena? …

Kathañca, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati?
Idha, āvuso, 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, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.

And how do you not falter amid presently arisen phenomena? … 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 munī’ti.

‘Don’t run back to the past, don’t anticipate the future. … that’s who has one fine night— so declares the peaceful sage.’

Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesiṁ samādapesiṁ samuttejesiṁ sampahaṁsesiṁ, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsin”ti.
“Sādhu sādhu, ānanda.
Sādhu kho tvaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsi:

That’s how I was inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.” “Good, good, Ānanda. It’s good that you were inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.”

‘Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
…pe…
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
santo ācikkhate munī’ti.

One should not return to the past; … the peaceful one, the sage, proclaims that as an ideal lover of solitude.

Kathañca, ānanda, atītaṁ anvāgameti …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, atītaṁ anvāgameti.
Kathañca, ānanda, atītaṁ nānvāgameti …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.
Kathañca, ānanda, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati.
Kathañca, ānanda, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.
Kathañca, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati.
Kathañca, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati …pe…
evaṁ kho, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.
‘Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,
…pe…
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
santo ācikkhate munī’”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamano āyasmā ānando bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Ānandabhaddekarattasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.

And the Buddha repeated the verses and analysis once more. That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Ānanda approved what the Buddha said.

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