Mahākammavibhaṅgasutta

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Majjhima Nikāya 136

Mahākammavibhaṅgasutta

The Longer Analysis of Deeds · 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 āyasmā samiddhi araññakuṭikāyaṁ viharati.
Atha kho potaliputto paribbājako jaṅghāvihāraṁ anucaṅkamamāno anuvicaramāno yenāyasmā samiddhi tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā samiddhinā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho potaliputto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ etadavoca:
“sammukhā metaṁ, āvuso samiddhi, samaṇassa gotamassa sutaṁ, sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ:
‘moghaṁ kāyakammaṁ moghaṁ vacīkammaṁ, manokammameva saccan’ti.
Atthi ca sā samāpatti yaṁ samāpattiṁ samāpanno na kiñci vediyatī”ti?
“Mā hevaṁ, āvuso potaliputta, avaca; mā hevaṁ, āvuso potaliputta, avaca; mā bhagavantaṁ abbhācikkhi. Na hi sādhu bhagavato abbhakkhānaṁ. Na hi bhagavā evaṁ vadeyya:
‘moghaṁ kāyakammaṁ moghaṁ vacīkammaṁ, manokammameva saccan’ti.

Now at that time Venerable Samiddhi was staying in a wilderness hut. Then as the wanderer Potaliputta was going for a walk he came up to Venerable Samiddhi and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to him: “Reverend Samiddhi, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the ascetic Gotama: ‘Deeds by way of body and speech are done in vain. Only mental deeds are real.’ And: ‘There is such an attainment where the one who enters it does not feel anything at all.’” “Don’t say that, Reverend Potaliputta, don’t say that! Don’t misrepresent the Buddha, for misrepresentation of the Buddha is not good. And the Buddha would not say this: ‘Deeds by way of body and speech are done in vain. Only mental deeds are real.’

‘Atthi ca kho sā, āvuso, samāpatti yaṁ samāpattiṁ samāpanno na kiñci vediyatī’”ti.
“Kīvaciraṁ pabbajitosi, āvuso samiddhī”ti?
“Na ciraṁ, āvuso, tīṇi vassānī”ti.
“Ettha dāni mayaṁ there bhikkhū kiṁ vakkhāma, yatra hi nāma evaṁnavo bhikkhu satthāraṁ parirakkhitabbaṁ maññissati.
Sañcetanikaṁ, āvuso samiddhi, kammaṁ katvā kāyena vācāya manasā kiṁ so vediyatī”ti?
“Sañcetanikaṁ, āvuso potaliputta, kammaṁ katvā kāyena vācāya manasā dukkhaṁ so vediyatī”ti.
Atha kho potaliputto paribbājako āyasmato samiddhissa bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi;
anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.

But, reverend, there is such an attainment where the one who enters it does not feel anything at all.” “Reverend Samiddhi, how long has it been since you went forth?” “Not long, reverend: three years.” “Well now, what are we to say to the senior mendicants, when even such a junior mendicant imagines their Teacher needs defending? After doing an intentional deed by way of body, speech, or mind, reverend, what does one feel?” “After doing an intentional deed by way of body, speech, or mind, reverend, one feels suffering.” Then, neither approving nor rejecting Samiddhi’s statement, Potaliputta rose from his seat and left.

Atha kho āyasmā samiddhi acirapakkante potaliputte paribbājake yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā samiddhi yāvatako ahosi potaliputtena paribbājakena saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ āyasmato ānandassa ārocesi.
Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ samiddhiṁ etadavoca:
“atthi kho idaṁ, āvuso samiddhi, kathāpābhataṁ bhagavantaṁ dassanāya.
Āyāmāvuso samiddhi, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ bhagavato ārocessāma.
Yathā no bhagavā byākarissati tathā naṁ dhāressāmā”ti.
“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā samiddhi āyasmato ānandassa paccassosi.

Soon after he had left, Venerable Samiddhi went to Venerable Ānanda, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and informed Ānanda of all they had discussed. When he had spoken, Ānanda said to him, “Reverend Samiddhi, we should see the Buddha about this matter. Come, let’s go to the Buddha and inform him about this. As he answers, so we’ll remember it.” “Yes, reverend,” Samiddhi replied.

Atha kho āyasmā ca ānando āyasmā ca samiddhi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando yāvatako ahosi āyasmato samiddhissa potaliputtena paribbājakena saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesi.

Then Ānanda and Samiddhi went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:
“dassanampi kho ahaṁ, ānanda, potaliputtassa paribbājakassa nābhijānāmi, kuto panevarūpaṁ kathāsallāpaṁ?
Iminā ca, ānanda, samiddhinā moghapurisena potaliputtassa paribbājakassa vibhajjabyākaraṇīyo pañho ekaṁsena byākato”ti.

When they had spoken, the Buddha said to Ānanda, “I don’t recall even seeing the wanderer Potaliputta, Ānanda, so how could we have had such a discussion? The wanderer Potaliputta’s question should have been answered after analyzing it, but this futile man answered categorically.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā udāyī bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“sace pana, bhante, āyasmatā samiddhinā idaṁ sandhāya bhāsitaṁ—
yaṁ kiñci vedayitaṁ taṁ dukkhasmin”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:
“passasi no tvaṁ, ānanda, imassa udāyissa moghapurisassa ummaṅgaṁ?
Aññāsiṁ kho ahaṁ, ānanda:
‘idānevāyaṁ udāyī moghapuriso ummujjamāno ayoniso ummujjissatī’ti.
Ādiṁyeva, ānanda, potaliputtena paribbājakena tisso vedanā pucchitā.
Sacāyaṁ, ānanda, samiddhi moghapuriso potaliputtassa paribbājakassa evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākareyya:
‘sañcetanikaṁ, āvuso potaliputta, kammaṁ katvā kāyena vācāya manasā sukhavedanīyaṁ sukhaṁ so vedayati;
sañcetanikaṁ, āvuso potaliputta, kammaṁ katvā kāyena vācāya manasā dukkhavedanīyaṁ dukkhaṁ so vedayati;
sañcetanikaṁ, āvuso potaliputta, kammaṁ katvā kāyena vācāya manasā adukkhamasukhavedanīyaṁ adukkhamasukhaṁ so vedayatī’ti.

When he said this, Venerable Udāyī said to him, “But perhaps, sir, Venerable Samiddhi spoke in reference to the statement: ‘Suffering includes whatever is felt.’” But the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda, “See what this futile man Udāyī comes up with? I knew that he was coming up with something irrational. Right from the start Potaliputta asked about the three feelings. Suppose the futile man Samiddhi had answered the wanderer Potaliputta’s question like this: ‘After doing an intentional deed to be experienced as pleasant by way of body, speech, or mind, one feels pleasure. After doing an intentional deed to be experienced as painful by way of body, speech, or mind, one feels pain. After doing an intentional deed to be experienced as neutral by way of body, speech, or mind, one feels neutral.’

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