Uddesavibhaṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 138

A Summary Recital and its Analysis · 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 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:

summary recital and analysis“uddesavibhaṅgaṁ to youvo, mendicantsbhikkhave, I will teachdesessāmi.
thatTaṁ listensuṇātha, wellsādhukaṁ mindmanasi applykarotha, I will speakbhāsissāmī”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, sir·quotation markerbhante”ti indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

“Mendicants, I shall teach you a summary recital and its analysis. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

in such a way“Tathā in such a waytathā, monksbhikkhave, a mendicantbhikkhu should examineupaparikkheyya in whatever wayyathā in whatever wayyathā while examiningupaparikkhato externallybahiddhā and for himcassa consciousnessviññāṇaṁ not·scatteredavikkhittaṁ not diffusedavisaṭaṁ, internallyajjhattaṁ not·stuckasaṇṭhitaṁ not·graspinganupādāya notna would be anxiousparitasseyya.
externallyBahiddhā, monksbhikkhave, consciousnessviññāṇe not·scatteredavikkhitte not·diffusedavisaṭe when there issati internallyajjhattaṁ not·stuckasaṇṭhite not·graspinganupādāya not·anxiousaparitassato in the futureāyatiṁ birth·old age·death·suffering·origin·coming to bejātijarāmaraṇadukkhasamudayasambhavo notna there ishotī”ti.

“A mendicant should examine in whatever way such that, while examining, consciousness would neither be scattered nor diffused externally, nor stuck internally, and they would not be anxious because of grasping. When consciousness is neither scattered nor diffused externally, nor stuck internally, and they are not anxious because of grasping, there is no coming to be of the origin of suffering—of rebirth, old age, and death in the future.”

this + saidIdamavoca the Blessed Onebhagavā.
thisIdaṁ having spokenvatvāna the Holy Onesugato having risen from his seatuṭṭhāyāsanā dwellingvihāraṁ he enteredpāvisi.

That is what the Buddha said. When he had spoken, the Holy One rose from his seat and entered his dwelling.

thenAtha indeedkho of thosetesaṁ of the mendicantsbhikkhūnaṁ, soon·leavingacirapakkantassa of the Blessed Onebhagavato, this occurredetadahosi:
this“idaṁ indeedkho to usno, friendsāvuso, the Blessed Onebhagavā brieflysaṅkhittena summary recitaluddesaṁ out·pointuddisitvā in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ not·apart·divideavibhajitvā rising from the seatuṭṭhāyāsanā the dwellingvihāraṁ forth·enteredpaviṭṭho:
just as‘tathā sotathā, monksbhikkhave, a mendicantbhikkhu should investigateupaparikkheyya asyathā asyathā for one investigatingupaparikkhato externallybahiddhā and for him there would becassa apart·knowviññāṇaṁ not·apart·scatteredavikkhittaṁ not·apart·diffuseavisaṭaṁ, internallyajjhattaṁ not·fixedasaṇṭhitaṁ not·clinginganupādāya notna around·trembleparitasseyya.
externallyBahiddhā, monksbhikkhave, apart·knowviññāṇe not·apart·scatteredavikkhitte not·apart·diffuseavisaṭe there beingsati internallyajjhattaṁ not·fixedasaṇṭhite not·clinginganupādāya not·around·trembleaparitassato in the futureāyatiṁ birth·aging·death·suffering·origin·arisingjātijarāmaraṇadukkhasamudayasambhavo notna there ishotī’ti.
whoKo thennu indeedkho of thisimassa by the Blessed Onebhagavatā brieflysaṅkhittena of a summary recitaluddesassa out·reciteduddiṭṭhassa in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ not·apart·explainedavibhattassa in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ apart·dividevibhajeyyā”ti?
thenAtha indeedkho of thosetesaṁ of the mendicantsbhikkhūnaṁ this occurredetadahosi:
this“ayaṁ indeedkho venerableāyasmā Mahākaccānamahākaccāno by the teachersatthu andceva together·praisesaṁvaṇṇito together·esteemsambhāvito andca by the wiseviññūnaṁ together·spiritual companionsabrahmacārīnaṁ;
is capablepahoti and + venerablecāyasmā Mahākaccānamahākaccāno of thisimassa by the Blessed Onebhagavatā brieflysaṅkhittena of a summary recitaluddesassa out·reciteduddiṭṭhassa in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ not·apart·explainedavibhattassa in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ apart·dividevibhajituṁ.

Soon after the Buddha left, those mendicants considered, “The Buddha gave this brief summary recital, then entered his dwelling without explaining the meaning in detail. Who can explain in detail the meaning of this brief summary recital given by the Buddha?” Then those mendicants thought, “This Venerable Mahākaccāna is praised by the Buddha and esteemed by his sensible spiritual companions. He is capable of explaining in detail the meaning of this brief summary recital given by the Buddha.

well nowYannūna wemayaṁ to venerableyenāyasmā Mahākaccānamahākaccāno we should approachtenupasaṅkameyyāma; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā venerableāyasmantaṁ Mahākaccānamahākaccānaṁ this + matteretamatthaṁ we should askpaṭipuccheyyāmā”ti.

Let’s go to him, and ask him about this matter.”

thenAtha indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū where + venerableyenāyasmā great·Kaccānamahākaccāno approached theretenupasaṅkamiṁsu; near·goupasaṅkamitvā with venerableāyasmatā great·Kaccānamahākaccānena togethersaddhiṁ exchanged greetingssammodiṁsu.
greetingSammodanīyaṁ conversationkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ having exchangedvītisāretvā one·sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdiṁsu. to one sideEkamantaṁ down·sitnisinnā indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū venerableāyasmantaṁ great·Kaccānamahākaccānaṁ said thisetadavocuṁ:
this“Idaṁ indeedkho to usno, friendāvuso Kaccānakaccāna, the Blessed Onebhagavā in briefsaṅkhittena up·pointuddesaṁ up·pointuddisitvā in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ not·apart·divideavibhajitvā rise·seatuṭṭhāyāsanā dwellingvihāraṁ enteredpaviṭṭho:
in such a way‘tathā in such a waytathā, mendicantsbhikkhave, a mendicantbhikkhu near·inspectupaparikkheyya asyathā asyathā near·inspectupaparikkhato externallybahiddhā and hiscassa apart·knowviññāṇaṁ not·scatteravikkhittaṁ not diffusedavisaṭaṁ, internallyajjhattaṁ not·fixedasaṇṭhitaṁ not·clinganupādāya notna would be agitatedparitasseyya.
externallyBahiddhā, mendicantsbhikkhave, apart·knowviññāṇe not·scatteravikkhitte not·diffuseavisaṭe beingsati internallyajjhattaṁ not·fixedasaṇṭhite not·clinganupādāya not·around·trembleaparitassato in the futureāyatiṁ birth·aging·death·suffering·arising·coming to bejātijarāmaraṇadukkhasamudayasambhavo notna there ishotī’ti.
of thoseTesaṁ to usno, friendāvuso Kaccānakaccāna, of usamhākaṁ, not·long·departedacirapakkantassa Blessed Onebhagavato, this occurredetadahosi:
this‘idaṁ indeedkho to usno, friendāvuso, the Blessed Onebhagavā in briefsaṅkhittena up·pointuddesaṁ up·pointuddisitvā in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ not·apart·divideavibhajitvā rise·seatuṭṭhāyāsanā dwellingvihāraṁ enteredpaviṭṭho:

Then those mendicants went to Mahākaccāna, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side. They told him what had happened, and said,

in just that way“tathā in just that waytathā, monksbhikkhave, a monkbhikkhu should investigateupaparikkheyya, asyathā asyathā for one investigatingupaparikkhato externallybahiddhā and if hiscassa consciousnessviññāṇaṁ not scatteredavikkhittaṁ not diffusedavisaṭaṁ internallyajjhattaṁ not fixedasaṇṭhitaṁ not clinginganupādāya notna should be agitatedparitasseyya.
externallyBahiddhā, monksbhikkhave, in consciousnessviññāṇe not scatteredavikkhitte not diffusedavisaṭe when there issati internallyajjhattaṁ not fixedasaṇṭhite not clinginganupādāya for one not agitatedaparitassato in the futureāyatiṁ arising of the origin of the suffering of birth, aging, and deathjātijarāmaraṇadukkhasamudayasambhavo notna there ishotī”ti.
whoKo indeednu indeedkho of thisimassa by the Blessed Onebhagavatā in briefsaṅkhittena of the summaryuddesassa reciteduddiṭṭhassa in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ unexplainedavibhattassa in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ would explainvibhajeyyā’ti.
of thoseTesaṁ usno, friendāvuso Kaccānakaccāna, of usamhākaṁ this occurredetadahosi:
this‘ayaṁ indeedkho venerableāyasmā Mahākaccānamahākaccāno by the Teachersatthu andceva praisedsaṁvaṇṇito, esteemedsambhāvito andca by the wiseviññūnaṁ fellow celibatessabrahmacārīnaṁ.
he is ablePahoti and the venerablecāyasmā Mahākaccānamahākaccāno of thisimassa by the Blessed Onebhagavatā in briefsaṅkhittena of the summaryuddesassa reciteduddiṭṭhassa in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ unexplainedavibhattassa in detailvitthārena the meaningatthaṁ to explainvibhajituṁ.
what ifYannūna wemayaṁ to the venerableyenāyasmā Mahākaccānamahākaccāno we should approachtenupasaṅkameyyāma; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the venerableāyasmantaṁ Mahākaccānamahākaccānaṁ this matteretamatthaṁ we should ask aboutpaṭipuccheyyāmā’ti—
may the venerable explainvibhajatāyasmā Mahākaccānamahākaccāno”ti.

“May Venerable Mahākaccāna please explain this.”

just as“Seyyathāpi, reverendsāvuso, a personpuriso heartwood·needingsāratthiko seeking heartwoodsāragavesī search for heartwoodsārapariyesanaṁ wanderingcaramāno largemahato of a treerukkhassa standingtiṭṭhato heartwood·possessingsāravato pass-over + justatikkammeva rootmūlaṁ passing overatikkamma trunkkhandhaṁ branches·leavessākhāpalāse heartwoodsāraṁ should be soughtpariyesitabbaṁ might imaginemaññeyya,
thusevaṁ consequence + thissampadamidaṁ of the venerablesāyasmantānaṁ in the Teachersatthari face-to-face·beingsammukhībhūte himtaṁ the Buddhabhagavantaṁ over·bypassedatisitvā meamhe this + matteretamatthaṁ back·askpaṭipucchitabbaṁ you imaginemaññatha.
heSo reverendshāvuso, the Buddhabhagavā one who knowsjānaṁ knowsjānāti, one who seespassaṁ seespassati, eye·becomecakkhubhūto knowledge·becomeñāṇabhūto principle·becomedhammabhūto divinity·becomebrahmabhūto preachervattā proclaimerpavattā of meaningatthassa elucidatorninnetā of freedom from deathamatassa bestowerdātā truth·lorddhammassāmī the Realized Onetathāgato.
thatSo indeedceva this waspanetassa the timekālo wasahosi whenyaṁ Blessed-One + justbhagavantaṁyeva this + matteretamatthaṁ you should have askedpaṭipuccheyyātha;
asyathā to youvo the Buddhabhagavā might answerbyākareyya sotathā itnaṁ you should have remembereddhāreyyāthā”ti.

“Reverends, suppose there was a person in need of heartwood. And while wandering in search of heartwood he’d come across a large tree standing with heartwood. But he’d pass over the roots and trunk, imagining that the heartwood should be sought in the branches and leaves. Such is the consequence for the venerables. Though you were face to face with the Buddha, you bypassed him, imagining that you should ask me about this matter. For he is the Buddha, the one who knows and sees. He is vision, he is knowledge, he is the manifestation of principle, he is the manifestation of divinity. He is the preacher, the proclaimer, the elucidator of meaning, the bestower of freedom from death, the lord of truth, the Realized One. That was the time to approach the Buddha and ask about this matter. You should have remembered it in line with the Buddha’s answer.”

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