Channovādasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 144

Advice to Channa · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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“the eye,“Cakkhuṁ, friend,āvuso Channa,channa, eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇaṁ things knowable by eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe thingsdhamme ‘this‘etaṁ mine,mama, I am this,esohamasmi, thiseso myme self’attā’ti do you regard?samanupassasi?
the ear,Sotaṁ, friend,āvuso Channa,channa, ear-consciousnesssotaviññāṇaṁ …pe……pe…
the nose,ghānaṁ, friend,āvuso Channa,channa, nose-consciousnessghānaviññāṇaṁ ……
the tongue,jivhaṁ, friend,āvuso Channa,channa, tongue-consciousnessjivhāviññāṇaṁ ……
the body,kāyaṁ, friend,āvuso Channa,channa, body-consciousnesskāyaviññāṇaṁ ……
the mind,manaṁ, friend,āvuso Channa,channa, mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇaṁ things knowable by mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇaviññātabbe thingsdhamme ‘this‘etaṁ mine,mama, I am this,esohamasmi, thiseso myme self’attā’ti do you regard?”samanupassasī”ti?
“the eye,“Cakkhuṁ, friend,āvuso Sāriputta,sāriputta, eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇaṁ things knowable by eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe thingsdhamme ‘this is not‘netaṁ mine,mama, I am not this,nesohamasmi, notna thismeso self’attā’ti I regard.samanupassāmi.
the ear,Sotaṁ, friend,āvuso Sāriputtasāriputta …pe……pe…
the nose,ghānaṁ, friend,āvuso Sāriputtasāriputta ……
the tongue,jivhaṁ, friend,āvuso Sāriputtasāriputta ……
the body,kāyaṁ, friend,āvuso Sāriputtasāriputta ……
the mind,manaṁ, friend,āvuso Sāriputta,sāriputta, mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇaṁ things knowable by mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇaviññātabbe thingsdhamme ‘this is not‘netaṁ mine,mama, I am not this,nesohamasmi, notna thismeso self’attā’ti I regard.”samanupassāmī”ti.

“Reverend Channa, do you regard the eye, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness in this way: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’? Do you regard the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness in this way: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?” “Reverend Sāriputta, I regard the eye, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ I regard the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’.”

in the eye“Cakkhusmiṁ, friendāvuso Channachanna, in eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇe in things cognizable by eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu in phenomenadhammesu whatkiṁ having seendisvā whatkiṁ having directly knownabhiññāya the eyecakkhuṁ eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇaṁ things cognizable by eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe phenomenadhamme this is not‘netaṁ minemama, I am not thisnesohamasmi, notna this ismeso my selfattā’ti you regardsamanupassasi?
in the earSotasmiṁ, friendāvuso Channachanna, in ear-consciousnesssotaviññāṇe ……
in the noseghānasmiṁ, friendāvuso Channachanna, in nose-consciousnessghānaviññāṇe ……
in the tonguejivhāya, friendāvuso Channachanna, in tongue-consciousnessjivhāviññāṇe ……
in the bodykāyasmiṁ, friendāvuso Channachanna, in body-consciousnesskāyaviññāṇe ……
in the mindmanasmiṁ, friendāvuso Channachanna, in mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇe in things cognizable by mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇaviññātabbesu in phenomenadhammesu whatkiṁ having seendisvā whatkiṁ having directly knownabhiññāya the mindmanaṁ mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇaṁ things cognizable by mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇaviññātabbe phenomenadhamme this is not‘netaṁ minemama, I am not thisnesohamasmi, notna this ismeso my selfattā’ti you regard?samanupassasī”ti?
in the eye“Cakkhusmiṁ, friendāvuso Sāriputtasāriputta, in eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇe in things cognizable by eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu in phenomenadhammesu cessationnirodhaṁ having seendisvā cessationnirodhaṁ having directly knownabhiññāya the eyecakkhuṁ eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇaṁ things cognizable by eye-consciousnesscakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe phenomenadhamme this is not‘netaṁ minemama, I am not thisnesohamasmi, notna this ismeso my selfattā’ti I regardsamanupassāmi.
in the earSotasmiṁ, friendāvuso Sāriputtasāriputta, in ear-consciousnesssotaviññāṇe ……
in the noseghānasmiṁ, friendāvuso Sāriputtasāriputta, in nose-consciousnessghānaviññāṇe ……
in the tonguejivhāya, friendāvuso Sāriputtasāriputta, in tongue-consciousnessjivhāviññāṇe ……

“Reverend Channa, what have you seen, what have you directly known in these things that you regard them in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’?” “Reverend Sāriputta, after seeing cessation, after directly knowing cessation in these things I regard them in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’.”

in the bodykāyasmiṁ, friendāvuso Sāriputtasāriputta, in body-consciousnesskāyaviññāṇe ……
in the mindmanasmiṁ, friendāvuso Sāriputtasāriputta, in mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇe in things cognizable by mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇaviññātabbesu in phenomenadhammesu cessationnirodhaṁ having seendisvā cessationnirodhaṁ having fully understoodabhiññāya the mindmanaṁ mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇaṁ things cognizable by mind-consciousnessmanoviññāṇaviññātabbe phenomenadhamme this is not‘netaṁ minemama, I am notnesohamasmi, notna this ismeso my selfattā’ti I regardsamanupassāmī”ti.

In the body, friend Sāriputta, in body-consciousness … in the mind, friend Sāriputta, in mind-consciousness, in things cognizable by mind-consciousness, in phenomena, having seen cessation, having fully understood cessation, I regard the mind, mind-consciousness, and things cognizable by mind-consciousness, and phenomena thus: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, venerableāyasmā Mahācundamahācundo venerableāyasmantaṁ Channachannaṁ said thisetadavoca:
so then“tasmātiha, reverendāvuso Channachanna, this tooidampi of thattassa of the Blessed Onebhagavato instructionsāsanaṁ, continuallyniccakappaṁ mindmanasi to be donekātabbaṁ:
for the dependent‘nissitassa quiveringcalitaṁ, for the independentanissitassa quiveringcalitaṁ there is notnatthi.
when quiveringCalite not existingasati tranquilitypassaddhi,
when tranquilitypassaddhiyā existingsati inclinationnati notna there ishoti.
when inclinationNatiyā not existingasati coming and goingāgatigati notna there ishoti.
when coming and goingĀgatigatiyā not existingasati passing away and reappearingcutūpapāto notna there ishoti.
when passing away and reappearingCutūpapāte not existingasati not herenevidha notna beyondhuraṁ notna between the twoubhayamantarena.
just this is the endEsevanto of sufferingdukkhassā’”ti.
thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā andca Sāriputtasāriputto venerableāyasmā andca Mahācundamahācundo venerableāyasmantaṁ Channachannaṁ with thisiminā adviceovādena having advisedovaditvā from their seatsuṭṭhāyāsanā they leftpakkamiṁsu.

When he said this, Venerable Mahācunda said to Venerable Channa: “So, Reverend Channa, you should regularly apply your mind to this instruction of the Buddha: ‘For the dependent there is quivering. For the independent there’s no quivering. When there’s no quivering, there is tranquility. When there is tranquility, there’s no inclination. When there’s no inclination, there’s no coming and going. When there’s no coming and going, there’s no passing away and reappearing. When there’s no passing away and reappearing, there’s no this life or the next or between the two. Just this is the end of suffering.’” And when the venerables Sāriputta and Mahācunda had given Venerable Channa this advice they rose from their seats and left.

thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Channachanno not long after leavingacirapakkante venerableāyasmante andca Sāriputtasāriputte venerableāyasmante andca Mahācundamahācunde knifesatthaṁ tookāharesi.

Not long after those venerables had left, Venerable Channa committed suicide.

thenAtha indeedkho Venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto by whichyena the Blessed Onebhagavā approached him by that waytenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ having bowed down toabhivādetvā to one sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdi. to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho Venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:
by the Venerable“āyasmatā, sirbhante, by Channachannena the knifesatthaṁ was broughtāharitaṁ.
of himTassa whatkā destinationgati, whatko future state?abhisamparāyo”ti?
surely“Nanu to youte, Sāriputtasāriputta, by Channachannena by the bhikkhubhikkhunā personallysammukhāyeva blamelessnessanupavajjatā was declared?byākatā”ti?
there is“Atthi, sirbhante, Pubbajirapubbajiraṁ namednāma a Vajjian villagevajjigāmo.
There, of the VenerableTatthāyasmato of Channachannassa friendly familiesmittakulāni intimate familiessuhajjakulāni hospitable familiesupavajjakulānī”ti.
there are“Honti indeed thesehete, Sāriputtasāriputta, of Channachannassa of the bhikkhubhikkhuno friendly familiesmittakulāni intimate familiessuhajjakulāni hospitable familiesupavajjakulāni.
I do not indeedNāhaṁ, Sāriputtasāriputta, to that extentettāvatā “blameworthy”‘saupavajjo’ti I sayvadāmi.
whoYo indeedkho, Sāriputtasāriputta, and thisimañca bodykāyaṁ lays downnikkhipati and anotheraññañca bodykāyaṁ takes upupādiyati him Itamahaṁ “blameworthy”‘saupavajjo’ti I sayvadāmi.
thatTaṁ of Channachannassa of the bhikkhubhikkhuno is notnatthi.
“Blameless‘Anupavajjo Channachanno the bhikkhubhikkhu the knifesatthaṁ brought upāharesī’ti it is just soevametaṁ, Sāriputtasāriputta, bear in minddhārehī”ti.
This saidIdamavoca the Blessed Onebhagavā.
satisfiedAttamano Venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto of the Blessed Onebhagavato the speechbhāsitaṁ approvedabhinandīti.
the Advice to Channa discourseChannovādasuttaṁ is finishedniṭṭhitaṁ the seconddutiyaṁ.

Then Sāriputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, Venerable Channa has committed suicide. Where has he been reborn in his next life?” “Sāriputta, didn’t the mendicant Channa declare his blamelessness to you personally?” “Sir, there is a Vajjian village named Pubbajira. There Channa had families who were friendly, intimate, and hospitable.” “The mendicant Channa did indeed have such families. But, Sāriputta, this is not enough for me to call someone ‘blameworthy’. When someone lays down this body and takes up another body, I call them ‘blameworthy’. But the mendicant Channa did no such thing. You should remember this: ‘The mendicant Channa committed suicide blamelessly.’” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Sāriputta approved what the Buddha said.

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