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Majjhima Nikāya 14

Cūḷadukkhakkhandhasutta

The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Suffering · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Ekamidāhaṁ, mahānāma, samayaṁ rājagahe viharāmi gijjhakūṭe pabbate.
Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā nigaṇṭhā isigilipasse kāḷasilāyaṁ ubbhaṭṭhakā honti āsanapaṭikkhittā, opakkamikā dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedayanti.

Mahānāma, this one time I was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. Now at that time several Jain ascetics on the slopes of Isigili at the Black Rock were constantly standing, turning down seats. And they felt painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings due to exertion.

Atha khvāhaṁ, mahānāma, sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena isigilipasse kāḷasilā yena te nigaṇṭhā tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā te nigaṇṭhe etadavocaṁ:
‘kiṁ nu tumhe, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, ubbhaṭṭhakā āsanapaṭikkhittā, opakkamikā dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedayathā’ti?

Then in the late afternoon, I came out of retreat and went to the Black Rock to visit those Jain ascetics. I said to them, ‘Reverends, why are you constantly standing, turning down seats, so that you suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings due to exertion?’

Evaṁ vutte, mahānāma, te nigaṇṭhā maṁ etadavocuṁ:
‘nigaṇṭho, āvuso, nāṭaputto sabbaññū sabbadassāvī aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti:
“carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan”ti.
So evamāha:
“atthi kho vo, nigaṇṭhā, pubbe pāpakammaṁ kataṁ, taṁ imāya kaṭukāya dukkarakārikāya nijjīretha;
yaṁ panettha etarahi kāyena saṁvutā vācāya saṁvutā manasā saṁvutā taṁ āyatiṁ pāpassa kammassa akaraṇaṁ;
iti purāṇānaṁ kammānaṁ tapasā byantibhāvā, navānaṁ kammānaṁ akaraṇā, āyatiṁ anavassavo;
āyatiṁ anavassavā kammakkhayo, kammakkhayā dukkhakkhayo, dukkhakkhayā vedanākkhayo, vedanākkhayā sabbaṁ dukkhaṁ nijjiṇṇaṁ bhavissatī”ti.
Tañca panamhākaṁ ruccati ceva khamati ca, tena camha attamanā’ti.

When I said this, those Jain ascetics said to me, ‘Reverend, the Jain ascetic of the Ñātika clan claims to be all-knowing and all-seeing, to know and see everything without exception, thus: “Knowledge and vision are constantly and continually present to me, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking.” He says, “O Jain ascetics, you have done bad deeds in a past life. Wear them away with these severe and grueling austerities. And when in the present you are restrained in body, speech, and mind, you’re not doing any bad deeds for the future. So, due to eliminating past deeds by fervent mortification, and not doing any new deeds, there’s nothing to come up in the future. With no future consequence, deeds end. With the ending of deeds, suffering ends. With the ending of suffering, feeling ends. And with the ending of feeling, all suffering will have been worn away.” We endorse and accept this, and we are satisfied with it.’

Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, mahānāma, te nigaṇṭhe etadavocaṁ:
‘kiṁ pana tumhe, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, jānātha—
ahuvamheva mayaṁ pubbe na nāhuvamhā’ti?
‘No hidaṁ, āvuso’.
‘Kiṁ pana tumhe, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, jānātha—
akaramheva mayaṁ pubbe pāpakammaṁ na nākaramhā’ti?
‘No hidaṁ, āvuso’.
‘Kiṁ pana tumhe, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, jānātha—
evarūpaṁ vā evarūpaṁ vā pāpakammaṁ akaramhā’ti?
‘No hidaṁ, āvuso’.
‘Kiṁ pana tumhe, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, jānātha—
ettakaṁ vā dukkhaṁ nijjiṇṇaṁ, ettakaṁ vā dukkhaṁ nijjīretabbaṁ, ettakamhi vā dukkhe nijjiṇṇe sabbaṁ dukkhaṁ nijjiṇṇaṁ bhavissatī’ti?
‘No hidaṁ, āvuso’.
‘Kiṁ pana tumhe, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, jānātha—
diṭṭheva dhamme akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānaṁ, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadan’ti?
‘No hidaṁ, āvuso’.

When they said this, I said to them, ‘But reverends, do you know for sure that you existed in the past, and it is not the case that you did not exist?’ ‘No we don’t, reverend.’ ‘But reverends, do you know for sure that you did bad deeds in the past?’ ‘No we don’t, reverend.’ ‘But reverends, do you know that you did bad deeds of this type or that?’ ‘No we don’t, reverend.’ ‘But reverends, do you know that so much suffering has already been worn away? Or that so much suffering still remains to be worn away? Or that when so much suffering is worn away all suffering will have been worn away?’ ‘No we don’t, reverend.’ ‘But reverends, do you know about giving up unskillful qualities in this very life and embracing skillful qualities?’ ‘No we don’t, reverend.’

‘Iti kira tumhe, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, na jānātha—
ahuvamheva mayaṁ pubbe na nāhuvamhāti, na jānātha—
akaramheva mayaṁ pubbe pāpakammaṁ na nākaramhāti, na jānātha—
evarūpaṁ vā evarūpaṁ vā pāpakammaṁ akaramhāti, na jānātha—
ettakaṁ vā dukkhaṁ nijjiṇṇaṁ, ettakaṁ vā dukkhaṁ nijjīretabbaṁ, ettakamhi vā dukkhe nijjiṇṇe sabbaṁ dukkhaṁ nijjiṇṇaṁ bhavissatīti.
Na jānātha—
diṭṭheva dhamme akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānaṁ, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadaṁ.
Evaṁ sante, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, ye loke luddā lohitapāṇino kurūrakammantā manussesu paccājātā te nigaṇṭhesu pabbajantī’ti?

‘So it seems that you don’t know any of these things. That being so, when those in the world who are violent and bloody-handed and of cruel livelihood are reborn among humans they go forth as Jain ascetics.’

‘Na kho, āvuso gotama, sukhena sukhaṁ adhigantabbaṁ, dukkhena kho sukhaṁ adhigantabbaṁ; sukhena cāvuso gotama, sukhaṁ adhigantabbaṁ abhavissa, rājā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro sukhaṁ adhigaccheyya, rājā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro sukhavihāritaro āyasmatā gotamenā’ti. ‘Addhāyasmantehi nigaṇṭhehi sahasā appaṭisaṅkhā vācā bhāsitā: “na kho, āvuso gotama, sukhena sukhaṁ adhigantabbaṁ, dukkhena kho sukhaṁ adhigantabbaṁ; sukhena cāvuso gotama, sukhaṁ adhigantabbaṁ abhavissa, rājā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro sukhaṁ adhigaccheyya, rājā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro sukhavihāritaro āyasmatā gotamenā”ti. Api ca ahameva tattha paṭipucchitabbo: “ko nu kho āyasmantānaṁ sukhavihāritaro rājā vā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro āyasmā vā gotamo”ti?

‘Reverend Gotama, pleasure is not gained through pleasure; pleasure is gained through pain. For if pleasure were to be gained through pleasure, King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha would gain pleasure, since he lives in greater pleasure than Venerable Gotama.’ ‘Clearly the venerables have spoken rashly, without reflection. Rather, I’m the one who should be asked about who lives in greater pleasure, King Bimbisāra or Venerable Gotama?’

Addhāvuso gotama, amhehi sahasā appaṭisaṅkhā vācā bhāsitā, na kho, āvuso gotama, sukhena sukhaṁ adhigantabbaṁ, dukkhena kho sukhaṁ adhigantabbaṁ;
sukhena cāvuso gotama, sukhaṁ adhigantabbaṁ abhavissa, rājā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro sukhaṁ adhigaccheyya, rājā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro sukhavihāritaro āyasmatā gotamenāti.
Api ca tiṭṭhatetaṁ, idānipi mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ gotamaṁ pucchāma:
“ko nu kho āyasmantānaṁ sukhavihāritaro rājā vā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro āyasmā vā gotamo”ti?

‘Clearly we spoke rashly and without reflection. But let that be. Now we ask Venerable Gotama: “Who lives in greater pleasure, King Bimbisāra or Venerable Gotama?”’

Tena hāvuso nigaṇṭhā, tumheva tattha paṭipucchissāmi, yathā vo khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyātha.
Taṁ kiṁ maññathāvuso nigaṇṭhā, pahoti rājā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro,
aniñjamāno kāyena, abhāsamāno vācaṁ, satta rattindivāni ekantasukhaṁ paṭisaṁvedī viharitun’ti?
‘No hidaṁ, āvuso’.
‘Taṁ kiṁ maññathāvuso nigaṇṭhā, pahoti rājā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro,
aniñjamāno kāyena, abhāsamāno vācaṁ, cha rattindivāni …pe…
pañca rattindivāni …
cattāri rattindivāni …
tīṇi rattindivāni …
dve rattindivāni …
ekaṁ rattindivaṁ ekantasukhaṁ paṭisaṁvedī viharitun’ti?
‘No hidaṁ, āvuso’.
‘Ahaṁ kho, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, pahomi aniñjamāno kāyena, abhāsamāno vācaṁ, ekaṁ rattindivaṁ ekantasukhaṁ paṭisaṁvedī viharituṁ.
Ahaṁ kho, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, pahomi aniñjamāno kāyena, abhāsamāno vācaṁ, dve rattindivāni …
tīṇi rattindivāni …

‘Well then, reverends, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, reverends? Is King Bimbisāra capable of experiencing absolute happiness for seven days and nights without moving his body or speaking?’ ‘No he is not, reverend.’ ‘What do you think, reverends? Is King Bimbisāra capable of experiencing absolute happiness for six days … five days … four days … three days … two days … one day?’ ‘No he is not, reverend.’ ‘But I am capable of experiencing absolute happiness for one day and night without moving my body or speaking. I am capable of experiencing perfect happiness for two days … three days …

cattāri rattindivāni …
pañca rattindivāni …
cha rattindivāni …
satta rattindivāni ekantasukhaṁ paṭisaṁvedī viharituṁ.
Taṁ kiṁ maññathāvuso nigaṇṭhā, evaṁ sante ko sukhavihāritaro rājā vā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro ahaṁ vā’ti?
‘Evaṁ sante āyasmāva gotamo sukhavihāritaro raññā māgadhena seniyena bimbisārenā’”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamano mahānāmo sakko bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Cūḷadukkhakkhandhasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ catutthaṁ.

four days … five days … six days … seven days. What do you think, reverends? This being so, who lives in greater pleasure, King Bimbisāra or I?’ ‘This being so, Venerable Gotama lives in greater pleasure than King Bimbisāra.’” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Mahānāma the Sakyan approved what the Buddha said.

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