Alagaddūpamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 22

The Simile of the Snake · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?
“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ—
etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
vedanā …pe…
saññā …
saṅkhārā …
viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?
“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ—
etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“What do you think, mendicants? Is form permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, sir.” “But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?” “Suffering, sir.” “But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?” “No, sir.” “What do you think, mendicants? Is feeling … perception … choices … consciousness permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, sir.” “But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?” “Suffering, sir.” “But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?” “No, sir.”

“Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ, ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā, oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā, hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā, yaṁ dūre santike vā, sabbaṁ rūpaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti—evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.
Yā kāci vedanā …pe…
yā kāci saññā …
ye keci saṅkhārā …
yaṁ kiñci viññāṇaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ, ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā, oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā, hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā, yaṁ dūre santike vā, sabbaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti—evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

“So, mendicants, you should truly see any kind of form at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: all form—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ You should truly see any kind of feeling … perception … choices … consciousness at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: all consciousness—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmiṁ nibbindati, vedanāya nibbindati, saññāya nibbindati, saṅkhāresu nibbindati, viññāṇasmiṁ nibbindati,

Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.

nibbidā virajjati, virāgā vimuccati, vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.
‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.

Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ukkhittapaligho itipi, saṅkiṇṇaparikkho itipi, abbūḷhesiko itipi, niraggaḷo itipi, ariyo pannaddhajo pannabhāro visaṁyutto itipi.

Such a mendicant is one who is called ‘one who has lifted the cross-bar’, ‘one who has filled in the moat’, ‘one who has pulled up the pillar’, ‘one who is unimpeded’, and also ‘a noble one with banner lowered and burden dropped, detached’.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ukkhittapaligho hoti?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno avijjā pahīnā hoti, ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā, āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.
Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ukkhittapaligho hoti.

And how has a mendicant raised the cross-bar? It’s when a mendicant has given up ignorance, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future. That’s how a mendicant has lifted the cross-bar.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu saṅkiṇṇaparikkho hoti?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ponobbhaviko jātisaṁsāro pahīno hoti, ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato, āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo.
Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu saṅkiṇṇaparikkho hoti.

And how has a mendicant filled in the moat? It’s when a mendicant has given up transmigrating through births in future lives, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future. That’s how a mendicant has filled in the moat.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu abbūḷhesiko hoti?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno taṇhā pahīnā hoti, ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā, āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.
Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu abbūḷhesiko hoti.

And how has a mendicant pulled up the pillar? It’s when a mendicant has given up craving, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future. That’s how a mendicant has pulled up the pillar.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu niraggaḷo hoti?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pañca orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, ucchinnamūlāni tālāvatthukatāni anabhāvaṅkatāni, āyatiṁ anuppādadhammāni.
Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu niraggaḷo hoti.

And how is a mendicant unimpeded? It’s when a mendicant has given up the five lower fetters, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, obliterated them, so they’re unable to arise in the future. That’s how a mendicant is unimpeded.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyo pannaddhajo pannabhāro visaṁyutto hoti?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno asmimāno pahīno hoti, ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato, āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo.
Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyo pannaddhajo pannabhāro visaṁyutto hoti.

And how is a mendicant a noble one with with banner lowered and burden dropped, detached? It’s when a mendicant has given up the conceit ‘I am’, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future. That’s how a mendicant is a noble one with banner lowered and burden dropped, detached.

Evaṁ vimuttacittaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā anvesaṁ nādhigacchanti:
‘idaṁ nissitaṁ tathāgatassa viññāṇan’ti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Diṭṭhevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, dhamme tathāgataṁ ananuvijjoti vadāmi.

When a mendicant’s mind was freed like this, the gods together with Indra, the Divinity, and the Progenitor, search as they may, will not discover: ‘This is the basis of that realized one’s consciousness.’ Why is that? Because even in this very life that realized one is not found, I say.

Evaṁvādiṁ kho maṁ, bhikkhave, evamakkhāyiṁ eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā asatā tucchā musā abhūtena abbhācikkhanti:
‘venayiko samaṇo gotamo, sato sattassa ucchedaṁ vināsaṁ vibhavaṁ paññāpetī’ti.
Yathā cāhaṁ na, bhikkhave, yathā cāhaṁ na vadāmi, tathā maṁ te bhonto samaṇabrāhmaṇā asatā tucchā musā abhūtena abbhācikkhanti:
‘venayiko samaṇo gotamo, sato sattassa ucchedaṁ vināsaṁ vibhavaṁ paññāpetī’ti.
Pubbe cāhaṁ, bhikkhave, etarahi ca dukkhañceva paññāpemi, dukkhassa ca nirodhaṁ.
Tatra ce, bhikkhave, pare tathāgataṁ akkosanti paribhāsanti rosenti vihesenti, tatra, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa na hoti āghāto na appaccayo na cetaso anabhiraddhi.

Though I state and assert this, certain ascetics and brahmins misrepresent me with the incorrect, hollow, false, untruthful claim: ‘The ascetic Gotama is an exterminator. He advocates the annihilation, eradication, and nonexistence of an existing being.’ They misrepresent me as what I am not, and saying what I do not say. In the past, as today, what I describe is suffering and the cessation of suffering. This being so, if others abuse, attack, harass, and trouble the Realized One, he doesn’t get resentful, bitter, and emotionally exasperated.

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