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Majjhima Nikāya 22

Alagaddūpamasutta

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

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heSo thusevaṁ seeingsamanupassanto in what does not existasati notna they are anxiousparitassatī”ti.

Seeing in this way they’re not anxious about what doesn’t exist.”

thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, a certainaññataro mendicantbhikkhu to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:
could there be“siyā nownu indeedkho, sirbhante, externallybahiddhā not existingasati anxiety?paritassanā”ti?
there can be“Siyā, mendicant,” said the Blessed Onebhikkhū”ti—bhagavā saidavoca.
here“Idha mendicantbhikkhu for someoneekaccassa thusevaṁ it occurshoti:
it once was‘ahu alasvata mineme, thattaṁ alasvata mineme is notnatthi;
could besiyā alasvata mineme, thattaṁ but that Ivatāhaṁ notna do I get.”labhāmī’ti.
heSo sorrowssocati wearieskilamati lamentsparidevati beats the breasturattāḷiṁ wailskandati confusionsammohaṁ falls intoāpajjati.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, mendicantbhikkhu, externallybahiddhā not existingasati anxietyparitassanā there is.”hotī”ti.

When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha, “Sir, can there be anxiety about what doesn’t exist externally?” “There can, mendicant,” said the Buddha. “It’s when someone thinks, ‘Oh, it once was mine but is mine no more. Oh, it could be mine but I do not get it.’ They sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. That’s how there is anxiety about what doesn’t exist externally.”

could be“Siyā butpana, venerable sirbhante, externallybahiddhā not existingasati no anxietyaparitassanā”ti?
there can be“Siyā, mendicant, said the Buddhabhikkhū”ti—bhagavā saidavoca.
here“Idha a mendicantbhikkhu of someoneekaccassa notna thusevaṁ it occurshoti:
it was‘ahu indeedvata mineme, thattaṁ indeedvata mineme is notnatthi;
could besiyā indeedvata mineme, thattaṁ but Ivatāhaṁ notna I getlabhāmī’ti.
heSo notna sorrowssocati notna is distressedkilamati notna wailsparidevati notna beating the breasturattāḷiṁ lamentskandati notna confusionsammohaṁ falls intoāpajjati.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, mendicantbhikkhu, externallybahiddhā not existingasati no anxietyaparitassanā there ishotī”ti.

“But can there be no anxiety about what doesn’t exist externally?” “There can, mendicant,” said the Buddha. “It’s when someone doesn’t think, ‘Oh, it once was mine but is mine no more. Oh, it could be mine but I do not get it.’ They don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. That’s how there is no anxiety about what doesn’t exist externally.”

there may be“Siyā nownu indeedkho, venerable sirbhante, internallyajjhattaṁ not existingasati anxiety?paritassanā”ti?
there may be“Siyā, mendicant,” said the Blessed Onebhikkhū”ti—bhagavā saidavoca.
here,”“Idha, mendicantbhikkhu, of someoneekaccassa suchevaṁ viewdiṭṭhi ishoti:
that‘so cosmosloko thatso selfattā, thatso after deathpecca I will bebhavissāmi permanentnicco everlastingdhuvo eternalsassato imperishableavipariṇāmadhammo, everlasting as the eternalsassatisamaṁ just sotatheva I will remain.'ṭhassāmī’ti.
heSo hearssuṇāti of the Realized Onetathāgatassa orvā of a disciple of the Realized Onetathāgatasāvakassa orvā of allsabbesaṁ grounds, fixations, obsessions, insistences, and underlying tendencies regarding viewsdiṭṭhiṭṭhānādhiṭṭhānapariyuṭṭhānābhinivesānusayānaṁ for the uprootingsamugghātāya for the stilling of all activitiessabbasaṅkhārasamathāya for the letting go of all attachmentssabbūpadhipaṭinissaggāya for the ending of cravingtaṇhākkhayāya for fading awayvirāgāya for cessationnirodhāya for extinguishmentnibbānāya Dhammadhammaṁ teachingdesentassa.
to himTassa suchevaṁ ishoti:
I will be annihilated‘ucchijjissāmi alas,nāmassu, I will be destroyedvinassissāmi alas,nāmassu, trulynassu indeednāma I will be.'bhavissāmī’ti.
heSo sorrowssocati is wearykilamati lamentsparidevati beating their breasturattāḷiṁ wailskandati into confusionsammohaṁ fallsāpajjati.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, mendicantbhikkhu, internallyajjhattaṁ not existingasati anxietyparitassanā is.”hotī”ti.

“But can there be anxiety about what doesn’t exist internally?” “There can, mendicant,” said the Buddha. “It’s when someone has such a view: ‘The cosmos and the self are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, imperishable, and will last forever and ever.’ They hear the Realized One or their disciple teaching Dhamma for the uprooting of all grounds, fixations, obsessions, insistences, and underlying tendencies regarding views; for the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment. They think, ‘Whoa, I’m going to be annihilated and destroyed! I won’t even exist any more!’ They sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. That’s how there is anxiety about what doesn’t exist internally.”

may it be“Siyā butpana, reverend sirbhante, internallyajjhattaṁ not existingasati no anxiety?aparitassanā”ti?
it may be“Siyā, monksbhikkhū”ti the Blessed Onebhagavā saidavoca.
here“Idha, monkbhikkhu, for someoneekaccassa notna thusevaṁ viewdiṭṭhi there ishoti:
that‘so the cosmosloko thatso selfattā, thatso after deathpecca I will bebhavissāmi permanentnicco everlastingdhuvo eternalsassato imperishableavipariṇāmadhammo, just like the eternalsassatisamaṁ just sotatheva I will lastṭhassāmī’ti.
heSo hearssuṇāti of the Realized Onetathāgatassa orvā of the Realized One's discipletathāgatasāvakassa orvā of allsabbesaṁ grounds, fixations, obsessions, insistences, and underlying tendencies regarding viewsdiṭṭhiṭṭhānādhiṭṭhānapariyuṭṭhānābhinivesānusayānaṁ for the uprootingsamugghātāya for the stilling of all activitiessabbasaṅkhārasamathāya for the letting go of all attachmentssabbūpadhipaṭinissaggāya for the ending of cravingtaṇhākkhayāya for fading awayvirāgāya for cessationnirodhāya for extinguishmentnibbānāya dhammadhammaṁ teachingdesentassa.
to himTassa notna thusevaṁ there ishoti:
I will be annihilated‘ucchijjissāmi whoanāmassu, I will be destroyedvinassissāmi whoanāmassu, whoanassu indeednāma I will bebhavissāmī’ti.
heSo notna sorrowssocati notna is wearykilamati notna wailsparidevati notna beating their breasturattāḷiṁ lamentskandati notna confusionsammohaṁ falls intoāpajjati.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, monkbhikkhu, internallyajjhattaṁ not existingasati no anxietyaparitassanā there ishoti.

“But can there be no anxiety about what doesn’t exist internally?” “There can,” said the Buddha. “It’s when someone doesn’t have such a view: ‘The cosmos and the self are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, imperishable, and will last forever and ever.’ They hear the Realized One or their disciple teaching Dhamma for the uprooting of all grounds, fixations, obsessions, insistences, and underlying tendencies regarding views; for the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment. They don’t think, ‘Whoa, I’m going to be annihilated and destroyed! I won’t even exist any more!’ They don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. That’s how there is no anxiety about what doesn’t exist internally.

thatTaṁ, mendicantsbhikkhave, possessionpariggahaṁ would be possessive aboutpariggaṇheyyātha, which would beyvāssa possessionpariggaho permanentnicco everlastingdhuvo eternalsassato imperishableavipariṇāmadhammo, eternally the samesassatisamaṁ just sotatheva would remaintiṭṭheyya.
do you seePassatha indeedno youtumhe, mendicantsbhikkhave, thattaṁ possessionpariggahaṁ which would beyvāssa possessionpariggaho permanentnicco everlastingdhuvo eternalsassato imperishableavipariṇāmadhammo, eternally the samesassatisamaṁ just sotatheva would remaintiṭṭheyyā”ti?
no“No indeed thishetaṁ, sirbhante”.
good“Sādhu, mendicantsbhikkhave.
I alsoAhampi indeedkho thattaṁ, mendicantsbhikkhave, possessionpariggahaṁ notna I seesamanupassāmi which would beyvāssa possessionpariggaho permanentnicco everlastingdhuvo eternalsassato imperishableavipariṇāmadhammo eternally the samesassatisamaṁ just sotatheva would remaintiṭṭheyya.

Mendicants, it would make sense to be possessive about something that’s permanent, everlasting, eternal, imperishable, and will last forever and ever. But do you see any such possession?” “No, sir.” “Good, mendicants! I also can’t see any such possession.

that,Taṁ, O monks,bhikkhave, self-theory graspingattavādupādānaṁ you might graspupādiyetha, because of whichyaṁsa self-theory graspingattavādupādānaṁ for one graspingupādiyato notna would ariseuppajjeyyuṁ sorrow-lamentation-pain-sadness-distress.sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā.
Do you seePassatha indeedno you,tumhe, O monks,bhikkhave, thattaṁ self-theory graspingattavādupādānaṁ because of whichyaṁsa self-theory graspingattavādupādānaṁ for one graspingupādiyato notna would ariseuppajjeyyuṁ sorrow-lamentation-pain-sadness-distress?”sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
“No,“No indeed, sir,hetaṁ, sir”.bhante”.
“Good,“Sādhu, O monks.bhikkhave.
I tooAhampi indeedkho that,taṁ, O monks,bhikkhave, self-theory graspingattavādupādānaṁ notna I seesamanupassāmi because of whichyaṁsa self-theory graspingattavādupādānaṁ for one graspingupādiyato notna would ariseuppajjeyyuṁ sorrow-lamentation-pain-sadness-distress.sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā.

It would make sense to grasp at a theory of self that didn’t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. But do you see any such theory of self?” “No, sir.” “Good, mendicants! I also can’t see any such theory of self.

thatTaṁ, monksbhikkhave, view-reliancediṭṭhinissayaṁ you should rely onnissayetha whichyaṁsa view-reliancediṭṭhinissayaṁ because of relyingnissayato notna would ariseuppajjeyyuṁ sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distresssokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā.
do you seePassatha indeedno youtumhe, monksbhikkhave, thattaṁ view-reliancediṭṭhinissayaṁ whichyaṁsa view-reliancediṭṭhinissayaṁ because of relyingnissayato notna would ariseuppajjeyyuṁ sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distresssokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
no“No indeedhetaṁ, sirbhante”.
good“Sādhu, monksbhikkhave.
I tooAhampi indeedkho thattaṁ, monksbhikkhave, view-reliancediṭṭhinissayaṁ notna I seesamanupassāmi whichyaṁsa view-reliancediṭṭhinissayaṁ because of relyingnissayato notna would ariseuppajjeyyuṁ sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distresssokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā.

It would make sense to rely on a view that didn’t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. But do you see any such view to rely on?” “No, sir.” “Good, mendicants! I also can’t see any such view to rely on.

in a selfAttani orvā, mendicantsbhikkhave, existingsati 'belonging to self'‘attaniyaṁ 'mine'me’ti would there be?'assā”ti?
"yes,“Evaṁ, sir".bhante”.
in what belongs to a self“Attaniye orvā, mendicantsbhikkhave, existingsati 'my self'‘attā 'mine'me’ti would there be?'assā”ti?
"yes,“Evaṁ, sir".bhante”.
a self“Attani andca, mendicantsbhikkhave, what belongs to a selfattaniye andca as a genuine factsaccato as firm factthetato not being foundanupalabbhamāne, which indeedyampi thattaṁ view-position:diṭṭhiṭṭhānaṁ:
'that‘so worldloko thatso self,attā, thatso after deathpecca I will bebhavissāmi permanent,nicco everlasting,dhuvo eternal,sassato imperishable,avipariṇāmadhammo, everlasting assassatisamaṁ just sotatheva will stand'—ṭhassāmī’ti—
is this not?nanāyaṁ, mendicantsbhikkhave, totallykevalo completeparipūro foolish teaching"?bāladhammo”ti?
"how could it not be,“Kiñhi indeedno would it be,siyā, sir,bhante, totallykevalo indeed,hi, sir,bhante, completeparipūro foolish teaching".bāladhammo”ti.

Mendicants, were a self to exist, would there be the thought, ‘Belonging to my self’?” “Yes, sir.” “Were what belongs to a self to exist, would there be the thought, ‘My self’?” “Yes, sir.” “But since a self and what belongs to a self are not found as a genuine fact, is not the following a totally foolish teaching: ‘The cosmos and the self are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, imperishable, and will last forever and ever’?” “How could it not, sir? It’s a totally foolish teaching.”

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