Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 28

Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

The Longer Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

of whomYassa for meme thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ along·remember·rememberanussarato, thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ along·remember·rememberanussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ along·remember·rememberanussarato, equanimityupekkhā skillful·basedkusalanissitā notna does become stabilizedsaṇṭhātī’ti.
of thatTassa ifce, friendāvuso, of a mendicantbhikkhuno thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ along·remember·rememberanussarato, thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ along·remember·rememberanussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ along·remember·rememberanussarato, equanimityupekkhā skillful·basedkusalanissitā does it become stabilizedsaṇṭhāti, heso with thattena self·mindattamano he ishoti.
thus far·tooEttāvatāpi indeedkho, friendāvuso, by a mendicantbhikkhuno much·donebahukataṁ it ishoti.

But if, while recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha in this way, equanimity based on the skillful does become stabilized in them, they’re happy with that. At this point, much has been done by that mendicant.

When a space is enclosed by sticks, creepers, grass, and mud it becomes known as a ‘building’. In the same way, when a space is enclosed by bones, sinews, flesh, and skin it becomes known as a ‘form’.

interior·andAjjhattikañceva, reverendsāvuso, eyecakkhuṁ not·around·brokenaparibhinnaṁ ishoti, exteriorbāhirā andca sightsrūpā notna into rangeāpāthaṁ to·goāgacchanti, nono andca correspondingtajjo engagementsamannāhāro there ishoti, nor yetneva so longtāva of correspondingtajjassa of type of consciousnessviññāṇabhāgassa manifestationpātubhāvo there ishoti.
interior·andAjjhattikañceva, reverendsāvuso, eyecakkhuṁ not·around·brokenaparibhinnaṁ ishoti exteriorbāhirā andca sightsrūpā into rangeāpāthaṁ to·goāgacchanti, nono andca correspondingtajjo engagementsamannāhāro there ishoti, nor yetneva so longtāva of correspondingtajjassa of type of consciousnessviññāṇabhāgassa manifestationpātubhāvo there ishoti.
but whenYato andca indeedkho, reverendsāvuso, interior·andajjhattikañceva eyecakkhuṁ not·around·brokenaparibhinnaṁ ishoti, exteriorbāhirā andca sightsrūpā into rangeāpāthaṁ to·goāgacchanti, correspondingtajjo andca engagementsamannāhāro there ishoti. thusEvaṁ of correspondingtajjassa of type of consciousnessviññāṇabhāgassa manifestationpātubhāvo there ishoti.

Reverends, though the interior eye is intact, so long as exterior sights don’t come into range and there’s no corresponding engagement, there’s no manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness. Though the interior eye is intact and exterior sights come into range, so long as there’s no corresponding engagement, there’s no manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness. But when the interior eye is intact and exterior sights come into range and there is corresponding engagement, there is the manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness.

The form produced in this way is included in the grasping aggregate of form. The feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness produced in this way are each included in the corresponding grasping aggregate. They understand: ‘So this is how there comes to be inclusion, gathering together, and assimilation into these five grasping aggregates. But the Buddha has said: “One who sees dependent origination sees the teaching. One who sees the teaching sees dependent origination.” And these five grasping aggregates are indeed dependently originated. The desire, clinging, attraction, and attachment for these five grasping aggregates is the origin of suffering. Giving up and getting rid of desire and greed for these five grasping aggregates is the cessation of suffering.’ At this point, much has been done by that mendicant.

internal·andAjjhattikañceva, friendāvuso, earsotaṁ not·around·brokenaparibhinnaṁ ishoti …pe……pe…

Though the ear …

noseghānaṁ not·around·brokenaparibhinnaṁ ishoti ……

nose …

tonguejivhā unsplitaparibhinnā ishoti ……

tongue …

bodykāyo not·around·breakaparibhinno ishoti ……

body …

mindmano intactaparibhinno ishoti, exteriorbāhirā andca ideasdhammā notna rangeāpāthaṁ to·goāgacchanti andno noca correspondingtajjo engagementsamannāhāro there ishoti, neverneva so long astāva correspondingtajjassa consciousness·typeviññāṇabhāgassa manifestationpātubhāvo there ishoti.

mind is intact internally, so long as exterior ideas don’t come into range and there’s no corresponding engagement, there’s no manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness.

internalAjjhattiko and + indeedceva, friendāvuso, mindmano not·completely·brokenaparibhinno ishoti, externalbāhirā andca phenomenadhammā into rangeāpāthaṁ to·goāgacchanti, notno andca correspondingtajjo engagementsamannāhāro ishoti, not yetneva so fartāva of the correspondingtajjassa consciousness·typeviññāṇabhāgassa forth·becomingpātubhāvo ishoti.
whenYato andca indeedkho, friendāvuso, internalajjhattiko and + indeedceva mindmano not·completely·brokenaparibhinno ishoti, externalbāhirā andca phenomenadhammā into rangeāpāthaṁ to·goāgacchanti, correspondingtajjo andca engagementsamannāhāro ishoti, thusevaṁ of the correspondingtajjassa consciousness·typeviññāṇabhāgassa forth·becomingpātubhāvo ishoti.
whichYaṁ thus·becometathābhūtassa formrūpaṁ thattaṁ form·grasping·aggregaterūpupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati, whichyā thus·becometathābhūtassa feelingvedanā thatsā feeling·grasping·aggregatevedanupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati, whichyā thus·becometathābhūtassa perceptionsaññā thatsā perception·grasping·aggregatesaññupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati, whichye thus·becometathābhūtassa choicessaṅkhārā thosete choice·grasping·aggregatesaṅkhārupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ gogacchanti, whichyaṁ thus·becometathābhūtassa consciousnessviññāṇaṁ thattaṁ consciousness·grasping·aggregateviññāṇupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati.
heSo thusevaṁ thoroughly·knowpajānāti:
thus indeed‘evañhi it seemskira of theseimesaṁ of the fivepañcannaṁ grasping·aggregateupādānakkhandhānaṁ inclusionsaṅgaho gathering togethersannipāto assimilationsamavāyo ishoti.
saidVuttaṁ indeedkho but thispanetaṁ by the Blessed Onebhagavatā:

Though the mind is intact internally and exterior ideas come into range, so long as there’s no corresponding engagement, there’s no manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness. But when the mind is intact internally and exterior ideas come into range and there is corresponding engagement, there is the manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness. The form produced in this way is included in the grasping aggregate of form. The feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness produced in this way are each included in the corresponding grasping aggregate. They understand: ‘So this is how there comes to be inclusion, gathering together, and assimilation into these five grasping aggregates. But the Buddha has also said:

whoever“yo dependent·originationpaṭiccasamuppādaṁ seespassati heso the teachingdhammaṁ seespassati;
whoeveryo the teachingdhammaṁ seespassati heso dependent·originationpaṭiccasamuppādaṁ seespassatī”ti.
dependently originatedPaṭiccasamuppannā indeedkho and thesepanime which + thisyadidaṁ the five grasping aggregatespañcupādānakkhandhā.
theYo for theseimesu fivepañcasu grasping·aggregatesupādānakkhandhesu desirechando clingingālayo attractionanunayo attachmentajjhosānaṁ thisso the origin of sufferingdukkhasamudayo.
theYo for theseimesu fivepañcasu grasping·aggregatesupādānakkhandhesu desire·greed·giving upchandarāgavinayo desire·greed·getting ridchandarāgappahānaṁ thisso the cessation of sufferingdukkhanirodho’ti.
to this extent·alsoEttāvatāpi indeedkho, friendāvuso, by a mendicantbhikkhuno much·donebahukataṁ it ishotī”ti.
this + saidIdamavoca venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto.
satisfiedAttamanā thosete mendicantsbhikkhū of venerableāyasmato Sāriputtasāriputtassa the wordsbhāsitaṁ approvedabhinandunti.
The Longer Simile of the Elephant’s FootprintMahāhatthipadopamasuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ eighthaṭṭhamaṁ.

“One who sees dependent origination sees the teaching. One who sees the teaching sees dependent origination.” And these five grasping aggregates are indeed dependently originated. The desire, clinging, attraction, and attachment for these five grasping aggregates is the origin of suffering. Giving up and getting rid of desire and greed for these five grasping aggregates is the cessation of suffering.’ At this point, much has been done by that mendicant.” That is what Venerable Sāriputta said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what Sāriputta said.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version