Mahāgosiṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 32

The Longer Discourse at Gosiṅga · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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“Reverend Sāriputta, it’s a mendicant who lives in the wilderness, eats only almsfood, wears rag robes, and owns just three robes; and they praise these things. They are of few wishes, content, secluded, aloof, and energetic; and they praise these things. They are accomplished in ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and the knowledge and vision of freedom; and they praise these things.

Evarūpena kho, āvuso sāriputta, bhikkhunā gosiṅgasālavanaṁ sobheyyā”ti.

That’s the kind of mendicant who would grace this park.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:
“byākataṁ kho, āvuso moggallāna, āyasmatā mahākassapena yathāsakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ.
Tattha dāni mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ pucchāma:
‘ramaṇīyaṁ, āvuso moggallāna, gosiṅgasālavanaṁ, dosinā ratti, sabbaphāliphullā sālā, dibbā, maññe, gandhā sampavanti;
kathaṁrūpena, āvuso moggallāna, bhikkhunā gosiṅgasālavanaṁ sobheyyā’”ti?
“Idhāvuso sāriputta, dve bhikkhū abhidhammakathaṁ kathenti, te aññamaññaṁ pañhaṁ pucchanti, aññamaññassa pañhaṁ puṭṭhā vissajjenti, no ca saṁsādenti, dhammī ca nesaṁ kathā pavattinī hoti.
Evarūpena kho, āvuso sāriputta, bhikkhunā gosiṅgasālavanaṁ sobheyyā”ti.

When he had spoken, Sāriputta said to Mahāmoggallāna, “Reverend Moggallāna, Mahākassapa has answered according to his own inspiration. And now we ask you the same question.” “Reverend Sāriputta, it’s when two mendicants engage in discussion about the teaching. They question each other and answer each other’s questions without faltering, and their discussion on the teaching flows on. That’s the kind of mendicant who would grace this park.”

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:
“byākataṁ kho, āvuso sāriputta, amhehi sabbeheva yathāsakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ.
Tattha dāni mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ pucchāma:
‘ramaṇīyaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, gosiṅgasālavanaṁ, dosinā ratti, sabbaphāliphullā sālā, dibbā, maññe, gandhā sampavanti;
kathaṁrūpena, āvuso sāriputta, bhikkhunā gosiṅgasālavanaṁ sobheyyā’”ti?
“Idhāvuso moggallāna, bhikkhu cittaṁ vasaṁ vatteti, no ca bhikkhu cittassa vasena vattati.
So yāya vihārasamāpattiyā ākaṅkhati pubbaṇhasamayaṁ viharituṁ, tāya vihārasamāpattiyā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ viharati;
yāya vihārasamāpattiyā ākaṅkhati majjhanhikasamayaṁ viharituṁ, tāya vihārasamāpattiyā majjhanhikasamayaṁ viharati;
yāya vihārasamāpattiyā ākaṅkhati sāyanhasamayaṁ viharituṁ, tāya vihārasamāpattiyā sāyanhasamayaṁ viharati.
Seyyathāpi, āvuso moggallāna, rañño vā rājamahāmattassa vā nānārattānaṁ dussānaṁ dussakaraṇḍako pūro assa.

Then Mahāmoggallāna said to Sāriputta, “Each of us has spoken from our heart. And now we ask you: Reverend Sāriputta, the sal forest park at Gosiṅga is lovely, the night is bright, the sal trees are in full blossom, and heavenly scents seem to float on the air. What kind of mendicant would grace this park?” “Reverend Moggallāna, it’s when a mendicant masters their mind and is not mastered by it. In the morning, they abide in whatever meditation or attainment they want. At midday, and in the evening, they abide in whatever meditation or attainment they want. Suppose that a ruler or their chief minister had a chest full of garments of different colors.

So yaññadeva dussayugaṁ ākaṅkheyya pubbaṇhasamayaṁ pārupituṁ, taṁ tadeva dussayugaṁ pubbaṇhasamayaṁ pārupeyya;
yaññadeva dussayugaṁ ākaṅkheyya majjhanhikasamayaṁ pārupituṁ, taṁ tadeva dussayugaṁ majjhanhikasamayaṁ pārupeyya;
yaññadeva dussayugaṁ ākaṅkheyya sāyanhasamayaṁ pārupituṁ, taṁ tadeva dussayugaṁ sāyanhasamayaṁ pārupeyya.
Evameva kho, āvuso moggallāna, bhikkhu cittaṁ vasaṁ vatteti, no ca bhikkhu cittassa vasena vattati.
So yāya vihārasamāpattiyā ākaṅkhati pubbaṇhasamayaṁ viharituṁ, tāya vihārasamāpattiyā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ viharati;
yāya vihārasamāpattiyā ākaṅkhati majjhanhikasamayaṁ viharituṁ, tāya vihārasamāpattiyā majjhanhikasamayaṁ viharati;
yāya vihārasamāpattiyā ākaṅkhati sāyanhasamayaṁ viharituṁ, tāya vihārasamāpattiyā sāyanhasamayaṁ viharati.
Evarūpena kho, āvuso moggallāna, bhikkhunā gosiṅgasālavanaṁ sobheyyā”ti.

In the morning, they’d don whatever pair of garments they wanted. At midday, and in the evening, they’d don whatever pair of garments they wanted. In the same way, a mendicant masters their mind and is not mastered by it. In the morning, they abide in whatever meditation or attainment they want. At midday, and in the evening, they abide in whatever meditation or attainment they want. That’s the kind of mendicant who would grace this park.”

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto te āyasmante etadavoca:
“byākataṁ kho, āvuso, amhehi sabbeheva yathāsakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ.
Āyāmāvuso, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ bhagavato ārocessāma.
Yathā no bhagavā byākarissati tathā naṁ dhāressāmā”ti.
“Evamāvuso”ti kho te āyasmanto āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ.
Atha kho te āyasmanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Sāriputta said to those venerables, “Each of us has spoken from the heart. Come, reverends, let’s go to the Buddha, and inform him about this. As he answers, so we’ll remember it.” “Yes, reverend,” they replied. Then those venerables went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Venerable Sāriputta told the Buddha of how the mendicants had come to see him, and how he had asked Ānanda:

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