Mahāgosiṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 32

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

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For Kassapa lives in the wilderness … and is accomplished in the knowledge and vision of freedom; and he praises these things.”

“Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ bhante āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavocaṁ:
‘byākataṁ kho, āvuso moggallāna, āyasmatā mahākassapena yathāsakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ.
Tattha dāni mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ pucchāma …pe…
kathaṁrūpena, āvuso moggallāna, bhikkhunā gosiṅgasālavanaṁ sobheyyā’ti?
Evaṁ vutte, bhante, āyasmā mahāmoggallāno maṁ etadavoca:
‘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.
“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta, yathā taṁ moggallānova sammā byākaramāno byākareyya.
Moggallāno hi, sāriputta, dhammakathiko”ti.

“Next I asked Mahāmoggallāna the same question. He said: ‘It’s when two mendicants engage in discussion about the teaching … That’s the kind of mendicant who would grace this park.’” “Good, good, Sāriputta! Moggallāna answered in the right way for him. For Moggallāna is a Dhamma speaker.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavocaṁ:
‘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?
Evaṁ vutte, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto maṁ etadavoca:
‘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.

When he had spoken, Moggallāna said to the Buddha, “Next, I asked Sāriputta: ‘Each of us has spoken according to our own inspiration. 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?’ When I had spoken, Sāriputta said to me: ‘Reverend Moggallāna, it’s when a mendicant masters their mind and is not mastered by it …

Seyyathāpi, āvuso moggallāna, rañño vā rājamahāmattassa vā nānārattānaṁ dussānaṁ dussakaraṇḍako pūro assa.
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.
“Sādhu sādhu, moggallāna.

That’s the kind of mendicant who would grace this park.’” “Good, good, Moggallāna!

Yathā taṁ sāriputtova sammā byākaramāno byākareyya.
Sāriputto hi, moggallāna, cittaṁ vasaṁ vatteti no ca sāriputto 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 viharatī”ti.

Sāriputta answered in the right way for him. For Sāriputta masters his mind and is not mastered by it …”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“kassa nu kho, bhante, subhāsitan”ti?
“Sabbesaṁ vo, sāriputta, subhāsitaṁ pariyāyena.
Api ca mamapi suṇātha yathārūpena bhikkhunā gosiṅgasālavanaṁ sobheyya.
Idha, sāriputta, bhikkhu pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā:
‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ pallaṅkaṁ bhindissāmi yāva me nānupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccissatī’ti.
Evarūpena kho, sāriputta, bhikkhunā gosiṅgasālavanaṁ sobheyyā”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamanā te āyasmanto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Mahāgosiṅgasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.

When he had spoken, Sāriputta asked the Buddha, “Sir, who has spoken well?” “You’ve all spoken well in your own way. However, listen to me also as to what kind of mendicant would grace this sal forest park at Gosiṅga. It’s a mendicant who, after the meal, returns from almsround, sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present, thinking: ‘I will not break this sitting posture until my mind is freed from the defilements by not grasping!’ That’s the kind of mendicant who would grace this park.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, those venerables approved what the Buddha said.

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