Cūḷasaccakasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 35

The Shorter Discourse With Saccaka · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū abbhokāse caṅkamanti.
Atha kho saccako nigaṇṭhaputto yena te bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā te bhikkhū etadavoca:
“kahaṁ nu kho, bho, etarahi so bhavaṁ gotamo viharati?
Dassanakāmā hi mayaṁ taṁ bhavantaṁ gotaman”ti.
“Esa, aggivessana, bhagavā mahāvanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisinno”ti.

At that time several mendicants were walking mindfully in the open air. Then Saccaka went up to them and said, “Good fellows, where is the worthy Gotama at present? For we want to see him.” “Aggivessana, the Buddha has plunged deep into the Great Wood and is sitting at the root of a tree for the day’s meditation.”

Atha kho saccako nigaṇṭhaputto mahatiyā licchaviparisāya saddhiṁ mahāvanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Tepi kho licchavī appekacce bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu, appekacce bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu, sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Appekacce yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu, appekacce bhagavato santike nāmagottaṁ sāvetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu, appekacce tuṇhībhūtā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.

Then Saccaka, together with a large group of Licchavis, went to the Buddha in the Great Wood, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side. Before sitting down to one side, some of the Licchavīs bowed, some exchanged greetings and polite conversation, some held up their cupped palms toward the Buddha, some announced their name and clan, while some kept silent.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho saccako nigaṇṭhaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“puccheyyāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ kiñcideva desaṁ, sace me bhavaṁ gotamo okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti.
“Puccha, aggivessana, yadākaṅkhasī”ti.
“Kathaṁ pana bhavaṁ gotamo sāvake vineti, kathaṁbhāgā ca pana bhoto gotamassa sāvakesu anusāsanī bahulā pavattatī”ti?
“Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, aggivessana, sāvake vinemi, evaṁbhāgā ca pana me sāvakesu anusāsanī bahulā pavattati:
‘rūpaṁ, bhikkhave, aniccaṁ, vedanā aniccā, saññā aniccā, saṅkhārā aniccā, viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ.
Rūpaṁ, bhikkhave, anattā, vedanā anattā, saññā anattā, saṅkhārā anattā, viññāṇaṁ anattā.
Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā, sabbe dhammā anattā’ti.
Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, aggivessana, sāvake vinemi, evaṁbhāgā ca pana me sāvakesu anusāsanī bahulā pavattatī”ti.

Then Saccaka said to the Buddha, “I’d like to ask the worthy Gotama about a certain point, if you’d take the time to answer.” “Ask what you wish, Aggivessana.” “How does the worthy Gotama guide his disciples? And on what topics does instruction to his disciples generally proceed?” “This is how I guide my disciples, and my instructions to disciples generally proceed on these topics: ‘Form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness are impermanent. Form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness are not-self. All conditions are impermanent. All things are not-self.’ This is how I guide my disciples, and how instruction to my disciples generally proceeds.”

“Upamā maṁ, bho gotama, paṭibhātī”ti.
“Paṭibhātu taṁ, aggivessanā”ti bhagavā avoca.
“Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, ye kecime bījagāmabhūtagāmā vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjanti, sabbe te pathaviṁ nissāya pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhāya.
Evamete bījagāmabhūtagāmā vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjanti.
Seyyathāpi vā pana, bho gotama, ye kecime balakaraṇīyā kammantā karīyanti, sabbe te pathaviṁ nissāya pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhāya.
Evamete balakaraṇīyā kammantā karīyanti.

“A simile strikes me, worthy Gotama.” “Then speak as you feel inspired,” said the Buddha. “All the plants and seeds that achieve growth, increase, and maturity do so depending on the earth and grounded on the earth. All the hard work that gets done depends on the earth and is grounded on the earth.

Evameva kho, bho gotama, rūpattāyaṁ purisapuggalo rūpe patiṭṭhāya puññaṁ vā apuññaṁ vā pasavati, vedanattāyaṁ purisapuggalo vedanāyaṁ patiṭṭhāya puññaṁ vā apuññaṁ vā pasavati, saññattāyaṁ purisapuggalo saññāyaṁ patiṭṭhāya puññaṁ vā apuññaṁ vā pasavati, saṅkhārattāyaṁ purisapuggalo saṅkhāresu patiṭṭhāya puññaṁ vā apuññaṁ vā pasavati, viññāṇattāyaṁ purisapuggalo viññāṇe patiṭṭhāya puññaṁ vā apuññaṁ vā pasavatī”ti.

In the same way, an individual person’s self is form. Established on form they brim with merit and wickedness. An individual person’s self is feeling … perception … choices … consciousness. Established on consciousness they brim with merit and wickedness.”

“Nanu tvaṁ, aggivessana, evaṁ vadesi:
‘rūpaṁ me attā, vedanā me attā, saññā me attā, saṅkhārā me attā, viññāṇaṁ me attā’”ti?
“Ahañhi, bho gotama, evaṁ vadāmi:
‘rūpaṁ me attā, vedanā me attā, saññā me attā, saṅkhārā me attā, viññāṇaṁ me attā’ti, ayañca mahatī janatā”ti.
“Kiñhi te, aggivessana, mahatī janatā karissati?
Iṅgha tvaṁ, aggivessana, sakaññeva vādaṁ nibbeṭhehī”ti.
“Ahañhi, bho gotama, evaṁ vadāmi:
‘rūpaṁ me attā, vedanā me attā, saññā me attā, saṅkhārā me attā, viññāṇaṁ me attā’”ti.

“Aggivessana, are you not saying this: ‘Form is my self, feeling is my self, perception is my self, choices are my self, consciousness is my self’?” “Indeed, worthy Gotama, that is what I am saying. And this big crowd agrees with me!” “What has this big crowd to do with you? Please just unpack your own statement.” “Then, worthy Gotama, what I am saying is this: ‘Form is my self, feeling is my self, perception is my self, choices are my self, consciousness is my self’.”

“Tena hi, aggivessana, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi, yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana,
vatteyya rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa sakasmiṁ vijite vaso—
ghātetāyaṁ vā ghātetuṁ, jāpetāyaṁ vā jāpetuṁ, pabbājetāyaṁ vā pabbājetuṁ, seyyathāpi rañño pasenadissa kosalassa, seyyathāpi vā pana rañño māgadhassa ajātasattussa vedehiputtassā”ti?
“Vatteyya, bho gotama, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa sakasmiṁ vijite vaso—
ghātetāyaṁ vā ghātetuṁ, jāpetāyaṁ vā jāpetuṁ, pabbājetāyaṁ vā pabbājetuṁ, seyyathāpi rañño pasenadissa kosalassa, seyyathāpi vā pana rañño māgadhassa ajātasattussa vedehiputtassa.
Imesampi hi, bho gotama, saṅghānaṁ gaṇānaṁ—
Seyyathidaṁ—vajjīnaṁ mallānaṁ—
vattati sakasmiṁ vijite vaso—
ghātetāyaṁ vā ghātetuṁ, jāpetāyaṁ vā jāpetuṁ, pabbājetāyaṁ vā pabbājetuṁ.

“Well then, Aggivessana, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, Aggivessana? Consider an anointed aristocratic king such as Pasenadi of Kosala or Ajātasattu of Magadha, son of the princess of Videha. Would they have the power in their own realm to execute those who have incurred execution, fine those who have incurred fines, or banish those who have incurred banishment?” “An anointed king would have such power, worthy Gotama. Even federations such as the Vajjis and Mallas have such power in their own realm.

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