Cūḷasaccakasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 35

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

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Kiṁ pana rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa, seyyathāpi rañño pasenadissa kosalassa, seyyathāpi vā pana rañño māgadhassa ajātasattussa vedehiputtassa?
Vatteyya, bho gotama, vattituñca marahatī”ti.

So of course an anointed king such as Pasenadi or Ajātasattu would wield such power, as is their right.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana,
yaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadesi:
‘rūpaṁ me attā’ti, vattati te tasmiṁ rūpe vaso—
evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu, evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosī”ti?
Evaṁ vutte, saccako nigaṇṭhaputto tuṇhī ahosi.
Dutiyampi kho bhagavā saccakaṁ nigaṇṭhaputtaṁ etadavoca:
“taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana, yaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadesi:
‘rūpaṁ me attā’ti, vattati te tasmiṁ rūpe vaso—
evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu, evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosī”ti?
Dutiyampi kho saccako nigaṇṭhaputto tuṇhī ahosi.
Atha kho bhagavā saccakaṁ nigaṇṭhaputtaṁ etadavoca:
“byākarohi dāni, aggivessana, na dāni te tuṇhībhāvassa kālo.
Yo koci, aggivessana tathāgatena yāvatatiyaṁ sahadhammikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho na byākaroti, etthevassa sattadhā muddhā phalatī”ti.

“What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say, ‘Form is my self,’ do you have power over that form to say: ‘May my form be like this! May it not be like that’?” When he said this, Saccaka kept silent. The Buddha asked the question a second time, but Saccaka still kept silent. So the Buddha said to Saccaka, “Answer now, Aggivessana. Now is not the time for silence. If someone fails to answer a legitimate question when asked three times by the Buddha, their head explodes into seven pieces there and then.”

Tena kho pana samayena vajirapāṇi yakkho āyasaṁ vajiraṁ ādāya ādittaṁ sampajjalitaṁ sajotibhūtaṁ saccakassa nigaṇṭhaputtassa uparivehāsaṁ ṭhito hoti:
“sacāyaṁ saccako nigaṇṭhaputto bhagavatā yāvatatiyaṁ sahadhammikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho na byākarissati etthevassa sattadhā muddhaṁ phālessāmī”ti.
Taṁ kho pana vajirapāṇiṁ yakkhaṁ bhagavā ceva passati saccako ca nigaṇṭhaputto.
Atha kho saccako nigaṇṭhaputto bhīto saṁviggo lomahaṭṭhajāto bhagavantaṁyeva tāṇaṁ gavesī bhagavantaṁyeva leṇaṁ gavesī bhagavantaṁyeva saraṇaṁ gavesī bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“pucchatu maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo, byākarissāmī”ti.

Now at that time the spirit Vajirapāṇī, taking up a burning iron thunderbolt, blazing and glowing, stood in the air above Saccaka, thinking, “If this Saccaka doesn’t answer when asked a third time, I’ll blow his head into seven pieces there and then!” And both the Buddha and Saccaka could see Vajirapāṇī. Saccaka was terrified, shocked, and awestruck. Looking to the Buddha for shelter, asylum, and refuge, he said, “Ask me, worthy Gotama. I will answer.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana,
yaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadesi:
‘rūpaṁ me attā’ti, vattati te tasmiṁ rūpe vaso—
evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu, evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosī”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.

“What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say, ‘Form is my self,’ do you have power over that form to say: ‘May my form be like this! May it not be like that’?” “No, worthy Gotama.”

“Manasi karohi, aggivessana;
manasi karitvā kho, aggivessana, byākarohi.
Na kho te sandhiyati purimena vā pacchimaṁ pacchimena vā purimaṁ.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana,
yaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadesi:
‘vedanā me attā’ti, vattati te tissaṁ vedanāyaṁ vaso—
evaṁ me vedanā hotu, evaṁ me vedanā mā ahosī”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.

“Think about it, Aggivessana! You should think before answering. What you said before and what you said after don’t match up. What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say, ‘Feeling is my self,’ do you have power over that feeling to say: ‘May my feeling be like this! May it not be like that’?” “No, worthy Gotama.”

“Manasi karohi, aggivessana;
manasi karitvā kho, aggivessana, byākarohi.
Na kho te sandhiyati purimena vā pacchimaṁ, pacchimena vā purimaṁ.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana,
yaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadesi:
‘saññā me attā’ti, vattati te tissaṁ saññāyaṁ vaso—
evaṁ me saññā hotu, evaṁ me saññā mā ahosī”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.

“Think about it, Aggivessana! You should think before answering. What you said before and what you said after don’t match up. What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say, ‘Perception is my self,’ do you have power over that perception to say: ‘May my perception be like this! May it not be like that’?” “No, worthy Gotama.”

“Manasi karohi, aggivessana;
manasi karitvā kho, aggivessana, byākarohi.
Na kho te sandhiyati purimena vā pacchimaṁ, pacchimena vā purimaṁ.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana,
yaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadesi:
‘saṅkhārā me attā’ti, vattati te tesu saṅkhāresu vaso—
evaṁ me saṅkhārā hontu, evaṁ me saṅkhārā mā ahesun”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.

“Think about it, Aggivessana! You should think before answering. What you said before and what you said after don’t match up. What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say, ‘Choices are my self,’ do you have power over those choices to say: ‘May my choices be like this! May they not be like that’?” “No, worthy Gotama.”

“Manasi karohi, aggivessana;
manasi karitvā kho, aggivessana, byākarohi.
Na kho te sandhiyati purimena vā pacchimaṁ, pacchimena vā purimaṁ.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana,
yaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadesi:
‘viññāṇaṁ me attā’ti, vattati te tasmiṁ viññāṇe vaso—
evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ hotu, evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ mā ahosī”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.

“Think about it, Aggivessana! You should think before answering. What you said before and what you said after don’t match up. What do you think, Aggivessana? When you say, ‘Consciousness is my self,’ do you have power over that consciousness to say: ‘May my consciousness be like this! May it not be like that’?” “No, worthy Gotama.”

“Manasi karohi, aggivessana;
manasi karitvā kho, aggivessana, byākarohi.
Na kho te sandhiyati purimena vā pacchimaṁ, pacchimena vā purimaṁ.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana,
rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
“Aniccaṁ, bho gotama”.
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?
“Dukkhaṁ, bho gotama”.
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:
‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana,
vedanā …pe…
saññā …pe…
saṅkhārā …pe…
taṁ kiṁ maññasi, aggivessana, viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
“Aniccaṁ, bho gotama”.
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?
“Dukkhaṁ, bho gotama”.
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:

“Think about it, Aggivessana! You should think before answering. What you said before and what you said after don’t match up. What do you think, Aggivessana? Is form permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent.” “But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?” “Suffering.” “But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?” “No, worthy Gotama.” “What do you think, Aggivessana? Is feeling … perception … choices … consciousness permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent.” “But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?” “Suffering.” “But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:

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