Mahāsaccakasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 36

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

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of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, this occurredetadahosi:
why don't I‘yannūnāhaṁ completelysabbaso for cutting off foodāhārupacchedāya should practicepaṭipajjeyyan’ti.
thenAtha indeedkho memaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, deitiesdevatā having approachedupasaṅkamitvā this they saidetadavocuṁ:
do not‘mā indeedkho youtvaṁ, good fellowmārisa, completelysabbaso for cutting off foodāhārupacchedāya practicedpaṭipajji.
ifSace indeedkho youtvaṁ, good fellowmārisa, completelysabbaso for cutting off foodāhārupacchedāya will practicepaṭipajjissasi, for thattassa youte wemayaṁ heavenlydibbaṁ nectarojaṁ through the poreslomakūpehi we will infuseajjhohāressāma, on thattāya youtvaṁ will liveyāpessasī’ti.
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, this occurredetadahosi:
if I‘ahañceva indeedkho nowpana completelysabbaso not eatingajajjitaṁ would claimpaṭijāneyyaṁ, theseimā andca myme deitiesdevatā heavenlydibbaṁ nectarojaṁ through the poreslomakūpehi would infuseajjhohāreyyuṁ, on thattāya and + Icāhaṁ would liveyāpeyyaṁ, thattaṁ of-me·bemamassa a liemusā’ti.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, thosetā deitiesdevatā I refusedpaccācikkhāmi, there is no need‘halan’ti I sayvadāmi.

Then it occurred to me, ‘Why don’t I practice completely cutting off food?’ But deities came to me and said, ‘Good fellow, don’t practice totally cutting off food. If you do, we’ll infuse heavenly nectar into your pores and you will live on that.’ Then it occurred to me, ‘If I claim to be completely fasting while these deities are infusing heavenly nectar in my pores, that would be a lie on my part.’ So I refused those deities, saying, ‘There’s no need.’

Then it occurred to me, ‘Why don’t I just take a little bit of food each time, a handful of broth made from mung beans, horse gram, chickpeas, or green gram?’ So that’s what I did, until my body became severely emaciated. Due to eating so little, my major and minor limbs became like the joints of an eighty-year-old or a dying man, my bottom became like a camel’s hoof, my vertebrae stuck out like beads on a string,

as·justSeyyathāpi indeednāma old·halljarasālāya the raftersgopānasiyo broken·decayedoluggaviluggā arebhavanti; just soevamevassu myme ribsphāsuḷiyo broken·decayedoluggaviluggā werebhavanti due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
as·justSeyyathāpi indeednāma in deepgambhīre water·drinkingudapāne water·starudakatārakā deep·gonegambhīragatā deep downokkhāyikā are seendissanti; just soevamevassu myme eye·hollowakkhikūpesu eye·starakkhitārakā deep·gonegambhīragatā deep downokkhāyikā were seendissanti due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
as·justSeyyathāpi indeednāma a bitter-gourdtittakālābu green·cutāmakacchinno by wind and sunvātātapena together·shrivelsamphuṭito ishoti together·withersammilāto; just soevamevassu myme the skin of the headsīsacchavi together·shrivelsamphuṭitā washoti together·withersammilātā due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, fire·Vessanaaggivessana, the skin of the bellyudaracchaviṁ around·rubparimasissāmīti backbone·justpiṭṭhikaṇṭakaṁyeva around·seizepariggaṇhāmi, the backbonepiṭṭhikaṇṭakaṁ around·rubparimasissāmīti belly-skin·justudaracchaviṁyeva around·seizepariggaṇhāmi, so much so thatyāvassu myme, Aggivessanaaggivessana, the skin of the bellyudaracchavi the backbonepiṭṭhikaṇṭakaṁ stuckallīnā washoti due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, fecesvaccaṁ orvā urinemuttaṁ orvā I will dokarissāmīti right theretattheva down·bentavakujjo forth·fallpapatāmi due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, this·justimameva bodykāyaṁ breathingassāsento with the handpāṇinā the limbsgattāni along·rubanumajjāmi. of thatTassa of memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, with the handpāṇinā the limbsgattāni along·rubanumajjato rotted·rootpūtimūlāni the hairslomāni from the bodykāyasmā forth·fallpapatanti due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.

and my ribs were as gaunt as the broken-down rafters on an old barn. Due to eating so little, the gleam of my eyes sank deep in their sockets, like the gleam of water sunk deep down a well. Due to eating so little, my scalp shriveled and withered like a green bitter-gourd in the wind and sun. Due to eating so little, the skin of my belly stuck to my backbone, so that when I tried to rub the skin of my belly I grabbed my backbone, and when I tried to rub my backbone I rubbed the skin of my belly. Due to eating so little, when I tried to urinate or defecate I fell face down right there. Due to eating so little, when I tried to relieve my body by rubbing my limbs with my hands, the hair, rotted at its roots, fell out.

and then, indeedApissu memaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, peoplemanussā having seendisvā they said thusevamāhaṁsu: ‘black‘kāḷo asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo’ti.
someEkacce peoplemanussā they said thusevamāhaṁsu: ‘not‘na blackkāḷo asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo, brownsāmo asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo’ti.
someEkacce peoplemanussā they said thusevamāhaṁsu: ‘not‘na blackkāḷo asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo, nor evennapi brownsāmo, with dingy skinmaṅguracchavi asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo’ti.
to that extentYāvassu myme, Aggivessanaaggivessana, so fartāva all around·pureparisuddho complexionchavivaṇṇo all around·brightpariyodāto near·struckupahato it washoti by that very taking of little foodtāyevappāhāratāya.

Then some people saw me and said: ‘The ascetic Gotama is black.’ Some said: ‘He’s not black, he’s brown.’ Some said: ‘He’s neither black nor brown. The ascetic Gotama has dingy skin.’ That’s how far the pure, bright complexion of my skin had been ruined by taking so little food.

of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, this occurredetadahosi:
which‘ye indeedkho anykeci past + timeatītamaddhānaṁ asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā due to exertionopakkamikā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā experiencedvedayiṁsu, this is as far as it goesetāvaparamaṁ, not·from thisnayito morebhiyyo.
which·andYepi indeedhi anykeci future + timeanāgatamaddhānaṁ asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā due to exertionopakkamikā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā will experiencevedayissanti, this is as far as it goesetāvaparamaṁ, not·from thisnayito morebhiyyo.
which·andYepi indeedhi anykeci nowetarahi asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā due to exertionopakkamikā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā experiencevedayanti, this is as far as it goesetāvaparamaṁ, not·from thisnayito morebhiyyo.
notNa indeedkho but Ipanāhaṁ by thisimāya severekaṭukāya grueling·workdukkarakārikāya I achieveadhigacchāmi beyonduttari human·statemanussadhammā distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble onesalamariyañāṇadassanavisesaṁ.
there might beSiyā nownu indeedkho anotherañño pathmaggo to awakeningbodhāyā’ti?

Then it occurred to me, ‘Whatever ascetics and brahmins have experienced painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings due to exertion—whether in the past, future, or present—this is as far as it goes, no-one has done more than this. But I have not achieved any superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones by this severe, grueling work. Could there be another path to awakening?’

of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, this·wasetadahosi:
I recall‘abhijānāmi indeedkho and + Ipanāhaṁ of fatherpitu of the Sakyansakkassa at the workkammante in the coolsītāya black plum·shadejambucchāyāya seatednisinno secluded·quitevivicceva from sensual pleasureskāmehi secludedvivicca un-·skillfulakusalehi qualitiesdhammehi with·placing the mindsavitakkaṁ with·keeping connectedsavicāraṁ seclusion·bornvivekajaṁ rapture·blisspītisukhaṁ firstpaṭhamaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ having enteredupasampajja I remainedviharitā.
could beSiyā thennu indeedkho thiseso pathmaggo to awakening?bodhāyā’ti?
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, following from memorysatānusāri understandingviññāṇaṁ came to beahosi:
this very‘eseva pathmaggo to awakening.'bodhāyā’ti.

Then it occurred to me, ‘I recall sitting in the cool shade of a black plum tree while my father the Sakyan was off working. Quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, I entered and remained in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. Could that be the path to awakening?’ Stemming from that memory came the understanding: ‘That is the path to awakening!’

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