Mahāsaccakasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 36

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

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of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, this·wasetadahosi:
why‘kiṁ thennu indeedkho Iahaṁ of thattassa of pleasuresukhassa am I afraidbhāyāmi, whichyaṁ thattaṁ pleasuresukhaṁ apart indeedaññatreva from sensual pleasureskāmehi apartaññatra un-·skillfulakusalehi from qualitiesdhammehī’ti?
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, this·wasetadahosi:
not‘na indeedkho Iahaṁ of thattassa of pleasuresukhassa am I afraidbhāyāmi, whichyaṁ thattaṁ pleasuresukhaṁ apart indeedaññatreva from sensual pleasureskāmehi apartaññatra un-·skillfulakusalehi from qualitiesdhammehī’ti.

Then it occurred to me, ‘Why am I afraid of that pleasure, for it has nothing to do with sensual pleasures or unskillful qualities?’ Then it occurred to me, ‘I’m not afraid of that pleasure, for it has nothing to do with sensual pleasures or unskillful qualities.’

of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, this occurredetadahosi:
not‘na indeedkho thattaṁ easysukaraṁ pleasuresukhaṁ to achieveadhigantuṁ thusevaṁ severely emaciatedadhimattakasimānaṁ with bodypattakāyena, which + now + Iyannūnāhaṁ solidoḷārikaṁ foodāhāraṁ should eatāhāreyyaṁ rice and porridgeodanakummāsan’ti.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, solidoḷārikaṁ foodāhāraṁ ateāhāresiṁ rice and porridgeodanakummāsaṁ.
at thatTena indeedkho nowpana memaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, at the timesamayena fivepañca mendicantsbhikkhū were attendingpaccupaṭṭhitā arehonti:
whatever‘yaṁ indeedkho asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo truthdhammaṁ will realizeadhigamissati, thattaṁ to usno will tellārocessatī’ti.
whenYato indeedkho Iahaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, solidoḷārikaṁ foodāhāraṁ ateāhāresiṁ rice and porridgeodanakummāsaṁ, thenatha meme thosete fivepañca mendicantsbhikkhū disappointednibbijja leftpakkamiṁsu:
indulgent‘bāhulliko asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo, strayed from the strugglepadhānavibbhanto, returnedāvatto to indulgencebāhullāyā’ti.

Then it occurred to me, ‘I can’t achieve that pleasure with a body so severely emaciated. Why don’t I eat some solid food, some rice and porridge?’ So I ate some solid food. Now at that time the group of five mendicants were attending on me, thinking, ‘The ascetic Gotama will tell us of any truth that he realizes.’ But when I ate some solid food, they left disappointed in me, saying, ‘The ascetic Gotama has become indulgent; he has strayed from the struggle and returned to indulgence.’

thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, solidoḷārikaṁ foodāhāraṁ having eatenāhāretvā, strengthbalaṁ having gatheredgahetvā, seclude + justvivicceva from sensual pleasureskāmehi secludedvivicca not·skillfulakusalehi qualitiesdhammehi with·placing-mindsavitakkaṁ with·keeping-connectedsavicāraṁ seclusion·bornvivekajaṁ rapture·blisspītisukhaṁ firstpaṭhamaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ near·together·enterupasampajja apart·dwellvihāsiṁ.
such·form + evenEvarūpāpi indeedkho to meme, Aggivessanaaggivessana, arisenuppannā pleasantsukhā feelingvedanā mindcittaṁ notna having occupiedpariyādāya it remainedtiṭṭhati.

After eating solid food and gathering my strength, 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. But even such pleasant feeling did not occupy my mind.

of placing-and-connectingVitakkavicārānaṁ by stillingvūpasamā internallyajjhattaṁ together·claritysampasādanaṁ of mindcetaso one·stateekodibhāvaṁ without·placingavitakkaṁ without·connectingavicāraṁ immersion·bornsamādhijaṁ rapture·blisspītisukhaṁ seconddutiyaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ up·attainedupasampajja I remained.vihāsiṁ.
such·evenEvarūpāpi indeedkho for me,me, Aggivessana,aggivessana, arisenuppannā pleasantsukhā feelingvedanā mindcittaṁ notna around·occupiedpariyādāya stands.tiṭṭhati.
of rapturePītiyā andca from fadingvirāgā equanimousupekkhako andca I remained,vihāsiṁ, mindfulsato andca aware.sampajāno. bliss·andSukhañca with the bodykāyena against·experiencedpaṭisaṁvedesiṁ whichyaṁ thattaṁ the noble onesariyā declare:ācikkhanti: equanimous‘upekkhako mindfulsatimā dwelling in bliss'sukhavihārī’ti thirdtatiyaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ up·attainedupasampajja I remained.vihāsiṁ.
such·evenEvarūpāpi indeedkho for me,me, Aggivessana,aggivessana, arisenuppannā pleasantsukhā feelingvedanā mindcittaṁ notna around·occupiedpariyādāya stands.tiṭṭhati.
of pleasureSukhassa andca from giving uppahānā of paindukkhassa andca from giving up,pahānā, beforepubbeva happiness + sadnesssomanassadomanassānaṁ from disappearance,atthaṅgamā, without·pain + pleasureadukkhamasukhaṁ equanimity·mindfulness·purifiedupekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ fourthcatutthaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ up·attainedupasampajja I remained.vihāsiṁ.
such·evenEvarūpāpi indeedkho for me,me, Aggivessana,aggivessana, arisenuppannā pleasantsukhā feelingvedanā mindcittaṁ notna around·occupiedpariyādāya stands.tiṭṭhati.

As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected were stilled, I entered and remained in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. But even such pleasant feeling did not occupy my mind. And with the fading away of rapture, I entered and remained in the third absorption, where I meditated with equanimity, mindful and aware, experiencing for themselves the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’ But even such pleasant feeling did not occupy my mind. With the giving up of pleasure and pain, and the disappearance of former happiness and sadness, I entered and remained in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness. But even such pleasant feeling did not occupy my mind.

ISo thusevaṁ immersedsamāhite in mindcitte purifiedparisuddhe brightpariyodāte flawlessanaṅgaṇe rid of corruptionsvigatūpakkilese pliablemudubhūte workablekammaniye steadyṭhite imperturbableāneñjappatte toward recollection of past livespubbenivāsānussatiñāṇāya mindcittaṁ I extendedabhininnāmesiṁ.
ISo many kindsanekavihitaṁ past livespubbenivāsaṁ I recollectanussarāmi, that is, one lifeseyyathidaṁ—ekampi birthjātiṁ …pe……pe… thusiti with featuressākāraṁ and detailssauddesaṁ many kindsanekavihitaṁ past livespubbenivāsaṁ I recollectanussarāmi.

When my mind had immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it toward recollection of past lives. I recollected my many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

thisAyaṁ indeedkho to meme, Aggivessanaaggivessana, of the nightrattiyā in the firstpaṭhame watchyāme firstpaṭhamā knowledgevijjā achievedadhigatā;
not·knowavijjā banishedvihatā, knowledgevijjā aroseuppannā; darknesstamo banishedvihato, lightāloko aroseuppanno; asyathā thattaṁ not·negligentappamattassa toward·burningātāpino forth·sentpahitattassa for one livingviharato.
such·evenEvarūpāpi indeedkho to meme, Aggivessanaaggivessana, arisenuppannā pleasantsukhā feelingvedanā mindcittaṁ notna having occupiedpariyādāya remainstiṭṭhati.

This was the first knowledge, which I achieved in the first watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute. But even such pleasant feeling did not occupy my mind.

ISo thusevaṁ immersed in samādhisamāhite mindcitte purifiedparisuddhe brightpariyodāte flawlessanaṅgaṇe rid of corruptionsvigatūpakkilese pliablemudubhūte workablekammaniye steadyṭhite imperturbableāneñjappatte of sentient beingssattānaṁ death and rebirth·knowledgecutūpapātañāṇāya mindcittaṁ I extendedabhininnāmesiṁ.
ISo with divinedibbena eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena superhumanatikkantamānusakena sentient beingssatte I seepassāmi passing awaycavamāne being rebornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe in a good placesugate in a bad placeduggate passing on according to their deedsyathākammūpage sentient beingssatte I understandpajānāmi …pe……pe…

When my mind had immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it toward knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings. With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, I saw sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. I understood how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.

thisayaṁ indeedkho to meme, Aggivessanaaggivessana, of the nightrattiyā in the middlemajjhime watchyāme seconddutiyā knowledgevijjā was achievedadhigatā;
ignoranceavijjā was banishedvihatā, knowledgevijjā aroseuppannā; darknesstamo was banishedvihato, lightāloko aroseuppanno; asyathā thattaṁ for one who is diligentappamattassa keenātāpino resolutepahitattassa dwellingviharato.
but even suchEvarūpāpi indeedkho to meme, Aggivessanaaggivessana, arisenuppannā pleasantsukhā feelingvedanā mindcittaṁ notna having occupiedpariyādāya remainstiṭṭhati.

This was the second knowledge, which I achieved in the middle watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute. But even such pleasant feeling did not occupy my mind.

When my mind had immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it toward knowledge of the ending of defilements. I truly understood: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’ I truly understood: ‘These are defilements’ … ‘This is the origin of defilements’ … ‘This is the cessation of defilements’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of defilements.’

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