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Majjhima Nikāya 36

Mahāsaccakasutta

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 for me would 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.’

of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, this occurredetadahosi:
why don't I‘yannūnāhaṁ littlethokaṁ littlethokaṁ foodāhāraṁ should takeāhāreyyaṁ, handfulpasataṁ handfulpasataṁ, ifyadi orvā mung bean brothmuggayūsaṁ, ifyadi orvā horse gram brothkulatthayūsaṁ, ifyadi orvā chickpea brothkaḷāyayūsaṁ, ifyadi orvā green gram brothhareṇukayūsan’ti.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, littlethokaṁ littlethokaṁ foodāhāraṁ tookāhāresiṁ, handfulpasataṁ handfulpasataṁ, ifyadi orvā mung bean brothmuggayūsaṁ, ifyadi orvā horse gram brothkulatthayūsaṁ, ifyadi orvā chickpea brothkaḷāyayūsaṁ, ifyadi orvā green gram brothhareṇukayūsaṁ.
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, littlethokaṁ littlethokaṁ foodāhāraṁ takingāhārayato, handfulpasataṁ handfulpasataṁ, ifyadi orvā mung bean brothmuggayūsaṁ, ifyadi orvā horse gram brothkulatthayūsaṁ, ifyadi orvā chickpea brothkaḷāyayūsaṁ, ifyadi orvā green gram brothhareṇukayūsaṁ, severe emaciationadhimattakasimānaṁ attainedpatto bodykāyo ishoti.
just as ifSeyyathāpi it is saidnāma eighty-year-old jointsāsītikapabbāni orvā dying man's jointskāḷapabbāni orvā; just soevamevassu myme major and minor limbsaṅgapaccaṅgāni becomebhavanti due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
just as ifSeyyathāpi it is saidnāma camel's hoofoṭṭhapadaṁ; just soevamevassu myme bottomānisadaṁ ishoti due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
just as ifSeyyathāpi it is saidnāma beads on a stringvaṭṭanāvaḷī; just soevamevassu myme backbonepiṭṭhikaṇṭako stuck outuṇṇatāvanato washoti due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.

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,

just asSeyyathāpi indeednāma in an old barnjarasālāya the raftersgopānasiyo broken-downoluggaviluggā arebhavanti; just soevamevassu myme ribsphāsuḷiyo broken-downoluggaviluggā werebhavanti due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
just asSeyyathāpi indeednāma in deepgambhīre in a welludapāne the gleam of waterudakatārakā sunk deepgambhīragatā deep downokkhāyikā are seendissanti; just soevamevassu myme in the sockets of the eyesakkhikūpesu the gleam of the eyesakkhitārakā sunk deepgambhīragatā deep downokkhāyikā were seendissanti due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
just asSeyyathāpi indeednāma a bitter-gourdtittakālābu cut while greenāmakacchinno by wind and sunvātātapena shrivelledsamphuṭito ishoti witheredsammilāto; just soevamevassu myme the skin of the headsīsacchavi shrivelledsamphuṭitā washoti witheredsammilātā due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, the skin of the bellyudaracchaviṁ I will rubparimasissāmīti the backbone itselfpiṭṭhikaṇṭakaṁyeva I graspedpariggaṇhāmi, the backbonepiṭṭhikaṇṭakaṁ I will rubparimasissāmīti the skin of the belly itselfudaracchaviṁyeva I graspedpariggaṇhāmi, 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 face downavakujjo I fellpapatāmi due to eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, this veryimameva bodykāyaṁ breathingassāsento with the handpāṇinā the limbsgattāni I rubanumajjāmi. of thatTassa of memayhaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, with the handpāṇinā the limbsgattāni rubbinganumajjato rotted at the rootspūtimūlāni the hairslomāni from the bodykāyasmā fell outpapatanti 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 pureparisuddho complexionchavivaṇṇo brightpariyodāto ruinedupahato 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 in the pastatītamaddhānaṁ asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā due to exertionopakkamikā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā experiencedvedayiṁsu, this is as far as it goesetāvaparamaṁ, not from thisnayito morebhiyyo.
and whichYepi indeedhi anykeci in the futureanāgatamaddhānaṁ 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.
and whichYepi 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 by grueling workdukkarakārikāya I achieveadhigacchāmi beyonduttari of human statesmanussadhammā 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 occurredetadahosi:
I recall‘abhijānāmi indeedkho and Ipanāhaṁ of fatherpitu of the Sakyansakkassa at the workkammante in the coolsītāya in the shade of a black plum treejambucchāyāya seatednisinno quite secludedvivicceva from sensual pleasureskāmehi secludedvivicca from unskillfulakusalehi qualitiesdhammehi with placing the mindsavitakkaṁ with keeping it connectedsavicāraṁ born of seclusionvivekajaṁ rapture and 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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