Cūḷataṇhāsaṅkhayasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 37

Cūḷataṇhāsaṅkhayasutta

The Shorter Discourse on the Ending of Craving · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Atha kho sakko ca devānamindo vessavaṇo ca mahārājā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ purakkhatvā yena vejayanto pāsādo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu.
Addasaṁsu kho sakkassa devānamindassa paricārikāyo āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ;
disvā ottappamānā hirīyamānā sakaṁ sakaṁ ovarakaṁ pavisiṁsu.

Then, putting Venerable Mahāmoggallāna in front, Sakka, lord of gods, and Vessavaṇa, the Great King, went to the Palace of Victory. When they saw Moggallāna coming off in the distance, Sakka’s maids, being discreet and prudent, each went to her own bedroom.

Seyyathāpi nāma suṇisā sasuraṁ disvā ottappati hirīyati;
evameva sakkassa devānamindassa paricārikāyo āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ disvā ottappamānā hirīyamānā sakaṁ sakaṁ ovarakaṁ pavisiṁsu.
Atha kho sakko ca devānamindo vessavaṇo ca mahārājā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ vejayante pāsāde anucaṅkamāpenti anuvicarāpenti:
“idampi, mārisa moggallāna, passa vejayantassa pāsādassa rāmaṇeyyakaṁ;
idampi, mārisa moggallāna, passa vejayantassa pāsādassa rāmaṇeyyakan”ti.
“Sobhati idaṁ āyasmato kosiyassa, yathā taṁ pubbe katapuññassa.
Manussāpi kiñcideva rāmaṇeyyakaṁ disvā evamāhaṁsu:
‘sobhati vata bho yathā devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānan’ti.
Tayidaṁ āyasmato kosiyassa sobhati, yathā taṁ pubbe katapuññassā”ti.

They were just like a daughter-in-law who is discreet and prudent when they see their father-in-law. Then Sakka and Vessavaṇa encouraged Moggallāna to wander and explore the palace, saying, “See, in the palace, my good Moggallāna, this lovely thing! And that lovely thing!” “That looks beautiful for the venerable Kosiya, as befits one who has made merit in the past. Humans, when they see something lovely, also say: ‘It looks beautiful enough for the gods of the thirty-three!’ That looks beautiful for the venerable Kosiya, as befits one who has made merit in the past.”

Atha kho āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa etadahosi:
“atibāḷhaṁ kho ayaṁ yakkho pamatto viharati.
Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ yakkhaṁ saṁvejeyyan”ti.
Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno tathārūpaṁ iddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkhāsi yathā vejayantaṁ pāsādaṁ pādaṅguṭṭhakena saṅkampesi sampakampesi sampavedhesi.
Atha kho sakko ca devānamindo, vessavaṇo ca mahārājā, devā ca tāvatiṁsā acchariyabbhutacittajātā ahesuṁ:
“acchariyaṁ vata, bho, abbhutaṁ vata, bho.
Samaṇassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā, yatra hi nāma dibbabhavanaṁ pādaṅguṭṭhakena saṅkampessati sampakampessati sampavedhessatī”ti.

Then Moggallāna thought, “This spirit lives much too negligently. Why don’t I stir up a sense of urgency in him?” Then Moggallāna used his psychic power to make the Palace of Victory shake and rock and tremble with his big toe. Then Sakka, Vessavaṇa, and the gods of the thirty-three, their minds full of wonder and amazement, thought, “Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic has such power and might that he makes the god’s home shake and rock and tremble with his big toe!”

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ saṁviggaṁ lomahaṭṭhajātaṁ viditvā sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca:
“yathā kathaṁ pana kho, kosiya, bhagavā saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimuttiṁ abhāsi?
Sādhu mayampi etissā kathāya bhāgino assāma savanāyā”ti.
“Idhāhaṁ, mārisa moggallāna, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsiṁ. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho ahaṁ, mārisa moggallāna, bhagavantaṁ etadavocaṁ:
‘kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhikkhu saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto hoti accantaniṭṭho accantayogakkhemī accantabrahmacārī accantapariyosāno seṭṭho devamanussānan’ti?

Knowing that Sakka was shocked and awestruck, Moggallāna said to him, “Kosiya, how did the Buddha briefly explain freedom through the ending of craving? Please share this talk with me so that I can also get to hear it.” “My good fellow Moggallāna, I approached the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him, ‘Sir, how do you briefly define a mendicant who is freed with the ending of craving, who has reached the ultimate end, the ultimate sanctuary from the yoke, the ultimate spiritual life, the ultimate goal, and is best among gods and humans?’

Evaṁ vutte, mārisa moggallāna, bhagavā maṁ etadavoca:
‘idha, devānaminda, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti:
“sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā”ti.
Evañcetaṁ, devānaminda, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti
“sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā”ti.
So sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānāti, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya sabbaṁ dhammaṁ parijānāti, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ pariññāya yaṁ kiñci vedanaṁ vedeti sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā.
So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharati, virāgānupassī viharati, nirodhānupassī viharati, paṭinissaggānupassī viharati.
So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharanto, virāgānupassī viharanto, nirodhānupassī viharanto, paṭinissaggānupassī viharanto na kiñci loke upādiyati,
anupādiyaṁ na paritassati, aparitassaṁ paccattaññeva parinibbāyati:
“khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti pajānāti.

When I had spoken the Buddha said to me: ‘Lord of gods, it’s when a mendicant has heard: “Nothing is worth insisting on.” When a mendicant has heard that nothing is worth insisting on, they directly know all things. Directly knowing all things, they completely understand all things. Having completely understood all things, when they experience any kind of feeling—pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral— they meditate observing impermanence, dispassion, cessation, and letting go in those feelings. Meditating in this way, they don’t grasp at anything in the world. Not grasping, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished. They understand: “Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.”

Ettāvatā kho, devānaminda, bhikkhu saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto hoti accantaniṭṭho accantayogakkhemī accantabrahmacārī accantapariyosāno seṭṭho devamanussānan’ti.
Evaṁ kho me, mārisa moggallāna, bhagavā saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimuttiṁ abhāsī”ti.

That’s how I briefly define a mendicant who is freed through the ending of craving, who has reached the ultimate end, the ultimate sanctuary from the yoke, the ultimate spiritual life, the ultimate goal, and is best among gods and humans.’ That’s how the Buddha briefly explained freedom through the ending of craving to me.”

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno sakkassa devānamindassa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—devesu tāvatiṁsesu antarahito pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde pāturahosi.
Atha kho sakkassa devānamindassa paricārikāyo acirapakkante āyasmante mahāmoggallāne sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavocuṁ:
“eso nu te, mārisa, so bhagavā satthā”ti?
“Na kho me, mārisa, so bhagavā satthā.
Sabrahmacārī me eso āyasmā mahāmoggallāno”ti.
“Lābhā te, mārisa, suladdhaṁ te, mārisa
yassa te sabrahmacārī evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo.
Aho nūna te so bhagavā satthā”ti.

Moggallāna approved and agreed with what Sakka said. As easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from among the gods of the thirty-three and reappeared in the Eastern Monastery. Soon after Moggallāna left, Sakka’s maids said to him, “Good fellow, was that the Blessed One, your Teacher?” “No, it was not. That was my spiritual companion Venerable Mahāmoggallāna.” “You’re fortunate, good fellow, so very fortunate, to have a spiritual companion of such power and might! We can’t believe that’s not the Blessed One, your Teacher!”

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“abhijānāti no, bhante, bhagavā ahu ñātaññatarassa mahesakkhassa yakkhassa saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimuttiṁ bhāsitā”ti?
“Abhijānāmahaṁ, moggallāna, idha sakko devānamindo yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, moggallāna, sakko devānamindo maṁ etadavoca:
‘kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhikkhu saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto hoti accantaniṭṭho accantayogakkhemī accantabrahmacārī accantapariyosāno seṭṭho devamanussānan’ti.
Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, moggallāna, sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavocaṁ
‘idha devānaminda, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti
“sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā”ti.
Evaṁ cetaṁ, devānaminda, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti
“sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā”ti.

Then Mahāmoggallāna went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, do you recall briefly explaining freedom through the ending of craving to a certain well-known and illustrious spirit?” “I do, Moggallāna.” And the Buddha retold all that happened when Sakka came to visit him, adding:

So sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānāti, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya sabbaṁ dhammaṁ parijānāti, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ pariññāya yaṁ kiñci vedanaṁ vedeti sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā.
So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharati, virāgānupassī viharati, nirodhānupassī viharati, paṭinissaggānupassī viharati.
So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharanto, virāgānupassī viharanto, nirodhānupassī viharanto,
paṭinissaggānupassī viharanto na kiñci loke upādiyati,
anupādiyaṁ na paritassati, aparitassaṁ paccattaññeva parinibbāyati:
“khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti pajānāti.
Ettāvatā kho, devānaminda, bhikkhu saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto hoti accantaniṭṭho accantayogakkhemī accantabrahmacārī accantapariyosāno seṭṭho devamanussānan’ti.
Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, moggallāna, abhijānāmi sakkassa devānamindassa saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimuttiṁ bhāsitā”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamano āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Cūḷataṇhāsaṅkhayasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ sattamaṁ.

“That’s how I recall briefly explaining freedom through the ending of craving to Sakka, lord of gods.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna approved what the Buddha said.

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