Cūḷataṇhāsaṅkhayasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 37

Cūḷataṇhāsaṅkhayasutta

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

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thusEvaṁ by meme heard—sutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in the Eastern Monasterypubbārāme in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother.migāramātupāsāde.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery.

thenAtha indeedkho Sakkasakko lord of godsdevānamindo whereyena the Buddhabhagavā went up to himtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the Buddhabhagavantaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā to one sideekamantaṁ stoodaṭṭhāsi. to one sideEkamantaṁ stoodṭhito indeedkho Sakkasakko lord of godsdevānamindo the Buddhabhagavantaṁ said this to himetadavoca:
how“kittāvatā is itnu indeedkho, sirbhante, a mendicantbhikkhu brieflysaṅkhittena freed through the ending of cravingtaṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto ishoti having reached the ultimate endaccantaniṭṭho having the ultimate sanctuary from the yokeaccantayogakkhemī having the ultimate spiritual lifeaccantabrahmacārī having the ultimate goalaccantapariyosāno bestseṭṭho among gods and humansdevamanussānan”ti?

And then Sakka, lord of gods, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him: “Sir, how do you 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?”

here“Idha, lord of godsdevānaminda, to a mendicantbhikkhuno has been heardsutaṁ ishoti:
all‘sabbe thingsdhammā are not worthnālaṁ for insisting onabhinivesāyā’ti.
thus, hereEvañcetaṁ, lord of godsdevānaminda, to a mendicantbhikkhuno has been heardsutaṁ ishoti:
all‘sabbe thingsdhammā are not worthnālaṁ for insisting onabhinivesāyā’ti.
heSo allsabbaṁ thingdhammaṁ directly knowsabhijānāti; allsabbaṁ thingdhammaṁ having directly knownabhiññāya allsabbaṁ thingdhammaṁ completely understandsparijānāti; allsabbaṁ thingdhammaṁ having completely understoodpariññāya whateveryaṁ anykiñci feelingvedanaṁ experiencesvedeti—
pleasantsukhaṁ orvā unpleasantdukkhaṁ orvā neutraladukkhamasukhaṁ orvā, heso in thosetāsu feelingsvedanāsu observing impermanenceaniccānupassī meditatesviharati, observing dispassionvirāgānupassī meditatesviharati, observing cessationnirodhānupassī meditatesviharati, observing letting gopaṭinissaggānupassī meditatesviharati.
heSo in thosetāsu feelingsvedanāsu observing impermanenceaniccānupassī meditatingviharanto, observing dispassionvirāgānupassī meditatingviharanto, observing cessationnirodhānupassī meditatingviharanto, observing letting gopaṭinissaggānupassī meditatingviharanto notna anythingkiñci in the worldloke grasps atupādiyati.
not graspingAnupādiyaṁ notna is anxiousparitassati, not being anxiousaparitassaṁ personallypaccattaññeva becomes extinguishedparinibbāyati:
ended‘khīṇā rebirthjāti, has been completedvusitaṁ spiritual journeybrahmacariyaṁ, has been donekataṁ what had to be donekaraṇīyaṁ, there is nothing furthernāparaṁ for this placeitthattāyā’ti understandspajānāti.
to this extentEttāvatā indeedkho, lord of godsdevānaminda, mendicantbhikkhu in briefsaṅkhittena freed through the ending of cravingtaṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto ishoti reached the ultimate endaccantaniṭṭho ultimate sanctuary from the yokeaccantayogakkhemī ultimate spiritual lifeaccantabrahmacārī ultimate goalaccantapariyosāno bestseṭṭho among gods and humansdevamanussānan”ti.

“Lord of gods, take a mendicant who 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. Completely understanding 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.’ 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.”

thenAtha indeedkho Sakkasakko lord of godsdevānamindo of the Blessed Onebhagavato speechbhāsitaṁ having approvedabhinanditvā having agreedanumoditvā the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā respectful circlingpadakkhiṇaṁ having donekatvā vanished right theretatthevantaradhāyi.

Then Sakka, lord of gods, having approved and agreed with what the Buddha said, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

at thatTena thenkho nowpana at the timesamayena venerableāyasmā Mahāmoggallānamahāmoggallāno of the Buddhabhagavato not faravidūre seatednisinno he washoti.
thenAtha nowkho to venerableāyasmato Mahāmoggallānamahāmoggallānassa this occurredetadahosi:
“what“kiṁ thennu indeedkho thatso spirityakkho of the Buddhabhagavato what was saidbhāsitaṁ having comprehendedabhisamecca he agreedanumodi orudāhu notno;
then Iyannūnāhaṁ thattaṁ spirityakkhaṁ might knowjāneyyaṁ—
whetheryadi orvā thatso spirityakkho of the Buddhabhagavato what was saidbhāsitaṁ having comprehendedabhisamecca he agreedanumodi whetheryadi orvā not?”no”ti?

Now at that time Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was sitting not far from the Buddha. He thought, “Did that spirit comprehend what the Buddha said when he agreed with him, or not? Why don’t I find out?”

thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Mahāmoggallāna—just asmahāmoggallāno—seyyathāpi indeednāma strongbalavā personpuriso bentsamiñjitaṁ orvā armbāhaṁ would extendpasāreyya, extendedpasāritaṁ orvā armbāhaṁ would bendsamiñjeyya; so—in the Eastern Monasteryevameva—pubbārāme in Migāra's mother's mansionmigāramātupāsāde vanishedantarahito among the godsdevesu among the thirty-threetāvatiṁsesu reappearedpāturahosi.

And then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from the Eastern Monastery and reappeared among the gods of the thirty-three.

at thatTena indeedkho nowpana timesamayena Sakkasakko lord of godsdevānamindo Single Lotusekapuṇḍarīke parkuyyāne heavenlydibbehi fivepañcahi hundreds of instrumentstūriyasatehi suppliedsamappito provided withsamaṅgībhūto amusing himselfparicāreti.
sawAddasā indeedkho Sakkasakko lord of godsdevānamindo venerableāyasmantaṁ Mahāmoggallānamahāmoggallānaṁ from a distancedūratova comingāgacchantaṁ.
having seenDisvāna thosetāni heavenlydibbāni fivepañca hundreds of instrumentstūriyasatāni having waved offpaṭippaṇāmetvā where venerableyenāyasmā Mahāmoggallānamahāmoggallāno there approachedtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā venerableāyasmantaṁ Mahāmoggallānamahāmoggallānaṁ this saidetadavoca:
come“ehi indeedkho, good sirmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna, welcomesvāgataṁ, good sirmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna.
in a long timeCirassaṁ indeedkho, good sirmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna, thisimaṁ opportunitypariyāyaṁ madeakāsi namely thisyadidaṁ for coming hereidhāgamanāya.
sitNisīda, good sirmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna, this seatidamāsanaṁ is preparedpaññattan”ti.
sat downNisīdi indeedkho venerableāyasmā Mahāmoggallānamahāmoggallāno preparedpaññatte seatāsane.
Sakka tooSakkopi indeedkho lord of godsdevānamindo a certainaññataraṁ lownīcaṁ seatāsanaṁ having takengahetvā to one sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdi.
to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinnaṁ indeedkho Sakkasakkaṁ lord of godsdevānamindaṁ venerableāyasmā Mahāmoggallānamahāmoggallāno this saidetadavoca:

Now at that time Sakka was amusing himself in the Single Lotus Park, supplied and provided with a heavenly orchestra. Seeing Mahāmoggallāna coming off in the distance, he waved off the orchestra, approached Mahāmoggallāna, and said, “Come, my good fellow Moggallāna! Welcome, my good fellow! It’s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here. Sit, my good Moggallāna, here, a seat is ready.” Mahāmoggallāna sat down on the seat spread out, while Sakka took a low seat and sat to one side. Mahāmoggallāna said to him,

how“yathā howkathaṁ thenpana indeedkho, Kosiyakosiya, the Blessed Onebhagavā brieflysaṅkhittena freedom through the ending of cravingtaṇhāsaṅkhayavimuttiṁ explainedabhāsi?
pleaseSādhu we too maymayampi of thisetissā talkkathāya sharersbhāgino we may beassāma for hearingsavanāyā”ti.
we“Mayaṁ indeedkho, my goodmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna, having many dutiesbahukiccā having much to dobahukaraṇīyā—
not onlyappeva with one's ownsakena dutykaraṇīyena, butapi andca of the gods onlydevānaṁyeva of the thirty-threetāvatiṁsānaṁ with the dutykaraṇīyena.
butApi andca, my goodmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna, properly heard onlysussutaṁyeva ishoti properly learnedsuggahitaṁ properly attendedsumanasikataṁ properly memorizedsūpadhāritaṁ, whichyaṁ for usno all of a sudden onlykhippameva vanishesantaradhāyati.
once upon a timeBhūtapubbaṁ, my goodmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna, battle between gods and titansdevāsurasaṅgāmo was foughtsamupabyūḷho wasahosi.
in thatTasmiṁ indeedkho thenpana, my goodmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna, in the battlesaṅgāme the godsdevā wonjiniṁsu, the titansasurā lostparājiniṁsu.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, my goodmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna, thattaṁ battlesaṅgāmaṁ having conqueredabhivijinitvā victor in battlevijitasaṅgāmo from theretato having returnedpaṭinivattitvā Victoryvejayantaṁ namednāma palacepāsādaṁ I createdmāpesiṁ.
of the VictoryVejayantassa indeedkho, my goodmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna, of the palacepāsādassa a hundredekasataṁ towersniyyūhaṁ.
in eachEkekasmiṁ towerniyyūhe sevensatta sevensatta hundred chamberskūṭāgārasatāni.
in eachEkamekasmiṁ chamberkūṭāgāre sevensatta sevensatta nymphsaccharāyo.
of eachEkamekissā nymphaccharāya sevensatta sevensatta maidsparicārikāyo.

“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 Moggallāna, I have many duties, and much to do, not only for myself, but also for the gods of the thirty-three. Still, what is properly heard, learned, attended, and memorized does not vanish all of a sudden. Once upon a time, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans. In that battle the gods won and the titans lost. When I returned from that battle as a conqueror, I created the Palace of Victory. The Palace of Victory has a hundred towers. Each tower has seven hundred chambers. Each chamber has seven nymphs. Each nymph has seven maids.

would you wishIccheyyāsi indeedno youtvaṁ, sirmārisa Moggallānamoggallāna, of Vejayantavejayantassa of the palacepāsādassa lovelinessrāmaṇeyyakaṁ to see?daṭṭhun”ti?
consentedAdhivāsesi indeedkho venerableāyasmā Mahāmoggallānamahāmoggallāno with silencetuṇhībhāvena.

Would you like to see the lovely Palace of Victory?” Mahāmoggallāna consented with silence.

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