Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhayasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 38

Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhayasutta

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

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thatTaṁ teachingdhammaṁ hearssuṇāti a householdergahapati orvā householder·childgahapatiputto orvā in someaññatarasmiṁ orvā familykule rebornpaccājāto.
theySo thattaṁ teachingdhammaṁ having heardsutvā thus·gonetathāgate faithsaddhaṁ gainspaṭilabhati.
theySo with thattena faith·gainsaddhāpaṭilābhena endowedsamannāgato thusiti reflectspaṭisañcikkhati:
cramped‘sambādho life at homegharāvāso dirtyrajāpatho, wide openabbhokāso life gone forthpabbajjā.
not·thisNayidaṁ easysukaraṁ while living at homeagāraṁ living at homeajjhāvasatā utter·fullekantaparipuṇṇaṁ utter·pureekantaparisuddhaṁ shell·polishedsaṅkhalikhitaṁ holy·lifebrahmacariyaṁ to leadcarituṁ.
why don't IYannūnāhaṁ hair and beardkesamassuṁ having shaved offohāretvā, ocher robeskāsāyāni clothesvatthāni having dressed inacchādetvā, from homeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ should go forthpabbajeyyan’”ti.
theySo after some timeaparena timesamayena smallappaṁ orvā fortunebhogakkhandhaṁ having given uppahāya, largemahantaṁ orvā fortunebhogakkhandhaṁ having given uppahāya, smallappaṁ orvā family circleñātiparivaṭṭaṁ having given uppahāya, largemahantaṁ orvā family circleñātiparivaṭṭaṁ having given uppahāya, hair and beardkesamassuṁ having shaved offohāretvā, ocher robeskāsāyāni clothesvatthāni having dressed inacchādetvā, from homeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ goes forthpabbajati.

A householder hears that teaching, or a householder’s child, or someone reborn in a good family. They gain faith in the Realized One and reflect: ‘Life at home is cramped and dirty, life gone forth is wide open. It’s not easy for someone living at home to lead the spiritual life utterly full and pure, like a polished shell. Why don’t I shave off my hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from lay life to homelessness?’ After some time they give up a large or small fortune, and a large or small family circle. They shave off hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

heSo thusevaṁ out·go·gopabbajito beingsamāno of monksbhikkhūnaṁ training·livelihood·enteredsikkhāsājīvasamāpanno killing living creaturespāṇātipātaṁ having given uppahāya from killing living creaturespāṇātipātā against·restrainedpaṭivirato ishoti, laid down·rodnihitadaṇḍo laid down·swordnihitasattho scrupulouslajjī kindness·endoweddayāpanno full of sympathy for all living beingssabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī dwellsviharati.
taking what is not givenAdinnādānaṁ having given uppahāya not·given·takingadinnādānā against·restrainedpaṭivirato ishoti, given·takingdinnādāyī expecting only what is givendinnapāṭikaṅkhī not·thievingathenena clean·beingsucibhūtena by oneselfattanā dwellsviharati.
unchastityAbrahmacariyaṁ having given uppahāya holy·livingbrahmacārī ishoti, far·livingārācārī refrainingvirato from sexmethunā the vulgar actgāmadhammā.
lyingMusāvādaṁ having given uppahāya false·speechmusāvādā against·restrainedpaṭivirato ishoti, truth·speakingsaccavādī truth·joiningsaccasandho honesttheto dependablepaccayiko not·apart·together·speakingavisaṁvādako of the worldlokassa.
backbitingPisuṇaṁ speechvācaṁ having given uppahāya from backbiting speechpisuṇāya speechvācāya against·restrainedpaṭivirato is—from herehoti—ito having heardsutvā notna thereamutra a reporterakkhātā of theseimesaṁ for dividingbhedāya, thereamutra orvā having heardsutvā notna of theseimesaṁ a reporterakkhātā of thoseamūsaṁ for dividingbhedāya. thusIti of those who are dividedbhinnānaṁ orvā a reconcilersandhātā, of those who are unitedsahitānaṁ orvā a supporteranuppadātā harmony·delightingsamaggārāmo loving harmonysamaggarato rejoicing in harmonysamagganandī, promoting harmonysamaggakaraṇiṁ speechvācaṁ a speakerbhāsitā ishoti.

Once they’ve gone forth, they take up the training and livelihood of the mendicants. They give up killing living creatures, renouncing the rod and the sword. They’re scrupulous and kind, living full of sympathy for all living beings. They give up stealing. They take only what’s given, and expect only what’s given. They keep themselves clean by not thieving. They give up unchastity. They are chaste, set apart, refraining from the vulgar act of sex. They give up lying. They speak the truth and stick to the truth. They’re honest and dependable, and don’t trick the world with their words. They give up backbiting. They don’t repeat in one place what they heard in another so as to divide people against each other. Instead, they reconcile those who are divided and support those who are united, delighting in harmony, loving harmony, speaking words that promote harmony.

They give up harsh speech. They speak in a way that’s mellow, pleasing to the ear, endearing, going to the heart, polite, and likable and agreeable to the people. They give up talking nonsense. Their words are timely, true, and meaningful, in line with the teaching and training. They say things at the right time which are valuable, reasonable, succinct, and beneficial. They refrain from injuring plants and seeds. They eat in one part of the day, abstaining from eating at night and food at the wrong time. They refrain from seeing shows of dancing, singing, and music. They refrain from attiring and adorning themselves with garlands, fragrance, and makeup. They refrain from high and luxurious beds. They refrain from receiving gold and currency, raw grains, raw meat, women and girls, male and female bondservants, goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, elephants, cows, horses, and mares, and fields and land. They refrain from running errands and messages; buying and selling; falsifying weights, metals, or measures; bribery, fraud, cheating, and duplicity; mutilation, murder, abduction, banditry, plunder, and violence.

heSo content·pleasedsantuṭṭho ishoti body·looking afterkāyaparihārikena with robescīvarena belly·looking afterkucchiparihārikena with almsfood.piṇḍapātena. heSo whereveryena whereveryeneva forth·gopakkamati taking only these thingssamādāyeva forth·gopakkamati.
just asSeyyathāpi indeednāma wingedpakkhī birdsakuṇo whereveryena whereveryeneva fliesḍeti wings as its only burdensapattabhārova flies;ḍeti;
in the same wayevameva a mendicantbhikkhu content·pleasedsantuṭṭho ishoti body·looking afterkāyaparihārikena with robes,cīvarena, belly·looking afterkucchiparihārikena with almsfood.piṇḍapātena. heSo whereveryena whereveryeneva forth·gopakkamati taking only these thingssamādāyeva forth·gopakkamati.
heSo with thisiminā nobleariyena ethics + aggregatesīlakkhandhena with·endowedsamannāgato internallyajjhattaṁ blameless·happinessanavajjasukhaṁ experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti.

They’re content with robes to look after the body and almsfood to look after the belly. Wherever they go, they set out taking only these things. They’re like a bird: wherever it flies, wings are its only burden. In the same way, a mendicant is content with robes to look after the body and almsfood to look after the belly. Wherever they go, they set out taking only these things. When they have this spectrum of noble ethics, they experience a blameless happiness inside themselves.

heSo with the eyecakkhunā a sightrūpaṁ having seendisvā notna sign·graspernimittaggāhī ishoti not·detail·graspernānubyañjanaggāhī.
for whatever reasonYatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ see·facultycakkhundriyaṁ not·restrainedasaṁvutaṁ dwellingviharantaṁ covetousness·displeasureabhijjhādomanassā badpāpakā not·skillfulakusalā qualitiesdhammā along·flowanvāssaveyyuṁ for himtassa for restraintsaṁvarāya he practicespaṭipajjati, he protectsrakkhati the faculty of sightcakkhundriyaṁ, see·facultycakkhundriye restraintsaṁvaraṁ he achievesāpajjati.
with the earSotena a soundsaddaṁ having heardsutvā ……pe…
with the noseghānena an odorgandhaṁ having smelledghāyitvā ……pe…
with the tonguejivhāya a flavorrasaṁ having tastedsāyitvā ……pe…
with the bodykāyena a touchphoṭṭhabbaṁ having feltphusitvā ……pe…
with the mindmanasā an ideadhammaṁ having knownviññāya notna sign·graspernimittaggāhī ishoti not·detail·graspernānubyañjanaggāhī.
for whatever reasonYatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ mind·facultymanindriyaṁ not·restrainedasaṁvutaṁ dwellingviharantaṁ covetousness·displeasureabhijjhādomanassā badpāpakā not·skillfulakusalā qualitiesdhammā along·flowanvāssaveyyuṁ for himtassa for restraintsaṁvarāya he practicespaṭipajjati, he protectsrakkhati mind·facultymanindriyaṁ mind·facultymanindriye restraintsaṁvaraṁ he achievesāpajjati.
heSo with thisiminā nobleariyena faculty·restraintindriyasaṁvarena endowedsamannāgato internallyajjhattaṁ unsullied·blissabyāsekasukhaṁ he experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti.

When they see a sight with their eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving its restraint. When they hear a sound with their ears … When they smell an odor with their nose … When they taste a flavor with their tongue … When they feel a touch with their body … When they know an idea with their mind, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving its restraint. When they have this noble sense restraint, they experience an unsullied bliss inside themselves.

heSo out·goingabhikkante back·goingpaṭikkante awareness·actingsampajānakārī ishoti, when looking aheadālokite aside·lookingvilokite awareness·actingsampajānakārī ishoti, when bendingsamiñjite forth·extendingpasārite awareness·actingsampajānakārī ishoti, outer robe·bowl·robe·bearingsaṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇe awareness·actingsampajānakārī ishoti, when eatingasite when drinkingpīte when chewingkhāyite when tastingsāyite awareness·actingsampajānakārī ishoti, defecating·urinating·actionuccārapassāvakamme awareness·actingsampajānakārī ishoti, when walkinggate when standingṭhite when sittingnisinne when sleepingsutte when wakingjāgarite when speakingbhāsite silent·beingtuṇhībhāve awareness·actingsampajānakārī ishoti.

They act with situational awareness when going out and coming back; when looking ahead and aside; when bending and extending the limbs; when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes; when eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting; when urinating and defecating; when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, and keeping silent.

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