Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhayasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 38

Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhayasutta

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

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thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā a certainaññataraṁ monkbhikkhuṁ addressed:āmantesi:
“come“ehi youtvaṁ monk,bhikkhu, mymama in namevacanena Sātisātiṁ monkbhikkhuṁ Kevaṭṭaputtakevaṭṭaputtaṁ tell:āmantehi:
‘the Teacher‘satthā you,taṁ, reverendāvuso Sāti,sāti, summons’”ti.āmantetī’”ti.
“Yes,“Evaṁ, sir”tibhante”ti indeedkho thatso monkbhikkhu of the Blessed Onebhagavato having repliedpaṭissutvā whereyena Sātisāti monkbhikkhu Kevaṭṭaputtakevaṭṭaputto there he approached;tenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā Sātisātiṁ monkbhikkhuṁ Kevaṭṭaputtakevaṭṭaputtaṁ this he said:etadavoca:
“the Teacher“satthā you,taṁ, reverendāvuso Sāti,sāti, summons’”ti.āmantetī”ti.
“Yes, reverend”ti“Evamāvuso”ti indeedkho Sātisāti monkbhikkhu Kevaṭṭaputtakevaṭṭaputto to thattassa monkbhikkhuno having repliedpaṭissutvā whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā there he approached;tenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā to one sideekamantaṁ sat down.nisīdi. To one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinnaṁ indeedkho Sātisātiṁ monkbhikkhuṁ Kevaṭṭaputtakevaṭṭaputtaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā this he said:etadavoca:
“Is it true“saccaṁ reallykira your,te, Sāti,sāti, suchevarūpaṁ harmfulpāpakaṁ misconceptiondiṭṭhigataṁ arisen:uppannaṁ:
‘As I‘tathāhaṁ by the Blessed Onebhagavatā the teachingdhammaṁ taughtdesitaṁ I understandājānāmi thatyathā this very sametadevidaṁ consciousnessviññāṇaṁ roamssandhāvati transmigrates,saṁsarati, not another’”?anaññan’”ti?
“Yes“Evaṁ indeedbyā indeedkho I,ahaṁ, sir,bhante, by the Blessed Onebhagavatā the teachingdhammaṁ taughtdesitaṁ I understandājānāmi thatyathā this very sametadevidaṁ consciousnessviññāṇaṁ roamssandhāvati transmigrates,saṁsarati, not another”ti.anaññan”ti.

So the Buddha addressed one of the monks, “Please, monk, in my name tell the mendicant Sāti that the Teacher summons him.” “Yes, sir,” that monk replied. He went to Sāti and said to him, “Reverend Sāti, the Teacher summons you.” “Yes, reverend,” Sāti replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, “Is it really true, Sāti, that you have such a harmful misconception: ‘As I understand the Buddha’s teaching, it is this very same consciousness that roams and transmigrates, not another’?” “Indeed, sir. As I understand the Buddha’s teaching, it is this very same consciousness that roams and transmigrates, not another.”

what“Katamaṁ thattaṁ, Sātisāti, consciousness”viññāṇan”ti?
he who“Yvāyaṁ, sirbhante, speaksvado experiencesvedeyyo theretatra theretatra of good and badkalyāṇapāpakānaṁ deedskammānaṁ resultvipākaṁ experiences”paṭisaṁvedetī”ti.
to whom“Kassa on earthnu indeedkho evernāma youtvaṁ, futile manmoghapurisa, by memayā in that wayevaṁ dhammadhammaṁ taughtdesitaṁ you knowājānāsi?
haven'tNanu by memayā, futile manmoghapurisa, in many waysanekapariyāyena dependently originatedpaṭiccasamuppannaṁ consciousnessviññāṇaṁ saidvuttaṁ, withoutaññatra a causepaccayā there is notnatthi of consciousnessviññāṇassa coming to be”sambhavoti?
butAtha andca stillpana youtvaṁ, futile manmoghapurisa, by yourselfattanā by wrong graspduggahitena meamhe andceva misrepresentabbhācikkhasi, and yourselfattānañca harmkhaṇasi, and muchbahuñca wickednessapuññaṁ brim withpasavasi.
thisTañhi for youte, futile manmoghapurisa, will bebhavissati for a long timedīgharattaṁ for harmahitāya for suffering”dukkhāyā”ti.

“Sāti, what is that consciousness?” “Sir, he is the one who speaks, the one who knows, who experiences the results of good and bad deeds in all the different realms.” “Futile man, who on earth have you ever known me to teach in that way? Haven’t I said in many ways that consciousness is dependently originated, that without a cause, consciousness does not come to be? But still you misrepresent me by your wrong grasp, harm yourself, and brim with much wickedness. This will be for your lasting harm and suffering.”

thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressed:āmantesi:
that“Taṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññatha, mendicantsbhikkhave,
is itapi thisnāyaṁ Sātisāti mendicantbhikkhu son of a fishermankevaṭṭaputto even a spark of ardorusmīkatopi in thisimasmiṁ in this teaching and training?”dhammavinaye”ti?
how indeed“Kiñhi could it besiyā, sir?bhante?
noNo indeed thishetaṁ, sir.”bhante”ti.
thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, Sātisāti mendicantbhikkhu son of a fishermankevaṭṭaputto silenttuṇhībhūto dismayedmaṅkubhūto shoulders droopingpattakkhandho downcastadhomukho depressedpajjhāyanto with nothing to sayappaṭibhāno satnisīdi.
thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā Sātisātiṁ mendicantbhikkhuṁ son of a fishermankevaṭṭaputtaṁ silenttuṇhībhūtaṁ dismayedmaṅkubhūtaṁ shoulders droopingpattakkhandhaṁ downcastadhomukhaṁ depressedpajjhāyantaṁ with nothing to sayappaṭibhānaṁ having knownviditvā Sātisātiṁ mendicantbhikkhuṁ son of a fishermankevaṭṭaputtaṁ said this:etadavoca:
you will be known“paññāyissasi indeedkho youtvaṁ, futile manmoghapurisa, by thisetena ownsakena harmfulpāpakena misconception.diṭṭhigatena.
here IIdhāhaṁ the mendicantsbhikkhū I will question.”paṭipucchissāmī”ti.

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, “What do you think, mendicants? Has this mendicant Sāti kindled even a spark of ardor in this teaching and training?” “How could that be, sir? No, sir.” When this was said, Sāti sat silent, dismayed, shoulders drooping, downcast, depressed, with nothing to say. Knowing this, the Buddha said, “Futile man, you will be known by your own harmful misconception. I’ll question the mendicants about this.”

thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
you too“tumhepi by meme, mendicantsbhikkhave, thusevaṁ teachingdhammaṁ taughtdesitaṁ do you understandājānātha as thisyathāyaṁ Sātisāti mendicantbhikkhu son of a fishermankevaṭṭaputto by himselfattanā by wrong graspduggahitena meamhe and justceva misrepresentsabbhācikkhati, and himselfattānañca harmskhaṇati, and muchbahuñca wickednessapuññaṁ brims withpasavatī”ti?
No“No indeed thishetaṁ, sirbhante.
in many waysAnekapariyāyena forhi to usno, sirbhante, dependently originatedpaṭiccasamuppannaṁ consciousnessviññāṇaṁ has been toldvuttaṁ by the Buddhabhagavatā, apart fromaññatra a causepaccayā there is notnatthi of consciousnessviññāṇassa coming to besambhavo”ti.
Good“Sādhu goodsādhu, mendicantsbhikkhave.
goodSādhu indeedkho by meme youtumhe, mendicantsbhikkhave, thusevaṁ teachingdhammaṁ taughtdesitaṁ you understandājānātha.
in many waysAnekapariyāyena forhi to youvo, mendicantsbhikkhave, dependently originatedpaṭiccasamuppannaṁ consciousnessviññāṇaṁ has been toldvuttaṁ by memayā, apart fromaññatra a causepaccayā there is notnatthi of consciousnessviññāṇassa coming to besambhavo”ti.
thenAtha andca but thispanāyaṁ Sātisāti mendicantbhikkhu son of a fishermankevaṭṭaputto by himselfattanā by wrong graspduggahitena meamhe and justceva misrepresentsabbhācikkhati, and himselfattānañca harmskhaṇati, and muchbahuñca wickednessapuññaṁ brims withpasavati.
that indeedTañhi for himtassa for that foolish manmoghapurisassa will bebhavissati for a long timedīgharattaṁ for harmahitāya for sufferingdukkhāya.

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, “Mendicants, do you understand my teachings as Sāti does, when he misrepresents me by his wrong grasp, harms himself, and brims with much wickedness?” “No, sir. For in many ways the Buddha has told us that consciousness is dependently originated, that without a cause, consciousness does not come to be.” “Good, good, mendicants! It’s good that you understand my teaching like this. For in many ways I have told you that consciousness is dependently originated, that without a cause, consciousness does not come to be. But still this Sāti misrepresents me by his wrong grasp, harms himself, and brims with much wickedness. This will be for his lasting harm and suffering.

Consciousness is reckoned according to the very same condition dependent upon which it arises. Consciousness that arises dependent on the eye and sights is reckoned as eye consciousness. Consciousness that arises dependent on the ear and sounds is reckoned as ear consciousness. Consciousness that arises dependent on the nose and smells is reckoned as nose consciousness. Consciousness that arises dependent on the tongue and tastes is reckoned as tongue consciousness. Consciousness that arises dependent on the body and touches is reckoned as body consciousness. Consciousness that arises dependent on the mind and ideas is reckoned as mind consciousness. It’s like fire, which is reckoned according to the very same condition dependent upon which it burns. A fire that burns dependent on logs is reckoned as a log fire. A fire that burns dependent on twigs is reckoned as a twig fire. A fire that burns dependent on grass is reckoned as a grass fire.

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