Cūḷavedallasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 44

The Shorter Classification · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
Atha kho visākho upāsako yena dhammadinnā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā dhammadinnaṁ bhikkhuniṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho visākho upāsako dhammadinnaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Then the layman Visākha went to see the nun Dhammadinnā, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to her:

“‘sakkāyo sakkāyo’ti, ayye, vuccati.
Katamo nu kho, ayye, sakkāyo vutto bhagavatā”ti?
“Pañca kho ime, āvuso visākha, upādānakkhandhā sakkāyo vutto bhagavatā,
seyyathidaṁ—rūpupādānakkhandho, vedanupādānakkhandho, saññupādānakkhandho, saṅkhārupādānakkhandho, viññāṇupādānakkhandho.
Ime kho, āvuso visākha, pañcupādānakkhandhā sakkāyo vutto bhagavatā”ti.
“Sādhayye”ti kho visākho upāsako dhammadinnāya bhikkhuniyā bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā dhammadinnaṁ bhikkhuniṁ uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

“Ma’am, they speak of this thing called ‘substantial reality’. What is this substantial reality that the Buddha spoke of?” “Visākha, the Buddha said that these five grasping aggregates are substantial reality. That is, the grasping aggregates of form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. The Buddha said that these five grasping aggregates are substantial reality.” Saying “Good, ma’am,” Visākha approved and agreed with what Dhammadinnā said. Then he asked another question:

“‘sakkāyasamudayo sakkāyasamudayo’ti, ayye, vuccati.
Katamo nu kho, ayye, sakkāyasamudayo vutto bhagavatā”ti?
“Yāyaṁ, āvuso visākha, taṇhā ponobbhavikā nandīrāgasahagatā tatratatrābhinandinī, seyyathidaṁ—
kāmataṇhā bhavataṇhā vibhavataṇhā;
ayaṁ kho, āvuso visākha, sakkāyasamudayo vutto bhagavatā”ti.

“Ma’am, they speak of this thing called ‘the origin of substantial reality’. What is the origin of substantial reality that the Buddha spoke of?” “It’s the craving that leads to future lives, mixed up with relishing and greed, taking pleasure there wherever it alights. That is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for continued existence, and craving for nonexistence. The Buddha said that this is the origin of substantial reality.”

“‘Sakkāyanirodho sakkāyanirodho’ti, ayye, vuccati.
Katamo nu kho, ayye, sakkāyanirodho vutto bhagavatā”ti?
“Yo kho, āvuso visākha, tassāyeva taṇhāya asesavirāganirodho cāgo paṭinissaggo mutti anālayo;
ayaṁ kho, āvuso visākha, sakkāyanirodho vutto bhagavatā”ti.

“Ma’am, they speak of this thing called ‘the cessation of substantial reality’. What is the cessation of substantial reality that the Buddha spoke of?” “It’s the fading away and cessation of that very same craving with no residue left behind; giving it away, letting it go, releasing it, and not clinging to it. The Buddha said that this is the cessation of substantial reality.”

“‘Sakkāyanirodhagāminī paṭipadā sakkāyanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti, ayye, vuccati.
Katamā nu kho, ayye, sakkāyanirodhagāminī paṭipadā vuttā bhagavatā”ti?
“Ayameva kho, āvuso visākha, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo sakkāyanirodhagāminī paṭipadā vuttā bhagavatā, seyyathidaṁ—
sammādiṭṭhi sammāsaṅkappo sammāvācā sammākammanto sammāājīvo sammāvāyāmo sammāsati sammāsamādhī”ti.

“Ma’am, they speak of the practice that leads to the cessation of substantial reality. What is the practice that leads to the cessation of substantial reality that the Buddha spoke of?” “The practice that leads to the cessation of substantial reality that the Buddha spoke of is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.”

“Taññeva nu kho, ayye, upādānaṁ te pañcupādānakkhandhā udāhu aññatra pañcahupādānakkhandhehi upādānan”ti?
“Na kho, āvuso visākha, taññeva upādānaṁ te pañcupādānakkhandhā, nāpi aññatra pañcahupādānakkhandhehi upādānaṁ.
Yo kho, āvuso visākha, pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu chandarāgo taṁ tattha upādānan”ti.

“But ma’am, is that grasping the exact same thing as the five grasping aggregates? Or is grasping one thing and the five grasping aggregates another?” “That grasping is not the exact same thing as the five grasping aggregates. Nor is grasping one thing and the five grasping aggregates another. The desire and greed for the five grasping aggregates is the grasping there.”

“Kathaṁ panāyye, sakkāyadiṭṭhi hotī”ti?
“Idhāvuso visākha, assutavā puthujjano, ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto,
rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ.
Vedanaṁ …pe…
saññaṁ …
saṅkhāre …
viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ.
Evaṁ kho, āvuso visākha, sakkāyadiṭṭhi hotī”ti.

“But ma’am, how does substantialist view come about?” “It’s when an unlearned ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons. They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. That’s how substantialist view comes about.”

“Kathaṁ panāyye, sakkāyadiṭṭhi na hotī”ti?
“Idhāvuso visākha, sutavā ariyasāvako, ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto, sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto,
na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ.
Na vedanaṁ …pe…
na saññaṁ …
na saṅkhāre …pe…
na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ.
Evaṁ kho, āvuso visākha, sakkāyadiṭṭhi na hotī”ti.

“But ma’am, how does substantialist view not come about?” “It’s when a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons. They don’t regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They don’t regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. That’s how substantialist view does not come about.”

“Katamo panāyye, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo”ti?
“Ayameva kho, āvuso visākha, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ—
sammādiṭṭhi sammāsaṅkappo sammāvācā sammākammanto sammāājīvo sammāvāyāmo sammāsati sammāsamādhī”ti.

“But ma’am, what is the noble eightfold path?” “It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.”

“Ariyo panāyye, aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhato udāhu asaṅkhato”ti?
“Ariyo kho, āvuso visākha, aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhato”ti.

“But ma’am, is the noble eightfold path conditioned or unconditioned?” “The noble eightfold path is conditioned.”

“Ariyena nu kho, ayye, aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena tayo khandhā saṅgahitā udāhu tīhi khandhehi ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅgahito”ti?
“Na kho, āvuso visākha, ariyena aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena tayo khandhā saṅgahitā; tīhi ca kho, āvuso visākha, khandhehi ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅgahito.
Yā cāvuso visākha, sammāvācā yo ca sammākammanto yo ca sammāājīvo ime dhammā sīlakkhandhe saṅgahitā.
Yo ca sammāvāyāmo yā ca sammāsati yo ca sammāsamādhi ime dhammā samādhikkhandhe saṅgahitā.
Yā ca sammādiṭṭhi yo ca sammāsaṅkappo, ime dhammā paññākkhandhe saṅgahitā”ti.

“Are the three spectrums of practice included in the noble eightfold path? Or is the noble eightfold path included in the three spectrums of practice?” “The three spectrums of practice are not included in the noble eightfold path. Rather, the noble eightfold path is included in the three spectrums of practice. Right speech, right action, and right livelihood: these things are included in the spectrum of ethics. Right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion: these things are included in the spectrum of immersion. Right view and right purpose: these things are included in the spectrum of wisdom.”

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