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Majjhima Nikāya 46

Mahādhammasamādānasutta

The Great Discourse on Taking Up Practices · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heard—sutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ is stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa monastery.ārāme.
thereTatra indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā mendicantsbhikkhū addressed:āmantesi:
"Mendicants!"“bhikkhavo”ti.
"Venerable sir,"“Bhadante”ti theyte mendicantsbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato replied.paccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā this·saidetadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

mostly“yebhuyyena, O mendicantsbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā having such a wishevaṅkāmā having such a desireevaṁchandā having such a hopeevaṁadhippāyā:
oh‘aho if onlyvata un-·likableaniṭṭhā un-·desirableakantā un-·agreeableamanāpā thingsdhammā would decreaseparihāyeyyuṁ, likableiṭṭhā desirablekantā agreeablemanāpā thingsdhammā would increaseabhivaḍḍheyyun’ti.
of thoseTesaṁ, O mendicantsbhikkhave, of sentient beingssattānaṁ of those having such a wishevaṅkāmānaṁ of those having such a desireevaṁchandānaṁ of those having such a hopeevaṁadhippāyānaṁ unlikableaniṭṭhā undesirableakantā disagreeableamanāpā thingsdhammā increaseabhivaḍḍhanti, likableiṭṭhā desirablekantā agreeablemanāpā thingsdhammā away·decreaseparihāyanti.
thereTatra youtumhe, O mendicantsbhikkhave, whatkaṁ reasonhetuṁ do you takepaccethā”ti?
rooted in the Buddha“Bhagavaṁmūlakā ourno, O sirbhante, teachingsdhammā, guided by the Buddhabhagavaṁnettikā, having the Buddha as refugebhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. pleaseSādhu indeedvata, O sirbhante, the Buddha himselfbhagavantaññeva forth·appearpaṭibhātu of thisetassa of what was saidbhāsitassa the meaningattho; of the Buddhabhagavato having heardsutvā mendicantsbhikkhū will rememberdhāressantī”ti.
by that“Tena thenhi, O mendicantsbhikkhave, listensuṇātha, wellsādhukaṁ in the mindmanasi applykarotha, I will speakbhāsissāmī”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, sir + quotationbhante”ti indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū to the Buddhabhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the BuddhaBhagavā this·saidetadavoca:

“Mendicants, sentient beings typically have the wish, desire, and hope: ‘Oh, if only unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable things would decrease, and likable, desirable, and agreeable things would increase!’ But exactly the opposite happens to them. What do you take to be the reason for this?” “Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. He is our guide and our refuge. Sir, may the Buddha himself please clarify the meaning of this. The mendicants will listen and remember it.” “Well then, mendicants, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

here“Idha, monksbhikkhave, not·learnedassutavā ordinary personputhujjano, of the noble onesariyānaṁ not·having seenadassāvī noble·teachingariyadhammassa not·skilledakovido noble·teachingariyadhamme untrainedavinīto, of true personssappurisānaṁ not·having seenadassāvī true person·teachingsappurisadhammassa not·skilledakovido true person·teachingsappurisadhamme untrainedavinīto,
to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme notna knowsjānāti not·cultivateasevitabbe practicesdhamme notna knowsjānāti, to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme notna knowsjānāti not·fosterabhajitabbe practicesdhamme notna knowsjānāti.
heSo to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme not·knowingajānanto not·cultivateasevitabbe practicesdhamme not knowingajānanto, to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme not·knowingajānanto not·fosterabhajitabbe practicesdhamme not knowingajānanto, not·cultivateasevitabbe practicesdhamme cultivatessevati to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme notna cultivatessevati, not·fosterabhajitabbe practicesdhamme fostersbhajati to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme notna fostersbhajati.
for himTassa not·cultivateasevitabbe practicesdhamme cultivatingsevato to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme not cultivatingasevato, not·fosterabhajitabbe practicesdhamme fosteringbhajato to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme not·fosterabhajato not·likableaniṭṭhā not·desirableakantā not·agreeableamanāpā thingsdhammā increaseabhivaḍḍhanti, likableiṭṭhā desirablekantā agreeablemanāpā thingsdhammā decreaseparihāyanti.
thatTaṁ whatkissa reasonhetu?
thus indeed thisEvañhetaṁ, monksbhikkhave, ishoti asyathā thattaṁ for the ignorantaviddasuno.

“Take an unlearned ordinary person who 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 don’t know what practices they should cultivate and foster, and what practices they shouldn’t cultivate and foster. So they cultivate and foster practices they shouldn’t, and don’t cultivate and foster practices they should. When they do so, unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable things increase, and likable, desirable, and agreeable things decrease. Why is that? Because that’s what it’s like for the ignorant.

learnedSutavā butca indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, noble·discipleariyasāvako, the noble onesariyānaṁ having seendassāvī noble·teachingariyadhammassa skilledkovido noble·teachingariyadhamme well·trainedsuvinīto, the true personssappurisānaṁ having seendassāvī true person·teachingsappurisadhammassa skilledkovido true person·teachingsappurisadhamme well·trainedsuvinīto,
to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme knowjānāti not·cultivateasevitabbe practicesdhamme knowjānāti, to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme knowjānāti not·fosterabhajitabbe practicesdhamme knowjānāti.
heSo to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme knowingjānanto not·cultivateasevitabbe practicesdhamme knowingjānanto, to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme knowingjānanto not·fosterabhajitabbe practicesdhamme knowingjānanto, not·cultivateasevitabbe practicesdhamme notna cultivatessevati to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme cultivatessevati, not·fosterabhajitabbe practicesdhamme notna fostersbhajati to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme fostersbhajati.
for himTassa not·cultivateasevitabbe practicesdhamme not·cultivateasevato to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme cultivatingsevato, not·fosterabhajitabbe practicesdhamme not·fosterabhajato to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme fosteringbhajato, not·likableaniṭṭhā not·desirableakantā not·agreeableamanāpā thingsdhammā away·decreaseparihāyanti, likableiṭṭhā desirablekantā agreeablemanāpā thingsdhammā towards·increaseabhivaḍḍhanti.
thatTaṁ whatkissa reason?hetu?
indeed + be·thatEvañhetaṁ, monksbhikkhave, ishoti asyathā thattaṁ for the knowledgableviddasuno.

But 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 know what practices they should cultivate and foster, and what practices they shouldn’t cultivate and foster. So they cultivate and foster practices they should, and don’t cultivate and foster practices they shouldn’t. When they do so, unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable things decrease, and likable, desirable, and agreeable things increase. Why is that? Because that’s what it’s like for the knowledgable.

these fourCattārimāni, O mendicantsbhikkhave, practice·taking updhammasamādānāni.
whichKatamāni fourcattāri?
there isAtthi, O mendicantsbhikkhave, practice·taking updhammasamādānaṁ present·pain·andpaccuppannadukkhañceva future·andāyatiñca pain·resultdukkhavipākaṁ;
there isatthi, O mendicantsbhikkhave, practice·taking updhammasamādānaṁ present·pleasurepaccuppannasukhaṁ in the futureāyatiṁ pain·resultdukkhavipākaṁ;
there isatthi, O mendicantsbhikkhave, practice·taking updhammasamādānaṁ present·painpaccuppannadukkhaṁ in the futureāyatiṁ pleasure·resultsukhavipākaṁ;
there isatthi, O mendicantsbhikkhave, practice·taking updhammasamādānaṁ present·pleasure·andpaccuppannasukhañceva future·andāyatiñca pleasure·resultsukhavipākaṁ.

Mendicants, there are these four ways of taking up practices. What four? There is a way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain. There is a way of taking up practices that is pleasant now but results in future pain. There is a way of taking up practices that is painful now but results in future pleasure. There is a way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure.

thereTatra, monksbhikkhave, which + thisyamidaṁ practice·taking updhammasamādānaṁ painful now andpaccuppannadukkhañceva future·andāyatiñca ripening in paindukkhavipākaṁ, thattaṁ not·knowingavidvā ignorance·goneavijjāgato as·becomeyathābhūtaṁ does not truly understandnappajānāti:
this‘idaṁ indeedkho practice·taking updhammasamādānaṁ painful now andpaccuppannadukkhañceva future·andāyatiñca ripening in paindukkhavipākan’ti.
thatTaṁ not·knowingavidvā ignorance·goneavijjāgato as·becomeyathābhūtaṁ not·understandingappajānanto thattaṁ cultivatessevati, thattaṁ notna avoidsparivajjeti.
for himTassa thattaṁ cultivatingsevato, thattaṁ not avoidingaparivajjayato, not·likableaniṭṭhā not·desirableakantā not·agreeableamanāpā thingsdhammā increaseabhivaḍḍhanti, likableiṭṭhā desirablekantā agreeablemanāpā thingsdhammā decreaseparihāyanti.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa reasonhetu?
thus indeed thatEvañhetaṁ, monksbhikkhave, ishoti asyathā thattaṁ for an ignorant oneaviddasuno.

When it comes to the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain, an ignoramus, without knowing this, doesn’t truly understand: ‘This is the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain.’ So instead of avoiding that practice, they cultivate it. When they do so, unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable things increase, and likable, desirable, and agreeable things decrease. Why is that? Because that’s what it’s like for the ignorant.

ThereTatra, O monksbhikkhave, what + thisyamidaṁ principle·undertakingdhammasamādānaṁ present·pleasantpaccuppannasukhaṁ in the futureāyatiṁ suffering·resultdukkhavipākaṁ thattaṁ ignorantavidvā ignorance·goneavijjāgato as·becomeyathābhūtaṁ does not understandnappajānāti:
this‘idaṁ indeedkho principle·undertakingdhammasamādānaṁ present·pleasantpaccuppannasukhaṁ in the futureāyatiṁ resulting in sufferingdukkhavipākan’ti.
thatTaṁ ignorantavidvā ignorance·goneavijjāgato as·becomeyathābhūtaṁ not·understandingappajānanto ittaṁ cultivatessevati, ittaṁ notna avoidsparivajjeti.
for himTassa thattaṁ cultivatingsevato, thattaṁ not avoidingaparivajjayato, not·desirableaniṭṭhā not·pleasingakantā not·agreeableamanāpā thingsdhammā increaseabhivaḍḍhanti, agreeableiṭṭhā pleasantkantā attractivemanāpā thingsdhammā decreaseparihāyanti.
thatTaṁ whykissa reasonhetu?
Thus indeed thatEvañhetaṁ, O monksbhikkhave, comes to behoti asyathā thattaṁ for one without understandingaviddasuno.

When it comes to the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pain, an ignoramus … cultivates it … and disagreeable things increase …

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