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Majjhima Nikāya 46

Mahādhammasamādānasutta

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

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sahāpi sukhena sahāpi somanassena samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā veramaṇīpaccayā ca sukhaṁ somanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti;
sahāpi sukhena sahāpi somanassena anabhijjhālu hoti, anabhijjhāpaccayā ca sukhaṁ somanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti;
sahāpi sukhena sahāpi somanassena abyāpannacitto hoti, abyāpādapaccayā ca sukhaṁ somanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti;
sahāpi sukhena sahāpi somanassena sammādiṭṭhi hoti, sammādiṭṭhipaccayā ca sukhaṁ somanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.
Idaṁ, vuccati, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhañceva āyatiñca sukhavipākaṁ.
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri dhammasamādānāni.

And when their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. This is called the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure. These are the four ways of taking up practices.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, tittakālābu visena saṁsaṭṭho.
Atha puriso āgaccheyya jīvitukāmo amaritukāmo sukhakāmo dukkhappaṭikūlo.
Tamenaṁ evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
‘ambho purisa, ayaṁ tittakālābu visena saṁsaṭṭho,
sace ākaṅkhasi piva.
Tassa te pivato ceva nacchādessati vaṇṇenapi gandhenapi rasenapi, pivitvā ca pana maraṇaṁ vā nigacchasi maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhan’ti.
So taṁ appaṭisaṅkhāya piveyya, nappaṭinissajjeyya.
Tassa taṁ pivato ceva nacchādeyya vaṇṇenapi gandhenapi rasenapi, pivitvā ca pana maraṇaṁ vā nigaccheyya maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhaṁ.
Tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ vadāmi, yamidaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhañceva āyatiñca dukkhavipākaṁ.

Suppose there was some bitter gourd mixed with poison. Then a man would come along who wants to live and doesn’t want to die, who wants to be happy and recoils from pain. They’d say to him: ‘Here, my man, this is bitter gourd mixed with poison. Drink it if you like. If you drink it, the color, aroma, and flavor will be unappetizing, and it will result in death or deadly pain.’ He wouldn’t put it down. Without appraisal, he’d drink it. The color, aroma, and flavor would be unappetizing, and it would result in death or deadly pain. This is comparable to the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain, I say.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, āpānīyakaṁso vaṇṇasampanno gandhasampanno rasasampanno.
So ca kho visena saṁsaṭṭho.
Atha puriso āgaccheyya jīvitukāmo amaritukāmo sukhakāmo dukkhappaṭikūlo.
Tamenaṁ evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
‘ambho purisa, ayaṁ āpānīyakaṁso vaṇṇasampanno gandhasampanno rasasampanno.
So ca kho visena saṁsaṭṭho,
sace ākaṅkhasi piva.
Tassa te pivatohi kho chādessati vaṇṇenapi gandhenapi rasenapi, pivitvā ca pana maraṇaṁ vā nigacchasi maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhan’ti.
So taṁ appaṭisaṅkhāya piveyya, nappaṭinissajjeyya.
Tassa taṁ pivatohi kho chādeyya vaṇṇenapi gandhenapi rasenapi, pivitvā ca pana maraṇaṁ vā nigaccheyya maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhaṁ.
Tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ vadāmi, yamidaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhaṁ āyatiṁ dukkhavipākaṁ.

Suppose there was a bronze goblet of beverage that had a nice color, aroma, and flavor. But it was mixed with poison. Then a man would come along who wants to live and doesn’t want to die, who wants to be happy and recoils from pain. They’d say to him: ‘Here, my man, this bronze goblet of beverage has a nice color, aroma, and flavor. But it’s mixed with poison. Drink it if you like. If you drink it, the color, aroma, and flavor will be appetizing, but it will result in death or deadly pain.’ He wouldn’t put it down. Without appraisal, he’d drink it. The color, aroma, and flavor would be appetizing, but it would result in death or deadly pain. This is comparable to the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pain, I say.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pūtimuttaṁ nānābhesajjehi saṁsaṭṭhaṁ.
Atha puriso āgaccheyya paṇḍukarogī.
Tamenaṁ evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
‘ambho purisa, idaṁ pūtimuttaṁ nānābhesajjehi saṁsaṭṭhaṁ, sace ākaṅkhasi piva.
Tassa te pivatohi kho nacchādessati vaṇṇenapi gandhenapi rasenapi, pivitvā ca pana sukhī bhavissasī’ti.
So taṁ paṭisaṅkhāya piveyya, nappaṭinissajjeyya.
Tassa taṁ pivatohi kho nacchādeyya vaṇṇenapi gandhenapi rasenapi, pivitvā ca pana sukhī assa.
Tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ vadāmi, yamidaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhaṁ āyatiṁ sukhavipākaṁ.

Suppose there was some rancid urine mixed with different medicines. Then a man with jaundice would come along. They’d say to him: ‘Here, my man, this is rancid urine mixed with different medicines. Drink it if you like. If you drink it, the color, aroma, and flavor will be unappetizing, but after drinking it you will be happy.’ He wouldn’t put it down. After appraisal, he’d drink it. The color, aroma, and flavor would be unappetizing, but after drinking it he would be happy. This is comparable to the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pleasure, I say.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dadhi ca madhu ca sappi ca phāṇitañca ekajjhaṁ saṁsaṭṭhaṁ.
Atha puriso āgaccheyya lohitapakkhandiko.
Tamenaṁ evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
‘ambho purisa, idaṁ dadhi ca madhu ca sappi ca phāṇitañca ekajjhaṁ saṁsaṭṭhaṁ, sace ākaṅkhasi piva.
Tassa te pivato ceva chādessati vaṇṇenapi gandhenapi rasenapi, pivitvā ca pana sukhī bhavissasī’ti.
So taṁ paṭisaṅkhāya piveyya, nappaṭinissajjeyya.
Tassa taṁ pivato ceva chādeyya vaṇṇenapi gandhenapi rasenapi, pivitvā ca pana sukhī assa.
Tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ vadāmi, yamidaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhañceva āyatiñca sukhavipākaṁ.

Suppose there was some curds, honey, ghee, and molasses all mixed together. Then a man with bloody dysentery would come along. They’d say to him: ‘Here, my man, this is curds, honey, ghee, and molasses all mixed together. Drink it if you like. If you drink it, the color, aroma, and flavor will be appetizing, and after drinking it you will be happy.’ He wouldn’t put it down. After appraisal, he’d drink it. The color, aroma, and flavor would be appetizing, and after drinking it he would be happy. This is comparable to the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure, I say.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vassānaṁ pacchime māse saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve ādicco nabhaṁ abbhussakkamāno sabbaṁ ākāsagataṁ tamagataṁ abhivihacca bhāsate ca tapate ca virocate ca;
evameva kho, bhikkhave, yamidaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhañceva āyatiñca sukhavipākaṁ tadaññe puthusamaṇabrāhmaṇaparappavāde abhivihacca bhāsate ca tapate ca virocate cā”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Mahādhammasamādānasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.

It’s like the last month of the rainy season, in autumn, when the heavens are sunny and cloudless. And as the sun is rising to the firmament, having dispelled all the darkness of space, it shines and glows and dazzles. In the same way, this way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure dispels the doctrines of the various other ascetics and brahmins as it shines and glows and dazzles.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

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