Mahādhammasamādānasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 46

Mahādhammasamādānasutta

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

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

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:

“yebhuyyena, bhikkhave, sattā evaṅkāmā evaṁchandā evaṁadhippāyā:
‘aho vata aniṭṭhā akantā amanāpā dhammā parihāyeyyuṁ, iṭṭhā kantā manāpā dhammā abhivaḍḍheyyun’ti.
Tesaṁ, bhikkhave, sattānaṁ evaṅkāmānaṁ evaṁchandānaṁ evaṁadhippāyānaṁ aniṭṭhā akantā amanāpā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, iṭṭhā kantā manāpā dhammā parihāyanti.
Tatra tumhe, bhikkhave, kaṁ hetuṁ paccethā”ti?
“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā, bhagavaṁnettikā, bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaññeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho; bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

“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:

“Idha, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano, ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto,
sevitabbe dhamme na jānāti asevitabbe dhamme na jānāti, bhajitabbe dhamme na jānāti abhajitabbe dhamme na jānāti.
So sevitabbe dhamme ajānanto asevitabbe dhamme ajānanto, bhajitabbe dhamme ajānanto abhajitabbe dhamme ajānanto, asevitabbe dhamme sevati sevitabbe dhamme na sevati, abhajitabbe dhamme bhajati bhajitabbe dhamme na bhajati.
Tassa asevitabbe dhamme sevato sevitabbe dhamme asevato, abhajitabbe dhamme bhajato bhajitabbe dhamme abhajato aniṭṭhā akantā amanāpā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, iṭṭhā kantā manāpā dhammā parihāyanti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti yathā taṁ aviddasuno.

“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.

Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako, ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto, sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto,
sevitabbe dhamme jānāti asevitabbe dhamme jānāti, bhajitabbe dhamme jānāti abhajitabbe dhamme jānāti.
So sevitabbe dhamme jānanto asevitabbe dhamme jānanto, bhajitabbe dhamme jānanto abhajitabbe dhamme jānanto, asevitabbe dhamme na sevati sevitabbe dhamme sevati, abhajitabbe dhamme na bhajati bhajitabbe dhamme bhajati.
Tassa asevitabbe dhamme asevato sevitabbe dhamme sevato, abhajitabbe dhamme abhajato bhajitabbe dhamme bhajato, aniṭṭhā akantā amanāpā dhammā parihāyanti, iṭṭhā kantā manāpā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti yathā taṁ viddasuno.

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.

Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānāni.
Katamāni cattāri?
Atthi, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhañceva āyatiñca dukkhavipākaṁ;
atthi, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhaṁ āyatiṁ dukkhavipākaṁ;
atthi, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhaṁ āyatiṁ sukhavipākaṁ;
atthi, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhañceva āyatiñca sukhavipākaṁ.

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.

Tatra, bhikkhave, yamidaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhañceva āyatiñca dukkhavipākaṁ, taṁ avidvā avijjāgato yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti:
‘idaṁ kho dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhañceva āyatiñca dukkhavipākan’ti.
Taṁ avidvā avijjāgato yathābhūtaṁ appajānanto taṁ sevati, taṁ na parivajjeti.
Tassa taṁ sevato, taṁ aparivajjayato, aniṭṭhā akantā amanāpā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, iṭṭhā kantā manāpā dhammā parihāyanti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti yathā taṁ aviddasuno.

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.

Tatra, bhikkhave, yamidaṁ dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhaṁ āyatiṁ dukkhavipākaṁ taṁ avidvā avijjāgato yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti:
‘idaṁ kho dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhaṁ āyatiṁ dukkhavipākan’ti.
Taṁ avidvā avijjāgato yathābhūtaṁ appajānanto taṁ sevati, taṁ na parivajjeti.
Tassa taṁ sevato, taṁ aparivajjayato, aniṭṭhā akantā amanāpā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, iṭṭhā kantā manāpā dhammā parihāyanti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti yathā taṁ aviddasuno.

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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