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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 said this: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:

mostly“yebhuyyena, O mendicantsbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā having such a wishevaṅkāmā having such a desireevaṁchandā having such a hopeevaṁadhippāyā:
oh‘aho if onlyvata unlikableaniṭṭhā undesirableakantā disagreeableamanāpā 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 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 may it 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, O sirbhante”ti indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū to the Buddhabhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the BuddhaBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

“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, unlearnedassutavā ordinary personputhujjano, of the noble onesariyānaṁ not having seenadassāvī in the teaching of the noble onesariyadhammassa unskilledakovido in the teaching of the noble onesariyadhamme untrainedavinīto, of true personssappurisānaṁ not having seenadassāvī in the teaching of the true personssappurisadhammassa unskilledakovido in the teaching of the true personssappurisadhamme untrainedavinīto,
to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme notna knowsjānāti not to be cultivatedasevitabbe practicesdhamme notna knowsjānāti, to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme notna knowsjānāti not to be fosteredabhajitabbe practicesdhamme notna knowsjānāti.
heSo to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme not knowingajānanto not to be cultivatedasevitabbe practicesdhamme not knowingajānanto, to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme not knowingajānanto not to be fosteredabhajitabbe practicesdhamme not knowingajānanto, not to be cultivatedasevitabbe practicesdhamme cultivatessevati to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme notna cultivatessevati, not to be fosteredabhajitabbe practicesdhamme fostersbhajati to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme notna fostersbhajati.
for himTassa not to be cultivatedasevitabbe practicesdhamme cultivatingsevato to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme not cultivatingasevato, not to be fosteredabhajitabbe practicesdhamme fosteringbhajato to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme not fosteringabhajato unlikableaniṭṭhā undesirableakantā disagreeableamanāpā 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 in the teaching of the noble onesariyadhammassa skilledkovido in the noble teachingariyadhamme well trainedsuvinīto, the true personssappurisānaṁ having seendassāvī in the teaching of the true personssappurisadhammassa skilledkovido in the true persons’ teachingsappurisadhamme well trainedsuvinīto,
to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme knowjānāti not to be cultivatedasevitabbe practicesdhamme knowjānāti, to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme knowjānāti not to be fosteredabhajitabbe practicesdhamme knowjānāti.
heSo to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme knowingjānanto not to be cultivatedasevitabbe practicesdhamme knowingjānanto, to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme knowingjānanto not to be fosteredabhajitabbe practicesdhamme knowingjānanto, not to be cultivatedasevitabbe practicesdhamme notna cultivatessevati to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme cultivatessevati, not to be fosteredabhajitabbe practicesdhamme notna fostersbhajati to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme fostersbhajati.
for himTassa not to be cultivatedasevitabbe practicesdhamme not cultivatingasevato to be cultivatedsevitabbe practicesdhamme cultivatingsevato, not to be fosteredabhajitabbe practicesdhamme not fosteringabhajato to be fosteredbhajitabbe practicesdhamme fosteringbhajato, unlikableaniṭṭhā undesirableakantā disagreeableamanāpā thingsdhammā decreaseparihāyanti, likableiṭṭhā desirablekantā agreeablemanāpā thingsdhammā increaseabhivaḍḍhanti.
thatTaṁ whatkissa reason?hetu?
because that is indeedEvañhetaṁ, 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, ways of taking up practicesdhammasamādānāni.
whichKatamāni fourcattāri?
there isAtthi, O mendicantsbhikkhave, a way of taking up practicesdhammasamādānaṁ painful now andpaccuppannadukkhañceva and in the futureāyatiñca results in future paindukkhavipākaṁ;
there isatthi, O mendicantsbhikkhave, a way of taking up practicesdhammasamādānaṁ pleasant nowpaccuppannasukhaṁ in the futureāyatiṁ results in future paindukkhavipākaṁ;
there isatthi, O mendicantsbhikkhave, a way of taking up practicesdhammasamādānaṁ painful nowpaccuppannadukkhaṁ in the futureāyatiṁ results in future pleasuresukhavipākaṁ;
there isatthi, O mendicantsbhikkhave, a way of taking up practicesdhammasamādānaṁ pleasant now andpaccuppannasukhañceva and in the futureāyatiñca results in future pleasuresukhavipākaṁ.

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 taking up of practicesdhammasamādānaṁ painful now andpaccuppannadukkhañceva and in the futureāyatiñca ripening in paindukkhavipākaṁ, thattaṁ ignorantavidvā immersed in ignoranceavijjāgato as it truly isyathābhūtaṁ does not truly understandnappajānāti:
this‘idaṁ indeedkho taking up of practicesdhammasamādānaṁ painful now andpaccuppannadukkhañceva and in the futureāyatiñca ripening in paindukkhavipākan’ti.
thatTaṁ ignorantavidvā immersed in ignoranceavijjāgato as it truly isyathābhūtaṁ not truly understandingappajānanto thattaṁ cultivatessevati, thattaṁ notna avoidsparivajjeti.
for himTassa thattaṁ cultivatingsevato, thattaṁ not avoidingaparivajjayato, unlikableaniṭṭhā undesirableakantā disagreeableamanāpā 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, that whichyamidaṁ way of taking up practicesdhammasamādānaṁ pleasant nowpaccuppannasukhaṁ in the futureāyatiṁ resulting in sufferingdukkhavipākaṁ thattaṁ ignorantavidvā overcome by ignoranceavijjāgato as it really isyathābhūtaṁ does not understandnappajānāti:
this‘idaṁ indeedkho way of taking up practicesdhammasamādānaṁ pleasant nowpaccuppannasukhaṁ in the futureāyatiṁ resulting in sufferingdukkhavipākan’ti.
thatTaṁ ignorantavidvā overcome by ignoranceavijjāgato as it really isyathābhūtaṁ not understandingappajānanto ittaṁ cultivatessevati, ittaṁ notna avoidsparivajjeti.
for himTassa thattaṁ cultivatingsevato, thattaṁ not avoidingaparivajjayato, disagreeableaniṭṭhā unpleasantakantā unattractiveamanāpā 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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