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Majjhima Nikāya 55

Jīvakasutta

With Jīvaka · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati jīvakassa komārabhaccassa ambavane.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Mango Grove of Jīvaka Komārabhacca.

Atha kho jīvako komārabhacco yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho jīvako komārabhacco bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Jīvaka went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante:
‘samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ uddissa pāṇaṁ ārabhanti, taṁ samaṇo gotamo jānaṁ uddissakataṁ maṁsaṁ paribhuñjati paṭiccakamman’ti.
Ye te, bhante, evamāhaṁsu: ‘samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ uddissa pāṇaṁ ārabhanti, taṁ samaṇo gotamo jānaṁ uddissakataṁ maṁsaṁ paribhuñjati paṭiccakamman’ti, kacci te, bhante, bhagavato vuttavādino, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkhanti, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākaronti, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgacchatī”ti?

“Sir, I have heard this: ‘They slaughter living creatures specially for the ascetic Gotama. The ascetic Gotama knowingly eats meat prepared on his behalf: this is a deed he caused.’ I trust those who say this repeat what the Buddha has said, and do not misrepresent him with an untruth? Is their explanation in line with the teaching? Are there any legitimate grounds for rebuttal and criticism?”

“Ye te, jīvaka, evamāhaṁsu: ‘samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ uddissa pāṇaṁ ārabhanti, taṁ samaṇo gotamo jānaṁ uddissakataṁ maṁsaṁ paribhuñjati paṭiccakamman’ti na me te vuttavādino, abbhācikkhanti ca maṁ te asatā abhūtena.

“Jīvaka, those who say this do not repeat what I have said. They misrepresent me with what is false and untrue.

Tīhi kho ahaṁ, jīvaka, ṭhānehi maṁsaṁ aparibhoganti vadāmi.
Diṭṭhaṁ, sutaṁ, parisaṅkitaṁ—
imehi kho ahaṁ, jīvaka, tīhi ṭhānehi maṁsaṁ aparibhoganti vadāmi.
Tīhi kho ahaṁ, jīvaka, ṭhānehi maṁsaṁ paribhoganti vadāmi.
Adiṭṭhaṁ, asutaṁ, aparisaṅkitaṁ—
imehi kho ahaṁ, jīvaka, tīhi ṭhānehi maṁsaṁ paribhoganti vadāmi.

In three cases I say that meat may not be eaten: it’s seen, heard, or suspected. These are three cases in which meat may not be eaten. In three cases I say that meat may be eaten: it’s not seen, heard, or suspected. These are three cases in which meat may be eaten.

Idha, jīvaka, bhikkhu aññataraṁ gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā upanissāya viharati.
So mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ. Iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyābajjhena pharitvā viharati.
Tamenaṁ gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā upasaṅkamitvā svātanāya bhattena nimanteti.
Ākaṅkhamānova, jīvaka, bhikkhu adhivāseti.
So tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena tassa gahapatissa vā gahapatiputtassa vā nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamati; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdati.
Tamenaṁ so gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā paṇītena piṇḍapātena parivisati.
Tassa na evaṁ hoti:
‘sādhu vata māyaṁ gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā paṇītena piṇḍapātena pariviseyyāti.

Take the case of a mendicant living supported by a town or village. They meditate spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. A householder or their child approaches and invites them for the next day’s meal. The mendicant accepts if they want. When the night has passed, they robe up in the morning, take their bowl and robe, and approach that householder’s home, where they sit on the seat spread out. That householder or their child serves them with delicious almsfood. It never occurs to them, ‘It’s so good that this householder serves me with delicious almsfood!

Aho vata māyaṁ gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā āyatimpi evarūpena paṇītena piṇḍapātena pariviseyyā’ti—
evampissa na hoti.
So taṁ piṇḍapātaṁ agathito amucchito anajjhopanno ādīnavadassāvī nissaraṇapañño paribhuñjati.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, jīvaka,
api nu so bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye attabyābādhāya vā ceteti, parabyābādhāya vā ceteti, ubhayabyābādhāya vā cetetī”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“Nanu so, jīvaka, bhikkhu tasmiṁ samaye anavajjaṁyeva āhāraṁ āhāretī”ti?

I hope they serve me with such delicious almsfood in the future!’ They don’t think that. They eat that almsfood untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawback, and understanding the escape. What do you think, Jīvaka? At that time is that mendicant intending to hurt themselves, hurt others, or hurt both?” “No, sir.” “Aren’t they eating blameless food at that time?”

“Evaṁ, bhante.
Sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante:
‘brahmā mettāvihārī’ti.
Taṁ me idaṁ, bhante, bhagavā sakkhidiṭṭho;
bhagavā hi, bhante, mettāvihārī”ti.
“Yena kho, jīvaka, rāgena yena dosena yena mohena byāpādavā assa so rāgo so doso so moho tathāgatassa pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo.
Sace kho te, jīvaka, idaṁ sandhāya bhāsitaṁ anujānāmi te etan”ti.
“Etadeva kho pana me, bhante, sandhāya bhāsitaṁ”.

“Yes, sir. Sir, I have heard that The Divinity abides in love. Now, I’ve seen the Buddha with my own eyes, and it is the Buddha who truly abides in love.” “Any greed, hate, or delusion that might give rise to ill will has been given up by the Realized One, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and is unable to arise in the future. If that’s what you were referring to, I grant it.” “That’s exactly what I was referring to.”

“Idha, jīvaka, bhikkhu aññataraṁ gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā upanissāya viharati.
So karuṇāsahagatena cetasā …pe…
muditāsahagatena cetasā …pe…
upekkhāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ.
Iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyābajjhena pharitvā viharati.
Tamenaṁ gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā upasaṅkamitvā svātanāya bhattena nimanteti.
Ākaṅkhamānova, jīvaka, bhikkhu adhivāseti.
So tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena gahapatissa vā gahapatiputtassa vā nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamati; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdati.
Tamenaṁ so gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā paṇītena piṇḍapātena parivisati.
Tassa na evaṁ hoti:
‘sādhu vata māyaṁ gahapati vā gahapatiputto vā paṇītena piṇḍapātena pariviseyyāti.

“Take the case, Jīvaka, of a mendicant living supported by a town or village. They meditate spreading a heart full of compassion … They meditate spreading a heart full of rejoicing … They meditate spreading a heart full of equanimity to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of equanimity to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. A householder or their child approaches and invites them for the next day’s meal. The mendicant accepts if they want. When the night has passed, they robe up in the morning, take their bowl and robe, and approach that householder’s home, where they sit on the seat spread out. That householder or their child serves them with delicious almsfood. It never occurs to them, ‘It’s so good that this householder serves me with delicious almsfood!

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