Cūḷamālukyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 63

The Shorter Discourse With Māluṅkya · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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not‘na existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā’ti, not‘na existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā’ti to meme the Blessed Onebhagavā should declarebyākarotu.
ifNo indeedce the Blessed Onebhagavā knowsjānāti:
exists‘hoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā’ti orvā, not‘na existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā’ti orvā, one not knowingajānato indeedkho furtherpana one not seeingapassato this·veryetadeva straightforwardujukaṁ ishoti that isyadidaṁ:
not‘na I knowjānāmi notna I seepassāmī’ti.
ifSace the Blessed Onebhagavā knowsjānāti:
exists‘hoti andca notna andca existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā’ti, exists‘hoti andca notna andca existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā’ti to meme the Blessed Onebhagavā should declarebyākarotu;
ifsace the Blessed Onebhagavā knowsjānāti:
neither‘neva existshoti notna notna existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā’ti, neither‘neva existshoti notna notna existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā’ti to meme the Blessed Onebhagavā should declarebyākarotu.
ifNo indeedce the Blessed Onebhagavā knowsjānāti:

or no longer exists, or both still exists and no longer exists, or neither still exists nor no longer exists, please tell me. If you don’t know

is‘hoti andca notna andca ishoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotation markermaraṇā’ti orvā, is not‘neva ishoti notna notna ishoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotation markermaraṇā’ti orvā, not·knowingajānato indeedkho furtherpana not·seeingapassato this·veryetadeva straightforwardujukaṁ ishoti what + thisyadidaṁ:
not‘na I knowjānāmi, notna see + quotation markerpassāmī’”ti.

any of these things, then it is straightforward to simply say: ‘I neither know nor see.’”

what“Kiṁ indeednu you·Itāhaṁ, Māluṅkyaputtamālukyaputta, thusevaṁ I saidavacaṁ:
come‘ehi youtvaṁ, Māluṅkyaputtamālukyaputta, under memayi holy·lifebrahmacariyaṁ leadcara, Iahaṁ to youte out·makebyākarissāmi:
eternal“sassato world + quotation markerloko”ti orvā, not eternal“asassato world + quotation markerloko”ti orvā, finite“antavā world + quotation markerloko”ti orvā, infinite“anantavā world + quotation markerloko”ti orvā, that“taṁ lifejīvaṁ thattaṁ body + quotation markersarīran”ti orvā, different“aññaṁ lifejīvaṁ differentaññaṁ body + quotation markersarīran”ti orvā, exists“hoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotation markermaraṇā”ti orvā, not“na existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotation markermaraṇā”ti orvā, exists“hoti andca notna andca does not existhoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotation markermaraṇā”ti orvā, neither“neva existshoti notna notna does not existhoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotation markermaraṇā”ti orvā’”ti?
no“No indeed thishetaṁ, sirbhante”.
you“Tvaṁ orvā butpana memaṁ thusevaṁ you saidavaca:
I‘ahaṁ, sirbhante, under the Buddhabhagavati holy·lifebrahmacariyaṁ I will leadcarissāmi, the Buddhabhagavā to meme out·makebyākarissati:

“What, Māluṅkyaputta, did I ever say to you: ‘Come, Māluṅkyaputta, lead the spiritual life under me, and I will declare these things to you’?” “No, sir.” “Or did you ever say to me: ‘Sir, I will lead the spiritual life under the Buddha, and the Buddha will declare these things to me’?”

eternal“sassato world + quotationloko”ti orvā, not·eternal“asassato world + quotationloko”ti orvā, finite“antavā world + quotationloko”ti orvā, not·finite“anantavā world + quotationloko”ti orvā, that“taṁ life force, samejīvaṁ thattaṁ body + quotationsarīran”ti orvā, one“aññaṁ life force, differentjīvaṁ oneaññaṁ body + quotationsarīran”ti orvā, exists“hoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotationmaraṇā”ti orvā, not“na existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotationmaraṇā”ti orvā, exists“hoti andca notna andca existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotationmaraṇā”ti orvā, neither“neva existshoti notna notna existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotationmaraṇā”ti or + quotationvā’”ti?
no“No certainly + thathetaṁ, sirbhante”.
thus“Iti indeedkira, Māluṅkyaputtamālukyaputta, nor did Inevāhaṁ thattaṁ I sayvadāmi:
come‘ehi youtvaṁ, Māluṅkyaputtamālukyaputta, in memayi the spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ leadcara, Iahaṁ to youte will declarebyākarissāmi:
eternal“sassato world + quotationloko”ti orvā, not·eternal“asassato world + quotationloko”ti orvā ellipsis…pe…
neither“neva existshoti notna notna existshoti the Tathāgatatathāgato afterparaṁ death + quotationmaraṇāti or, itvā”’ti;
nor indeednapi indeedkira memaṁ youtvaṁ you sayvadesi:
I‘ahaṁ, sirbhante, in the Blessed Onebhagavati the spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ will leadcarissāmi, the Blessed Onebhagavā to meme will declarebyākarissati:

“No, sir.” “So it seems that I did not say to you: ‘Come, Māluṅkyaputta, lead the spiritual life under me, and I will declare these things to you.’ And you never said to me: ‘Sir, I will lead the spiritual life under the Buddha, and the Buddha will declare these things to me.’

"eternal"“sassato world" thusloko”ti orvā "not eternal"“asassato world" thusloko”ti orvā …pe……pe…
"neither“neva ishoti notna notna ishoti thus·gonetathāgato afterparaṁ death" thusmaraṇā”ti or" thus.vā’ti.
this being soEvaṁ being,sante, futile·manmoghapurisa, whoko beingsanto whomkaṁ do you disavow?paccācikkhasi?

In that case, you futile man, who are you and what do you disavow?

whoYo indeedkho, Māluṅkyaputtamālukyaputta, thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
not‘na as long as Itāvāhaṁ under the Buddhabhagavati spiritual·lifebrahmacariyaṁ I will leadcarissāmi as long asyāva to meme the Buddhabhagavā notna will declarebyākarissati:
eternal“sassato the cosmosloko”ti orvā, not eternal“asassato the cosmosloko”ti orvā ……pe…
neither“neva existshoti notna notna existshoti thus·gonetathāgato afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā”ti orvā’ti,
still remain undeclaredabyākatameva thattaṁ, Māluṅkyaputtamālukyaputta, thus·gonetathāgatena would beassa, andatha thatso individualpuggalo deathkālaṁ would diekareyya.
supposeSeyyathāpi, Māluṅkyaputtamālukyaputta, a manpuriso by an arrowsallena struckviddho would beassa with·poisonsavisena thickly smearedgāḷhapalepanena.
hisTassa friends and colleaguesmittāmaccā relative·kinñātisālohitā a surgeonbhisakkaṁ arrow·surgeonsallakattaṁ would get to treatupaṭṭhapeyyuṁ.
heSo thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
not‘na as long as Itāvāhaṁ thisimaṁ arrowsallaṁ I will extractāharissāmi as long asyāva notna thetaṁ manpurisaṁ I knowjānāmi by whom I wasyenamhi woundedviddho, an aristocratkhattiyo orvā a brahminbrāhmaṇo orvā a peasantvesso orvā a menialsuddo orvā’ti;
heso thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
not‘na as long as Itāvāhaṁ thisimaṁ arrowsallaṁ I will extractāharissāmi as long asyāva notna thetaṁ manpurisaṁ I knowjānāmi by whom I wasyenamhi woundedviddho, thus·nameevaṁnāmo of such clanevaṅgotto thusiti orvā’ti;
heso thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:

Suppose someone were to say this: ‘I will not lead the spiritual life under the Buddha until the Buddha declares to me that the cosmos is eternal, or that the cosmos is not eternal … or that after death a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists.’ That would still remain undeclared by the Realized One, and meanwhile that individual would die. Suppose a man was struck by an arrow thickly smeared with poison. His friends and colleagues, relatives and kin would get a surgeon to treat him. But the man would say: ‘I won’t extract this arrow as long as I don’t know whether the man who wounded me was an aristocrat, a brahmin, a peasant, or a menial.’ He’d say: ‘I won’t extract this arrow as long as I don’t know the following things about the man who wounded me: his name and clan;

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