Cūḷamālukyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 63

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

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

‘Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evampi no.
‘Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā diṭṭhiyā sati attheva jāti …pe…
yesāhaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme nighātaṁ paññapemi.

‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death’ there would be the living of the spiritual life. When there are any of these views there is rebirth, there is old age, there is death, and there is sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. And it is the defeat of these things in this very life that I advocate.

So, Māluṅkyaputta, you should remember what I have not declared as undeclared, and what I have declared as declared. And what have I not declared? I have not declared the following: ‘the cosmos is eternal,’ ‘the cosmos is not eternal,’ ‘the cosmos is finite,’ ‘the world is infinite,’ ‘the soul and the body are one and the same,’ ‘the soul is one thing, the body another,’ ‘a realized one still exists after death,’ ‘a realized one no longer exists after death,’ ‘a realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death,’ ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’

Kasmā cetaṁ, mālukyaputta, mayā abyākataṁ?
Na hetaṁ, mālukyaputta, atthasaṁhitaṁ na ādibrahmacariyakaṁ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati.
Tasmā taṁ mayā abyākataṁ.

And why haven’t I declared these things? Because they aren’t beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They don’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. That’s why I haven’t declared them.

Kiñca, mālukyaputta, mayā byākataṁ?
‘Idaṁ dukkhan’ti, mālukyaputta, mayā byākataṁ;
‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti—
mayā byākataṁ;
‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti—
mayā byākataṁ;
‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti—
mayā byākataṁ.

And what have I declared? I have declared the following: ‘this is suffering,’ ‘this is the origin of suffering,’ ‘this is the cessation of suffering,’ ‘this is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’

Kasmā cetaṁ, mālukyaputta, mayā byākataṁ?
Etañhi, mālukyaputta, atthasaṁhitaṁ etaṁ ādibrahmacariyakaṁ nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati.
Tasmā taṁ mayā byākataṁ.
Tasmātiha, mālukyaputta, abyākatañca me abyākatato dhāretha;
byākatañca me byākatato dhārethā”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamano āyasmā mālukyaputto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Cūḷamālukyasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ tatiyaṁ.

And why have I declared these things? Because they are beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. That’s why I have declared them. So, Māluṅkyaputta, you should remember what I have not declared as undeclared, and what I have declared as declared.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Māluṅkyaputta approved what the Buddha said.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version