Mahāmālukyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 64

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

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā in Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa in the monasteryārāme.
thereTatra indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
"Mendicants!"“bhikkhavo”ti.
"Venerable sir,"“Bhadante”ti theyte mendicantsbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

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:

“Mendicants, do you remember the five lower fetters taught by me?” When he said this, Venerable Māluṅkyaputta said to him, “Sir, I remember them.” “But how do you remember them?” “I remember the lower fetters taught by the Buddha as follows: substantialist view, doubt, misapprehension of precepts and observances, sensual desire, and ill will. That’s how I remember the five lower fetters taught by the Buddha.”

of whom“Kassa indeedkho on earthnāma youtvaṁ, Mālukyaputtamālukyaputta, theseimāni thusevaṁ five lower fetterspañcorambhāgiyāni fetterssaṁyojanāni taughtdesitāni do you rememberdhāresi?
surelyNanu, Mālukyaputtamālukyaputta, of other religionsaññatitthiyā wanderersparibbājakā with thisiminā of the infant similetaruṇūpamena with fault-findingupārambhena will faultupārambhissanti?
for a littleDaharassa forhi, Mālukyaputtamālukyaputta, babykumārassa unconsciousmandassa lying on its backuttānaseyyakassa even substantial realitysakkāyotipi notna there ishoti, howkuto for itpanassa will ariseuppajjissati substantialist viewsakkāyadiṭṭhi?
yet it lies withinAnusetvevassa underlying tendency to substantialist viewsakkāyadiṭṭhānusayo.
for a littleDaharassa forhi, Mālukyaputtamālukyaputta, babykumārassa unconsciousmandassa lying on its backuttānaseyyakassa even teachingsdhammātipi notna there ishoti, howkuto for itpanassa will ariseuppajjissati in teachingsdhammesu doubtvicikicchā?
yet it lies withinAnusetvevassa underlying tendency to doubtvicikicchānusayo.
for a littleDaharassa forhi, Mālukyaputtamālukyaputta, babykumārassa unconsciousmandassa lying on its backuttānaseyyakassa even preceptssīlātipi notna there ishoti, howkuto for itpanassa will ariseuppajjissati in preceptssīlesu misapprehension of precepts and observancessīlabbataparāmāso?
yet it lies withinAnusetvevassa underlying tendency to misapprehension of precepts and observancessīlabbataparāmāsānusayo.
for a littleDaharassa forhi, Mālukyaputtamālukyaputta, babykumārassa unconsciousmandassa lying on its backuttānaseyyakassa even sensual pleasureskāmātipi notna there ishoti, howkuto for itpanassa will ariseuppajjissati in sensual pleasureskāmesu desire for sensual pleasureskāmacchando?
yet it lies withinAnusetvevassa underlying tendency to sensual desirekāmarāgānusayo.
for a littleDaharassa forhi, Mālukyaputtamālukyaputta, babykumārassa unconsciousmandassa lying on its backuttānaseyyakassa even sentient beingssattātipi notna there ishoti, howkuto for itpanassa will ariseuppajjissati for sentient beingssattesu ill willbyāpādo?
yet it lies withinAnusetvevassa underlying tendency to ill willbyāpādānusayo.

“Who on earth do you remember being taught the five lower fetters in that way? Wouldn’t the wanderers of other religions fault you using the simile of the infant? For a little baby doesn’t even have a concept of ‘substantial reality’, so how could substantialist view possibly arise in them? Yet the underlying tendency to substantialist view still lies within them. A little baby doesn’t even have a concept of ‘teachings’, so how could doubt about the teachings possibly arise in them? Yet the underlying tendency to doubt still lies within them. A little baby doesn’t even have a concept of ‘precepts’, so how could misapprehension of precepts and observances possibly arise in them? Yet the underlying tendency to misapprehension of precepts and observances still lies within them. A little baby doesn’t even have a concept of ‘sensual pleasures’, so how could desire for sensual pleasures possibly arise in them? Yet the underlying tendency to sensual desire still lies within them. A little baby doesn’t even have a concept of ‘sentient beings’, so how could ill will for sentient beings possibly arise in them? Yet the underlying tendency to ill will still lies within them.

is it notNanu, Mālukyaputtamālukyaputta, of other religionsaññatitthiyā wanderersparibbājakā with thisiminā with the simile of the infanttaruṇūpamena with the fault-findingupārambhena would faultupārambhissantī”ti?

Wouldn’t the wanderers of other religions fault you using the simile of the infant?”

thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, venerableāyasmā Ānandaānando to the Buddhabhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:
for this“etassa, Blessed Onebhagavā, the timekālo, for thisetassa, Holy Onesugata, the timekālo
thatyaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā five lowerpañcorambhāgiyāni fetterssaṁyojanāni would teachdeseyya. of the BuddhaBhagavato having heardsutvā the mendicantsbhikkhū will rememberdhāressantī”ti.
well then“Tena Ānandahānanda, listensuṇāhi, wellsādhukaṁ in the mindmanasi applykarohi; I will speakbhāsissāmī”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, sirbhante”ti indeedkho venerableāyasmā Ānandaānando to the Buddhabhagavato repliedpaccassosi.
the BuddhaBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

When he said this, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha, “Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One! May the Buddha teach the five lower fetters. The mendicants will listen and remember it.” “Well then, Ānanda, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied. The Buddha said this:

here, Ānanda,“Idhānanda, unlearnedassutavā ordinary personputhujjano of the noble onesariyānaṁ not seeingadassāvī in the teaching of the noble onesariyadhammassa unskilledakovido in the noble teachingariyadhamme untrained,avinīto, of true personssappurisānaṁ not seeingadassāvī in the teaching of the true personssappurisadhammassa unskilledakovido in the teaching of the true personssappurisadhamme untrainedavinīto
overcome by substantialist viewsakkāyadiṭṭhipariyuṭṭhitena with heartcetasā dwellsviharati mired in substantialist view;sakkāyadiṭṭhiparetena;
arisenuppannāya andca from substantialist viewsakkāyadiṭṭhiyā escapenissaraṇaṁ as it truly isyathābhūtaṁ does not understand.nappajānāti.
for himTassa thatsā substantialist viewsakkāyadiṭṭhi entrenchedthāmagatā not eliminatedappaṭivinītā lowerorambhāgiyaṁ fetter.saṁyojanaṁ.
overcome by doubtVicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena with heartcetasā dwellsviharati mired in doubt;vicikicchāparetena;
arisenuppannāya andca from doubtvicikicchāya escapenissaraṇaṁ as it truly isyathābhūtaṁ does not understand.nappajānāti.
for himTassa thatsā doubtvicikicchā entrenchedthāmagatā not eliminatedappaṭivinītā lowerorambhāgiyaṁ fetter.saṁyojanaṁ.
overcome by misapprehension of precepts and observancesSīlabbataparāmāsapariyuṭṭhitena with heartcetasā dwellsviharati mired in misapprehension of precepts and observances;sīlabbataparāmāsaparetena;
arisenuppannassa andca from misapprehension of precepts and observancessīlabbataparāmāsassa escapenissaraṇaṁ as it truly isyathābhūtaṁ does not understand.nappajānāti.
for himTassa thatso misapprehension of precepts and observancessīlabbataparāmāso entrenchedthāmagato not eliminatedappaṭivinīto lowerorambhāgiyaṁ fetter.saṁyojanaṁ.
overcome by sensual desireKāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena with heartcetasā dwellsviharati mired in sensual desire;kāmarāgaparetena;
arisenuppannassa andca from sensual desirekāmarāgassa escapenissaraṇaṁ as it truly isyathābhūtaṁ does not understand.nappajānāti.
for himTassa thatso sensual desirekāmarāgo entrenchedthāmagato not eliminatedappaṭivinīto lowerorambhāgiyaṁ fetter.saṁyojanaṁ.
overcome by ill willByāpādapariyuṭṭhitena with heartcetasā dwellsviharati mired in ill will;byāpādaparetena;
arisenuppannassa andca from ill willbyāpādassa escapenissaraṇaṁ as it truly isyathābhūtaṁ does not understand.nappajānāti.
for himTassa thatso ill willbyāpādo entrenchedthāmagato not eliminatedappaṭivinīto lowerorambhāgiyaṁ fetter.saṁyojanaṁ.

“Ānanda, 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. Their heart is overcome and mired in substantialist view, and they don’t truly understand the escape from substantialist view that has arisen. That substantialist view is entrenched in them, not eliminated: it is a lower fetter. Their heart is overcome and mired in doubt, and they don’t truly understand the escape from doubt that has arisen. That doubt is entrenched in them, not eliminated: it is a lower fetter. Their heart is overcome and mired in misapprehension of precepts and observances, and they don’t truly understand the escape from misapprehension of precepts and observances that has arisen. That misapprehension of precepts and observances is entrenched in them, not eliminated: it is a lower fetter. Their heart is overcome and mired in sensual desire, and they don’t truly understand the escape from sensual desire that has arisen. That sensual desire is entrenched in them, not eliminated: it is a lower fetter. Their heart is overcome and mired in ill will, and they don’t truly understand the escape from ill will that has arisen. That ill will is entrenched in them, not eliminated: it is a lower fetter.

learnedSutavā andca indeedkho, Ānandaānanda, noble discipleariyasāvako of the noble onesariyānaṁ has seendassāvī of the noble teachingariyadhammassa skilledkovido in the noble teachingariyadhamme well trainedsuvinīto, of true personssappurisānaṁ has seendassāvī of the true persons' teachingsappurisadhammassa skilledkovido in the true persons' teachingsappurisadhamme well trainedsuvinīto notna overcome by substantialist viewsakkāyadiṭṭhipariyuṭṭhitena with heartcetasā dwellsviharati notna mired in substantialist viewsakkāyadiṭṭhiparetena;
arisenuppannāya andca from substantialist viewsakkāyadiṭṭhiyā escapenissaraṇaṁ as it really isyathābhūtaṁ truly understandspajānāti.
in themTassa thatsā substantialist viewsakkāyadiṭṭhi along with underlying tendencysānusayā is given uppahīyati.
notNa overcome by doubtvicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena with heartcetasā dwellsviharati notna mired in doubtvicikicchāparetena;
arisenuppannāya andca from doubtvicikicchāya escapenissaraṇaṁ as it really isyathābhūtaṁ truly understandspajānāti.
in themTassa thatsā doubtvicikicchā along with underlying tendencysānusayā is given uppahīyati.
notNa overcome by misapprehension of precepts and observancessīlabbataparāmāsapariyuṭṭhitena with heartcetasā dwellsviharati notna mired in misapprehension of precepts and observancessīlabbataparāmāsaparetena;
arisenuppannassa andca from misapprehension of precepts and observancessīlabbataparāmāsassa escapenissaraṇaṁ as it really isyathābhūtaṁ truly understandspajānāti.
in themTassa thatso misapprehension of precepts and observancessīlabbataparāmāso along with underlying tendencysānusayo is given uppahīyati.
notNa overcome by sensual desirekāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena with heartcetasā dwellsviharati notna mired in sensual desirekāmarāgaparetena;
arisenuppannassa andca from sensual desirekāmarāgassa escapenissaraṇaṁ as it really isyathābhūtaṁ truly understandspajānāti.
in themTassa thatso sensual desirekāmarāgo along with underlying tendencysānusayo is given uppahīyati.
notNa overcome by ill willbyāpādapariyuṭṭhitena with heartcetasā dwellsviharati notna mired in ill willbyāpādaparetena;
arisenuppannassa andca from ill willbyāpādassa escapenissaraṇaṁ as it really isyathābhūtaṁ truly understandspajānāti.

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. Their heart is not overcome and mired in substantialist view, and they truly understand the escape from substantialist view that has arisen. That substantialist view, along with any underlying tendency to it, is given up in them. Their heart is not overcome and mired in doubt, and they truly understand the escape from doubt that has arisen. That doubt, along with any underlying tendency to it, is given up in them. Their heart is not overcome and mired in misapprehension of precepts and observances, and they truly understand the escape from misapprehension of precepts and observances that has arisen. That misapprehension of precepts and observances, along with any underlying tendency to it, is given up in them. Their heart is not overcome and mired in sensual desire, and they truly understand the escape from sensual desire that has arisen. That sensual desire, along with any underlying tendency to it, is given up in them. Their heart is not overcome and mired in ill will, and they truly understand the escape from ill will that has arisen.

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