Bhaddālisutta

Majjhima Nikāya 65

With Bhaddāli · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Puna caparaṁ, bhaddāli, bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhi taṁ, bhaddāli, hoti yathā taṁ satthusāsane sikkhāya paripūrakārissa.
Puna caparaṁ, bhaddāli, bhikkhu pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati, sato ca sampajāno sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti, yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhi taṁ, bhaddāli, hoti yathā taṁ satthusāsane sikkhāya paripūrakārissa.
Puna caparaṁ, bhaddāli, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhi taṁ, bhaddāli, hoti yathā taṁ satthusāsane sikkhāya paripūrakārissa.

Furthermore, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, a mendicant enters and remains in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. Why is that? Because that’s what happens when someone fulfills the training according to the Teacher’s instructions. Furthermore, with the fading away of rapture, a mendicant enters and remains in the third absorption, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, experiencing for themselves the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’ Why is that? Because that’s what happens when someone fulfills the training according to the Teacher’s instructions. Furthermore, with the giving up of pleasure and pain and the disappearance of former happiness and sadness, a mendicant enters and remains in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness. Why is that? Because that’s what happens when someone fulfills the training according to the Teacher’s instructions.

So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti.
So anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhi taṁ, bhaddāli, hoti yathā taṁ satthusāsane sikkhāya paripūrakārissa.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward recollection of past lives. They recollect many kinds of past lives, that is, one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. … They recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details. Why is that? Because that’s what happens when someone fulfills the training according to the Teacher’s instructions.

So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte sattānaṁ cutūpapātañāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti.
So dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti: ‘ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā …pe… vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā; ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā …pe… sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannā’ti iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena …pe… yathākammūpage satte pajānāti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhi taṁ, bhaddāli, hoti yathā taṁ satthusāsane sikkhāya paripūrakārissa.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings. With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds: ‘These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. … they’re reborn in the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. … they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman … they understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds. Why is that? Because that’s what happens when someone fulfills the training according to the Teacher’s instructions.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward knowledge of the ending of defilements. They truly understand: ‘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’. They truly understand: ‘These are defilements’ … ‘This is the origin of defilements’ … ‘This is the cessation of defilements’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of defilements’.

Tassa evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, bhavāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, avijjāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati.
Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.
‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Evañhi taṁ, bhaddāli, hoti yathā taṁ satthusāsane sikkhāya paripūrakārissā”ti.

Knowing and seeing like this, their mind is freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’ Why is that? Because that’s what happens when someone fulfills the training according to the Teacher’s instructions.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā bhaddāli bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo yena midhekaccaṁ bhikkhuṁ pasayha pasayha kāraṇaṁ karonti?
Ko pana, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo yena midhekaccaṁ bhikkhuṁ no tathā pasayha pasayha kāraṇaṁ karontī”ti?

When he said this, Venerable Bhaddāli said to the Buddha, “What is the cause, sir, what is the reason why they punish some monk, repeatedly pressuring him? And what is the cause, what is the reason why they don’t similarly punish another monk, repeatedly pressuring him?”

“Idha, bhaddāli, ekacco bhikkhu abhiṇhāpattiko hoti āpattibahulo.
So bhikkhūhi vuccamāno aññenaññaṁ paṭicarati, bahiddhā kathaṁ apanāmeti, kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti, na sammā vattati, na lomaṁ pāteti, na netthāraṁ vattati, ‘yena saṅgho attamano hoti taṁ karomī’ti nāha.
Tatra, bhaddāli, bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ hoti:
‘ayaṁ kho, āvuso, bhikkhu abhiṇhāpattiko āpattibahulo.
So bhikkhūhi vuccamāno aññenaññaṁ paṭicarati, bahiddhā kathaṁ apanāmeti, kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti, na sammā vattati, na lomaṁ pāteti, na netthāraṁ vattati, “yena saṅgho attamano hoti taṁ karomī”ti nāha.
Sādhu vatāyasmanto imassa bhikkhuno tathā tathā upaparikkhatha yathāssidaṁ adhikaraṇaṁ na khippameva vūpasameyyā’ti.
Tassa kho evaṁ, bhaddāli, bhikkhuno bhikkhū tathā tathā upaparikkhanti yathāssidaṁ adhikaraṇaṁ na khippameva vūpasammati.

“Take a monk who is a frequent offender with many offenses. When admonished by the monks, he dodges the issue, distracting the discussion with irrelevant points. He displays annoyance, hate, and bitterness. He doesn’t proceed properly, he doesn’t fall in line, he doesn’t proceed to get past it, and he doesn’t say: ‘I’ll do what pleases the Saṅgha.’ In such a case, the monks say: ‘Reverends, this monk is a frequent offender, with many offenses. When admonished by the monks, he dodges the issue, distracting the discussion with irrelevant points. He displays annoyance, hate, and bitterness. He doesn’t proceed properly, he doesn’t fall in line, he doesn’t proceed to get past it, and he doesn’t say: “I’ll do what pleases the Saṅgha.” It’d be good for the venerables to examine this monk in such a way that this disciplinary issue is not quickly settled.’ And that’s what they do.

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