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Majjhima Nikāya 71

Tevijjavacchasutta

To Vacchagotta on the Three Knowledges · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Tena kho pana samayena vacchagotto paribbājako ekapuṇḍarīke paribbājakārāme paṭivasati.

Now at that time the wanderer Vacchagotta was residing in the Single Lotus monastery for the wanderers.

Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya vesāliṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.
Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi:
“atippago kho tāva vesāliyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ;
yannūnāhaṁ yena ekapuṇḍarīko paribbājakārāmo yena vacchagotto paribbājako tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā yena ekapuṇḍarīko paribbājakārāmo yena vacchagotto paribbājako tenupasaṅkami.

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Vesālī for alms. Then it occurred to him, “It’s too early to wander for alms in Vesālī. Why don’t I visit the wanderer Vacchagotta at the Single Lotus Monastery?” So that’s what he did.

Addasā kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.
Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“Etu kho, bhante, bhagavā.
Svāgataṁ, bhante, bhagavato.
Cirassaṁ kho, bhante, bhagavā imaṁ pariyāyamakāsi yadidaṁ idhāgamanāya.
Nisīdatu, bhante, bhagavā idamāsanaṁ paññattan”ti.
Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane.
Vacchagottopi kho paribbājako aññataraṁ nīcaṁ āsanaṁ gahetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Vacchagotta saw the Buddha coming off in the distance, and said to him, “Let the Blessed One come, sir! Welcome to the Blessed One, sir! It’s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here. Please, sir, sit down, here, a seat is ready.” The Buddha sat down on the seat spread out, while Vacchagotta took a low seat and sat to one side. Then Vacchagotta said to the Buddha:

“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante:
‘samaṇo gotamo sabbaññū sabbadassāvī, aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti,
carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti.
Ye te, bhante, evamāhaṁsu: ‘samaṇo gotamo sabbaññū sabbadassāvī, aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti, carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’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: ‘The ascetic Gotama claims to be all-knowing and all-seeing, to know and see everything without exception, thus: “Knowledge and vision are constantly and continually present to me, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking.”’ 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, vaccha, evamāhaṁsu: ‘samaṇo gotamo sabbaññū sabbadassāvī, aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti, carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti, na me te vuttavādino, abbhācikkhanti ca pana maṁ asatā abhūtenā”ti.

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

“Kathaṁ byākaramānā pana mayaṁ, bhante, vuttavādino ceva bhagavato assāma, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyyāma, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyyāma, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyyā”ti?
“‘Tevijjo samaṇo gotamo’ti kho, vaccha, byākaramāno vuttavādī ceva me assa, na ca maṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyya, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyya, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyya.

“So how should we answer so as to repeat what the Buddha has said, and not misrepresent him with an untruth? How should we explain in line with his teaching, with no legitimate grounds for rebuttal and criticism?” “‘The ascetic Gotama has the three knowledges.’ Answering like this you would repeat what I have said, and not misrepresent me with an untruth. You would explain in line with my teaching, and there would be no legitimate grounds for rebuttal and criticism.

Ahañhi, vaccha, yāvadeva ākaṅkhāmi anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarāmi,
seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarāmi.

For, Vaccha, whenever I want, I recollect my 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. I remember: ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so I recollect my many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

Ahañhi, vaccha, yāvadeva ākaṅkhāmi dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passāmi cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate …pe… yathākammūpage satte pajānāmi.

And whenever I want, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, I see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. I understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.

Ahañhi, vaccha, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi.

And I have realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. I live having realized it with my own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.

‘Tevijjo samaṇo gotamo’ti kho, vaccha, byākaramāno vuttavādī ceva me assa, na ca maṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyya, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyya, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyyā”ti.

‘The ascetic Gotama has the three knowledges.’ Answering like this you would repeat what I have said, and not misrepresent me with an untruth. You would explain in line with my teaching, and there would be no legitimate grounds for rebuttal and criticism.”

Evaṁ vutte, vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“atthi nu kho, bho gotama, koci gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti?
“Natthi kho, vaccha, koci gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti.

When he said this, the wanderer Vacchagotta said to the Buddha, “Worthy Gotama, are there any laypeople who, without giving up the fetter of lay life, make an end of suffering when the body breaks up?” “No, Vaccha.”

“Atthi pana, bho gotama, koci gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā saggūpago”ti?
“Na kho, vaccha, ekaṁyeva sataṁ na dve satāni na tīṇi satāni na cattāri satāni na pañca satāni, atha kho bhiyyova ye gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā saggūpagā”ti.

“But are there any laypeople who, without giving up the fetter of lay life, go to heaven when the body breaks up?” “There’s not just one hundred laypeople, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that who, without giving up the fetter of lay life, go to heaven when the body breaks up.”

“Atthi nu kho, bho gotama, koci ājīvako kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti?
“Natthi kho, vaccha, koci ājīvako kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti.

“Worthy Gotama, are there any Ājīvaka ascetics who make an end of suffering when the body breaks up?” “No, Vaccha.”

“Atthi pana, bho gotama, koci ājīvako kāyassa bhedā saggūpago”ti?
“Ito kho so, vaccha, ekanavuto kappo yamahaṁ anussarāmi, nābhijānāmi kañci ājīvakaṁ saggūpagaṁ aññatra ekena;
sopāsi kammavādī kiriyavādī”ti.

“But are there any Ājīvaka ascetics who go to heaven when the body breaks up?” “Vaccha, when I recollect the past ninety-one eons, I can’t find any Ājīvaka ascetics who have gone to heaven, except one; and he taught the efficacy of deeds and action.”

“Evaṁ sante, bho gotama, suññaṁ aduṁ titthāyatanaṁ antamaso saggūpagenapī”ti?
“Evaṁ, vaccha, suññaṁ aduṁ titthāyatanaṁ antamaso saggūpagenapī”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamano vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Tevijjavacchasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.

“In that case, worthy Gotama, that sectarian fold is empty even of the chance to go to heaven.” “Yes, Vaccha, that sectarian fold is empty even of the chance to go to heaven.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the wanderer Vacchagotta approved what the Buddha said.

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