Mahāvacchasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 73

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

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Buddhabhagavā at Rājagaharājagahe was stayingviharati in the Bamboo Groveveḷuvane at the squirrels’ feeding groundkalandakanivāpe.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

thenAtha indeedkho Vacchagottavacchagotto the wandererparibbājako whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā there·approachtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā with the Blessed Onebhagavatā withsaddhiṁ together·rejoicesammodi.
greetingSammodanīyaṁ conversationkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ having exchangedvītisāretvā to one sideekamantaṁ down·sitnisīdi. to one sideEkamantaṁ down·sitnisinno indeedkho Vacchagottavacchagotto the wandererparibbājako to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ this·sayetadavoca:

Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha,

for a long time I“dīgharattāhaṁ by the worthybhotā Gotamagotamena I have had discussionssahakathī.
pleaseSādhu to meme the worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo in briefsaṅkhittena skillful + unskillfulkusalākusalaṁ let him teachdesetū”ti.
even in brief“Saṅkhittenapi indeedkho to youte Iahaṁ, Vacchavaccha, skillful + unskillfulkusalākusalaṁ I could teachdeseyyaṁ, even in detailvitthārenapi indeedkho to youte Iahaṁ, Vacchavaccha, skillful + unskillfulkusalākusalaṁ I could teachdeseyyaṁ;
stillapi andca to youte Iahaṁ, Vacchavaccha, in briefsaṅkhittena skillful + unskillfulkusalākusalaṁ I will teachdesessāmi.
thatTaṁ listensuṇāhi, wellsādhukaṁ mindmanasi applykarohi, I will speakbhāsissāmī”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, worthy sirbho”ti indeedkho Vaccha·Gottavacchagotto the wandererparibbājako to the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosi.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

“For a long time I have had discussions with the worthy Gotama. Please teach me in brief what is skillful and what is unskillful.” “Vaccha, I can teach you what is skillful and what is unskillful in brief or in detail. Still, let me do so in brief. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, worthy sir,” Vaccha replied. The Buddha said this:

greed“Lobho indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, unskillfulakusalaṁ, not·greedalobho skillfulkusalaṁ;
hatedoso indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, unskillfulakusalaṁ, not·hateadoso skillfulkusalaṁ;
delusionmoho indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, unskillfulakusalaṁ, not·delusionamoho skillfulkusalaṁ.
soIti indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, theseime threetayo thingsdhammā unskillfulakusalā, threetayo thingsdhammā skillfulkusalā.

“Greed is unskillful, contentment is skillful. Hate is unskillful, love is skillful. Delusion is unskillful, understanding is skillful. So there are these three unskillful things and three that are skillful.

Killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual misconduct; speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical; covetousness, ill will, and wrong view: these things are unskillful. Refraining from killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual misconduct; refraining from speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical; contentment, good will, and right view: these things are skillful. So there are these ten unskillful things and ten that are skillful.

whenYato indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, of a mendicantbhikkhuno cravingtaṇhā forth·abandonedpahīnā ishoti cut off·rootucchinnamūlā made like a palm stumptālāvatthukatā non-existence·madeanabhāvaṅkatā in the futureāyatiṁ unable to ariseanuppādadhammā, thatso ishoti mendicantbhikkhu perfectedarahaṁ with defilements endedkhīṇāsavo completed the spiritual journeyvusitavā done·dutykatakaraṇīyo laid down·burdenohitabhāro attained·own goalanuppattasadattho utterly ended·existence·fetterparikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano rightly·enlightenment·freedsammadaññāvimutto”ti.

When a mendicant has given up craving so it is cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future, that mendicant is perfected. They’ve ended the defilements, completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart’s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and are rightly freed through enlightenment.”

let stand aside“Tiṭṭhatu the worthy onebhavaṁ Gotamagotamo.
there isAtthi thenpana to youte of the worthy onebhoto of Gotamagotamassa one·monkekabhikkhupi disciplesāvako whoyo of the defilementsāsavānaṁ due to the endingkhayā not·defilementanāsavaṁ heart·freedomcetovimuttiṁ wisdom·freedompaññāvimuttiṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme oneselfsayaṁ with direct knowledgeabhiññā with the eyes·having madesacchikatvā up to·attainedupasampajja livesviharatī”ti?
not“Na indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, just one hundredekaṁyeva hundredsataṁ notna twodve hundredssatāni notna threetīṇi hundredssatāni notna fourcattāri hundredssatāni notna fivepañca hundredssatāni, butatha indeedkho many morebhiyyova whoye monksbhikkhū mymama disciplessāvakā of the defilementsāsavānaṁ due to the endingkhayā not·defilementanāsavaṁ heart·freedomcetovimuttiṁ wisdom·freedompaññāvimuttiṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme oneselfsayaṁ with direct knowledgeabhiññā with the eyes·having madesacchikatvā up to·attainedupasampajja liveviharantī”ti.

“Leaving aside the worthy Gotama, is there even a single monk disciple of Worthy Gotama who has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and lives having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements?” “There are not just one hundred such monks who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”

let stand“Tiṭṭhatu worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo, let standtiṭṭhantu monksbhikkhū.
there isAtthi thenpana of worthybhoto of Gotamagotamassa oneekā nun toobhikkhunīpi a disciplesāvikā whoyā of defilementsāsavānaṁ due to endingkhayā un·defilementanāsavaṁ heart·freedomcetovimuttiṁ wisdom·freedompaññāvimuttiṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme themselvessayaṁ higher·knowledgeabhiññā with own eyes·madesacchikatvā near·attainupasampajja livesviharatī”ti?
"not“Na indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, one·onlyekaṁyeva hundredsataṁ notna twodve hundredssatāni notna threetīṇi hundredssatāni notna fourcattāri hundredssatāni notna fivepañca hundredssatāni, butatha indeedkho many more than thatbhiyyova whoyā nunsbhikkhuniyo mymama disciplessāvikā of defilementsāsavānaṁ due to endingkhayā un·defilementanāsavaṁ heart·freedomcetovimuttiṁ wisdom·freedompaññāvimuttiṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme themselvessayaṁ higher·knowledgeabhiññā with own eyes·madesacchikatvā near·attainupasampajja they liveviharantī”ti.

“Leaving aside the worthy Gotama and the monks, is there even a single nun disciple of Worthy Gotama who has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and lives having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements?” “There are not just one hundred such nuns who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”

let stand“Tiṭṭhatu worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo, let standtiṭṭhantu monksbhikkhū, let standtiṭṭhantu nunsbhikkhuniyo.
there isAtthi thenpana of worthybhoto Gotamagotamassa one·layman·evenekupāsakopi disciplesāvako laymangihī white·clothedodātavasano chastebrahmacārī whoyo of the fivepañcannaṁ lowerorambhāgiyānaṁ of the fetterssaṁyojanānaṁ with the endingparikkhayā reborn spontaneouslyopapātiko theretattha to be extinguishedparinibbāyī not liable to returnanāvattidhammo from thattasmā worldlokā”ti?
not“Na indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, one·onlyekaṁyeva hundredsataṁ notna twodve hundredssatāni notna threetīṇi hundredssatāni notna fourcattāri hundredssatāni notna fivepañca hundredssatāni, butatha indeedkho more·thanbhiyyova whoye laymenupāsakā mymama disciplessāvakā laymengihī white·clothedodātavasanā chastebrahmacārino of the fivepañcannaṁ lowerorambhāgiyānaṁ of the fetterssaṁyojanānaṁ with the endingparikkhayā reborn spontaneouslyopapātikā theretattha to be extinguishedparinibbāyino not liable to returnanāvattidhammā from thattasmā worldlokā”ti.

“Leaving aside the worthy Gotama, the monks, and the nuns, is there even a single layman disciple of Worthy Gotama—white-clothed and chaste—who, with the ending of the five lower fetters, is reborn spontaneously, to be extinguished there, not liable to return from that world?” “There are not just one hundred such chaste laymen who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”

let stand“Tiṭṭhatu worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo, let standtiṭṭhantu monksbhikkhū, let standtiṭṭhantu nunsbhikkhuniyo, let standtiṭṭhantu laymenupāsakā householdersgihī white·clothedodātavasanā chastebrahmacārino.
there isAtthi thenpana of the worthybhoto of Gotamagotamassa one·laymanekupāsakopi disciplesāvako householdergihī white·clothedodātavasano sensual pleasure·enjoyingkāmabhogī instruction·doingsāsanakaro responding to adviceovādappaṭikaro whoyo crossed·doubttiṇṇavicikiccho gone·indecisionvigatakathaṅkatho self-assurance·attainedvesārajjappatto other·dependentaparappaccayo Teacher·instructionsatthusāsane livesviharatī”ti?
not“Na indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, only oneekaṁyeva hundredsataṁ notna twodve hundredssatāni notna threetīṇi hundredssatāni notna fourcattāri hundredssatāni notna fivepañca hundredssatāni, butatha indeedkho many morebhiyyova whoye laymenupāsakā mymama disciplessāvakā householdersgihī white·clothedodātavasanā sensual pleasure·enjoyingkāmabhogino instruction·doingsāsanakarā responding to adviceovādappaṭikarā crossed·doubttiṇṇavicikicchā gone·indecisionvigatakathaṅkathā self-assurance·attainedvesārajjappattā other·dependentaparappaccayā Teacher·instructionsatthusāsane liveviharantī”ti.

“Leaving aside Worthy Gotama, the monks, the nuns, and the chaste laymen, is there even a single layman disciple of the worthy Gotama—white-clothed, enjoying sensual pleasures, following instructions, and responding to advice—who has gone beyond doubt, got rid of indecision, and lives self-assured and independent of others regarding the Teacher’s instruction?” “There are not just one hundred such laymen enjoying sensual pleasures who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”

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