Mahāvacchasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 73

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

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vimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ vimuttaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ,
avimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ avimuttaṁ cittanti pajāneyyan’ti,
tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇissasi, sati satiāyatane.

freed mind as “freed mind”, and unfreed mind as “unfreed mind”.’

So tvaṁ, vaccha, yāvadeva ākaṅkhissasi:
‘anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussareyyaṁ, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṁsampi jātiyo cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jātisatasahassampi; anekepi saṁvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe—amutrāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādiṁ; tatrāpāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhūpapannoti; iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussareyyan’ti,
tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇissasi, sati satiāyatane.

As far as you want, you will be capable of realizing these things, since each and every one is within range: ‘May I 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. May 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.” May I recollect my many past lives, with features and details.’

So tvaṁ, vaccha, yāvadeva ākaṅkhissasi:
‘dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passeyyaṁ cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajāneyyaṁ—ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā vacīduccaritena samannāgatā manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā; ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā vacīsucaritena samannāgatā manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannāti; iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passeyyaṁ cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajāneyyan’ti,
tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇissasi, sati satiāyatane.

Whenever you want, you will be capable of realizing these things, since each and every one is within range: ‘With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, may I see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place—and understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds: “These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They denounced the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they chose to act out of that wrong view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never denounced the noble ones; they had right view; and they chose to act out of that right view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.” And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, may I see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. And may I understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.’

So tvaṁ, vaccha, yāvadeva ākaṅkhissasi:
‘āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyan’ti,
tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇissasi, sati satiāyatane”ti.

As far as you want, you will be capable of realizing these things, since each and every one is within range: ‘May I realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and live having realized it with my own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.’”

Atha kho āyasmā vacchagotto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.

And then Venerable Vacchagotta approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. He got up from his seat, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

Atha kho āyasmā vacchagotto eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.
“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi.
Aññataro kho panāyasmā vacchagotto arahataṁ ahosi.

Then Vacchagotta, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” And Venerable Vacchagotta became one of the perfected.

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ dassanāya gacchanti.
Addasā kho āyasmā vacchagotto te bhikkhū dūratova āgacchante.
Disvāna yena te bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā te bhikkhū etadavoca:
“handa kahaṁ pana tumhe āyasmanto gacchathā”ti?
“Bhagavantaṁ kho mayaṁ, āvuso, dassanāya gacchāmā”ti.
“Tenahāyasmanto mama vacanena bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatha, evañca vadetha:
‘vacchagotto, bhante, bhikkhu bhagavato pāde sirasā vandati, evañca vadeti—
pariciṇṇo me bhagavā, pariciṇṇo me sugato’”ti.

Now at that time several mendicants were going to see the Buddha. Vacchagotta saw them coming off in the distance, went up to them, and said, “Hello venerables, where are you going?” “Reverend, we are going to see the Buddha.” “Well then, reverends, in my name please bow with your head to the Buddha’s feet and say: ‘Sir, the mendicant Vacchagotta bows with his head to your feet and says, “I have served the Blessed One! I have served the Holy One!”’”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato vacchagottassa paccassosuṁ.
Atha kho te bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:
“āyasmā, bhante, vacchagotto bhagavato pāde sirasā vandati, evañca vadeti:
‘pariciṇṇo me bhagavā, pariciṇṇo me sugato’”ti.
“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, vacchagotto bhikkhu cetasā ceto paricca vidito:
‘tevijjo vacchagotto bhikkhu mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo’ti.
Devatāpi me etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ:
‘tevijjo, bhante, vacchagotto bhikkhu mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo’”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Mahāvacchasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ tatiyaṁ.

“Yes, reverend,” they replied. Then those mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, the mendicant Vacchagotta bows with his head to your feet and says: ‘I have served the Blessed One! I have served the Holy One!’” “I’ve already encompassed Vacchagotta’s mind and understood that he has the three knowledges, and is very mighty and powerful. And deities also told me about this.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

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