Mahāvacchasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 73

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

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freedvimuttaṁ orvā mindcittaṁ freedvimuttaṁ mindcittanti I would understandpajāneyyaṁ,
unfreedavimuttaṁ orvā mindcittaṁ unfreedavimuttaṁ mindcittanti I would understandpajāneyyan’ti,
theretatra right theretatreva ability to witnesssakkhibhabbataṁ you will attainpāpuṇissasi, when there issati occasionsatiāyatane.

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

thatSo youtvaṁ, Vacchavaccha, as far asyāvadeva you will wishākaṅkhissasi:
'many kinds of‘anekavihitaṁ past livespubbenivāsaṁ may I recollectanussareyyaṁ, that is—oneseyyathidaṁ—ekampi birthjātiṁ twodvepi birthsjātiyo threetissopi birthsjātiyo fourcatassopi birthsjātiyo fivepañcapi birthsjātiyo tendasapi birthsjātiyo twentyvīsampi birthsjātiyo thirtytiṁsampi birthsjātiyo fortycattālīsampi birthsjātiyo fiftypaññāsampi birthsjātiyo a hundred birthsjātisatampi a thousand birthsjātisahassampi a hundred thousand birthsjātisatasahassampi; manyanekepi eons of the world contractingsaṁvaṭṭakappe manyanekepi eons of the world expandingvivaṭṭakappe manyanekepi eons of the world contracting and expanding—there I wassaṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe—amutrāsiṁ named thisevaṁnāmo clan was thatevaṅgotto looked like thisevaṁvaṇṇo food was thatevamāhāro felt pleasure and painevaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī life endedevamāyupariyanto, that oneso from that placetato passed awaycuto somewhere elseamutra I was rebornudapādiṁ; there too I wastatrāpāsiṁ named thisevaṁnāmo clan was thatevaṅgotto looked like thisevaṁvaṇṇo food was thatevamāhāro felt pleasure and painevaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī life endedevamāyupariyanto, that oneso from that placetato passed awaycuto I was reborn hereidhūpapannoti; thusiti with featuressākāraṁ with detailssauddesaṁ many kinds ofanekavihitaṁ past livespubbenivāsaṁ may I recollectanussareyyan’ti,
theretatra in each casetatreva capability to witnesssakkhibhabbataṁ you will realizepāpuṇissasi, there beingsati a suitable basissatiāyatane.

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.’

thatSo youtvaṁ, Vacchavaccha, just as much asyāvadeva you will wishākaṅkhissasi:
with divine‘dibbena eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena surpassing humanatikkantamānusakena beingssatte may I seepasseyyaṁ passing awaycavamāne being rebornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe in a good placesugate in a bad placeduggate according to their deedsyathākammūpage beingssatte may I understand—thesepajāneyyaṁ—ime indeedvata dearbhonto beingssattā by bodily misconductkāyaduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā by verbal misconductvacīduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā by mental misconductmanoduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā of the noble onesariyānaṁ denouncersupavādakā wrong viewmicchādiṭṭhikā choosing wrong-view actionmicchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, theyte of the bodykāyassa at the breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā to a place of lossapāyaṁ to a bad placeduggatiṁ to ruinvinipātaṁ to hellnirayaṁ rebornupapannā; theseime howevervā thenpana dearbhonto beingssattā by bodily good conductkāyasucaritena endowedsamannāgatā by verbal good conductvacīsucaritena endowedsamannāgatā by mental good conductmanosucaritena endowedsamannāgatā of the noble onesariyānaṁ not denouncinganupavādakā right viewsammādiṭṭhikā choosing right-view actionsammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, theyte of the bodykāyassa at the breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā to a good placesugatiṁ to heavensaggaṁ to the worldlokaṁ rebornupapannāti; thusiti with divinedibbena eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena surpassing humanatikkantamānusakena beingssatte may I seepasseyyaṁ passing awaycavamāne being rebornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe in a good placesugate in a bad placeduggate according to their deedsyathākammūpage beingssatte may I understandpajāneyyan’ti,
theretatra right theretatreva the ability to witnesssakkhibhabbataṁ you will attainpāpuṇissasi, being presentsati with a basis of mindfulnesssatiāyatane.

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.’

thatSo youtvaṁ, Vacchavaccha, as far as justyāvadeva you will wishākaṅkhissasi:
of the defilements‘āsavānaṁ from the endingkhayā undefiledanāsavaṁ freedom of heartcetovimuttiṁ freedom by wisdompaññāvimuttiṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme myselfsayaṁ with direct knowledgeabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having attainedupasampajja may I livevihareyyan’ti,
theretatra right theretatreva the capability of witnessingsakkhibhabbataṁ you will reachpāpuṇissasi, when there issati when there is a basissatiāyatane”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.’”

thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Vacchagottavacchagotto of the Buddhabhagavato what was saidbhāsitaṁ having approvedabhinanditvā having agreedanumoditvā having risen from his seatuṭṭhāyāsanā the Buddhabhagavantaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā respectfully circling, keeping him on his rightpadakkhiṇaṁ having donekatvā he leftpakkāmi.

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.

thenAtha indeedkho venerableāyasmā Vacchagottavacchagotto aloneeko withdrawnvūpakaṭṭho diligentappamatto keenātāpī resolutepahitatto livingviharanto soonnacirasseva—yassatthāya gentlemenkulaputtā rightlysammadeva from homeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ go forthpabbajanti, supreme culmination of the spiritual pathtadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva dhammadhamme himselfsayaṁ with his own insightabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having attainedupasampajja he livedvihāsi.
ended“Khīṇā birthjāti, completedvusitaṁ spiritual journeybrahmacariyaṁ, donekataṁ what had to be donekaraṇīyaṁ, nothing furthernāparaṁ for this placeitthattāyā”ti he understoodabbhaññāsi.
a certainAññataro indeedkho venerablepanāyasmā Vacchagottavacchagotto one of the perfectedarahataṁ becameahosi.

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.

by thatTena nowkho thenpana at the timesamayena severalsambahulā mendicantsbhikkhū the Buddhabhagavantaṁ to seedassanāya are goinggacchanti.
sawAddasā nowkho venerableāyasmā Vacchagottavacchagotto thosete mendicantsbhikkhū from afardūratova comingāgacchante.
having seenDisvāna whereyena thosete mendicantsbhikkhū he approached themtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā thosete mendicantsbhikkhū said thisetadavoca:
hello“handa wherekahaṁ thenpana youtumhe venerablesāyasmanto are goinggacchathā”ti?
the Buddha“Bhagavantaṁ nowkho wemayaṁ, reverendāvuso, to seedassanāya we are goinggacchāmā”ti.
well then, venerables“Tenahāyasmanto mymama with the wordvacanena the Buddha'sbhagavato feetpāde with the headsirasā bowvandatha, and thusevañca sayvadetha:
Vacchagotta‘vacchagotto, sirbhante, the mendicantbhikkhu the Buddha'sbhagavato feetpāde with the headsirasā bowsvandati, and thusevañca saysvadeti—
servedpariciṇṇo by meme the Blessed Onebhagavā, servedpariciṇṇo by meme the Holy Onesugato’”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!”’”

“Yes, reverend,”“Evamāvuso”ti indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū of the venerableāyasmato Vacchagottavacchagottassa they repliedpaccassosuṁ.
thenAtha indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā they approachedtenupasaṅkamiṁsu; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā to one sideekamantaṁ they sat downnisīdiṁsu. to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinnā indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ they said thisetadavocuṁ:
“Sir,”“āyasmā, reverendbhante, Vacchagottavacchagotto of the Blessed Onebhagavato feetpāde with the headsirasā bowsvandati, and thusevañca he saysvadeti:
‘I have served‘pariciṇṇo by meme the Blessed Onebhagavā, I have servedpariciṇṇo by meme the Holy One.’”sugato’”ti.
“Already“Pubbeva by me,me, mendicants,bhikkhave, Vacchagottavacchagotto mendicantbhikkhu by the mindcetasā the mindceto having encompassedparicca knownvidito:
‘has the three knowledges‘tevijjo Vacchagottavacchagotto mendicantbhikkhu very mightymahiddhiko very powerful.’”mahānubhāvo’ti.
Deities tooDevatāpi meme this matteretamatthaṁ toldārocesuṁ:
‘has the three knowledges,‘tevijjo, reverend,bhante, Vacchagottavacchagotto mendicantbhikkhu very mightymahiddhiko very powerful.’”mahānubhāvo’”ti.
This he saidIdamavoca the Blessed Onebhagavā.
Satisfied,Attamanā thosete mendicantsbhikkhū of the Blessed Onebhagavato speechbhāsitaṁ they approvedabhinandunti.
The Longer Discourse With VacchagottaMahāvacchasuttaṁ is finishedniṭṭhitaṁ the thirdtatiyaṁ.

“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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