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 approachedtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā with the Blessed Onebhagavatā withsaddhiṁ exchanged greetingssammodi.
greetingSammodanīyaṁ conversationkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ having exchangedvītisāretvā to one sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdi. to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho Vacchagottavacchagotto the wandererparibbājako to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:

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 what is skillful and what is unskillfulkusalākusalaṁ let him teachdesetū”ti.
even in brief“Saṅkhittenapi indeedkho to youte Iahaṁ, Vacchavaccha, what is skillful and what is unskillfulkusalākusalaṁ I could teachdeseyyaṁ, even in detailvitthārenapi indeedkho to youte Iahaṁ, Vacchavaccha, what is skillful and what is unskillfulkusalākusalaṁ I could teachdeseyyaṁ;
stillapi andca to youte Iahaṁ, Vacchavaccha, in briefsaṅkhittena what is skillful and what is unskillfulkusalākusalaṁ I will teachdesessāmi.
thatTaṁ listensuṇāhi, wellsādhukaṁ mindmanasi applykarohi, I will speakbhāsissāmī”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, worthy sirbho”ti indeedkho Vacchagottavacchagotto 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, contentmentalobho skillfulkusalaṁ;
hatedoso indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, unskillfulakusalaṁ, loveadoso skillfulkusalaṁ;
delusionmoho indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, unskillfulakusalaṁ, understandingamoho 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 given uppahīnā ishoti cut off at the rootucchinnamūlā made like a palm stumptālāvatthukatā obliteratedanabhāvaṅkatā in the futureāyatiṁ unable to ariseanuppādadhammā, thatso ishoti mendicantbhikkhu perfectedarahaṁ with defilements endedkhīṇāsavo completed the spiritual journeyvusitavā done what had to be donekatakaraṇīyo laid down the burdenohitabhāro achieved their heart’s goalanuppattasadattho utterly ended the fetter of continued existenceparikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano rightly freed through enlightenmentsammadaññāvimutto”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 even a single monkekabhikkhupi disciplesāvako whoyo of the defilementsāsavānaṁ due to the endingkhayā undefiledanāsavaṁ freedom of heartcetovimuttiṁ freedom by wisdompaññāvimuttiṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme oneselfsayaṁ with direct knowledgeabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having 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 undefiledanāsavaṁ freedom of heartcetovimuttiṁ freedom by wisdompaññāvimuttiṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme oneselfsayaṁ with direct knowledgeabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having 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 undefiledanāsavaṁ freedom of heartcetovimuttiṁ freedom by wisdompaññāvimuttiṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme themselvessayaṁ with insightabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having attainedupasampajja livesviharatī”ti?
"not“Na indeedkho, Vacchavaccha, one hundred 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 undefiledanāsavaṁ freedom of heartcetovimuttiṁ freedom by wisdompaññāvimuttiṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme themselvessayaṁ with insightabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having attainedupasampajja 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 even one laymanekupāsakopi 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, only oneekaṁyeva hundredsataṁ notna twodve hundredssatāni notna threetīṇi hundredssatāni notna fourcattāri hundredssatāni notna fivepañca hundredssatāni, butatha indeedkho more than thatbhiyyova 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 even a single layman discipleekupāsakopi disciplesāvako householdergihī white-clothedodātavasano enjoying sensual pleasureskāmabhogī following instructionssāsanakaro responding to adviceovādappaṭikaro whoyo gone beyond doubttiṇṇavicikiccho got rid of indecisionvigatakathaṅkatho attained self-assurancevesārajjappatto independent of othersaparappaccayo in the Teacher's 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 enjoying sensual pleasureskāmabhogino following instructionssāsanakarā responding to adviceovādappaṭikarā gone beyond doubttiṇṇavicikicchā got rid of indecisionvigatakathaṅkathā attained self-assurancevesārajjappattā independent of othersaparappaccayā in the Teacher's 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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