Dīghanakhasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 74

With Dīghanakha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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here, AggivessanaTatraggivessana, whoye thosete ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā asserting thusevaṁvādino holding such a viewevaṁdiṭṭhino:
some things‘ekaccaṁ to meme are acceptablekhamati, some thingsekaccaṁ to meme are not acceptablenakkhamatī’ti
theretattha a sensibleviññū personpuriso thusiti reflectspaṭisañcikkhati:
which‘yā indeedkho I haveme thisayaṁ viewdiṭṭhi—
some thingsekaccaṁ to meme are acceptablekhamati, some thingsekaccaṁ to meme are not acceptablenakkhamatīti,
if thisimañce Iahaṁ viewdiṭṭhiṁ firmlythāmasā with graspingparāmāsā having adhered toabhinivissa I were to declarevohareyyaṁ—
this aloneidameva truthsaccaṁ anything else is futilemoghamaññanti;
with twodvīhi I would haveme there would beassa argumentviggaho—
whoyo and thiscāyaṁ asceticsamaṇo orvā brahminbrāhmaṇo orvā asserting thusevaṁvādī holding such a view: everythingevaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ to meme is acceptablekhamatīti,
whoyo and thiscāyaṁ asceticsamaṇo orvā brahminbrāhmaṇo orvā asserting thusevaṁvādī holding such a view: everythingevaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ to meme is not acceptablenakkhamatīti—
with theseimehi there would beassa twodvīhi argumentsviggaho.
soIti when there is argumentviggahe when there issati disputevivādo, when there is disputevivāde when there issati distressvighāto, when there is distressvighāte when there issati harmvihesā’.
soIti heso argument andviggahañca dispute andvivādañca distress andvighātañca harm andvihesañca in himselfattani consideringsampassamāno that verytañceva viewdiṭṭhiṁ gives uppajahati anotheraññañca viewdiṭṭhiṁ notna graspsupādiyati.
thus for theseEvametāsaṁ of viewsdiṭṭhīnaṁ giving uppahānaṁ there ishoti, thus for theseevametāsaṁ of viewsdiṭṭhīnaṁ letting gopaṭinissaggo there ishoti.

When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom some things are acceptable and some things are not, a sensible person reflects like this: ‘I have the view that some things are acceptable and some things are not. Suppose I were to obstinately stick to this view and insist, “This is the only truth, anything else is futile.” Then I’d argue with two individuals— an ascetic or brahmin to whom everything is acceptable, and an ascetic or brahmin to whom nothing is acceptable. And when there’s arguing, there’s dispute; when there’s dispute there’s distress; and when there’s distress there’s harm.’ So, considering in themselves the potential for argument, dispute, distress, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view. That’s how those views are given up and let go.

thisAyaṁ indeedkho but, Aggivessana,panaggivessana, bodykāyo has formrūpī made of the four great elementscātumahābhūtiko produced by mother and fathermātāpettikasambhavo built up from rice and porridgeodanakummāsūpacayo liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destructionaniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo, as impermanentaniccato as sufferingdukkhato as diseasedrogato as a boilgaṇḍato as a dartsallato as gloomaghato as an afflictionābādhato as alienparato as breaking apartpalokato as emptysuññato as not-selfanattato should be seensamanupassitabbo.
for him thisTassimaṁ bodykāyaṁ as impermanentaniccato as sufferingdukkhato as diseasedrogato as a boilgaṇḍato as a dartsallato as gloomaghato as an afflictionābādhato as alienparato as breaking apartpalokato as emptysuññato as not-selfanattato seeingsamanupassato whateveryo in the bodykāyasmiṁ desire for the bodykāyachando affection for the bodykāyasneho subservience to the bodykāyanvayatā thatsā is given uppahīyati.

Aggivessana, this body is formed. It’s made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction. You should see it as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as a boil, as a dart, as gloom, as an affliction, as alien, as breaking apart, as empty, as not-self. Doing so, you’ll give up desire, affection, and subservience to the body.

There are these three feelings: pleasant, painful, and neutral. At a time when you feel a pleasant feeling, you don’t feel a painful or neutral feeling; you only feel a pleasant feeling. At a time when you feel a painful feeling, you don’t feel a pleasant or neutral feeling; you only feel a painful feeling. At a time when you feel a neutral feeling, you don’t feel a pleasant or painful feeling; you only feel a neutral feeling.

pleasant tooSukhāpi indeedkho, Aggivessanaaggivessana, feelingvedanā impermanentaniccā conditionedsaṅkhatā dependently originatedpaṭiccasamuppannā liable to endkhayadhammā liable to vanishvayadhammā liable to fade awayvirāgadhammā liable to cease;nirodhadhammā;
painful toodukkhāpi indeedkho, Aggivessanaaggivessana, feelingvedanā impermanentaniccā conditionedsaṅkhatā dependently originatedpaṭiccasamuppannā liable to endkhayadhammā liable to vanishvayadhammā liable to fade awayvirāgadhammā liable to cease;nirodhadhammā;
neither painful nor pleasant tooadukkhamasukhāpi indeedkho, Aggivessanaaggivessana, feelingvedanā impermanentaniccā conditionedsaṅkhatā dependently originatedpaṭiccasamuppannā liable to endkhayadhammā liable to vanishvayadhammā liable to fade awayvirāgadhammā liable to cease.nirodhadhammā.

Pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings are impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated, liable to end, vanish, fade away, and cease.

thusEvaṁ seeingpassaṁ, Aggivessanaaggivessana, learnedsutavā noble discipleariyasāvako with pleasant toosukhāyapi with feelingvedanāya grows disillusionednibbindati, with painful toodukkhāyapi with feelingvedanāya grows disillusionednibbindati, with neutral tooadukkhamasukhāyapi with feelingvedanāya grows disillusionednibbindati;
being disillusionednibbindaṁ desire fades awayvirajjati, from fadingvirāgā is freedvimuccati. when freedVimuttasmiṁ, freedvimuttamiti knowledgeñāṇaṁ there ishoti.
ended‘Khīṇā rebirthjāti, completedvusitaṁ spiritual journeybrahmacariyaṁ, donekataṁ what had to be donekaraṇīyaṁ, nothing furthernāparaṁ for this placeitthattāyā’ti understandspajānāti.

Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’

thusEvaṁ freed-mindvimuttacitto indeedkho, Aggivessanaaggivessana, mendicantbhikkhu notna with anyonekenaci sides withsaṁvadati, notna with anyonekenaci disputes withvivadati, and whatyañca in the worldloke is saidvuttaṁ with thattena communicatesvoharati, without getting stuckaparāmasan”ti.

A mendicant whose mind is freed like this doesn’t side with anyone or dispute with anyone. They use the language of the world to communicate without getting stuck on it.”

by thatTena indeedkho nowpana at the timesamayena venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto of the Blessed Onebhagavato behindpiṭṭhito standingṭhito washoti the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ fanningbījayamāno.
thenAtha indeedkho of the venerableāyasmato of Sāriputtasāriputtassa this occurred:etadahosi:
of these“tesaṁ of thesetesaṁ it seemskira to usno the Blessed Onebhagavā of dhammasdhammānaṁ through direct knowledgeabhiññā speaks of giving uppahānamāha, of thesetesaṁ of thesetesaṁ it seemskira to usno the Well-Gone Onesugato of dhammasdhammānaṁ through direct knowledgeabhiññā speaks of letting go.”paṭinissaggamāhā”ti.
thusIti thishidaṁ of the venerableāyasmato of Sāriputtasāriputtassa reflectingpaṭisañcikkhato by not graspinganupādāya from the defilementsāsavehi mindcittaṁ was freedvimucci.

Now at that time Venerable Sāriputta was standing behind the Buddha fanning him. Then he thought, “It seems the Buddha speaks of giving up and letting go of all these things through direct knowledge.” Reflecting like this, Venerable Sāriputta’s mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping.

to DīghanakhaDīghanakhassa thenpana of the wandererparibbājakassa stainlessvirajaṁ immaculatevītamalaṁ vision of the Dhammadhammacakkhuṁ aroseudapādi:
whatever“yaṁ anythingkiñci liable to arisesamudayadhammaṁ allsabbaṁ thattaṁ is liable to ceasenirodhadhamman”ti.
thenAtha indeedkho Dīghanakhadīghanakho the wandererparibbājako saw the Dhammadiṭṭhadhammo attained the Dhammapattadhammo understood the Dhammaviditadhammo fathomed the Dhammapariyogāḷhadhammo went beyond doubttiṇṇavicikiccho got rid of indecisionvigatakathaṅkatho became self-assuredvesārajjappatto independent of othersaparappaccayo in the Teacher's instructionssatthusāsane to the Buddhabhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:

And the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in the wanderer Dīghanakha: “Everything that is liable to arise is liable to cease.” Then Dīghanakha saw, attained, understood, and fathomed the Dhamma. He went beyond doubt, got rid of indecision, and became self-assured and independent of others regarding the Teacher’s instructions. He said to the Buddha:

excellent“abhikkantaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama, excellentabhikkantaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama.
just as ifSeyyathāpi, worthybho Gotamagotama, overturnednikkujjitaṁ orvā might rightukkujjeyya, hiddenpaṭicchannaṁ orvā might revealvivareyya, to the lostmūḷhassa orvā pathmaggaṁ might point outācikkheyya, in the darkandhakāre orvā oil lamptelapajjotaṁ might holddhāreyya: those with clear eyes‘cakkhumanto formsrūpāni will seedakkhantī’ti; just soevameva indeedkho by the worthybhotā Gotamagotamena in many waysanekapariyāyena the teachingdhammo made clearpakāsito.
this IEsāhaṁ to the worthybhavantaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ refugesaraṇaṁ I gogacchāmi and to the teachingdhammañca and to the mendicant Saṅghabhikkhusaṅghañca.
as a lay followerUpāsakaṁ memaṁ worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo may rememberdhāretu from this day forthajjatagge for lifepāṇupetaṁ refugesaraṇaṁ gonegatan”ti.
the Dīghanakha DiscourseDīghanakhasuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ fourthcatutthaṁ.

“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

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