Māgaṇḍiyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 75

With Māgaṇḍiya · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, māgaṇḍiya,
api nu te diṭṭho vā suto vā rājā vā rājamahāmatto vā pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappito samaṅgībhūto paricārayamāno kāmataṇhaṁ appahāya kāmapariḷāhaṁ appaṭivinodetvā vigatapipāso ajjhattaṁ vūpasantacitto vihāsi vā viharati vā viharissati vā”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.
“Sādhu, māgaṇḍiya.
Mayāpi kho etaṁ, māgaṇḍiya, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ rājā vā rājamahāmatto vā pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappito samaṅgībhūto paricārayamāno kāmataṇhaṁ appahāya kāmapariḷāhaṁ appaṭivinodetvā vigatapipāso ajjhattaṁ vūpasantacitto vihāsi vā viharati vā viharissati vā.

What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya? Have you seen or heard of a king or a royal minister of the past, future, or present, amusing themselves supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation, who—without giving up craving for sensual pleasures and dispelling passion for sensual pleasures—lives rid of thirst, their mind settled internally?” “No, worthy Gotama.” “Good, Māgaṇḍiya. Neither have I.

Atha kho, māgaṇḍiya, ye hi keci samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā vigatapipāsā ajjhattaṁ vūpasantacittā vihāsuṁ vā viharanti vā viharissanti vā sabbe te kāmānaṁyeva samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā kāmataṇhaṁ pahāya kāmapariḷāhaṁ paṭivinodetvā vigatapipāsā ajjhattaṁ vūpasantacittā vihāsuṁ vā viharanti vā viharissanti vā”ti.

On the contrary, all the ascetics or brahmins of the past, future, or present who live rid of thirst, their minds settled internally, do so after truly understanding the origin, ending, gratification, drawback, and escape of sensual pleasures, and after giving up craving and dispelling passion for sensual pleasures.”

Atha kho bhagavā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
“Ārogyaparamā lābhā,
nibbānaṁ paramaṁ sukhaṁ;
Aṭṭhaṅgiko ca maggānaṁ,
khemaṁ amatagāminan”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, māgaṇḍiyo paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“acchariyaṁ, bho gotama, abbhutaṁ, bho gotama.
Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ bhotā gotamena:
‘ārogyaparamā lābhā, nibbānaṁ paramaṁ sukhan’ti.
Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bho gotama, sutaṁ pubbakānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ:
‘ārogyaparamā lābhā, nibbānaṁ paramaṁ sukhan’ti;
tayidaṁ, bho gotama, sametī”ti.
“Yaṁ pana te etaṁ, māgaṇḍiya, sutaṁ pubbakānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ:
‘ārogyaparamā lābhā, nibbānaṁ paramaṁ sukhan’ti, katamaṁ taṁ ārogyaṁ, katamaṁ taṁ nibbānan”ti?
Evaṁ vutte, māgaṇḍiyo paribbājako sakāneva sudaṁ gattāni pāṇinā anomajjati:
“idantaṁ, bho gotama, ārogyaṁ, idantaṁ nibbānaṁ.

Then on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment: “Health is the ultimate blessing; extinguishment, the ultimate happiness. Of paths, the ultimate is eightfold— it’s safe, and leads to freedom from death.” When he said this, Māgaṇḍiya said to him, “It’s incredible, worthy Gotama, it’s amazing! How well said this was by the worthy Gotama! ‘Health is the ultimate blessing; extinguishment, the ultimate happiness.’ I’ve also heard that wanderers of the past, the tutors of tutors, said: ‘Health is the ultimate blessing; extinguishment, the ultimate happiness.’ And it agrees, worthy Gotama.” “But Māgaṇḍiya, when you heard that wanderers of the past said this, what is that health? And what is that extinguishment?” When he said this, Māgaṇḍiya stroked his own limbs with his hands, saying: “This is that health, worthy Gotama, this is that extinguishment!

Ahañhi, bho gotama, etarahi arogo sukhī, na maṁ kiñci ābādhatī”ti.

For I am now healthy and happy, and have no afflictions.”

“Seyyathāpi, māgaṇḍiya, jaccandho puriso;
so na passeyya kaṇhasukkāni rūpāni, na passeyya nīlakāni rūpāni, na passeyya pītakāni rūpāni, na passeyya lohitakāni rūpāni, na passeyya mañjiṭṭhakāni rūpāni, na passeyya samavisamaṁ, na passeyya tārakarūpāni, na passeyya candimasūriye.
So suṇeyya cakkhumato bhāsamānassa:
‘chekaṁ vata, bho, odātaṁ vatthaṁ abhirūpaṁ nimmalaṁ sucī’ti.
So odātapariyesanaṁ careyya.
Tamenaṁ aññataro puriso telamalikatena sāhuḷicīrena vañceyya:
‘idaṁ te, ambho purisa, odātaṁ vatthaṁ abhirūpaṁ nimmalaṁ sucī’ti.
So taṁ paṭiggaṇheyya, paṭiggahetvā pārupeyya, pārupetvā attamano attamanavācaṁ nicchāreyya:
‘chekaṁ vata, bho, odātaṁ vatthaṁ abhirūpaṁ nimmalaṁ sucī’ti.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, māgaṇḍiya,

“Māgaṇḍiya, suppose a person was blind from birth. They couldn’t see sights that are dark or bright, or blue, yellow, red, or magenta. They couldn’t see even and uneven ground, or the stars, or the moon and sun. They might hear a sighted person saying: ‘White cloth is really nice, it’s attractive, stainless, and clean.’ They’d go in search of white cloth. But someone would cheat them with a dirty, soiled garment, saying: ‘My man, here is a white cloth for you, it’s attractive, stainless, and clean.’ They’d take it and put it on, expressing their gladness: ‘White cloth is really nice, it’s attractive, stainless, and clean.’ What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya?

api nu so jaccandho puriso jānanto passanto amuṁ telamalikataṁ sāhuḷicīraṁ paṭiggaṇheyya, paṭiggahetvā pārupeyya, pārupetvā attamano attamanavācaṁ nicchāreyya:
‘chekaṁ vata, bho, odātaṁ vatthaṁ abhirūpaṁ nimmalaṁ sucī’ti udāhu cakkhumato saddhāyā”ti?
“Ajānanto hi, bho gotama, apassanto so jaccandho puriso amuṁ telamalikataṁ sāhuḷicīraṁ paṭiggaṇheyya, paṭiggahetvā pārupeyya, pārupetvā attamano attamanavācaṁ nicchāreyya:
‘chekaṁ vata, bho, odātaṁ vatthaṁ abhirūpaṁ nimmalaṁ sucī’ti, cakkhumato saddhāyā”ti.

Did that person blind from birth do this knowing and seeing, or out of faith in the sighted person?” “They did so not knowing or seeing, but out of faith in the sighted person.”

“Evameva kho, māgaṇḍiya, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā andhā acakkhukā ajānantā ārogyaṁ, apassantā nibbānaṁ, atha ca panimaṁ gāthaṁ bhāsanti:
‘ārogyaparamā lābhā, nibbānaṁ paramaṁ sukhan’ti.
Pubbakehesā, māgaṇḍiya, arahantehi sammāsambuddhehi gāthā bhāsitā:
‘Ārogyaparamā lābhā,
nibbānaṁ paramaṁ sukhaṁ;
Aṭṭhaṅgiko ca maggānaṁ,
khemaṁ amatagāminan’ti.
Sā etarahi anupubbena puthujjanagāthā.
Ayaṁ kho pana, māgaṇḍiya, kāyo rogabhūto gaṇḍabhūto sallabhūto aghabhūto ābādhabhūto, so tvaṁ imaṁ kāyaṁ rogabhūtaṁ gaṇḍabhūtaṁ sallabhūtaṁ aghabhūtaṁ ābādhabhūtaṁ:
‘idantaṁ, bho gotama, ārogyaṁ, idantaṁ nibbānan’ti vadesi.
Tañhi te, māgaṇḍiya, ariyaṁ cakkhuṁ natthi yena tvaṁ ariyena cakkhunā ārogyaṁ jāneyyāsi, nibbānaṁ passeyyāsī”ti.

“In the same way, the wanderers of other religions are blind and sightless. Not knowing health and not seeing extinguishment, they still recite this verse: ‘Health is the ultimate blessing; extinguishment, the ultimate happiness.’ For this verse was recited by the perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas of the past: ‘Health is the ultimate blessing; extinguishment, the ultimate happiness. Of paths, the ultimate is eightfold— it’s safe, and leads to freedom from death.’ These days it has gradually become a verse used by ordinary people. But Māgaṇḍiya, this body is a disease, a boil, a dart, a gloom, an affliction. Yet you say of this body: ‘This is that health, this is that extinguishment!’ Māgaṇḍiya, you don’t have the noble vision by which you might know health and see extinguishment.”

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