Sandakasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 76

With Sandaka · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

the foolishBāle andca the astutepaṇḍite andca of the bodykāyassa at the breaking upbhedā are annihilateducchijjanti are destroyedvinassanti notna they existhonti afterparaṁ death.'maraṇā’ti.

Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and they don’t exist after death.’

thereTatra, Sandakasandaka, a sensible personviññū a personpuriso thusiti reflects onpaṭisañcikkhati:
this‘ayaṁ indeedkho venerablebhavaṁ teachersatthā thus·doctrineevaṁvādī holding such a viewevaṁdiṭṭhi—
not·benatthi what is givendinnaṁ, not·benatthi what is offeredyiṭṭhaṁ, not·benatthi what is sacrificedhutaṁ, not·benatthi well-done·ill-donesukatadukkaṭānaṁ of actionskammānaṁ fruitphalaṁ resultvipāko, not·benatthi thisayaṁ worldloko, not·benatthi the other worldparoloko, not·benatthi mothermātā, not·benatthi fatherpitā, not·benatthi beingssattā spontaneously arisenopapātikā, not·benatthi in the worldloke ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā rightly·gonesammaggatā rightly·practicingsammāpaṭipannā whoye both thisimañca worldlokaṁ and the otherparañca worldlokaṁ themselvessayaṁ higher·knowledgeabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā they proclaimpavedenti.
consisting of the four great elementsCātumahābhūtiko thisayaṁ personpuriso whenyadā timekālaṁ doeskaroti, earthpathavī earth·bodypathavīkāyaṁ returnsanupeti goes backanupagacchati, waterāpo water·bodyāpokāyaṁ returnsanupeti goes backanupagacchati, firetejo fire·bodytejokāyaṁ returnsanupeti goes backanupagacchati, windvāyo wind·bodyvāyokāyaṁ returnsanupeti goes backanupagacchati, to spaceākāsaṁ the facultiesindriyāni pass oversaṅkamanti.
bier·fifthĀsandipañcamā menpurisā the dead onemataṁ to·takingādāya they gogacchanti, as far as the charnel groundyāvāḷāhanā footprintspadāni are evidentpaññāyanti.
dove-coloredKāpotakāni bonesaṭṭhīni becomebhavanti.
ending in ashesBhassantā offeringsāhutiyo;
fools·conventiondattupaññattaṁ that + thisyadidaṁ givingdānaṁ.
of themTesaṁ emptytucchā falsemusā idle talkvilāpo whoye whoeverkeci existence·doctrineatthikavādaṁ speakvadanti.

A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: ‘This teacher has such a doctrine and view.

to the foolBāle andca to the wisepaṇḍite andca of the bodykāyassa at the breaking upbhedā are annihilateducchijjanti perishvinassanti notna they arehonti beyondparaṁ after death’.maraṇā’ti.
ifSace of thisimassa of the venerablebhoto of the teachersatthuno truesaccaṁ speech,vacanaṁ, not·doakatena by meme hereettha it is done,kataṁ, not·liveavusitena by meme hereettha it is lived.vusitaṁ.
both indeedUbhopi wemayaṁ hereettha equal·equalsamasamā ascetic statussāmaññaṁ attained,pattā, whoyo and + Icāhaṁ notna I sayvadāmi ‘both‘ubho of the bodykāyassa at the breaking upbhedā we will be annihilated,ucchijjissāma, we will perish,vinassissāma, notna we will bebhavissāma beyondparaṁ after death’.maraṇā’ti.
superfluousAtirekaṁ indeedkho but + thispanimassa of the venerablebhoto of the teachersatthuno nakednessnaggiyaṁ baldnessmuṇḍiyaṁ squatting·practiceukkuṭikappadhānaṁ tearing out hair and beard,kesamassulocanaṁ, who + Iyohaṁ child·crowded·houseputtasambādhasayanaṁ living inajjhāvasanto Kāsi·sandalwoodkāsikacandanaṁ enjoyingpaccanubhonto garland·fragrance·makeupmālāgandhavilepanaṁ wearingdhārento gold·currencyjātarūparajataṁ acceptingsādiyanto with thisiminā with the venerablebhotā with the teachersatthārā same·destinysamasamagatiko I will bebhavissāmi in the next world.abhisamparāyaṁ.
so + ISohaṁ whatkiṁ knowingjānanto whatkiṁ seeingpassanto under thisimasmiṁ under the teachersatthari the spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ should I lead?carissāmi?
this·this‘So not-spiritual-life·lifeabrahmacariyavāso this’—ayan’ti—
thusiti having realizedviditvā thereforetasmā from the spiritual lifebrahmacariyā disappointednibbijja they leave.pakkamati.

If what that teacher says is true, both I who have not accomplished this and one who has accomplished it have attained exactly the same level. Yet I’m not one who says that both of us are annihilated and destroyed when our body breaks up, and we don’t exist after death. But it’s superfluous for this teacher to go nude, bald, persisting in squatting, tearing out their hair and beard. For I’m living at home with my children, using sandalwood imported from Kāsi, wearing garlands, fragrance, and makeup, and accepting gold and currency. Yet I’ll have exactly the same destiny in the next life as this teacher. What do I know or see that I should lead the spiritual life under this teacher? This negates the spiritual life.’ Realizing this, they leave disappointed.

thisAyaṁ indeedkho, Sandakasandaka, by thattena Blessed Onebhagavatā know·pr.part.jānatā see·pr.part.passatā worthy onearahatā fully awakened onesammāsambuddhena firstpaṭhamo non-spiritual-life·dwellabrahmacariyavāso declaredakkhāto whereinyattha a discerningviññū personpuriso with·certainlysasakkaṁ spiritual·lifebrahmacariyaṁ notna would livevaseyya, livingvasanto andca would not attainnārādheyya the trueñāyaṁ dhammadhammaṁ wholesomekusalaṁ.

This is the first way that negates the spiritual life.

Furthermore, take a certain teacher who has this doctrine and view: ‘The one who acts does nothing wrong when they punish, mutilate, torture, aggrieve, oppress, intimidate, or when they encourage others to do the same. Nothing bad is done when they kill, steal, break into houses, plunder wealth, steal from isolated buildings, commit highway robbery, commit adultery, and lie. If you were to reduce all the living creatures of this earth to one heap and mass of flesh with a razor-edged chakram, no evil comes of that, and no outcome of evil. If you were to go along the south bank of the Ganges killing, mutilating, and torturing, and encouraging others to do the same, no evil comes of that, and no outcome of evil. If you were to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving and sacrificing and encouraging others to do the same, no merit comes of that, and no outcome of merit. In giving, self-control, restraint, and truthfulness there is no merit or outcome of merit.’

thereTatra, Sandakasandaka, sensibleviññū personpuriso thusiti reflects onpaṭisañcikkhati:
this‘ayaṁ indeedkho venerablebhavaṁ teachersatthā holding such a doctrineevaṁvādī holding such a viewevaṁdiṭṭhi—
for one actingkaroto for one causing to actkārayato for one cuttingchindato for one causing to cutchedāpayato for one cookingpacato for one causing to cookpācāpayato for one grievingsocato for one causing to grievesocāpayato for one wearyingkilamato for one causing to wearykilamāpayato for one tremblingphandato for one causing to tremblephandāpayato for one killing living beingspāṇamatipātayato what is not givenadinnaṁ for one takingādiyato a breachsandhiṁ for one cuttingchindato plundernillopaṁ for one carrying awayharato burglaryekāgārikaṁ for one doingkaroto on the highwayparipanthe for one standingtiṭṭhato another's wifeparadāraṁ for one goinggacchato falsehoodmusā for one speakingbhaṇato for one actingkaroto notna is donekarīyati evilpāpaṁ with a razor-edgedkhurapariyantena even ifcepi with a wheelcakkena whoyo on thisimissā earthpathaviyā living beingspāṇe oneekaṁ a mass of fleshmaṁsakhalaṁ oneekaṁ a heap of fleshmaṁsapuñjaṁ should makekareyya, there is notnatthi from that causetatonidānaṁ evilpāpaṁ, there is notnatthi of evilpāpassa comingāgamo.
and even on the southernDakkhiṇañcepi of the Gangesgaṅgāya banktīraṁ should gogaccheyya killinghananto causing to killghātento cuttingchindanto causing to cutchedāpento cookingpacanto causing to cookpacāpento, there is notnatthi from that causetatonidānaṁ evilpāpaṁ, there is notnatthi of evilpāpassa comingāgamo.
and even on the northernUttarañcepi of the Gangesgaṅgāya banktīraṁ should gogaccheyya givingdadanto causing to givedāpento sacrificingyajanto causing to sacrificeyajāpento, there is notnatthi from that causetatonidānaṁ meritpuññaṁ, there is notnatthi of meritpuññassa comingāgamo.
by givingDānena by self-controldamena by restraintsaṁyamena by truthful speechsaccavajjena there is notnatthi meritpuññaṁ, there is notnatthi of meritpuññassa comingāgamo’ti.

A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: ‘This teacher has such a doctrine and view.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version