Sandakasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 76

With Sandaka · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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“Idha, sandaka, ekacco satthā sabbaññū sabbadassāvī aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti:
‘carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti.
So suññampi agāraṁ pavisati, piṇḍampi na labhati, kukkuropi ḍaṁsati, caṇḍenapi hatthinā samāgacchati, caṇḍenapi assena samāgacchati, caṇḍenapi goṇena samāgacchati, itthiyāpi purisassapi nāmampi gottampi pucchati, gāmassapi nigamassapi nāmampi maggampi pucchati.

“Sandaka, take a certain teacher who claims to be all-knowing and all-seeing, to know and see everything without exception, thus: ‘Knowledge and vision are constantly and continually present to me, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking.’ They enter an empty house; they get no almsfood; a dog bites them; they encounter a wild elephant, a wild horse, and a wild cow; they ask the name and clan of a woman or man; they ask the name and path to a village or town.

When asked, ‘Why is this?’ they answer: ‘I had to enter an empty house, that’s why I entered it. I had to get no almsfood, that’s why I got none. I had to get bitten by a dog, that’s why I was bitten. I had to encounter a wild elephant, a wild horse, and a wild cow, that’s why I encountered them. I had to ask the name and clan of a woman or man, that’s why I asked. I had to ask the name and path to a village or town, that’s why I asked.’

Tatra, sandaka, viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘ayaṁ kho bhavaṁ satthā sabbaññū sabbadassāvī aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti …pe… ‘gāmassapi nigamassapi nāmampi maggampi pucchitabbaṁ ahosi, tena pucchin’ti.
So ‘anassāsikaṁ idaṁ brahmacariyan’ti—
iti viditvā tasmā brahmacariyā nibbijja pakkamati.

A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: ‘This teacher makes such a claim, but they answer in such a way. This spiritual life is unreliable.’ Realizing this, they leave disappointed.

Idaṁ kho, sandaka, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena paṭhamaṁ anassāsikaṁ brahmacariyaṁ akkhātaṁ yattha viññū puriso sasakkaṁ brahmacariyaṁ na vaseyya, vasanto ca nārādheyya ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalaṁ.

This is the first kind of unreliable spiritual life.

Puna caparaṁ, sandaka, idhekacco satthā anussaviko hoti anussavasacco.
So anussavena itihitihaparamparāya piṭakasampadāya dhammaṁ deseti.
Anussavikassa kho pana, sandaka, satthuno anussavasaccassa sussutampi hoti dussutampi hoti tathāpi hoti aññathāpi hoti.

Furthermore, take another teacher who is an oral transmitter, who takes oral transmission to be the truth. They teach by oral transmission, by the lineage of testament, by canonical authority. But when a teacher takes oral transmission to be the truth, some of that is well learned, some poorly learned, some true, and some otherwise.

Tatra, sandaka, viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘ayaṁ kho bhavaṁ satthā anussaviko anussavasacco so anussavena itihitihaparamparāya piṭakasampadāya dhammaṁ deseti.
Anussavikassa kho pana satthuno anussavasaccassa sussutampi hoti dussutampi hoti tathāpi hoti aññathāpi hoti’.
So ‘anassāsikaṁ idaṁ brahmacariyan’ti—
iti viditvā tasmā brahmacariyā nibbijja pakkamati.

A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: ‘This teacher takes oral transmission to be the truth. He teaches by oral transmission, by the lineage of testament, by canonical authority. But when a teacher takes oral transmission to be the truth, some of that is well learned, some poorly learned, some true, and some otherwise. This spiritual life is unreliable.’ Realizing this, they leave disappointed.

Idaṁ kho, sandaka, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena dutiyaṁ anassāsikaṁ brahmacariyaṁ akkhātaṁ yattha viññū puriso sasakkaṁ brahmacariyaṁ na vaseyya, vasanto ca nārādheyya ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalaṁ.

This is the second kind of unreliable spiritual life.

Puna caparaṁ, sandaka, idhekacco satthā takkī hoti vīmaṁsī.
So takkapariyāhataṁ vīmaṁsānucaritaṁ sayampaṭibhānaṁ dhammaṁ deseti.
Takkissa kho pana, sandaka, satthuno vīmaṁsissa sutakkitampi hoti duttakkitampi hoti tathāpi hoti aññathāpi hoti.

Furthermore, take another teacher who relies on logic and inquiry. They teach what they have worked out by logic, following a line of inquiry, expressing their own perspective. But when a teacher relies on logic and inquiry, some of that is well reasoned, some poorly reasoned, some true, and some otherwise.

Tatra, sandaka, viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘ayaṁ kho bhavaṁ satthā takkī vīmaṁsī.
So takkapariyāhataṁ vīmaṁsānucaritaṁ sayampaṭibhānaṁ dhammaṁ deseti.
Takkissa kho pana satthuno vīmaṁsissa sutakkitampi hoti duttakkitampi hoti tathāpi hoti aññathāpi hoti’.
So ‘anassāsikaṁ idaṁ brahmacariyan’ti—
iti viditvā tasmā brahmacariyā nibbijja pakkamati.

A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: ‘This teacher relies on logic and inquiry. They teach what they have worked out by logic, following a line of inquiry, expressing their own perspective. But when a teacher relies on logic and inquiry, some of that is well reasoned, some poorly reasoned, some true, and some otherwise. This spiritual life is unreliable.’ Realizing this, they leave disappointed.

Idaṁ kho, sandaka, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena tatiyaṁ anassāsikaṁ brahmacariyaṁ akkhātaṁ yattha viññū puriso sasakkaṁ brahmacariyaṁ na vaseyya, vasanto ca nārādheyya ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalaṁ.

This is the third kind of unreliable spiritual life.

Puna caparaṁ, sandaka, idhekacco satthā mando hoti momūho.
So mandattā momūhattā tattha tattha pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno vācāvikkhepaṁ āpajjati amarāvikkhepaṁ:
‘evantipi me no, tathātipi me no, aññathātipi me no, notipi me no, no notipi me no’ti.

Furthermore, take another teacher who is dull and stupid. Because of that, whenever they’re asked a question, they resort to verbal flip-flops and endless flip-flops: ‘I don’t say it’s like this. I don’t say it’s like that. I don’t say it’s otherwise. I don’t say it’s not so. And I don’t deny it’s not so.’

Tatra, sandaka, viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘ayaṁ kho bhavaṁ satthā mando momūho.
So mandattā momūhattā tattha tattha pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno vācāvikkhepaṁ āpajjati amarāvikkhepaṁ—
evantipi me no, tathātipi me no, aññathātipi me no, notipi me no, no notipi me no’ti.
So ‘anassāsikaṁ idaṁ brahmacariyan’ti—
iti viditvā tasmā brahmacariyā nibbijja pakkamati.

A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: ‘This teacher is dull and stupid. Because of that, whenever they’re asked a question, they resort to verbal flip-flops and endless flip-flops: “I don’t say it’s like this. I don’t say it’s like that. I don’t say it’s otherwise. I don’t say it’s not so. And I don’t deny it’s not so.” This spiritual life is unreliable.’ Realizing this, they leave disappointed.

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