Sandakasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 76

With Sandaka · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Tassa evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, bhavāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, avijjāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati.
Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.
‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.
Yasmiṁ kho, sandaka, satthari sāvako evarūpaṁ uḷāravisesaṁ adhigacchati tattha viññū puriso sasakkaṁ brahmacariyaṁ vaseyya, vasanto ca ārādheyya ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalan”ti.

Knowing and seeing like this, their mind is freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. 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.’ A sensible person would, to the best of their ability, lead the spiritual life with a teacher under whom they achieve such a high distinction, and, once practicing it, they would complete the system of the skillful teaching.”

“Yo pana so, bho ānanda, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññā vimutto paribhuñjeyya so kāme”ti?
“Yo so, sandaka, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, abhabbo so pañcaṭṭhānāni ajjhācarituṁ.
Abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sañcicca pāṇaṁ jīvitā voropetuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu adinnaṁ theyyasaṅkhātaṁ ādātuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu methunaṁ dhammaṁ paṭisevetuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sampajānamusā bhāsituṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sannidhikārakaṁ kāme paribhuñjituṁ, seyyathāpi pubbe agāriyabhūto.
Yo so, sandaka, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, abhabbo so imāni pañcaṭṭhānāni ajjhācaritun”ti.

“But worthy Ānanda, when a mendicant is perfected—with defilements ended, who has 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 is rightly freed through enlightenment—could they still enjoy sensual pleasures?” “Sandaka, a mendicant who is perfected—with defilements ended, who has 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 is rightly freed through enlightenment—can’t transgress in five respects. A mendicant with defilements ended can’t deliberately take the life of a living creature, take something with the intention to steal, have sex, tell a deliberate lie, or store up goods for their own enjoyment like they used to as a layperson. A mendicant who is perfected can’t transgress in these five respects.”

“Yo pana so, bho ānanda, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto tassa carato ceva tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ:
‘khīṇā me āsavā’”ti?
“Tena hi, sandaka, upamaṁ te karissāmi;
upamāyapidhekacce viññū purisā bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānanti.
Seyyathāpi, sandaka, purisassa hatthapādā chinnā;
tassa carato ceva tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ jānāti:
‘chinnā me hatthapādā’ti, udāhu paccavekkhamāno jānāti:
‘chinnā me hatthapādā’”ti?
“Na kho, bho ānanda, so puriso satataṁ samitaṁ jānāti:
‘chinnā me hatthapādā’ti.
Api ca kho pana naṁ paccavekkhamāno jānāti:
‘chinnā me hatthapādā’”ti.

“But worthy Ānanda, when a mendicant is perfected, would the knowledge and vision that their defilements are ended be constantly and continually present to them, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking?” “Well then, Sandaka, I shall give you a simile. For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said. Suppose there was a person whose hands and feet had been amputated. Would they be aware that their hands and feet had been amputated constantly and continually, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking? Or would they be aware of it only when they checked it?” “They wouldn’t be aware of it constantly, only when they checked it.”

“Evameva kho, sandaka, yo so bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto tassa carato ceva tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ na paccupaṭṭhitaṁ:
‘khīṇā me āsavā’ti;
api ca kho pana naṁ paccavekkhamāno jānāti:
‘khīṇā me āsavā’”ti.

“In the same way, when a mendicant is perfected, the knowledge and vision that their defilements are ended is not constantly and continually present to them, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking. Rather, they are aware of it only when they checked it.”

“Kīvabahukā pana, bho ānanda, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye niyyātāro”ti?
“Na kho, sandaka, ekaṁyeva sataṁ na dve satāni na tīṇi satāni na cattāri satāni na pañca satāni, atha kho bhiyyova ye imasmiṁ dhammavinaye niyyātāro”ti.
“Acchariyaṁ, bho ānanda, abbhutaṁ, bho ānanda.
Na ca nāma sadhammokkaṁsanā bhavissati, na paradhammavambhanā, āyatane ca dhammadesanā tāva bahukā ca niyyātāro paññāyissanti.
Ime panājīvakā puttamatāya puttā attānañceva ukkaṁsenti, pare ca vambhenti tayo ceva niyyātāro paññapenti, seyyathidaṁ—
nandaṁ vacchaṁ, kisaṁ saṅkiccaṁ, makkhaliṁ gosālan”ti.

“But Reverend Ānanda, in this teaching and training, how many are emancipated?” “There are not just one hundred who are emancipated, Sandaka, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that in this teaching and training.” “It’s incredible, worthy Ānanda, it’s amazing! Namely, that there’s no glorifying one’s own teaching and putting down the teaching of others. The Dhamma is taught in its own field, and so many emancipated are recognized. But these Ājīvakas, sons of she whose sons are dead, glorify themselves and put others down. And they only recognize three who have been emancipated: Nanda Vaccha, Kisa Saṅkicca, and the bamboo-staffed ascetic Gosāla.”

Atha kho sandako paribbājako sakaṁ parisaṁ āmantesi:
“carantu bhonto samaṇe gotame brahmacariyavāso.
Na dāni sukaraṁ amhehi lābhasakkārasiloke pariccajitun”ti.
Iti hidaṁ sandako paribbājako sakaṁ parisaṁ uyyojesi bhagavati brahmacariyeti.
Sandakasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.

Then the wanderer Sandaka addressed his own assembly, “Go, good fellows. The spiritual life is lived under the ascetic Gotama. It’s not easy for me to forsake possessions, honor, or popularity now.” And that’s how the wanderer Sandaka sent his own assembly to lead the spiritual life under the Buddha.

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