‹ Library

Majjhima Nikāya 76

Sandakasutta

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.

here“Idha, Sandakasandaka, a certain oneekacco teachersatthā all-knowingsabbaññū all-seeingsabbadassāvī without exceptionaparisesaṁ knowledge and visionñāṇadassanaṁ claimspaṭijānāti:
while walking‘carato andca for meme while standingtiṭṭhato andca while sleepingsuttassa andca while wakingjāgarassa andca constantlysatataṁ continuallysamitaṁ knowledge and visionñāṇadassanaṁ presentpaccupaṭṭhitan’ti.
heSo even an emptysuññampi houseagāraṁ enterspavisati, even almsfoodpiṇḍampi notna getslabhati, even a dogkukkuropi bitesḍaṁsati, even with a wildcaṇḍenapi elephanthatthinā encounterssamāgacchati, even with a wildcaṇḍenapi horseassena encounterssamāgacchati, even with a wildcaṇḍenapi cowgoṇena encounterssamāgacchati, of a woman tooitthiyāpi of a man toopurisassapi even namenāmampi even clangottampi askspucchati, of a village toogāmassapi of a town toonigamassapi even namenāmampi even pathmaggampi askspucchati.

“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.

heSo “why is this?”‘kimidan’ti askedpuṭṭho beingsamāno empty‘suññaṁ myme houseagāraṁ had to be enteredpavisitabbaṁ it wasahosi’, by thattena I enteredpāvisiṁ; even almsfood‘piṇḍampi had to be gottenaladdhabbaṁ it wasahosi’, by thattena I did not getnālatthaṁ; by a dog‘kukkurena had to be bittenḍaṁsitabbaṁ it wasahosi’, by that Itenamhi bittendaṭṭho; wild‘caṇḍena with an elephanthatthinā had to be encounteredsamāgantabbaṁ it wasahosi’, by thattena I encounteredsamāgamiṁ; wild‘caṇḍena with a horseassena had to be encounteredsamāgantabbaṁ it wasahosi’, by thattena I encounteredsamāgamiṁ; wild‘caṇḍena with a cowgoṇena had to be encounteredsamāgantabbaṁ it wasahosi’, by thattena I encounteredsamāgamiṁ; even of a woman‘itthiyāpi even of a manpurisassapi even the namenāmampi even the clangottampi had to be askedpucchitabbaṁ it wasahosi’, by thattena I askedpucchiṁ; even of a village‘gāmassapi even of a townnigamassapi even the namenāmampi even the pathmaggampi had to be askedpucchitabbaṁ it wasahosi’, by thattena I askedpucchinti.

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.’

thereTatra, Sandakasandaka, a discerningviññū personpuriso thusiti reflectspaṭisañcikkhati:
this‘ayaṁ indeedkho honourablebhavaṁ teachersatthā all-knowingsabbaññū all-seeingsabbadassāvī without remainderaparisesaṁ knowledge and visionñāṇadassanaṁ claimspaṭijānāti …pe……pe… even of a village‘gāmassapi even of a townnigamassapi even the namenāmampi even the roadmaggampi should be askedpucchitabbaṁ wasahosi, by himtena askpucchin’ti.
heSo unreliable‘anassāsikaṁ thisidaṁ spiritual lifebrahmacariyan’ti—
thusiti having knownviditvā thereforetasmā from the spiritual lifebrahmacariyā disappointednibbijja leavespakkamati.

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.

thisIdaṁ indeedkho, Sandakasandaka, by thattena by the Blessed Onebhagavatā knowingjānatā seeingpassatā by the Arahantarahatā by the Fully Enlightened Onesammāsambuddhena firstpaṭhamaṁ unreliableanassāsikaṁ spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ declaredakkhātaṁ whereinyattha a wiseviññū personpuriso with respectsasakkaṁ spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ notna would livevaseyya, livingvasanto andca would not attainnārādheyya the trueñāyaṁ teachingdhammaṁ wholesomekusalaṁ.

This is the first kind of unreliable spiritual life.

furthermorePuna and anothercaparaṁ, Sandakasandaka, here someidhekacco teachersatthā an oral transmitteranussaviko ishoti who takes oral transmission to be the truthanussavasacco.
heSo by oral transmissionanussavena by the lineage of testamentitihitihaparamparāya by canonical authoritypiṭakasampadāya dhammadhammaṁ teachesdeseti.
of an oral transmitterAnussavikassa indeedkho butpana, Sandakasandaka, of a teachersatthuno who takes oral transmission to be the truthanussavasaccassa some is well learnedsussutampi ishoti some is poorly learneddussutampi ishoti some is truetathāpi ishoti some is otherwiseaññathāpi ishoti.

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.

thereTatra, Sandakasandaka, sensibleviññū personpuriso thusiti reflectspaṭisañcikkhati:
this‘ayaṁ indeedkho venerablebhavaṁ teachersatthā one who relies on oral transmissionanussaviko taking oral transmission as truthanussavasacco heso by oral transmissionanussavena by the lineage of testamentitihitihaparamparāya by canonical authoritypiṭakasampadāya the dhammadhammaṁ teachesdeseti.
for one who relies on oral transmissionAnussavikassa indeedkho butpana of a teachersatthuno taking oral transmission as truthanussavasaccassa well learned toosussutampi there ishoti poorly learned toodussutampi there ishoti true tootathāpi there ishoti otherwise tooaññathāpi there ishoti’.
heSo unreliable‘anassāsikaṁ thisidaṁ spiritual lifebrahmacariyan’ti—
thusiti having realizedviditvā from thattasmā from the spiritual lifebrahmacariyā disappointednibbijja leavespakkamati.

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.

thisIdaṁ indeedkho, Sandakasandaka, by thattena by the Blessed Onebhagavatā knowingjānatā seeingpassatā by the Arahantarahatā by the Fully Enlightened Onesammāsambuddhena seconddutiyaṁ unreliableanassāsikaṁ spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ declaredakkhātaṁ whereyattha wiseviññū manpuriso wholeheartedlysasakkaṁ spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ notna would livevaseyya, livingvasanto andca would not attainnārādheyya the trueñāyaṁ dhammadhammaṁ wholesomekusalaṁ.

This is the second kind of unreliable spiritual life.

againPuna and furthercaparaṁ, Sandakasandaka, here someidhekacco a teachersatthā a reasonertakkī ishoti an investigatorvīmaṁsī.
heSo hammered out by logictakkapariyāhataṁ followed by inquiryvīmaṁsānucaritaṁ own inspirationsayampaṭibhānaṁ teachingdhammaṁ teachesdeseti.
of a reasonerTakkissa indeedkho butpana, Sandakasandaka, of a teachersatthuno of an investigatorvīmaṁsissa well reasoned alsosutakkitampi ishoti poorly reasoned alsoduttakkitampi ishoti true alsotathāpi ishoti otherwise alsoaññathāpi ishoti.

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.

thereTatra, Sandakasandaka, sensibleviññū personpuriso thusiti reflectspaṭisañcikkhati:
this‘ayaṁ indeedkho good sirbhavaṁ teachersatthā relies on logictakkī inquiryvīmaṁsī.
heSo worked out by logictakkapariyāhataṁ following a line of inquiryvīmaṁsānucaritaṁ expressing their own perspectivesayampaṭibhānaṁ teachingdhammaṁ teachesdeseti.
of one who relies on logicTakkissa indeedkho butpana of a teachersatthuno of one who inquiresvīmaṁsissa well reasoned toosutakkitampi ishoti poorly reasoned tooduttakkitampi ishoti true tootathāpi ishoti otherwise tooaññathāpi ishoti’.
heSo unreliable‘anassāsikaṁ thisidaṁ spiritual lifebrahmacariyan’ti—
thusiti having realizedviditvā from thattasmā from the spiritual lifebrahmacariyā disappointednibbijja departspakkamati.

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.

thisIdaṁ indeedkho, Sandakasandaka, by thattena by the Blessed Onebhagavatā by the one who knowsjānatā by the one who seespassatā by the Arahantarahatā by the Fully Enlightened Onesammāsambuddhena thirdtatiyaṁ unreliableanassāsikaṁ spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ declaredakkhātaṁ whereinyattha a wiseviññū manpuriso wholeheartedlysasakkaṁ spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ notna would livevaseyya, livingvasanto andca would not attainnārādheyya the trueñāyaṁ dhammadhammaṁ wholesomekusalaṁ.

This is the third kind of unreliable spiritual life.

furthermorePuna and furthercaparaṁ, Sandakasandaka, here someidhekacco teachersatthā dullmando ishoti stupidmomūho.
heSo because of dullnessmandattā because of stupiditymomūhattā theretattha theretattha a questionpañhaṁ askedpuṭṭho beingsamāno verbal flip-flopsvācāvikkhepaṁ resorts toāpajjati endless flip-flops:amarāvikkhepaṁ:
I don't say it's like this‘evantipi Ime do notno, I don't say it's like thattathātipi Ime do notno, I don't say it's otherwiseaññathātipi Ime do notno, I don't say it's not sonotipi Ime do notno, and I don't denyno it's not sonotipi Ime do notno’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.’

There,Tatra, Sandaka,sandaka, sensibleviññū personpuriso thusiti reflects:paṭisañcikkhati:
'this‘ayaṁ indeedkho venerablebhavaṁ teachersatthā dullmando stupid.momūho.
HeSo because of dullnessmandattā because of stupiditymomūhattā theretattha theretattha a questionpañhaṁ askedpuṭṭho beingsamāno verbal flip-floppingvācāvikkhepaṁ resorts toāpajjati endless flip-flopping—amarāvikkhepaṁ—
thus indeedevantipi for meme no,no, so indeedtathātipi for meme no,no, otherwise indeedaññathātipi for meme no,no, not indeednotipi for meme no,no, nono not indeednotipi for meme no.'no’ti.
ThisSo 'unreliable‘anassāsikaṁ thisidaṁ spiritual life'—brahmacariyan’ti—
thusiti having understoodviditvā from thattasmā spiritual lifebrahmacariyā disappointednibbijja departs.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.

‹ Previous  ·  Page 5 of 7  ·  Next ›

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