Mahāsakuludāyisutta

Majjhima Nikāya 77

The Longer Discourse with Sakuludāyī · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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sauttaraṁ vā cittaṁ …
anuttaraṁ vā cittaṁ …
samāhitaṁ vā cittaṁ …
asamāhitaṁ vā cittaṁ …
vimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ …
avimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘avimuttaṁ cittan’ti pajānanti.
Tatra ca pana me sāvakā bahū abhiññāvosānapāramippattā viharanti.

And many of my disciples meditate on that having attained perfection and consummation of insight.

Puna caparaṁ, udāyi, akkhātā mayā sāvakānaṁ paṭipadā, yathāpaṭipannā me sāvakā anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussaranti, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṁsampi jātiyo cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jātisatasahassampi, anekepi saṁvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe: ‘amutrāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādiṁ; tatrāpāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhūpapanno’ti. Iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati.

Furthermore, I have explained to my disciples a practice that they use to recollect the many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so they recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

Seyyathāpi, udāyi, puriso sakamhā gāmā aññaṁ gāmaṁ gaccheyya, tamhāpi gāmā aññaṁ gāmaṁ gaccheyya; so tamhā gāmā sakaṁyeva gāmaṁ paccāgaccheyya; tassa evamassa: ‘ahaṁ kho sakamhā gāmā aññaṁ gāmaṁ agacchiṁ, tatra evaṁ aṭṭhāsiṁ evaṁ nisīdiṁ evaṁ abhāsiṁ evaṁ tuṇhī ahosiṁ; tamhāpi gāmā amuṁ gāmaṁ agacchiṁ, tatrāpi evaṁ aṭṭhāsiṁ evaṁ nisīdiṁ evaṁ abhāsiṁ evaṁ tuṇhī ahosiṁ, somhi tamhā gāmā sakaṁyeva gāmaṁ paccāgato’ti.
Evameva kho, udāyi, akkhātā mayā sāvakānaṁ paṭipadā, yathāpaṭipannā me sāvakā anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussaranti, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussaranti.
Tatra ca pana me sāvakā bahū abhiññāvosānapāramippattā viharanti.

Suppose a person was to leave their home village and go to another village. From that village they’d go to yet another village. And from that village they’d return to their home village. They’d think: ‘I went from my home village to another village. There I stood like this, sat like that, spoke like this, or kept silent like that. From that village I went to yet another village. There too I stood like this, sat like that, spoke like this, or kept silent like that. And from that village I returned to my home village.’ In the same way, I have explained to my disciples a practice that they use to recollect the many kinds of past lives. And many of my disciples meditate on that having attained perfection and consummation of insight.

Puna caparaṁ, udāyi, akkhātā mayā sāvakānaṁ paṭipadā, yathāpaṭipannā me sāvakā dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passanti cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānanti: ‘ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā vacīduccaritena samannāgatā manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā; ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā vacīsucaritena samannāgatā manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannā’ti. Iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passanti cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānanti.

Furthermore, I have explained to my disciples a practice that they use so that, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds: ‘These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They denounced the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they chose to act out of that wrong view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never denounced the noble ones; they had right view; and they chose to act out of that right view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.

Seyyathāpi, udāyi, dve agārā sadvārā. Tatra cakkhumā puriso majjhe ṭhito passeyya manusse gehaṁ pavisantepi nikkhamantepi anucaṅkamantepi anuvicarantepi;
evameva kho, udāyi, akkhātā mayā sāvakānaṁ paṭipadā, yathāpaṭipannā me sāvakā dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passanti cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānanti …pe…
tatra ca pana me sāvakā bahū abhiññāvosānapāramippattā viharanti.

Suppose there were two houses with doors. A person with clear eyes standing in between them would see humans entering and leaving a house and wandering to and fro. In the same way, I have explained to my disciples a practice that they use so that, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn … And many of my disciples meditate on that having attained perfection and consummation of insight.

Puna caparaṁ, udāyi, akkhātā mayā sāvakānaṁ paṭipadā, yathāpaṭipannā me sāvakā āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.
Seyyathāpi, udāyi, pabbatasaṅkhepe udakarahado accho vippasanno anāvilo, tattha cakkhumā puriso tīre ṭhito passeyya sippisambukampi sakkharakaṭhalampi macchagumbampi carantampi tiṭṭhantampi. Tassa evamassa: ‘ayaṁ kho udakarahado accho vippasanno anāvilo, tatrime sippisambukāpi sakkharakaṭhalāpi macchagumbāpi carantipi tiṭṭhantipī’ti.
Evameva kho, udāyi, akkhātā mayā sāvakānaṁ paṭipadā, yathāpaṭipannā me sāvakā āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.
Tatra ca pana me sāvakā bahū abhiññāvosānapāramippattā viharanti.

Furthermore, I have explained to my disciples a practice that they use to realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements. Suppose that in a mountain glen there was a lake that was transparent, clear, and unclouded. A person with clear eyes standing on the bank would see the clams and mussels, pebbles and gravel, and schools of fish swimming about or staying still. They’d think: ‘This lake is transparent, clear, and unclouded. And here are the clams and mussels, pebbles and gravel, and schools of fish swimming about or staying still.’ In the same way, I have explained to my disciples a practice that they use to realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements. And many of my disciples meditate on that having attained perfection and consummation of insight.

Ayaṁ kho, udāyi, pañcamo dhammo yena mama sāvakā sakkaronti garuṁ karonti mānenti pūjenti, sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharanti.

This is the fifth quality because of which my disciples are loyal to me.

Ime kho, udāyi, pañca dhammā yehi mamaṁ sāvakā sakkaronti garuṁ karonti mānenti pūjenti, sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharantī”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamano sakuludāyī paribbājako bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Mahāsakuludāyisuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ sattamaṁ.

These are the five qualities because of which my disciples honor, respect, revere, and venerate me; and honoring and respecting me, they remain loyal to me.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the wanderer Sakuludāyī approved what the Buddha said.

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