Samaṇamuṇḍikasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 78

Samaṇamuṇḍikasutta

With Uggāhamāna Samaṇamaṇḍikāputta · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ sante kho, thapati, daharo kumāro mando uttānaseyyako sampannakusalo bhavissati paramakusalo uttamapattipatto samaṇo ayojjho, yathā uggāhamānassa paribbājakassa samaṇamuṇḍikāputtassa vacanaṁ.
Catūhi kho ahaṁ, thapati, dhammehi samannāgataṁ purisapuggalaṁ paññapemi na ceva sampannakusalaṁ na paramakusalaṁ na uttamapattipattaṁ samaṇaṁ ayojjhaṁ, api cimaṁ daharaṁ kumāraṁ mandaṁ uttānaseyyakaṁ samadhigayha tiṭṭhati.
Katamehi catūhi?
Idha, thapati, na kāyena pāpakammaṁ karoti, na pāpakaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati, na pāpakaṁ saṅkappaṁ saṅkappeti, na pāpakaṁ ājīvaṁ ājīvati—
imehi kho ahaṁ, thapati, catūhi dhammehi samannāgataṁ purisapuggalaṁ paññapemi na ceva sampannakusalaṁ na paramakusalaṁ na uttamapattipattaṁ samaṇaṁ ayojjhaṁ, api cimaṁ daharaṁ kumāraṁ mandaṁ uttānaseyyakaṁ samadhigayha tiṭṭhati.

If what Uggāhamāna says is true, a little baby boy is an invincible ascetic—accomplished in the skillful, excelling in the skillful, attained to the highest attainment. When an individual person has four qualities I describe them, not as an invincible ascetic—accomplished in the skillful, excelling in the skillful, attained to the highest attainment—but as having achieved the same level as a little baby. What four? It’s when they do no bad deeds with their body; speak no bad words; think no bad thoughts; and don’t earn a living by bad livelihood. When an individual possesses these four qualities I describe them, not as an invincible ascetic, but as having achieved the same level as a little baby.

When an individual person has ten qualities, chamberlain, I describe them as an invincible ascetic—accomplished in the skillful, excelling in the skillful, attained to the highest attainment. The following things must be understood, I say. ‘These are unskillful behaviors.’ ‘Unskillful behaviors stem from this.’ ‘Here unskillful behaviors cease without remainder.’ ‘Someone practicing like this is practicing for the cessation of unskillful behaviors.’ ‘These are skillful behaviors.’ ‘Skillful behaviors stem from this.’ ‘Here skillful behaviors cease without remainder.’ ‘Someone practicing like this is practicing for the cessation of skillful behaviors.’ ‘These are unskillful thoughts.’ ‘Unskillful thoughts stem from this.’ ‘Here unskillful thoughts cease without remainder.’

tamahaṁ, thapati, veditabbanti vadāmi.
Evaṁ paṭipanno akusalānaṁ saṅkappānaṁ nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti;
tamahaṁ, thapati, veditabbanti vadāmi.
Ime kusalā saṅkappā;
tamahaṁ, thapati, veditabbanti vadāmi.
Itosamuṭṭhānā kusalā saṅkappā;
tamahaṁ, thapati, veditabbanti vadāmi.
Idha kusalā saṅkappā aparisesā nirujjhanti;
tamahaṁ, thapati, veditabbanti vadāmi.
Evaṁ paṭipanno kusalānaṁ saṅkappānaṁ nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti;
tamahaṁ, thapati, veditabbanti vadāmi.

‘Someone practicing like this is practicing for the cessation of unskillful thoughts.’ ‘These are skillful thoughts.’ ‘Skillful thoughts stem from this.’ ‘Here skillful thoughts cease without remainder.’ ‘Someone practicing like this is practicing for the cessation of skillful thoughts.’

Katame ca, thapati, akusalā sīlā?
Akusalaṁ kāyakammaṁ, akusalaṁ vacīkammaṁ, pāpako ājīvo—
ime vuccanti, thapati, akusalā sīlā.
Ime ca, thapati, akusalā sīlā kiṁsamuṭṭhānā?
Samuṭṭhānampi nesaṁ vuttaṁ.
‘Cittasamuṭṭhānā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
Katamaṁ cittaṁ?
Cittampi hi bahuṁ anekavidhaṁ nānappakārakaṁ.
Yaṁ cittaṁ sarāgaṁ sadosaṁ samohaṁ, itosamuṭṭhānā akusalā sīlā.
Ime ca, thapati, akusalā sīlā kuhiṁ aparisesā nirujjhanti?
Nirodhopi nesaṁ vutto.
Idha, thapati, bhikkhu kāyaduccaritaṁ pahāya kāyasucaritaṁ bhāveti, vacīduccaritaṁ pahāya vacīsucaritaṁ bhāveti, manoduccaritaṁ pahāya manosucaritaṁ bhāveti, micchājīvaṁ pahāya sammājīvena jīvitaṁ kappeti—
etthete akusalā sīlā aparisesā nirujjhanti.
Kathaṁ paṭipanno, thapati, akusalānaṁ sīlānaṁ nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti?

And what, chamberlain, are unskillful behaviors? Unskillful deeds by way of body and speech, and bad livelihood. These are called unskillful behaviors. And where do these unskillful behaviors stem from? Where they stem from has been stated. You should say that they stem from the mind. What mind? The mind takes many and diverse forms. But unskillful behaviors stem from a mind that has greed, hate, and delusion. And where do these unskillful behaviors cease without remainder? Their cessation has also been stated. It’s when a mendicant gives up bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and develops good conduct by way of body, speech, and mind; they give up wrong livelihood and earn a living by right livelihood. This is where these unskillful behaviors cease without remainder. And how is someone practicing for the cessation of unskillful behaviors?

Idha, thapati, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati;
uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati;
anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati;
uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.
Evaṁ paṭipanno kho, thapati, akusalānaṁ sīlānaṁ nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti.

It’s when a mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are fully developed. Someone practicing like this is practicing for the cessation of unskillful behaviors.

Katame ca, thapati, kusalā sīlā?
Kusalaṁ kāyakammaṁ, kusalaṁ vacīkammaṁ, ājīvaparisuddhampi kho ahaṁ, thapati, sīlasmiṁ vadāmi.
Ime vuccanti, thapati, kusalā sīlā.
Ime ca, thapati, kusalā sīlā kiṁsamuṭṭhānā?
Samuṭṭhānampi nesaṁ vuttaṁ.
‘Cittasamuṭṭhānā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
Katamaṁ cittaṁ?
Cittampi hi bahuṁ anekavidhaṁ nānappakārakaṁ.
Yaṁ cittaṁ vītarāgaṁ vītadosaṁ vītamohaṁ, itosamuṭṭhānā kusalā sīlā.
Ime ca, thapati, kusalā sīlā kuhiṁ aparisesā nirujjhanti?
Nirodhopi nesaṁ vutto.
Idha, thapati, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti no ca sīlamayo,
tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti; yatthassa te kusalā sīlā aparisesā nirujjhanti.
Kathaṁ paṭipanno ca, thapati, kusalānaṁ sīlānaṁ nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti?

And what are skillful behaviors? Skillful deeds by way of body and speech, and purified livelihood are included in behavior, I say. These are called skillful behaviors. And where do these skillful behaviors stem from? Where they stem from has been stated. You should say that they stem from the mind. What mind? The mind takes many and diverse forms. But skillful behaviors stem from a mind that is free from greed, hate, and delusion. And where do these skillful behaviors cease without remainder? Their cessation has also been stated. It’s when a mendicant behaves ethically, but they are not determined by ethical behavior. And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where these skillful behaviors cease without remainder. And how is someone practicing for the cessation of skillful behaviors?

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