Cūḷasakuludāyisutta

Majjhima Nikāya 79

Cūḷasakuludāyisutta

The Shorter Discourse With Sakuludāyī · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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neverthelessApi andca, Udāyīudāyi, let standtiṭṭhatu the first beginningpubbanto, let standtiṭṭhatu the final endaparanto.
the DhammaDhammaṁ to youte I shall teachdesessāmi—
when this existsimasmiṁ existingsati thisidaṁ comes to behoti, this + arisingimassuppādā thisidaṁ arisesuppajjati;
when this doesn’t existimasmiṁ not·beasati thatidaṁ notna ishoti, of thisimassa due to the cessationnirodhā thatidaṁ ceasesnirujjhatī”ti.

Nevertheless, Udāyī, leave aside the first beginning and the final end. I shall teach you the Dhamma: ‘When this exists, this comes to be; due to the arising of this, this arises. When this doesn’t exist, that is not; due to the cessation of this, that ceases.’”

I indeed“Ahañhi, sirbhante, as-much-as + evenyāvatakampi by meme with thisiminā incarnationattabhāvena undergonepaccanubhūtaṁ that + tootampi not + be-ablenappahomi with featuressākāraṁ with detailssauddesaṁ to recollectanussarituṁ,
howkuto then Ipanāhaṁ many kinds ofanekavihitaṁ past livespubbenivāsaṁ I shall recollectanussarissāmi, that-is + one-tooseyyathidaṁ—ekampi lifejātiṁ two + toodvepi livesjātiyo ……pe… thusiti with featuressākāraṁ with detailssauddesaṁ many kinds ofanekavihitaṁ past livespubbenivāsaṁ I shall recollectanussarissāmi, likeseyyathāpi the Buddhabhagavā?
I indeedAhañhi, sirbhante, nowetarahi even a mud-goblinpaṁsupisācakampi notna I seepassāmi,
howkuto then Ipanāhaṁ with clairvoyancedibbena eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena superhumanatikkantamānusakena sentient beingssatte I shall seepassissāmi passing awaycavamāne being rebornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe in a good placesugate in a bad placeduggate according to deedsyathākammūpage sentient beingssatte I shall knowpajānissāmi, likeseyyathāpi the Buddhabhagavā?
whatYaṁ thenpana to memaṁ, sirbhante, the Buddhabhagavā said thusevamāha:
nevertheless‘api andca, Udāyīudāyi, let standtiṭṭhatu the first beginningpubbanto, let standtiṭṭhatu the final endaparanto;
the Dhammadhammaṁ to youte I shall teachdesessāmi—
when thisimasmiṁ existssati thisidaṁ comes to behoti, this + arisingimassuppādā thisidaṁ arisesuppajjati;
when thisimasmiṁ doesn't existasati thisidaṁ notna comes to behoti, due to the cessation of thisimassa cessationnirodhā thisidaṁ ceasesnirujjhatī’ti that + tootañca thenpana to meme even morebhiyyoso by the measuremattāya notna is clearpakkhāyati.

“Well sir, I can’t even recall with features and details what I’ve undergone in this incarnation. How should I possibly recollect my many kinds of past lives with features and details, like the Buddha? For I can’t even see a mud-goblin right now. How should I possibly, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, see sentient beings passing away and being reborn, like the Buddha? But then the Buddha told me, ‘Nevertheless, Udāyī, leave aside the first beginning and the final end. I shall teach you the Dhamma: “When this exists, this comes to be; due to the arising of this, this arises. When this doesn’t exist, this doesn’t come to be; due to the cessation of this, this ceases.”’ But that is even more unclear to me.

perhapsAppeva indeed Ināmāhaṁ, revered sirbhante, ownsake denominationācariyake of the Blessed Onebhagavato mindcittaṁ to·satisfyārādheyyaṁ of a questionpañhassa by answeringveyyākaraṇenā”ti.

Perhaps I might satisfy the Buddha by answering a question about my own denomination.”

“But Udāyī, what is your own denomination?” “Sir, it’s this: ‘This is the ultimate splendor, this is the ultimate splendor.’” “But what is that ultimate splendor?” “Sir, the ultimate splendor is the splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer.” “But what is that ultimate splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer?” “Sir, the ultimate splendor is the splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer.”

even long“Dīghāpi indeedkho for youte thisesā, Udāyīudāyi, you could draw outphareyya:
since‘yasmā, sirbhante, than the splendorvaṇṇā otherañño splendorvaṇṇo higher·comparuttaritaro orvā excellent·comparpaṇītataro orvā not·benatthi thatso ultimateparamo splendorvaṇṇo’ti you sayvadesi, and thattañca splendorvaṇṇaṁ notna you describepaññapesi.
supposeSeyyathāpi, Udāyīudāyi, a manpuriso thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
I‘ahaṁ whoeveryā in thisimasmiṁ in the landjanapade country·beautiful womanjanapadakalyāṇī hertaṁ I wanticchāmi, hertaṁ I desirekāmemī’ti.
him theyTamenaṁ thusevaṁ would sayvadeyyuṁ:
my man‘ambho manpurisa, whomyaṁ youtvaṁ country·beautiful womanjanapadakalyāṇiṁ you desireicchasi you lovekāmesi, you knowjānāsi thattaṁ finest lady in the land—an aristocratjanapadakalyāṇiṁ—khattiyī orvā a brahminbrāhmaṇī orvā a peasantvessī orvā a menialsuddī or?vā’ti?
thusIti askedpuṭṭho no‘no’ti he would sayvadeyya.
him theyTamenaṁ thusevaṁ would sayvadeyyuṁ:
my friend‘ambho manpurisa, whomyaṁ youtvaṁ country·beautiful womanjanapadakalyāṇiṁ you desireicchasi you lovekāmesi, you knowjānāsi thattaṁ finest lady in the land—her namejanapadakalyāṇiṁ—evaṁnāmā her clanevaṅgottāti or?vāti ……pe… talldīghā orvā shortrassā orvā mediummajjhimā orvā blackkāḷī orvā brownsāmā orvā dingy·skinnedmaṅguracchavī or?vāti …… in such-and-suchamukasmiṁ villagegāme orvā townnigame orvā citynagare or?vā’ti?

“Udāyī, you could draw this out for a long time. You say, ‘The ultimate splendor is the splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer.’ But you don’t describe that splendor. Suppose a man was to say, ‘Whoever the finest lady in the land is, it is her that I want, her I desire!’ They’d say to him, ‘My man, that finest lady in the land who you desire—do you know whether she’s an aristocrat, a brahmin, a peasant, or a menial?’ Asked this, he’d say, ‘No.’ They’d say to him, ‘My friend, that finest lady in the land who you desire—do you know her name or clan? Whether she’s tall or short or medium? Whether her skin is black, brown, or dingy? Whether she comes from such-and-such village, town, or city?’

thusIti askedpuṭṭho “No,”‘no’ti he would say.vadeyya.
him thusTamenaṁ soevaṁ they would say:vadeyyuṁ:
‘my man,‘ambho man,purisa, whoyaṁ youtvaṁ notna knowjānāsi norna see,passasi, thattaṁ youtvaṁ desireicchasi want?’kāmesī’ti?
ThusIti askedpuṭṭho ‘Yes,’‘āmā’ti he would say.vadeyya.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you think,maññasi, Udāyī—udāyi—
isn't itnanu soevaṁ being,sante, thattassa man’spurisassa without demonstrable basisappāṭihīrakataṁ statementbhāsitaṁ turns out?”sampajjatī”ti?
“Clearly“Addhā indeed,kho, sir,bhante, soevaṁ being,sante thattassa man’spurisassa without demonstrable basisappāṭihīrakataṁ statementbhāsitaṁ turns out.”sampajjatī”ti.
“In the same way“Evameva indeedkho you,tvaṁ, Udāyī,udāyi, ‘since,‘yasmā, sir,bhante, splendorvaṇṇā anotherañño splendorvaṇṇo fineruttaritaro orvā more excellentpaṇītataro orvā there is notnatthi thatso ultimateparamo splendor,’vaṇṇo’ti you say,vadesi, but thattañca splendorvaṇṇaṁ notna you describe.”paññapesī”ti.

Asked this, he’d say, ‘No.’ They’d say to him, ‘My man, do you desire someone who you’ve never even known or seen?’ Asked this, he’d say, ‘Yes.’ What do you think, Udāyī? This being so, doesn’t that man’s statement turn out to have no demonstrable basis?” “Clearly that’s the case, sir.” “In the same way, you say, ‘The ultimate splendor is the splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer.’ But you don’t describe that splendor.”

just as“Seyyathāpi, worthy sirbhante, a gemmaṇi berylveḷuriyo naturally lustroussubho of good birthjātimā eight-facetedaṭṭhaṁso well·workedsuparikammakato on a cream rugpaṇḍukambale placednikkhitto would shinebhāsate andca would glowtapate andca would dazzlevirocati andca, suchevaṁ splendorvaṇṇo the selfattā ishoti free of diseasearogo afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā”ti.

“Worthy sir, suppose there was a beryl gem that was naturally lustrous, eight-faceted, well-worked. When placed on a cream rug it would shine and glow and dazzle. Such is the splendor of the self that is free of disease after death.”

that“Taṁ whatkiṁ you thinkmaññasi, Udāyīudāyi,
whichyo orvā gemmaṇi berylveḷuriyo beautifulsubho genuinejātimā eight-facetedaṭṭhaṁso well-workedsuparikammakato yellow·blanketpaṇḍukambale placednikkhitto shinesbhāsate andca glowstapate andca apart·shinevirocati andca, whichyo orvā in the dark of nightrattandhakāratimisāya a wormkimi firefly—of thesekhajjopanako—imesaṁ of bothubhinnaṁ of splendorsvaṇṇānaṁ whichkatamo splendorvaṇṇo finerabhikkantataro andca superiorpaṇītataro and”?'cā”ti?
that which“Yvāyaṁ, sirbhante, in the dark of nightrattandhakāratimisāya a wormkimi firefly—thiskhajjopanako—ayaṁ of theseimesaṁ of bothubhinnaṁ of splendorsvaṇṇānaṁ finerabhikkantataro andca superiorpaṇītataro and”'cā”ti.

“What do you think, Udāyī? Which of these two has a finer splendor: such a beryl gem, or a firefly in the dark of night?” “A firefly in the dark of night, sir.”

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