Cūḷasakuludāyisutta

Majjhima Nikāya 79

Cūḷasakuludāyisutta

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

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Api ca, udāyi, tiṭṭhatu pubbanto, tiṭṭhatu aparanto.
Dhammaṁ te desessāmi—
imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati;
imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhatī”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.’”

“Ahañhi, bhante, yāvatakampi me iminā attabhāvena paccanubhūtaṁ tampi nappahomi sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anussarituṁ,
kuto panāhaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissāmi, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarissāmi, seyyathāpi bhagavā?
Ahañhi, bhante, etarahi paṁsupisācakampi na passāmi,
kuto panāhaṁ dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passissāmi cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānissāmi, seyyathāpi bhagavā?
Yaṁ pana maṁ, bhante, bhagavā evamāha:
‘api ca, udāyi, tiṭṭhatu pubbanto, tiṭṭhatu aparanto;
dhammaṁ te desessāmi—
imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati;
imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhatī’ti tañca pana me bhiyyoso mattāya na pakkhāyati.

“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.

Appeva nāmāhaṁ, bhante, sake ācariyake bhagavato cittaṁ ārādheyyaṁ pañhassa veyyākaraṇenā”ti.

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

“Kinti pana te, udāyi, sake ācariyake hotī”ti?
“Amhākaṁ, bhante, sake ācariyake evaṁ hoti:
‘ayaṁ paramo vaṇṇo, ayaṁ paramo vaṇṇo’”ti.
“Yaṁ pana te etaṁ, udāyi, sake ācariyake evaṁ hoti:
‘ayaṁ paramo vaṇṇo, ayaṁ paramo vaṇṇo’ti, katamo so paramo vaṇṇo”ti?
“Yasmā, bhante, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo”ti.
“Katamo pana so paramo vaṇṇo yasmā vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthī”ti?
“Yasmā, bhante, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo”ti.

“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.”

“Dīghāpi kho te esā, udāyi, phareyya:
‘yasmā, bhante, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo’ti vadesi, tañca vaṇṇaṁ na paññapesi.
Seyyathāpi, udāyi, puriso evaṁ vadeyya:
‘ahaṁ yā imasmiṁ janapade janapadakalyāṇī taṁ icchāmi, taṁ kāmemī’ti.
Tamenaṁ evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
‘ambho purisa, yaṁ tvaṁ janapadakalyāṇiṁ icchasi kāmesi, jānāsi taṁ janapadakalyāṇiṁ—khattiyī vā brāhmaṇī vā vessī vā suddī vā’ti?
Iti puṭṭho ‘no’ti vadeyya.
Tamenaṁ evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
‘ambho purisa, yaṁ tvaṁ janapadakalyāṇiṁ icchasi kāmesi, jānāsi taṁ janapadakalyāṇiṁ—evaṁnāmā evaṅgottāti vāti …pe… dīghā vā rassā vā majjhimā vā kāḷī vā sāmā vā maṅguracchavī vāti … amukasmiṁ gāme vā nigame vā nagare 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?’

Iti puṭṭho ‘no’ti vadeyya.
Tamenaṁ evaṁ vadeyyuṁ:
‘ambho purisa, yaṁ tvaṁ na jānāsi na passasi, taṁ tvaṁ icchasi kāmesī’ti?
Iti puṭṭho ‘āmā’ti vadeyya.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, udāyi—
nanu evaṁ sante, tassa purisassa appāṭihīrakataṁ bhāsitaṁ sampajjatī”ti?
“Addhā kho, bhante, evaṁ sante tassa purisassa appāṭihīrakataṁ bhāsitaṁ sampajjatī”ti.
“Evameva kho tvaṁ, udāyi, ‘yasmā, bhante, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo’ti vadesi, tañca vaṇṇaṁ na 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.”

“Seyyathāpi, bhante, maṇi veḷuriyo subho jātimā aṭṭhaṁso suparikammakato paṇḍukambale nikkhitto bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca, evaṁ vaṇṇo attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā”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.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, udāyi,
yo vā maṇi veḷuriyo subho jātimā aṭṭhaṁso suparikammakato paṇḍukambale nikkhitto bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca, yo vā rattandhakāratimisāya kimi khajjopanako—imesaṁ ubhinnaṁ vaṇṇānaṁ katamo vaṇṇo abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?
“Yvāyaṁ, bhante, rattandhakāratimisāya kimi khajjopanako—ayaṁ imesaṁ ubhinnaṁ vaṇṇānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro 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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