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Majjhima Nikāya 80

Vekhanasasutta

With Vekhanasa · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Atha kho vekhanaso paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho vekhanaso paribbājako bhagavato santike udānaṁ udānesi:
“ayaṁ paramo vaṇṇo, ayaṁ paramo vaṇṇo”ti.
“Kiṁ pana tvaṁ, kaccāna, evaṁ vadesi:
‘ayaṁ paramo vaṇṇo, ayaṁ paramo vaṇṇo’ti?
Katamo, kaccāna, so paramo vaṇṇo”ti?
“Yasmā, bho gotama, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo”ti.
“Katamo pana so, kaccāna, vaṇṇo yasmā vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthī”ti?
“Yasmā, bho gotama, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo”ti.

Then the wanderer Vekhanasa went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side, and expressed this heartfelt sentiment in the Buddha’s presence: “This is the ultimate splendor, this is the ultimate splendor.” “But Kaccāna, why do you say: ‘This is the ultimate splendor, this is the ultimate splendor.’ What is that ultimate splendor?” “Worthy Gotama, 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?” “Worthy Gotama, the ultimate splendor is the splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer.”

“Dīghāpi kho te esā, kaccāna, phareyya:
‘yasmā, bho gotama, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo’ti vadesi, tañca vaṇṇaṁ na paññapesi.
Seyyathāpi, kaccāna, 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?

“Kaccāna, 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, kaccāna,
nanu evaṁ sante tassa purisassa appāṭihīrakataṁ bhāsitaṁ sampajjatī”ti?
“Addhā kho, bho gotama, evaṁ sante tassa purisassa appāṭihīrakataṁ bhāsitaṁ sampajjatī”ti.
“Evameva kho tvaṁ, kaccāna, ‘yasmā, bho gotama, 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, Kaccāna? This being so, doesn’t that man’s statement turn out to have no demonstrable basis?” “Clearly that’s the case, worthy Gotama.” “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, bho gotama, maṇi veḷuriyo subho jātimā aṭṭhaṁso suparikammakato paṇḍukambale nikkhitto bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca, evaṁ vaṇṇo attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā”ti.

“Mister Gotama, 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, kaccāna,
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, bho gotama, rattandhakāratimisāya kimi khajjopanako, ayaṁ imesaṁ ubhinnaṁ vaṇṇānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti.

“What do you think, Kaccāna? 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.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kaccāna,
yo vā rattandhakāratimisāya kimi khajjopanako, yo vā rattandhakāratimisāya telappadīpo, imesaṁ ubhinnaṁ vaṇṇānaṁ katamo vaṇṇo abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?
“Yvāyaṁ, bho gotama, rattandhakāratimisāya telappadīpo, ayaṁ imesaṁ ubhinnaṁ vaṇṇānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti.

“What do you think, Kaccāna? Which of these two has a finer splendor: a firefly in the dark of night, or an oil lamp in the dark of night?” “An oil lamp in the dark of night.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kaccāna,
yo vā rattandhakāratimisāya telappadīpo, yo vā rattandhakāratimisāya mahāaggikkhandho, imesaṁ ubhinnaṁ vaṇṇānaṁ katamo vaṇṇo abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?
“Yvāyaṁ, bho gotama, rattandhakāratimisāya mahāaggikkhandho, ayaṁ imesaṁ ubhinnaṁ vaṇṇānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti.

“What do you think, Kaccāna? Which of these two has a finer splendor: an oil lamp in the dark of night, or a great mass of fire in the dark of night?” “A great mass of fire in the dark of night.”

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