Bodhirājakumārasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 85

With Prince Bodhi · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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tādiso ayaṁ dhammo yattha viññū puriso nacirasseva sakaṁ ācariyakaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyā’ti.
So kho ahaṁ, rājakumāra, nacirasseva khippameva taṁ dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇiṁ.
So kho ahaṁ, rājakumāra, tāvatakeneva oṭṭhapahatamattena lapitalāpanamattena ñāṇavādañca vadāmi, theravādañca jānāmi passāmīti ca paṭijānāmi, ahañceva aññe ca.
Tassa mayhaṁ, rājakumāra, etadahosi:
‘na kho rāmo imaṁ dhammaṁ kevalaṁ saddhāmattakena sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmīti pavedesi;
addhā rāmo imaṁ dhammaṁ jānaṁ passaṁ vihāsī’ti.

This teaching is such that a sensible person can soon realize their own denomination with their own insight and live having achieved it.’ I quickly memorized that teaching. As far as lip-recital and verbal repetition went, I spoke the doctrine of knowledge, the elder doctrine. I claimed to know and see, and so did others. Then it occurred to me, ‘It is not solely by mere faith that Rāma declared: “I realize this teaching with my own insight, and live having achieved it.” Surely he meditated knowing and seeing this teaching.’

Atha khvāhaṁ, rājakumāra, yena udako rāmaputto tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā udakaṁ rāmaputtaṁ etadavocaṁ:
‘kittāvatā no, āvuso, rāmo imaṁ dhammaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmīti pavedesī’ti?
Evaṁ vutte, rājakumāra, udako rāmaputto nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ pavedesi.
Tassa mayhaṁ, rājakumāra, etadahosi:
‘na kho rāmasseva ahosi saddhā, mayhampatthi saddhā;
na kho rāmasseva ahosi vīriyaṁ …pe…
sati …
samādhi …
paññā, mayhampatthi paññā.
Yannūnāhaṁ yaṁ dhammaṁ rāmo sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmīti pavedeti tassa dhammassa sacchikiriyāya padaheyyan’ti.
So kho ahaṁ, rājakumāra, nacirasseva khippameva taṁ dhammaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsiṁ.
Atha khvāhaṁ, rājakumāra, yena udako rāmaputto tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā udakaṁ rāmaputtaṁ etadavocaṁ:

So I approached Uddaka son of Rāma and said to him, ‘Reverend, to what extent did Rāma say he’d realized this teaching with his own insight?’ When I said this, Uddaka son of Rāma declared the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. Then it occurred to me, ‘It’s not just Rāma who had faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom; I too have these things. Why don’t I make an effort to realize the same teaching that Rāma said he had realized with his own insight?’ I quickly realized that teaching with my own insight, and lived having achieved it. So I approached Uddaka son of Rāma and said to him,

‘ettāvatā no, āvuso, rāmo imaṁ dhammaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja pavedesī’ti?
‘Ettāvatā kho, āvuso, rāmo imaṁ dhammaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja pavedesī’ti.
‘Ahampi kho, āvuso, ettāvatā imaṁ dhammaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmī’ti.
‘Lābhā no, āvuso, suladdhaṁ no, āvuso,
ye mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ tādisaṁ sabrahmacāriṁ passāma.
Iti yaṁ dhammaṁ rāmo sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja pavedesi taṁ tvaṁ dhammaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharasi.
Yaṁ tvaṁ dhammaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharasi taṁ dhammaṁ rāmo sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja pavedesi.
Iti yaṁ dhammaṁ rāmo abhiññāsi taṁ tvaṁ dhammaṁ jānāsi; yaṁ tvaṁ dhammaṁ jānāsi taṁ dhammaṁ rāmo abhiññāsi.

‘Reverend, had Rāma realized this teaching with his own insight up to this point, and declared having achieved it?’ ‘He had, reverend.’ ‘I too have realized this teaching with my own insight up to this point, and live having achieved it.’ ‘We are fortunate, reverend, so very fortunate to see a venerable such as yourself as one of our spiritual companions! So the teaching that Rāma had realized with his own insight, and declared having achieved it, you’ve realized with your own insight, and dwell having achieved it. The teaching that you’ve realized with your own insight, and dwell having achieved it, Rāma had realized with his own insight, and declared having achieved it. So the teaching that Rāma directly knew, you know, and the teaching you know, Rāma directly knew.

Iti yādiso rāmo ahosi tādiso tuvaṁ, yādiso tuvaṁ tādiso rāmo ahosi.
Ehi dāni, āvuso, tuvaṁ imaṁ gaṇaṁ pariharā’ti.
Iti kho, rājakumāra, udako rāmaputto sabrahmacārī me samāno ācariyaṭṭhāne maṁ ṭhapesi, uḷārāya ca maṁ pūjāya pūjesi.
Tassa mayhaṁ, rājakumāra, etadahosi:
‘nāyaṁ dhammo nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati, yāvadeva nevasaññānāsaññāyatanūpapattiyā’ti.
So kho ahaṁ, rājakumāra, taṁ dhammaṁ analaṅkaritvā tasmā dhammā nibbijja apakkamiṁ.

Rāma was like you and you are like Rāma. Come now, reverend! You should lead this community.’ And that is how my spiritual companion Uddaka son of Rāma placed me in the position of a tutor and honored me with high praise. Then it occurred to me, ‘This teaching doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. It only leads as far as rebirth in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.’ Realizing that this teaching was inadequate, I left disappointed.

So kho ahaṁ, rājakumāra, kiṅkusalagavesī anuttaraṁ santivarapadaṁ pariyesamāno, magadhesu anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno, yena uruvelā senānigamo tadavasariṁ.
Tatthaddasaṁ ramaṇīyaṁ bhūmibhāgaṁ, pāsādikañca vanasaṇḍaṁ, nadiñca sandantiṁ setakaṁ supatitthaṁ, ramaṇīyaṁ samantā ca gocaragāmaṁ.
Tassa mayhaṁ, rājakumāra, etadahosi:
‘ramaṇīyo vata bho bhūmibhāgo, pāsādiko ca vanasaṇḍo, nadī ca sandati setakā supatitthā, ramaṇīyā samantā ca gocaragāmo.
Alaṁ vatidaṁ kulaputtassa padhānatthikassa padhānāyā’ti.
So kho ahaṁ, rājakumāra, tattheva nisīdiṁ:
‘alamidaṁ padhānāyā’ti.

I set out to discover what is skillful, seeking the supreme state of sublime peace. Traveling stage by stage in the Magadhan lands, I arrived at the town of Senā in Uruvelā. There I saw a delightful park, a lovely grove with a flowing river that was clean and charming, with smooth banks. And nearby was a village to resort to for alms. Then it occurred to me, ‘This park is truly delightful, a lovely grove with a flowing river that’s clean and charming, with smooth banks. And nearby there’s a village to resort to for alms. This is good enough for striving for a gentleman wanting to strive.’ So I sat down right there, thinking, ‘This is good enough for striving.’

Apissu maṁ, rājakumāra, tisso upamā paṭibhaṁsu anacchariyā pubbe assutapubbā.

And then these three similes, which were neither supernaturally inspired, nor learned before in the past, occurred to me.

Seyyathāpi, rājakumāra, allaṁ kaṭṭhaṁ sasnehaṁ udake nikkhittaṁ.
Atha puriso āgaccheyya uttarāraṇiṁ ādāya:
‘aggiṁ abhinibbattessāmi, tejo pātukarissāmī’ti.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra,
api nu so puriso amuṁ allaṁ kaṭṭhaṁ sasnehaṁ udake nikkhittaṁ uttarāraṇiṁ ādāya abhimanthento aggiṁ abhinibbatteyya, tejo pātukareyyā”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bhante.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Aduñhi, bhante, allaṁ kaṭṭhaṁ sasnehaṁ tañca pana udake nikkhittaṁ,
yāvadeva ca pana so puriso kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā”ti.

Suppose there was a green, sappy log, and it was lying in water. Then a person comes along with a drill-stick, thinking to light a fire and produce heat. What do you think, Prince? By drilling the stick against that green, sappy log lying in water, could they light a fire and produce heat?” “No, sir. Why is that? Because it’s a green, sappy log, and it’s lying in the water. That person will eventually get weary and frustrated.”

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