Bodhirājakumārasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 85

With Prince Bodhi · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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to me too“Mayhampi indeedkho, princerājakumāra, even beforepubbeva than awakeningsambodhā of one not fully awakenedanabhisambuddhassa just of a bodhisattabodhisattasseva beingsato this occurredetadahosi:
not‘na indeedkho through pleasuresukhena pleasuresukhaṁ to be gainedadhigantabbaṁ, through paindukkhena indeedkho pleasuresukhaṁ to be gainedadhigantabban’ti.

“Prince, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I too thought, ‘Pleasure is not gained through pleasure; pleasure is gained through pain.’

thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, princerājakumāra, lateraparena timesamayena while youngdaharova beingsamāno with pristine black hairsusukāḷakeso with auspiciousbhadrena youthyobbanena endowed withsamannāgato firstpaṭhamena agevayasā unwillingakāmakānaṁ mother and fathermātāpitūnaṁ tearful-facedassumukhānaṁ weepingrudantānaṁ hair and beardkesamassuṁ having shaved offohāretvā ocherkāsāyāni robesvatthāni having dressed inacchādetvā from homeagārasmā homelessnessanagāriyaṁ I went forthpabbajiṁ.
thatSo thusevaṁ gone forthpabbajito beingsamāno seeker of what is skillfulkiṅkusalagavesī supremeanuttaraṁ state of sublime peacesantivarapadaṁ searching forpariyesamāno whereyena Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo I approachedtenupasaṅkamiṁ; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā Āḷāraāḷāraṁ Kālāmakālāmaṁ I said thisetadavocaṁ:
I wish‘icchāmahaṁ, reverendāvuso Kālāmakālāma, in thisimasmiṁ teaching and trainingdhammavinaye spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ to leadcaritun’ti.
thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, princerājakumāra, Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo memaṁ said thisetadavoca:
stay, venerable‘viharatāyasmā,
suchtādiso thisayaṁ teachingdhammo whereyattha sensibleviññū personpuriso before longnacirasseva ownsakaṁ own denominationācariyakaṁ oneselfsayaṁ with insightabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having achievedupasampajja may livevihareyyā’ti.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, princerājakumāra, before longnacirasseva quicklykhippameva thattaṁ teachingdhammaṁ I memorizedpariyāpuṇiṁ.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, princerājakumāra, as far as thattāvatakeneva lip-recitaloṭṭhapahatamattena verbal repetitionlapitalāpanamattena doctrine of knowledgeñāṇavādañca I speakvadāmi, elder doctrinetheravādañca I knowjānāmi I seepassāmīti andca I claimpaṭijānāmi, I myselfahañceva othersaññe andca.

Some time later, while still with pristine black hair, blessed with youth, in the prime of life—though my mother and father wished otherwise, weeping with tearful faces—I shaved off my hair and beard, dressed in ocher robes, and went forth from the lay life to homelessness. Once I had gone forth I set out to discover what is skillful, seeking the supreme state of sublime peace. I approached Āḷāra Kālāma and said to him, ‘Reverend Kālāma, I wish to lead the spiritual life in this teaching and training.’ Āḷāra Kālāma replied, ‘Stay, venerable. 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.

to meTassa to memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, this occurredetadahosi:
not‘na indeedkho Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo thisimaṁ teachingdhammaṁ solelykevalaṁ by mere faithsaddhāmattakena myselfsayaṁ with insightabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having achievedupasampajja I liveviharāmīti he declarespavedeti;
surelyaddhā Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo thisimaṁ teachingdhammaṁ knowingjānaṁ seeingpassaṁ he livesviharatī’ti.

Then it occurred to me, ‘It is not solely by mere faith that Āḷāra Kālāma declares: “I realize this teaching with my own insight, and live having achieved it.” Surely he meditates knowing and seeing this teaching.’

thenAtha indeed Ikhvāhaṁ, princerājakumāra, whereyena Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo I approachedtenupasaṅkamiṁ; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā Āḷāraāḷāraṁ Kālāmakālāmaṁ I said thisetadavocaṁ:
to what extent‘kittāvatā indeedno, reverendāvuso Kālāmakālāma, thisimaṁ teachingdhammaṁ oneselfsayaṁ with direct knowledgeabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having attainedupasampajja I liveviharāmīti you declarepavedesī’ti?
thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, princerājakumāra, Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo dimension of nothingnessākiñcaññāyatanaṁ declaredpavedesi.
of thatTassa of memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, this occurredetadahosi:
not‘na indeedkho only of Āḷāraāḷārasseva of Kālāmakālāmassa there isatthi faithsaddhā, I too havemayhampatthi faithsaddhā;
notna indeedkho only of Āḷāraāḷārasseva of Kālāmakālāmassa there isatthi energyvīriyaṁ …pe……pe…
mindfulnesssati ……
immersionsamādhi ……
wisdompaññā, I too havemayhampatthi wisdompaññā.
why don't IYannūnāhaṁ whichyaṁ teachingdhammaṁ Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo oneselfsayaṁ with direct knowledgeabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having attainedupasampajja I liveviharāmīti declarespavedeti of thattassa of the teachingdhammassa for the realizationsacchikiriyāya may I strivepadaheyyan’ti.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, princerājakumāra, very quicklynacirasseva quicklykhippameva thattaṁ teachingdhammaṁ oneselfsayaṁ with direct knowledgeabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā having attainedupasampajja I livedvihāsiṁ.
thenAtha indeed Ikhvāhaṁ, princerājakumāra, whereyena Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo I approachedtenupasaṅkamiṁ; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā Āḷāraāḷāraṁ Kālāmakālāmaṁ I said thisetadavocaṁ:

So I approached Āḷāra Kālāma and said to him, ‘Reverend Kālāma, to what extent do you say you’ve realized this teaching with your own insight?’ When I said this, he declared the dimension of nothingness. Then it occurred to me, ‘It’s not just Āḷāra Kālāma who has faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom; I too have these things. Why don’t I make an effort to realize the same teaching that Āḷāra Kālāma says he has realized with his own insight?’ I quickly realized that teaching with my own insight, and lived having achieved it. So I approached Āḷāra Kālāma and said to him,

‘Reverend Kālāma, is it up to this point that you realized this teaching with your own insight, and declare having achieved it?’ ‘I have, 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 I’ve realized with my own insight, and declare 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, I’ve realized with my own insight, and declare having achieved it. So the teaching that I know, you know, and the teaching you know, I know. I am like you and you are like me.

come!Ehi nowdāni, reverendāvuso, bothubhova beingsantā thisimaṁ communitygaṇaṁ we should lead; quotation markerpariharāmā’ti.
thusIti indeedkho, princerājakumāra, Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo teacherācariyo myme beingsamāno his ownattano pupilantevāsiṁ memaṁ beingsamānaṁ with himselfattanā in the same positionsamasamaṁ placedṭhapesi, with highuḷārāya andca memaṁ with praisepūjāya honoredpūjesi.
to himTassa to memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, this occurredetadahosi:
quotation marker; this‘nāyaṁ teachingdhammo to disillusionmentnibbidāya notna to dispassionvirāgāya notna to cessationnirodhāya notna to peaceupasamāya notna to insightabhiññāya notna to awakeningsambodhāya notna to extinguishmentnibbānāya leadssaṁvattati, only as far asyāvadeva to rebirth in the dimension of nothingness; quotation markerākiñcaññāyatanūpapattiyā’ti.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, princerājakumāra, thattaṁ teachingdhammaṁ having found inadequateanalaṅkaritvā from thattasmā from the teachingdhammā being disappointednibbijja I leftapakkamiṁ.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, princerājakumāra, seeking what is skillfulkiṅkusalagavesī supremeanuttaraṁ state of sublime peacesantivarapadaṁ seekingpariyesamāno whereyena Uddakaudako son of Rāmarāmaputto there I approachedtenupasaṅkamiṁ; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā to Uddakaudakaṁ son of Rāmarāmaputtaṁ this I saidetadavocaṁ:
quotation marker; I wish‘icchāmahaṁ, reverendāvuso, in thisimasmiṁ teaching and trainingdhammavinaye spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ to lead; quotation markercaritun’ti.
thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, princerājakumāra, Uddakaudako son of Rāmarāmaputto memaṁ this saidetadavoca:
quotation marker; stay‘viharatāyasmā,

Come now, reverend! We should both lead this community together.’ And that is how my tutor Āḷāra Kālāma placed me, his pupil, on the same position as him, 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 nothingness.’ Realizing that this teaching was inadequate, I left disappointed. I set out to discover what is skillful, seeking the supreme state of sublime peace. I approached Uddaka son of Rāma and said to him, ‘Reverend, I wish to lead the spiritual life in this teaching and training.’ Uddaka replied, ‘Stay, venerable.

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