Ghoṭamukhasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 94

With Ghoṭamukha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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whoYo andca indeedkho thisayaṁ, sirbho Udenaudena, individualpuggalo not·just·self-mortifyingnevattantapo not·devoted to self-mortification practicenāttaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto norna mortifying othersparantapo norna not devoted to the practice of mortifying othersparaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto heso not self-mortifyinganattantapo not mortifying othersaparantapo seen·verydiṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme without wishesnicchāto quenchednibbuto cooledsītībhūto bliss·experiencingsukhappaṭisaṁvedī divine·becomebrahmabhūtena with selfattanā dwellsviharati, heso self·andattānañca other·andparañca happiness·wantingsukhakāmaṁ pain·recoilingdukkhapaṭikkūlaṁ does notneva toward·tormentsātāpeti norna torments othersparitāpeti;
by thisiminā to meme thisayaṁ individualpuggalo the mindcittaṁ pleasesārādhetī”ti.

The individual who doesn’t mortify either themselves or others—living without wishes, quenched, cooled, experiencing bliss, with self become divine—does not torment themselves or others, both of whom want to be happy and recoil from pain. That’s why I like the sound of that individual.”

“There are, brahmin, these two groups of people. What two? There’s one group of people who, being obsessed with jeweled earrings, seeks partners and children, male and female bondservants, fields and lands, and gold and currency. And there’s another group of people who, not being obsessed with jeweled earrings, has given up partner and children, male and female bondservants, fields and lands, and gold and currency, and goes forth from the lay life to homelessness. Now, brahmin, that individual who doesn’t mortify either themselves or others— in which of these two groups of people do you usually find such an individual?”

that one“Yvāyaṁ, sirbho Udenaudena, individualpuggalo not self-tormentingnevattantapo not·devoted to self-mortificationnāttaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto notna tormenting othersparantapo notna not devoted to tormenting othersparaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto heso not self-tormentinganattantapo not tormenting othersaparantapo seen·indeeddiṭṭheva in the Dhammadhamme hungerlessnicchāto quenchednibbuto cool·becomesītībhūto happiness·experiencingsukhappaṭisaṁvedī brahma·becomebrahmabhūtena with a selfattanā he dwellsviharati;
this + Iimāhaṁ individualpuggalaṁ which + thisyāyaṁ assemblyparisā not·overly attachedasārattarattā jewel·earringmaṇikuṇḍalesu child·wifeputtabhariyaṁ forth·abandonpahāya female slave·servantdāsidāsaṁ forth·abandonpahāya field·landkhettavatthuṁ forth·abandonpahāya gold·silverjātarūparajataṁ forth·abandonpahāya from homeagārasmā not·home-lifeanagāriyaṁ go forth·gonepabbajitā in thisimissaṁ assemblyparisāyaṁ abundantlybahulaṁ I seesamanupassāmī”ti.

“I usually find such an individual in the group that has gone forth from the lay life to homelessness.”

just now“Idāneva indeedkho butpana by youte, brahminbrāhmaṇa, spokenbhāsitaṁ: we‘mayaṁ thusevaṁ we understandājānāma—
my goodambho asceticsamaṇa, there is notnatthi principleddhammiko renunciate lifeparibbajo,
thusevaṁ to meme hereettha it ishoti.
that·andTañca indeedkho of honorable ones such as yourselfbhavantarūpānaṁ orvā not seeingadassanā, whichyo orvā but·herepanettha teachingdhammo’”ti.
well“Addhā that to memesā, worthybho Udenaudena, with good reasonsānuggahā speechvācā spokenbhāsitā.
there is‘Atthi principleddhammiko renunciate lifeparibbajo’—
thusevaṁ to meme hereettha it ishoti.
thus·andEvañca butpana memaṁ worthybhavaṁ Udenaudeno may he rememberdhāretu.
whichYe andca by meme by the worthybhotā by Udenaudenena fourcattāro individualspuggalā in briefsaṅkhittena spokenvuttā in detailvitthārena not explainedavibhattā, pleasesādhu to meme worthybhavaṁ, Udenaudeno theseime fourcattāro individualspuggale in detailvitthārena may he explainvibhajatu sympathyanukampaṁ out ofupādāyā”ti.

“Just now I understood you to say: ‘My ascetic, there is no such thing as a principled renunciate life; that’s what I think. Yet I have not seen honorable ones such as yourself, or a relevant teaching.’” “Well, I obviously had my reasons for saying that, worthy Udena. But there is such a thing as a principled renunciate life. That’s what I think, and that’s how you should remember me. Now, these four individuals that you’ve spoken of in a brief summary: please explain them to me in detail, out of sympathy.”

by that“Tena thenhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, listensuṇāhi, wellsādhukaṁ mindmanasi applykarohi, I will speakbhāsissāmī”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, worthy sir + quotation markerbho”ti indeedkho Ghoṭamukhaghoṭamukho brahminbrāhmaṇo venerableāyasmato Udenaudenassa repliedpaccassosi.
venerableĀyasmā Udenaudeno said thisetadavoca:

“Well then, brahmin, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, worthy sir,” replied Ghoṭamukha. Udena said this:

what“Katamo andca, brahminbrāhmaṇa, individualpuggalo self-mortifyingattantapo committed to the practice of mortifying themselvesattaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto?
hereIdha, brahminbrāhmaṇa, a certainekacco individualpuggalo nakedacelako ishoti ignoring conventionsmuttācāro licking their handshatthāpalekhano not coming when callednaehibhaddantiko not waiting when callednatiṭṭhabhaddantiko, food broughtnābhihaṭaṁ notna food prepared on their behalfuddissakataṁ notna an invitation for a mealnimantanaṁ they consent tosādiyati.
theySo notna from a potkumbhimukhā receivepaṭiggaṇhāti, notna from a bowlkaḷopimukhā receivepaṭiggaṇhāti, notna from someone who keeps sheepeḷakamantaraṁ, notna from someone with a weapondaṇḍamantaraṁ, notna from someone with a shovelmusalamantaraṁ, notna of twodvinnaṁ eatingbhuñjamānānaṁ, notna of one pregnantgabbhiniyā, notna of one breastfeedingpāyamānāya, notna of one living with a manpurisantaragatāya, notna where in dirty placessaṅkittīsu, notna whereyattha a houndsā waitingupaṭṭhito ishoti, notna whereyattha fliesmakkhikā buzzing aroundsaṇḍasaṇḍacārinī, notna fishmacchaṁ notna meatmaṁsaṁ, notna beersuraṁ notna winemerayaṁ notna fermented gruelthusodakaṁ they drinkpivati.
theySo going to one houseekāgāriko orvā arehoti taking one mouthfulekālopiko, going to two housesdvāgāriko orvā arehoti taking two mouthfulsdvālopiko ……pe… going to seven housessattāgāriko orvā arehoti taking seven mouthfulssattālopiko;
with one saucerekissāpi of almsdattiyā they feedyāpeti, with two saucersdvīhipi of almsdattīhi they feedyāpeti ……pe… with seven saucerssattahipi of almsdattīhi they feedyāpeti;

“What individual mortifies themselves, committed to the practice of mortifying themselves? It’s when an individual goes naked, ignoring conventions. They lick their hands, and don’t come or wait when called. They don’t consent to food brought to them, or food prepared on their behalf, or an invitation for a meal. They don’t receive anything from a pot or bowl; or from someone who keeps sheep, or who has a weapon or a shovel in their home; or where a couple is eating; or where there is a woman who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or who lives with a man; or where there’s a hound waiting or flies buzzing. They accept no fish or meat or beer or wine, and drink no fermented gruel. They go to just one house for alms, taking just one mouthful, or two houses and two mouthfuls, up to seven houses and seven mouthfuls. They feed on one saucer a day, two saucers a day, up to seven saucers a day.

even once a dayekāhikampi foodāhāraṁ eatsāhāreti, of two days·evendvīhikampi foodāhāraṁ eatsāhāreti pe…pe… of a week·evensattāhikampi foodāhāraṁ eats—thusāhāreti—iti such·kindevarūpaṁ half·monthlyaddhamāsikaṁ committed to the practice of eating food at set intervalspariyāyabhattabhojanānuyogamanuyutto livesviharati.
heSo herb·eatingsākabhakkho orvā ishoti, millet·eatingsāmākabhakkho orvā ishoti, wild rice·eatingnīvārabhakkho orvā ishoti, poor rice·eatingdaddulabhakkho orvā ishoti, water lettuce·eatinghaṭabhakkho orvā ishoti, rice bran·eatingkaṇabhakkho orvā ishoti, scum·eatingācāmabhakkho orvā ishoti, sesame flour·eatingpiññākabhakkho orvā ishoti, grass·eatingtiṇabhakkho orvā ishoti, cow dung·eatinggomayabhakkho orvā ishoti, eating forest roots and fruitsvanamūlaphalāhāro survivesyāpeti eating fallen fruitpavattaphalabhojī.
heSo sunn hemp robes·evensāṇānipi wearsdhāreti, mixed hemp robes·evenmasāṇānipi wearsdhāreti, corpse-wrapping cloth robes·evenchavadussānipi wearsdhāreti, rag robes·evenpaṁsukūlānipi wearsdhāreti, lodh bark robes·eventirīṭānipi wearsdhāreti, antelope hide·evenajinampi wearsdhāreti, antelope hide strips·evenajinakkhipampi wearsdhāreti, kusa grass robe·evenkusacīrampi wearsdhāreti, bark robe·evenvākacīrampi wearsdhāreti, wood-chip robe·evenphalakacīrampi wearsdhāreti, human hair robe·evenkesakambalampi wearsdhāreti, horse-tail hair robe·evenvāḷakambalampi wearsdhāreti, owl wing robe·evenulūkapakkhampi wearsdhāreti;
hair-and-beard plucker·evenkesamassulocakopi ishoti committed to the practice of plucking hair and beardkesamassulocanānuyogamanuyutto,
stander·evenubbhaṭṭhakopi ishoti turning down seatsāsanapaṭikkhitto,
squatter·evenukkuṭikopi ishoti committed to the endeavor of squattingukkuṭikappadhānamanuyutto,
thorn-mat lie-er·evenkaṇṭakāpassayikopi ishoti on a mat of thornskaṇṭakāpassaye a bedseyyaṁ makeskappeti;
three times including dusk·evensāyatatiyakampi committed to the practice of ritual bathingudakorohanānuyogamanuyutto livesviharati—
thusiti such·kindevarūpaṁ various·kindsanekavihitaṁ of the bodykāyassa committed to the practice of mortifying and tormentingātāpanaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto livesviharati.

They eat once a day, once every second day, up to once a week, and so on, even up to once a fortnight. They live committed to the practice of eating food at set intervals. They eat herbs, millet, wild rice, poor rice, water lettuce, rice bran, scum from boiling rice, sesame flour, grass, or cow dung. They survive on forest roots and fruits, or eating fallen fruit. They wear robes of sunn hemp, mixed hemp, corpse-wrapping cloth, rags, lodh tree bark, antelope hide (whole or in strips), kusa grass, bark, wood-chips, human hair, horse-tail hair, or owls’ wings. They tear out their hair and beard, committed to this practice. They constantly stand, turning down seats. They squat, committed to the endeavor of squatting. They lie on a mat of thorns, making a mat of thorns their bed. They’re devoted to ritual bathing three times a day, including at dusk. And so they live committed to practicing these various ways of mortifying and tormenting the body.

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