Ghoṭamukhasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 94

With Ghoṭamukha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ Venerableāyasmā Udenaudeno near Varanasibārāṇasiyaṁ was stayingviharati in the Khemiya Mango Grovekhemiyambavane.

So I have heard. At one time Venerable Udena was staying near Varanasi in the Khemiya Mango Grove.

by thatTena indeedkho thenpana at the timesamayena Ghoṭamukhaghoṭamukho brahminbrāhmaṇo to Varanasibārāṇasiṁ arrivedanuppatto washoti some·some·justkenacideva businesskaraṇīyena.
thenAtha indeedkho Ghoṭamukhaghoṭamukho brahminbrāhmaṇo walk·walkjaṅghāvihāraṁ walking alonganucaṅkamamāno wandering alonganuvicaramāno whereyena Khemiya·mango grovekhemiyambavanaṁ that·up·approachtenupasaṅkami.
by thatTena indeedkho thenpana at the timesamayena venerableāyasmā Udenaudeno in the open airabbhokāse was walking mindfullycaṅkamati.
thenAtha indeedkho Ghoṭamukhaghoṭamukho brahminbrāhmaṇo where + venerableyenāyasmā Udenaudeno that·up·approachtenupasaṅkami; up·approachupasaṅkamitvā with venerableāyasmatā Udenaudenena withsaddhiṁ together·greetsammodi.
courteousSammodanīyaṁ conversationkathaṁ memorablesāraṇīyaṁ thoroughly·exchangevītisāretvā Venerableāyasmantaṁ Udenaudenaṁ walkingcaṅkamantaṁ walking alonganucaṅkamamāno thus + sayevamāha:
sir“ambho asceticsamaṇa, there is not‘natthi principleddhammiko renunciate lifeparibbajo’—
thusevaṁ for meme hereettha it ishoti.
that + andTañca indeedkho honorable·formbhavantarūpānaṁ orvā not·seeadassanā, whichyo orvā and + herepanettha teaching·quotation markerdhammo”ti.

Now at that time the brahmin Ghoṭamukha had arrived at Varanasi on some business. Then as he was going for a walk he went to the Khemiya Mango Grove. At that time Venerable Udena was walking mindfully in the open air. Ghoṭamukha approached and exchanged greetings with him. Walking alongside Udena, he said, “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.”

thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, venerableāyasmā Udenaudeno from the walking pathcaṅkamā down·descendorohitvā dwellingvihāraṁ into·enterpavisitvā spread outpaññatte on the seatāsane down·sitnisīdi.
Ghoṭamukha·tooGhoṭamukhopi indeedkho brahminbrāhmaṇo from the walking pathcaṅkamā down·descendorohitvā dwellingvihāraṁ into·enterpavisitvā to one sideekamantaṁ stoodaṭṭhāsi.
to one sideEkamantaṁ standingṭhitaṁ indeedkho Ghoṭamukhaghoṭamukhaṁ brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ venerableāyasmā Udenaudeno this·saidetadavoca:
“there are“saṁvijjanti indeed,kho, brahmin,brāhmaṇa, seats.āsanāni.
IfSace to·wishākaṅkhasi, down·sit + quotation-markernisīdā”ti.
this·very“Etadeva indeedkho thenpana wemayaṁ of masterbhoto Udenaudenassa to·awaitāgamayamānā we sitnisīdāma.
how·forKathañhi indeednāma like-me·resemblemādiso firstpubbe not·inviteanimantito on the seatāsane down·sitnisīditabbaṁ think + quotation-markermaññeyyā”ti?

When he said this, Udena stepped down from the walking path, entered his dwelling, and sat down on the seat spread out. Ghoṭamukha also stepped down from the walking path and entered the dwelling, where he stood to one side. Udena said to him, “There are seats, brahmin. Please sit if you wish.” “I was just waiting for you to sit down. For how on earth could one such as I presume to sit first without being invited?”

thenAtha indeedkho Ghoṭamukhaghoṭamukho brahminbrāhmaṇo a certainaññataraṁ lownīcaṁ seatāsanaṁ having takengahetvā to one sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdi.
to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho Ghoṭamukhaghoṭamukho brahminbrāhmaṇo venerableāyasmantaṁ Udenaudenaṁ said thisetadavoca:
sir“ambho asceticsamaṇa, there is not‘natthi principleddhammiko renunciate lifeparibbajo’—
thusevaṁ to meme hereettha it ishoti.
and thatTañca indeedkho worthy ones such as yourselfbhavantarūpānaṁ orvā from not seeingadassanā, whichyo orvā but herepanettha teachingdhammo”ti.
if“Sace indeedkho thenpana to meme youtvaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, what should be grantedanuññeyyaṁ you should grantanujāneyyāsi, and what should be rejectedpaṭikkositabbañca you should rejectpaṭikkoseyyāsi; of whichyassa andca thenpana myme spokenbhāsitassa meaningatthaṁ notna you should understandjāneyyāsi, me + alonemamaṁyeva theretattha furtheruttari you should askpaṭipuccheyyāsi:
this‘idaṁ, sirbho Udenaudena, whykathaṁ, of thisimassa what is the meaningkvattho’ti? thusEvaṁ having donekatvā there may besiyā for usno hereettha conversationkathāsallāpo”ti.

Then he took a low seat and sat to one side, where he said, “My ascetic, there is no such thing as a principled renunciate life; that’s what I think. Yet I have not seen worthy ones such as yourself, or a relevant teaching.” “Brahmin, we can discuss this. But only if you grant what should be granted, and reject what should be rejected. And if you ask me the meaning of anything you don’t understand, saying: ‘Sir, why is this? What does that mean?’”

approvable“Anuññeyyaṁ indeed Ikhvāhaṁ of the honorablebhoto Udena'sudenassa I will approveanujānissāmi, rejectable·andpaṭikkositabbañca I will rejectpaṭikkosissāmi; of whichyassa andca but Ipanāhaṁ of the honorablebhoto Udena'sudenassa of the statementbhāsitassa meaningatthaṁ notna I will knowjānissāmi, the honorable one himselfbhavantaṁyeva theretattha Udenaudenaṁ furtheruttari I will ask in returnpaṭipucchissāmi: this‘idaṁ, sirbho Udenaudena, howkathaṁ, of thisimassa what is the meaningkvattho’ti? thusEvaṁ having donekatvā let there behotu for usno hereettha conversational exchangekathāsallāpo”ti.

“Let us discuss this. I will do as you say.”

“Brahmin, these four individuals are found in the world. What four? One individual mortifies themselves, committed to the practice of mortifying themselves. One individual mortifies others, committed to the practice of mortifying others. One individual mortifies themselves and others, committed to the practice of mortifying themselves and others. One individual doesn’t mortify either themselves or others, committed to the practice of not mortifying themselves or others. They live without wishes in this very life, quenched, cooled, experiencing bliss, with self become divine. Which one of these four individuals do you like the sound of?” “Worthy Udena, I don’t like the sound of the first three individuals.

who·thisyopāyaṁ, sirbho Udenaudena, individualpuggalo self·mortifyattantapo andca self·torment·devotion·devotedattaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto other·mortifyparantapo andca other·torment·devotion·devotedparaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto this one tooayampi myme individualpuggalo mindcittaṁ does not satisfynārādheti;
whoyo andca indeedkho thisayaṁ, sirbho Udenaudena, individualpuggalo neither self-tormentingnevattantapo not + self-torment·devotion·devotednāttaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto notna other·mortifyparantapo notna other·torment·devotion·devotedparaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto heso not·self·mortifyanattantapo not·other·mortifyaparantapo in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme hungerlessnicchāto quenchednibbuto cool·becomesītībhūto happiness·experiencingsukhappaṭisaṁvedī brahma·becomebrahmabhūtena with selfattanā dwellsviharati.
this very oneAyameva myme individualpuggalo mindcittaṁ satisfiesārādhetī”ti.

I only like the sound of the last individual, who doesn’t mortify either themselves or others.”

why“Kasmā thenpana to youte, brahminbrāhmaṇa, theseime threetayo individualspuggalā the mindcittaṁ they do not pleasenārādhentī”ti?
this one“Yvāyaṁ, worthybho Udenaudena, individualpuggalo self·mortifyingattantapo self·mortification·practice·devotedattaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto heso himselfattānaṁ happiness·desiringsukhakāmaṁ pain·recoilingdukkhapaṭikkūlaṁ tormentsātāpeti mortifiesparitāpeti;
by thisiminā meme thisayaṁ individualpuggalo the mindcittaṁ does not pleasenārādheti.
this oneYopāyaṁ, worthybho Udenaudena, individualpuggalo other·mortifyingparantapo other·mortification·practice·devotedparaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto heso anotherparaṁ happiness·desiringsukhakāmaṁ pain·recoilingdukkhapaṭikkūlaṁ tormentsātāpeti mortifiesparitāpeti;
by thisiminā meme thisayaṁ individualpuggalo the mindcittaṁ does not pleasenārādheti.
this oneYopāyaṁ, worthybho Udenaudena, individualpuggalo self·mortifyingattantapo andca self·mortification·practice·devotedattaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto other·mortifyingparantapo andca other·mortification·practice·devotedparaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto heso self·andattānañca other·andparañca happiness·desiringsukhakāmaṁ pain·recoilingdukkhapaṭikkūlaṁ tormentsātāpeti mortifiesparitāpeti;
by thisiminā meme thisayaṁ individualpuggalo the mindcittaṁ does not pleasenārādheti.

“But why don’t you like the sound of those three individuals?” “Worthy Udena, the individual who mortifies themselves does so even though they want to be happy and recoil from pain. That’s why I don’t like the sound of that individual. The individual who mortifies others does so even though others want to be happy and recoil from pain. That’s why I don’t like the sound of that individual. The individual who mortifies themselves and others does so even though both themselves and others want to be happy and recoil from pain. That’s why I don’t like the sound of that individual.

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