Caṅkīsutta

Majjhima Nikāya 95

With Caṅkī · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ yena opāsādaṁ nāma kosalānaṁ brāhmaṇagāmo tadavasari.
Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā opāsāde viharati uttarena opāsādaṁ devavane sālavane.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants when he arrived at a village of the Kosalan brahmins named Opāsāda. He stayed in the Godswood of sal trees to the north of Opāsāda.

Tena kho pana samayena caṅkī brāhmaṇo opāsādaṁ ajjhāvasati sattussadaṁ satiṇakaṭṭhodakaṁ sadhaññaṁ rājabhoggaṁ raññā pasenadinā kosalena dinnaṁ rājadāyaṁ brahmadeyyaṁ.

Now at that time the brahmin Caṅkī was living in Opāsāda. It was a crown property given by King Pasenadi of Kosala, teeming with living creatures, full of hay, wood, water, and grain, a royal park endowed to a brahmin.

Assosuṁ kho opāsādakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā:
“samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito kosalesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ opāsādaṁ anuppatto, opāsāde viharati uttarena opāsādaṁ devavane sālavane.
Taṁ kho pana bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato:
‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.
So imaṁ lokaṁ sadevakaṁ samārakaṁ sabrahmakaṁ sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiṁ pajaṁ sadevamanussaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedeti.
So dhammaṁ deseti ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ, kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāseti.
Sādhu kho pana tathārūpānaṁ arahataṁ dassanaṁ hotī”ti.

The brahmins and householders of Opāsāda heard: “It seems the ascetic Gotama—a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family—has arrived at Opāsāda together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants. He is staying in the Godswood to the north. He has this good reputation: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ He has realized with his own insight this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—and he makes it known to others. He teaches Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And he reveals a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. It’s good to see such perfected ones.”

Atha kho opāsādakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā opāsādā nikkhamitvā saṅghasaṅghī gaṇībhūtā uttarenamukhā gacchanti yena devavanaṁ sālavanaṁ.

Then, exiting Opāsāda, they formed into companies and headed north to the Godswood.

Tena kho pana samayena caṅkī brāhmaṇo uparipāsāde divāseyyaṁ upagato.
Addasā kho caṅkī brāhmaṇo opāsādake brāhmaṇagahapatike opāsādā nikkhamitvā saṅghasaṅghī gaṇībhūte uttarenamukhaṁ yena devavanaṁ sālavanaṁ tenupasaṅkamante.
Disvā khattaṁ āmantesi:
“kiṁ nu kho, bho khatte, opāsādakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā opāsādā nikkhamitvā saṅghasaṅghī gaṇībhūtā uttarenamukhā gacchanti yena devavanaṁ sālavanan”ti?

Now at that time the brahmin Caṅkī had retired to the upper floor of his stilt longhouse for his midday nap. He saw the brahmins and householders heading for the Godswood, and addressed his butler, “My butler, why are the brahmins and householders heading north for the Godswood?”

“Atthi, bho caṅkī, samaṇo gotamo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito kosalesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ opāsādaṁ anuppatto, opāsāde viharati uttarena opāsādaṁ devavane sālavane.
Taṁ kho pana bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato:
‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.
Tamete bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya gacchantī”ti.
“Tena hi, bho khatte, yena opāsādakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā opāsādake brāhmaṇagahapatike evaṁ vadehi:
‘caṅkī, bho, brāhmaṇo evamāha—
āgamentu kira bhonto, caṅkīpi brāhmaṇo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissatī’”ti.
“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho so khatto caṅkissa brāhmaṇassa paṭissutvā yena opāsādakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā opāsādake brāhmaṇagahapatike etadavoca:
“caṅkī, bho, brāhmaṇo evamāha:

“The ascetic Gotama has arrived at Opāsāda together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants. He is staying in the Godswood to the north. He has this good reputation: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ They’re going to see that worthy Gotama.” “Well then, go to the brahmins and householders and say to them: ‘Sirs, the brahmin Caṅkī asks you to wait, as he will also go to see the ascetic Gotama.’” “Yes, worthy sir,” replied the butler, and did as he was asked.

‘āgamentu kira bhonto, caṅkīpi brāhmaṇo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissatī’”ti.

Let the venerable ones indeed wait: the brahmin Caṅkī too will approach the ascetic Gotama to see him.

Tena kho pana samayena nānāverajjakānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ pañcamattāni brāhmaṇasatāni opāsāde paṭivasanti kenacideva karaṇīyena.
Assosuṁ kho te brāhmaṇā:
“caṅkī kira brāhmaṇo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissatī”ti.
Atha kho te brāhmaṇā yena caṅkī brāhmaṇo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā caṅkiṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavocuṁ:
“saccaṁ kira bhavaṁ caṅkī samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissatī”ti?
“Evaṁ kho me, bho, hoti:
‘ahaṁ samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissāmī’”ti.

Now at that time around five hundred brahmins from abroad were residing in Opāsāda on some business. They heard that the brahmin Caṅkī was going to see the ascetic Gotama. They approached Caṅkī and said to him, “Is it really true that you are going to see the ascetic Gotama?” “Yes, gentlemen, it is true.”

“Mā bhavaṁ caṅkī samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkami.
Na arahati bhavaṁ caṅkī samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ;
samaṇotveva gotamo arahati bhavantaṁ caṅkiṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.
Bhavañhi caṅkī ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena.
Yampi bhavaṁ caṅkī ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena, imināpaṅgena na arahati bhavaṁ caṅkī samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ;
samaṇotveva gotamo arahati bhavantaṁ caṅkiṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.
Bhavañhi caṅkī aḍḍho mahaddhano mahābhogo …pe…
bhavañhi caṅkī tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū sanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ sākkharappabhedānaṁ itihāsapañcamānaṁ, padako, veyyākaraṇo, lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayo …pe…

“Please don’t! It’s not appropriate for you to go to see the ascetic Gotama; it’s appropriate that he comes to see you. You are well born on both your mother’s and father’s side, stemming from a clean vessel, with irrefutable and impeccable genealogy back to the seventh paternal generation. For this reason it’s not appropriate for you to go to see the ascetic Gotama; it’s appropriate that he comes to see you. You’re rich, affluent, and wealthy. … You recite and remember the hymns, and have mastered the three Vedas, together with their vocabularies and ritual performance, their phonology and word classification, and the testaments as fifth. You know them word-by-word, and their grammar. You are well versed in cosmology and the marks of a great man. …

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