Sutta for foolish people may have confusion or doubt regarding the Tathagata
Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā nālandāyaṃ viharati pāvārikambavane. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. Ekamantaṃ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṃ etadavoca:
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Nalanda in Pavarika’s Mango Grove. Then the Venerable Sāriputta approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Nalanda in Pavarika’s Mango Grove. Then the Venerable Sāriputta approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
“evaṃpasanno ahaṃ, bhante, bhagavati. Na cāhu, na ca bhavissati, na cetarahi vijjati añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā bhagavatā bhiyyobhiññataro, yadidaṃ—sambodhiyan”ti.
“Venerable sir, I have such confidence in the Blessed One that I believe there has not been nor ever will be nor exists at present another ascetic or brahmin more knowledgeable than the Blessed One with respect to enlightenment.”
“Venerable sir, I have such confidence in the Blessed One that I believe there has not been nor ever will be nor exists at present another ascetic or brahmin more knowledgeable than the Blessed One with respect to enlightenment.”
“Uḷārā kho tyāyaṃ, sāriputta, āsabhī vācā bhāsitā, ekaṃso gahito, sīhanādo nadito: ‘evaṃpasanno ahaṃ, bhante, bhagavati. Na cāhu, na ca bhavissati na cetarahi vijjati añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā bhagavatā bhiyyobhiññataro, yadidaṃ—sambodhiyan’ti.
“Lofty indeed is this bellowing utterance of yours, Sāriputta, you have roared a definitive, categorical lion’s roar: ‘Venerable sir, I have such confidence in the Blessed One that I believe there has not been nor ever will be nor exists at present another ascetic or brahmin more knowledgeable than the Blessed One with respect to enlightenment.’
“Lofty indeed is this bellowing utterance of yours, Sāriputta, you have roared a definitive, categorical lion’s roar: ‘Venerable sir, I have such confidence in the Blessed One that I believe there has not been nor ever will be nor exists at present another ascetic or brahmin more knowledgeable than the Blessed One with respect to enlightenment.’
Kiṃ nu te, sāriputta, ye te ahesuṃ atītamaddhānaṃ arahanto sammāsambuddhā, sabbe te bhagavanto cetasā ceto paricca viditā: ‘evaṃsīlā te bhagavanto ahesuṃ’ iti vā, ‘evaṃdhammā te bhagavanto ahesuṃ’ iti vā, ‘evaṃpaññā te bhagavanto ahesuṃ’ iti vā, ‘evaṃvihārino te bhagavanto ahesuṃ’ iti vā, ‘evaṃvimuttā te bhagavanto ahesuṃ’ iti vā”ti?
Have you now, Sāriputta, encompassed with your mind the minds of all the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones, arisen in the past and known thus: ‘Those Blessed Ones were of such virtue, or of such qualities, or of such wisdom, or of such dwellings, or of such liberation’?”
Have you now, Sāriputta, encompassed with your mind the minds of all the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones, arisen in the past and known thus: ‘Those Blessed Ones were of such virtue, or of such qualities, or of such wisdom, or of such dwellings, or of such liberation’?”
“No hetaṃ, bhante”.
“No, venerable sir.”
“No, venerable sir.”
“Kiṃ pana te, sāriputta, ye te bhavissanti anāgatamaddhānaṃ arahanto sammāsambuddhā, sabbe te bhagavanto cetasā ceto paricca viditā: ‘evaṃsīlā te bhagavanto bhavissanti’ iti vā, ‘evaṃdhammā te bhagavanto bhavissanti’ iti vā, ‘evaṃpaññā te bhagavanto bhavissanti’ iti vā, ‘evaṃvihārino te bhagavanto bhavissanti’ iti vā, ‘evaṃvimuttā te bhagavanto bhavissanti’ iti vā”ti?
“Then, Sāriputta, have you encompassed with your mind the minds of all the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones, who will arise in the future and known thus: ‘Those Blessed Ones will be of such virtue, or of such qualities, or of such wisdom, or of such dwellings, or of such liberation’?”
“Then, Sāriputta, have you encompassed with your mind the minds of all the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones, who will arise in the future and known thus: ‘Those Blessed Ones will be of such virtue, or of such qualities, or of such wisdom, or of such dwellings, or of such liberation’?”
“No hetaṃ, bhante”.
“No, venerable sir.”
“Kiṃ pana tyāhaṃ, sāriputta, etarahi, arahaṃ sammāsambuddho cetasā ceto paricca vidito: ‘evaṃsīlo bhagavā’ iti vā, ‘evaṃdhammo bhagavā’ iti vā, ‘evaṃpañño bhagavā’ iti vā, ‘evaṃvihārī bhagavā’ iti vā, ‘evaṃvimutto bhagavā’ iti vā”ti?
“Then, Sāriputta, have you encompassed with your mind my own mind—I being at present the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One—and known thus: ‘The Blessed One is of such virtue, or of such qualities, or of such wisdom, or of such dwellings, or of such liberation’?”
“Then, Sāriputta, have you encompassed with your mind my own mind—I being at present the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One—and known thus: ‘The Blessed One is of such virtue, or of such qualities, or of such wisdom, or of such dwellings, or of such liberation’?”
“No hetaṃ, bhante”.
“No, venerable sir.”
“Ettha ca te, sāriputta, atītānāgatapaccuppannesu arahantesu sammāsambuddhesu cetopariyañāṇaṃ natthi. Atha kiñcarahi tyāyaṃ, sāriputta, uḷārā āsabhī vācā bhāsitā, ekaṃso gahito, sīhanādo nadito:
“Sāriputta, when you do not have any knowledge encompassing the minds of the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, the future, and the present, why do you utter this lofty, bellowing utterance and roar this definitive, categorical lion’s roar:
“Sāriputta, when you do not have any knowledge encompassing the minds of the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, the future, and the present, why do you utter this lofty, bellowing utterance and roar this definitive, categorical lion’s roar:
‘evaṃpasanno ahaṃ, bhante, bhagavati. Na cāhu, na ca bhavissati, na cetarahi vijjati añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā bhagavatā’ bhiyyobhiññataro, yadidaṃ—sambodhiyan”ti?
‘Venerable sir, I have such confidence in the Blessed One that I believe there has not been nor ever will be nor exists at present another ascetic or brahmin more knowledgeable than the Blessed One with respect to enlightenment’?”
“Na kho me, bhante, atītānāgatapaccuppannesu arahantesu sammāsambuddhesu cetopariyañāṇaṃ atthi, api ca me dhammanvayo vidito.
“I do not have, venerable sir, any knowledge encompassing the minds of the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, the future, and the present, but still I have understood this by inference (personal insight/experience) from the Dhamma.
“I do not have, venerable sir, any knowledge encompassing the minds of the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, the future, and the present, but still I have understood this by inference (personal insight/experience) from the Dhamma.
Seyyathāpi, bhante, rañño paccantimaṃ nagaraṃ daḷhuddhāpaṃ daḷhapākāratoraṇaṃ ekadvāraṃ. Tatrassa dovāriko paṇḍito byatto medhāvī aññātānaṃ nivāretā ñātānaṃ pavesetā. So tassa nagarassa samantā anupariyāyapathaṃ anukkamamāno na passeyya pākārasandhiṃ vā pākāravivaraṃ vā, antamaso biḷāranikkhamanamattampi.
Suppose, venerable sir, a king had a frontier city with strong ramparts, walls, and arches, and with a single gate. The gatekeeper posted there would be wise, competent, and intelligent; one who keeps out strangers and admits acquaintances. While he is walking along the path that encircles the city he would not see a cleft or an opening in the walls even big enough for a cat to slip through.
Tassa evamassa: ‘ye kho keci oḷārikā pāṇā imaṃ nagaraṃ pavisanti vā nikkhamanti vā, sabbe te imināva dvārena pavisanti vā nikkhamanti vā’ti.
He might think: ‘Whatever large creatures enter or leave this city, all enter and leave through this one gate.’
Evameva kho me, bhante, dhammanvayo vidito: ‘yepi te, bhante, ahesuṃ atītamaddhānaṃ arahanto sammāsambuddhā, sabbe te bhagavanto pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya, cetaso upakkilese paññāya
dubbalīkaraṇe, catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacittā, satta bojjhaṅge yathābhūtaṃ bhāvetvā, anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambujjhiṃsu.
“So too, venerable sir, I have understood this by inference from the Dhamma: Whatever Arahants, Perfectly Enlightened Ones arose in the past, all those Blessed Ones had first abandoned the five hindrances, corruptions of the mind and weakeners of wisdom;
“So too, venerable sir, I have understood this by inference from the Dhamma: Whatever Arahants, Perfectly Enlightened Ones arose in the past, all those Blessed Ones had first abandoned the five hindrances, corruptions of the mind and weakeners of wisdom;
and then, they focus their emotional-mind (citta) on four inward attention, they had developed correctly the seven factors of enlightenment; and thereby they had awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Yepi te, bhante, bhavissanti anāgatamaddhānaṃ arahanto sammāsambuddhā, sabbe te bhagavanto pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya, cetaso upakkilese paññāya
dubbalīkaraṇe, catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacittā, satta bojjhaṅge yathābhūtaṃ bhāvetvā, anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambujjhissanti.
And, venerable sir, whatever Arahants, Perfectly Enlightened Ones will arise in the future, all those Blessed Ones will first abandon the five hindrances, corruptions of the mind and weakeners of wisdom;
and then, they will focus their emotional-mind (citta) on four inward attention, they will develop correctly the seven factors of enlightenment; and thereby they will awaken to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Bhagavāpi, bhante, etarahi arahaṃ sammāsambuddho pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya, cetaso upakkilese paññāya
dubbalīkaraṇe, catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacitto, satta bojjhaṅge yathābhūtaṃ bhāvetvā, anuttaraṃ sammāsambodhiṃ abhisambuddho’”ti.
And, venerable sir, the Blessed One, who is at present the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, first abandoned the five hindrances, corruptions of the mind and weakeners of wisdom;
and then, he focuses his emotional-mind in the four inward attention, he developed correctly the seven factors of enlightenment; and thereby he has awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.”
“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. Tasmātiha tvaṃ, sāriputta, imaṃ dhammapariyāyaṃ abhikkhaṇaṃ bhāseyyāsi bhikkhūnaṃ bhikkhunīnaṃ upāsakānaṃ upāsikānaṃ. Yesampi hi, sāriputta, moghapurisānaṃ bhavissati tathāgate kaṅkhā vā vimati vā, tesampimaṃ dhammapariyāyaṃ sutvā yā tathāgate kaṅkhā vā vimati vā sā pahīyissatī”ti.
“Good, good, Sāriputta! Therefore, Sāriputta, you should repeat this Dhamma exposition frequently to the bhikkhus and the bhikkhunis, to the male lay followers and the female lay followers. Even though some foolish people may have perplexity or uncertainty regarding the Tathagata, when they hear this Dhamma exposition their perplexity or uncertainty regarding the Tathagata will be abandoned.”
“Good, good, Sāriputta! Therefore, Sāriputta, you should repeat this Dhamma exposition frequently to the bhikkhus and the bhikkhunis, to the male lay followers and the female lay followers. Even though some foolish people may have perplexity or uncertainty regarding the Tathagata, when they hear this Dhamma exposition their perplexity or uncertainty regarding the Tathagata will be abandoned.”
Note:
- Sutta for foolish people may have perplexity or uncertainty regarding the Tathagata
- ppatiṭṭhita = settled, fixed, arrayed, stayed
- satipatthana = inward attention (introspection)
- atītā = past
- nāgata = future
- paccuppannesu = present
- etarahi = present
Adapted from SuttaCentral.net: at Nalanda
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