{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn74/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn74","id":"suttacentral_mn74","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn74/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near R\u0101jagaha, on the Vulture\u2019s Peak Mountain in the Boar\u2019s Cave. Then the wanderer D\u012bghanakha went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side and said to the Buddha, \u201cWorthy Gotama, this is my doctrine and view: \u2018Nothing is acceptable to me.\u2019\u201d \u201cThis view of yours, Aggivessana\u2014 is that acceptable to you?\u201d \u201cIf I were to accept this view, worthy Gotama, it would make no difference, it would make no difference!\u201d \u201cWell, Aggivessana, there are many more in the world who say, \u2018It would make no difference! It would make no difference!\u2019 But they don\u2019t give up that view, and they grasp another view. And there are a scant few in the world who say, \u2018It would make no difference! It would make no difference!\u2019 And they give up that view by not grasping another view. There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view: \u2018Everything is acceptable to me.\u2019 There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view: \u2018Nothing is acceptable to me.\u2019 There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view: \u2018Some things are acceptable to me and some things are not.\u2019 Regarding this, the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom everything is acceptable is close to greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping. The view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom nothing is acceptable is far from greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.\u201d When he said this, the wanderer D\u012bghanakha said to the Buddha, \u201cWorthy Gotama commends my conviction! He recommends my conviction!\u201d \u201cNow, regarding the ascetics and brahmins to whom some things are acceptable and some things are not. Their view of what is acceptable is close to greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping. Their view of what is not acceptable is far from greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping. When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom everything is acceptable, a sensible person reflects like this: \u2018I have the view that everything is acceptable. Suppose I were to obstinately stick to this view and insist, \u201cThis is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u201d Then I\u2019d argue with two individuals\u2014 an ascetic or brahmin to whom nothing is acceptable, and an ascetic or brahmin to whom some things are acceptable and some things are not. And when there\u2019s arguing, there\u2019s dispute; when there\u2019s dispute there\u2019s distress; and when there\u2019s distress there\u2019s harm.\u2019 So, considering in themselves the potential for argument, dispute, distress, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view. That\u2019s how those views are given up and let go. When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom nothing is acceptable, a sensible person reflects like this: \u2018I have the view that nothing is acceptable. Suppose I were to obstinately stick to this view and insist, \u201cThis is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u201d Then I\u2019d argue with two individuals\u2014 an ascetic or brahmin to whom everything is acceptable, and an ascetic or brahmin to whom some things are acceptable and some things are not. And when there\u2019s arguing, there\u2019s dispute; when there\u2019s dispute there\u2019s distress; and when there\u2019s distress there\u2019s harm.\u2019 So, considering in themselves the potential for argument, dispute, distress, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view. That\u2019s how those views are given up and let go. When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom some things are acceptable and some things are not, a sensible person reflects like this: \u2018I have the view that some things are acceptable and some things are not. Suppose I were to obstinately stick to this view and insist, \u201cThis is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u201d Then I\u2019d argue with two individuals\u2014 an ascetic or brahmin to whom everything is acceptable, and an ascetic or brahmin to whom nothing is acceptable. And when there\u2019s arguing, there\u2019s dispute; when there\u2019s dispute there\u2019s distress; and when there\u2019s distress there\u2019s harm.\u2019 So, considering in themselves the potential for argument, dispute, distress, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view. That\u2019s how those views are given up and let go. Aggivessana, this body is formed. It\u2019s made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction. You should see it as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as a boil, as a dart, as gloom, as an affliction, as alien, as breaking apart, as empty, as not-self. Doing so, you\u2019ll give up desire, affection, and subservience to the body. There are these three feelings: pleasant, painful, and neutral. At a time when you feel a pleasant feeling, you don\u2019t feel a painful or neutral feeling; you only feel a pleasant feeling. At a time when you feel a painful feeling, you don\u2019t feel a pleasant or neutral feeling; you only feel a painful feeling. At a time when you feel a neutral feeling, you don\u2019t feel a pleasant or painful feeling; you only feel a neutral feeling. Pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings are impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated, liable to end, vanish, fade away, and cease. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they\u2019re freed. When they\u2019re freed, they know they\u2019re freed. They understand: \u2018Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.\u2019 A mendicant whose mind is freed like this doesn\u2019t side with anyone or dispute with anyone. They use the language of the world to communicate without getting stuck on it.\u201d Now at that time Venerable S\u0101riputta was standing behind the Buddha fanning him. Then he thought, \u201cIt seems the Buddha speaks of giving up and letting go of all these things through direct knowledge.\u201d Reflecting like this, Venerable S\u0101riputta\u2019s mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping. And the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in the wanderer D\u012bghanakha: \u201cEverything that is liable to arise is liable to cease.\u201d Then D\u012bghanakha saw, attained, understood, and fathomed the Dhamma. He went beyond doubt, got rid of indecision, and became self-assured and independent of others regarding the Teacher\u2019s instructions. He said to the Buddha: \u201cExcellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what\u2019s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Sa\u1e45gha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.\u201d","title":"With D\u012bghanakha","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1179}