{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn76/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn76","id":"suttacentral_mn76","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn76/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosamb\u012b in Ghosita\u2019s monastery. Now at that time the wanderer Sandaka was residing at the cave of the wavy leaf fig tree together with a large assembly of around five hundred wanderers. Then in the late afternoon, Venerable \u0100nanda came out of retreat and addressed the mendicants: \u201cCome, reverends, let\u2019s go to the Devakata Pool to see the cave.\u201d \u201cYes, reverend,\u201d they replied. Then \u0100nanda together with several mendicants went to the Devakata Pool. Now at that time, Sandaka and the large assembly of wanderers were sitting together making an uproar, a colossal racket. They engaged in all kinds of low talk, such as talk about kings, bandits, and chief ministers; talk about armies, threats, and wars; talk about food, drink, clothes, and beds; talk about garlands and fragrances; talk about family, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries; talk about women and heroes; talk at the street market and the place for water pots; talk about the departed; motley talk; tales of land and sea; and talk about being reborn in this or that place. Sandaka saw \u0100nanda coming off in the distance, and hushed his own assembly, \u201cBe quiet, good fellows, don\u2019t make a sound. The ascetic \u0100nanda, a disciple of the ascetic Gotama, is coming. He is included among the disciples of the ascetic Gotama, who is residing near Kosamb\u012b. Such venerables like the quiet, are educated to be quiet, and praise the quiet. Hopefully if he sees that our assembly is quiet he\u2019ll see fit to approach.\u201d Then those wanderers fell silent. Then Venerable \u0100nanda went up to the wanderer Sandaka, who said to him, \u201cCome, worthy \u0100nanda! Welcome, worthy \u0100nanda! It\u2019s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here. Please sit down, here, a seat is ready.\u201d \u0100nanda sat down on the seat spread out, while Sandaka took a low seat and sat to one side. \u0100nanda said to Sandaka, \u201cSandaka, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?\u201d \u201cWorthy \u0100nanda, leave aside what we were sitting talking about just now. It won\u2019t be hard for you to hear about that later. It\u2019d be great if Mister \u0100nanda himself would give a Dhamma talk explaining his own denomination.\u201d \u201cWell then, Sandaka, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, worthy sir,\u201d replied Sandaka. Venerable \u0100nanda said this: \u201cSandaka, these things have been explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha: four ways that negate the spiritual life, and four kinds of unreliable spiritual life. A sensible person would, to the best of their ability, not practice such spiritual paths, and if they did practice them, they wouldn\u2019t succeed in the system of the skillful teaching.\u201d \u201cBut worthy \u0100nanda, what are the four ways that negate the spiritual life, and the four kinds of unreliable spiritual life?\u201d \u201cSandaka, take a certain teacher who has this doctrine and view: \u2018There\u2019s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There\u2019s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There\u2019s no afterlife. There\u2019s no such thing as mother and father, or beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there\u2019s no ascetic or brahmin who is rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight. This person is made up of the four principal states. When they die, the earth in their body progresses and proceeds to the substance of earth. The water in their body progresses and proceeds to the substance of water. The fire in their body progresses and proceeds to the substance of fire. The air in their body progresses and proceeds to the substance of air. The faculties are transferred to space. Four men with a bier carry away the corpse. Their footprints show the way to the cremation ground. The bones become bleached. Offerings dedicated to the gods end in ashes. Giving is a doctrine of morons. When anyone affirms a positive teaching it\u2019s just hollow, false nonsense. Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and they don\u2019t exist after death.\u2019 A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: \u2018This teacher has such a doctrine and view. If what that teacher says is true, both I who have not accomplished this and one who has accomplished it have attained exactly the same level. Yet I\u2019m not one who says that both of us are annihilated and destroyed when our body breaks up, and we don\u2019t exist after death. But it\u2019s superfluous for this teacher to go nude, bald, persisting in squatting, tearing out their hair and beard. For I\u2019m living at home with my children, using sandalwood imported from K\u0101si, wearing garlands, fragrance, and makeup, and accepting gold and currency. Yet I\u2019ll have exactly the same destiny in the next life as this teacher. What do I know or see that I should lead the spiritual life under this teacher? This negates the spiritual life.\u2019 Realizing this, they leave disappointed. This is the first way that negates the spiritual life. Furthermore, take a certain teacher who has this doctrine and view: \u2018The one who acts does nothing wrong when they punish, mutilate, torture, aggrieve, oppress, intimidate, or when they encourage others to do the same. Nothing bad is done when they kill, steal, break into houses, plunder wealth, steal from isolated buildings, commit highway robbery, commit adultery, and lie. If you were to reduce all the living creatures of this earth to one heap and mass of flesh with a razor-edged chakram, no evil comes of that, and no outcome of evil. If you were to go along the south bank of the Ganges killing, mutilating, and torturing, and encouraging others to do the same, no evil comes of that, and no outcome of evil. If you were to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving and sacrificing and encouraging others to do the same, no merit comes of that, and no outcome of merit. In giving, self-control, restraint, and truthfulness there is no merit or outcome of merit.\u2019 A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: \u2018This teacher has such a doctrine and view. If what that teacher says is true, both I who have not accomplished this and one who has accomplished it have attained exactly the same level. Yet I\u2019m not one who says that when both of us act, nothing wrong is done. But it\u2019s superfluous for this teacher to go nude, bald, persisting in squatting, tearing out their hair and beard. For I\u2019m living at home with my children, using sandalwood imported from K\u0101si, wearing garlands, fragrance, and makeup, and accepting gold and currency. Yet I\u2019ll have exactly the same destiny in the next life as this teacher. What do I know or see that I should lead the spiritual life under this teacher? This negates the spiritual life.\u2019 Realizing this, they leave disappointed. This is the second way that negates the spiritual life. Furthermore, take a certain teacher who has this doctrine and view: \u2018There is no cause or reason for the corruption of sentient beings. Sentient beings are corrupted without cause or reason. There\u2019s no cause or reason for the purification of sentient beings. Sentient beings are purified without cause or reason. There is no power, no energy, no human strength or vigor. All sentient beings, all living creatures, all beings, all souls lack control, power, and energy. Molded by destiny, circumstance, and nature, they experience pleasure and pain in the six classes of rebirth.\u2019 A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: \u2018This teacher has such a doctrine and view. If what that teacher says is true, both I who have not accomplished this and one who has accomplished it have attained exactly the same level. Yet I\u2019m not one who says that both of us are purified without cause or reason. But it\u2019s superfluous for this teacher to go nude, bald, persisting in squatting, tearing out their hair and beard. For I\u2019m living at home with my children, using sandalwood imported from K\u0101si, wearing garlands, fragrance, and makeup, and accepting gold and currency. Yet I\u2019ll have exactly the same destiny in the next life as this teacher. What do I know or see that I should lead the spiritual life under this teacher? This negates the spiritual life.\u2019 Realizing this, they leave disappointed. This is the third way that negates the spiritual life. Furthermore, take a certain teacher who has this doctrine and view: \u2018There are these seven substances that are not made, not derived, not created, without a creator, barren, steady as a mountain peak, standing firm like a pillar. They don\u2019t move or deteriorate or obstruct each other. They\u2019re unable to cause pleasure, pain, or both pleasure and pain to each other. What seven? The substances of earth, water, fire, air; pleasure, pain, and the soul is the seventh. These seven substances are not made, not derived, not created, without a creator, barren, steady as a mountain peak, standing firm like a pillar. They don\u2019t move or deteriorate or obstruct each other. They\u2019re unable to cause pleasure, pain, or both pleasure and pain to each other. And here there is no one who kills or who makes others kill; no one who learns or who educates others; no one who understands or who helps others understand. If you chop off someone\u2019s head with a sharp sword, you don\u2019t take anyone\u2019s life. The sword simply passes through the gap between the seven substances. There are 1.4 million main wombs, and 6,000, and 600; 500 deeds, and five, and three; deeds and half-deeds; 62 paths of practice, 62 sub-eons, six classes of rebirth, and eight stages in a person\u2019s life; 4,900 \u0100j\u012bvaka ascetics, 4,900 wanderers, and 4,900 dragon abodes; 2,000 lordships, 3,000 hells, and 36 realms of dusky sky; seven percipient embryos, seven non-percipient embryos, seven knotless embryos, seven gods, seven mental heavens, seven goblins, seven streams, seven castoff incarnations and 700 castoff incarnations, seven downfalls and 700 downfalls, seven dreams and 700 dreams, and 8.4 million great eons\u2014through all of which the foolish and the astute transmigrate before making an end of suffering. And here there is no such thing as this: \u201cBy this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual practice I shall force unripened deeds to bear their fruit, or eliminate old deeds by experiencing their results little by little\u201d\u2014for that cannot be. Pleasure and pain are allotted. Transmigration lasts only for a limited period, so there\u2019s no increase or decrease, no getting better or worse. It\u2019s like how, when you toss a ball of string, it rolls away unraveling. In the same way, after transmigrating the foolish and the astute will make an end of suffering.\u2019 A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: \u2018This teacher has such a doctrine and view. If what that teacher says is true, both I who have not accomplished this and one who has accomplished it have attained exactly the same level. Yet I\u2019m not one who says that after transmigrating both of us will make an end of suffering. But it\u2019s superfluous for this teacher to go nude, bald, persisting in squatting, tearing out their hair and beard. For I\u2019m living at home with my children, using sandalwood imported from K\u0101si, wearing garlands, fragrance, and makeup, and accepting gold and currency. Yet I\u2019ll have exactly the same destiny in the next life as this teacher. What do I know or see that I should lead the spiritual life under this teacher? This negates the spiritual life.\u2019 Realizing this, they leave disappointed. This is the fourth way that negates the spiritual life. These are the four ways that negate the spiritual life that have been explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. A sensible person would, to the best of their ability, not practice such spiritual paths, and if they did practice them, they wouldn\u2019t succeed in the system of the skillful teaching.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s incredible, worthy \u0100nanda, it\u2019s amazing, how these four ways that negate the spiritual life have been explained by the Buddha. But worthy \u0100nanda, what are the four kinds of unreliable spiritual life?\u201d \u201cSandaka, take a certain teacher who claims to be all-knowing and all-seeing, to know and see everything without exception, thus: \u2018Knowledge and vision are constantly and continually present to me, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking.\u2019 They enter an empty house; they get no almsfood; a dog bites them; they encounter a wild elephant, a wild horse, and a wild cow; they ask the name and clan of a woman or man; they ask the name and path to a village or town. When asked, \u2018Why is this?\u2019 they answer: \u2018I had to enter an empty house, that\u2019s why I entered it. I had to get no almsfood, that\u2019s why I got none. I had to get bitten by a dog, that\u2019s why I was bitten. I had to encounter a wild elephant, a wild horse, and a wild cow, that\u2019s why I encountered them. I had to ask the name and clan of a woman or man, that\u2019s why I asked. I had to ask the name and path to a village or town, that\u2019s why I asked.\u2019 A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: \u2018This teacher makes such a claim, but they answer in such a way. This spiritual life is unreliable.\u2019 Realizing this, they leave disappointed. This is the first kind of unreliable spiritual life. Furthermore, take another teacher who is an oral transmitter, who takes oral transmission to be the truth. They teach by oral transmission, by the lineage of testament, by canonical authority. But when a teacher takes oral transmission to be the truth, some of that is well learned, some poorly learned, some true, and some otherwise. A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: \u2018This teacher takes oral transmission to be the truth. He teaches by oral transmission, by the lineage of testament, by canonical authority. But when a teacher takes oral transmission to be the truth, some of that is well learned, some poorly learned, some true, and some otherwise. This spiritual life is unreliable.\u2019 Realizing this, they leave disappointed. This is the second kind of unreliable spiritual life. Furthermore, take another teacher who relies on logic and inquiry. They teach what they have worked out by logic, following a line of inquiry, expressing their own perspective. But when a teacher relies on logic and inquiry, some of that is well reasoned, some poorly reasoned, some true, and some otherwise. A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: \u2018This teacher relies on logic and inquiry. They teach what they have worked out by logic, following a line of inquiry, expressing their own perspective. But when a teacher relies on logic and inquiry, some of that is well reasoned, some poorly reasoned, some true, and some otherwise. This spiritual life is unreliable.\u2019 Realizing this, they leave disappointed. This is the third kind of unreliable spiritual life. Furthermore, take another teacher who is dull and stupid. Because of that, whenever they\u2019re asked a question, they resort to verbal flip-flops and endless flip-flops: \u2018I don\u2019t say it\u2019s like this. I don\u2019t say it\u2019s like that. I don\u2019t say it\u2019s otherwise. I don\u2019t say it\u2019s not so. And I don\u2019t deny it\u2019s not so.\u2019 A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: \u2018This teacher is dull and stupid. Because of that, whenever they\u2019re asked a question, they resort to verbal flip-flops and endless flip-flops: \u201cI don\u2019t say it\u2019s like this. I don\u2019t say it\u2019s like that. I don\u2019t say it\u2019s otherwise. I don\u2019t say it\u2019s not so. And I don\u2019t deny it\u2019s not so.\u201d This spiritual life is unreliable.\u2019 Realizing this, they leave disappointed. This is the fourth kind of unreliable spiritual life. These are the four kinds of unreliable spiritual life that have been explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. A sensible person would, to the best of their ability, not practice such spiritual paths, and if they did practice them, they wouldn\u2019t complete the system of the skillful teaching.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s incredible, worthy \u0100nanda, it\u2019s amazing, how these four kinds of unreliable spiritual life have been explained by the Buddha. But, worthy \u0100nanda, what would a teacher say and explain so that a sensible person would, to the best of their ability, practice such a spiritual path, and once practicing it, they would complete the system of the skillful teaching?\u201d \u201cSandaka, it\u2019s when a Realized One arises in the world, 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. \u2026 He gives up these five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom. Then, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, he enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. A sensible person would, to the best of their ability, lead the spiritual life with a teacher under whom they achieve such a high distinction, and, once practicing it, they would complete the system of the skillful teaching. Furthermore, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, a mendicant \u2026 enters and remains in the second absorption \u2026 third absorption \u2026 fourth absorption. A sensible person would, to the best of their ability, lead the spiritual life under a teacher who achieves such a high distinction, and, once practicing it, they would complete the system of the skillful teaching. When their mind has become immersed in sam\u0101dhi like this\u2014purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable\u2014they extend it toward recollection of past lives. They recollect many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. \u2026 They recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details. A sensible person would, to the best of their ability, lead the spiritual life with a teacher under whom they achieve such a high distinction, and, once practicing it, they would complete the system of the skillful teaching. When their mind has become immersed in sam\u0101dhi like this\u2014purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable\u2014they extend it toward knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings. With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn\u2014inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. \u2026 They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds. A sensible person would, to the best of their ability, lead the spiritual life with a teacher under whom they achieve such a high distinction, and, once practicing it, they would complete the system of the skillful teaching. When their mind has become immersed in sam\u0101dhi like this\u2014purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable\u2014they extend it toward knowledge of the ending of defilements. They truly understand: \u2018This is suffering\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the origin of suffering\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the cessation of suffering\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering\u2019. They truly understand: \u2018These are defilements\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the origin of defilements\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the cessation of defilements\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the practice that leads to the cessation of defilements\u2019. Knowing and seeing like this, their mind is freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. 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 sensible person would, to the best of their ability, lead the spiritual life with a teacher under whom they achieve such a high distinction, and, once practicing it, they would complete the system of the skillful teaching.\u201d \u201cBut worthy \u0100nanda, when a mendicant is perfected\u2014with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart\u2019s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and is rightly freed through enlightenment\u2014could they still enjoy sensual pleasures?\u201d \u201cSandaka, a mendicant who is perfected\u2014with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart\u2019s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and is rightly freed through enlightenment\u2014can\u2019t transgress in five respects. A mendicant with defilements ended can\u2019t deliberately take the life of a living creature, take something with the intention to steal, have sex, tell a deliberate lie, or store up goods for their own enjoyment like they used to as a layperson. A mendicant who is perfected can\u2019t transgress in these five respects.\u201d \u201cBut worthy \u0100nanda, when a mendicant is perfected, would the knowledge and vision that their defilements are ended be constantly and continually present to them, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking?\u201d \u201cWell then, Sandaka, I shall give you a simile. For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said. Suppose there was a person whose hands and feet had been amputated. Would they be aware that their hands and feet had been amputated constantly and continually, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking? Or would they be aware of it only when they checked it?\u201d \u201cThey wouldn\u2019t be aware of it constantly, only when they checked it.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when a mendicant is perfected, the knowledge and vision that their defilements are ended is not constantly and continually present to them, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking. Rather, they are aware of it only when they checked it.\u201d \u201cBut Reverend \u0100nanda, in this teaching and training, how many are emancipated?\u201d \u201cThere are not just one hundred who are emancipated, Sandaka, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that in this teaching and training.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s incredible, worthy \u0100nanda, it\u2019s amazing! Namely, that there\u2019s no glorifying one\u2019s own teaching and putting down the teaching of others. The Dhamma is taught in its own field, and so many emancipated are recognized. But these \u0100j\u012bvakas, sons of she whose sons are dead, glorify themselves and put others down. And they only recognize three who have been emancipated: Nanda Vaccha, Kisa Sa\u1e45kicca, and the bamboo-staffed ascetic Gos\u0101la.\u201d Then the wanderer Sandaka addressed his own assembly, \u201cGo, good fellows. The spiritual life is lived under the ascetic Gotama. It\u2019s not easy for me to forsake possessions, honor, or popularity now.\u201d And that\u2019s how the wanderer Sandaka sent his own assembly to lead the spiritual life under the Buddha.","title":"With Sandaka","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":3872}