{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn79/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn79","id":"suttacentral_mn79","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn79/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 in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels\u2019 feeding ground. Now at that time the wanderer Sakulud\u0101y\u012b was residing together with a large assembly of wanderers in their monastery in the peacocks\u2019 feeding ground. Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered R\u0101jagaha for alms. Then it occurred to him, \u201cIt\u2019s too early to wander for alms in R\u0101jagaha. Why don\u2019t I visit the wanderer Sakulud\u0101y\u012b at the monastery for the wanderers in the peacocks\u2019 feeding ground?\u201d Then the Buddha went to the monastery for the wanderers. Now at that time, Sakulud\u0101y\u012b was sitting together with a large assembly of wanderers 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. Sakulud\u0101y\u012b saw the Buddha coming off in the distance, and hushed his own assembly, \u201cBe quiet, good fellows, don\u2019t make a sound. Here comes the ascetic Gotama. The venerable likes quiet and praises quiet. Hopefully if he sees that our assembly is quiet he\u2019ll see fit to approach.\u201d Then those wanderers fell silent. Then the Buddha approached Sakulud\u0101y\u012b, who said to him, \u201cLet the Blessed One come, sir! Welcome to the Blessed One, sir! It\u2019s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here. Please, sir, sit down, this seat is ready.\u201d The Buddha sat down on the seat spread out, while Sakulud\u0101y\u012b took a low seat and sat to one side. The Buddha said to him, \u201cUd\u0101y\u012b, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?\u201d \u201cSir, leave aside what we were sitting talking about just now. It won\u2019t be hard for you to hear about that later. When I don\u2019t come to the assembly, they sit and engage in all kinds of low talk. But when I have come to the assembly, they sit gazing up at my face alone, thinking, \u2018Whatever the ascetic Ud\u0101y\u012b teaches, we shall listen to it.\u2019 But when the Buddha has come to the assembly, both myself and the assembly sit gazing up at your face, thinking, \u2018Whatever the Buddha teaches, we shall listen to it.\u2019\u201d \u201cWell then, Ud\u0101y\u012b, suggest something for me to talk about.\u201d \u201cSir, a few days ago someone was claiming 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 When I asked them a question about the first beginning, they dodged the issue, distracted the discussion with irrelevant points, and displayed annoyance, hate, and bitterness. That reminded me of the Buddha: \u2018Surely it must be the Blessed One, the Holy One who is so skilled in such matters.\u2019\u201d \u201cBut Ud\u0101y\u012b, who was it that made such a claim and behaved in such a way?\u201d \u201cIt was the Jain ascetic of the \u00d1\u0101tika clan, sir.\u201d \u201cUd\u0101y\u012b, someone who can recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details, might ask me a question about the first beginning, or I might ask them a question about the first beginning. And they might satisfy me with their answer, or I might satisfy them with my answer. Someone who, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, understands how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds might ask me a question about the final end, or I might ask them a question about the final end. And they might satisfy me with their answer, or I might satisfy them with my answer. Nevertheless, Ud\u0101y\u012b, leave aside the first beginning and the final end. I shall teach you the Dhamma: \u2018When this exists, this comes to be; due to the arising of this, this arises. When this doesn\u2019t exist, that is not; due to the cessation of this, that ceases.\u2019\u201d \u201cWell sir, I can\u2019t even recall with features and details what I\u2019ve undergone in this incarnation. How should I possibly recollect my many kinds of past lives with features and details, like the Buddha? For I can\u2019t even see a mud-goblin right now. How should I possibly, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, see sentient beings passing away and being reborn, like the Buddha? But then the Buddha told me, \u2018Nevertheless, Ud\u0101y\u012b, leave aside the first beginning and the final end. I shall teach you the Dhamma: \u201cWhen this exists, this comes to be; due to the arising of this, this arises. When this doesn\u2019t exist, this doesn\u2019t come to be; due to the cessation of this, this ceases.\u201d\u2019 But that is even more unclear to me. Perhaps I might satisfy the Buddha by answering a question about my own denomination.\u201d \u201cBut Ud\u0101y\u012b, what is your own denomination?\u201d \u201cSir, it\u2019s this: \u2018This is the ultimate splendor, this is the ultimate splendor.\u2019\u201d \u201cBut what is that ultimate splendor?\u201d \u201cSir, the ultimate splendor is the splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer.\u201d \u201cBut what is that ultimate splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer?\u201d \u201cSir, the ultimate splendor is the splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer.\u201d \u201cUd\u0101y\u012b, you could draw this out for a long time. You say, \u2018The ultimate splendor is the splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer.\u2019 But you don\u2019t describe that splendor. Suppose a man was to say, \u2018Whoever the finest lady in the land is, it is her that I want, her I desire!\u2019 They\u2019d say to him, \u2018My man, that finest lady in the land who you desire\u2014do you know whether she\u2019s an aristocrat, a brahmin, a peasant, or a menial?\u2019 Asked this, he\u2019d say, \u2018No.\u2019 They\u2019d say to him, \u2018My friend, that finest lady in the land who you desire\u2014do you know her name or clan? Whether she\u2019s tall or short or medium? Whether her skin is black, brown, or dingy? Whether she comes from such-and-such village, town, or city?\u2019 Asked this, he\u2019d say, \u2018No.\u2019 They\u2019d say to him, \u2018My man, do you desire someone who you\u2019ve never even known or seen?\u2019 Asked this, he\u2019d say, \u2018Yes.\u2019 What do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? This being so, doesn\u2019t that man\u2019s statement turn out to have no demonstrable basis?\u201d \u201cClearly that\u2019s the case, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, you say, \u2018The ultimate splendor is the splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer.\u2019 But you don\u2019t describe that splendor.\u201d \u201cWorthy sir, suppose there was a beryl gem that was naturally lustrous, eight-faceted, well-worked. When placed on a cream rug it would shine and glow and dazzle. Such is the splendor of the self that is free of disease after death.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? Which of these two has a finer splendor: such a beryl gem, or a firefly in the dark of night?\u201d \u201cA firefly in the dark of night, sir.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? Which of these two has a finer splendor: a firefly in the dark of night, or an oil lamp in the dark of night?\u201d \u201cAn oil lamp in the dark of night, sir.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? Which of these two has a finer splendor: an oil lamp in the dark of night, or a great mass of fire in the dark of night?\u201d \u201cA great mass of fire in the dark of night, sir.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? Which of these two has a finer splendor: a great mass of fire in the dark of night, or the morning star in the clear and cloudless heavens at the crack of dawn?\u201d \u201cThe morning star in the clear and cloudless heavens at the crack of dawn, sir.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? Which of these two has a finer splendor: the morning star in the clear and cloudless heavens at the crack of dawn, or the full moon at midnight in the clear and cloudless heavens on the fifteenth day sabbath?\u201d \u201cThe full moon at midnight in the clear and cloudless heavens on the fifteenth day sabbath, sir.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? Which of these two has a finer splendor: the full moon at midnight in the clear and cloudless heavens on the fifteenth day sabbath, or the sun at midday in the clear and cloudless heavens in the last month of the rainy season, in autumn?\u201d \u201cThe sun at midday in the clear and cloudless heavens in the last month of the rainy season, in autumn, sir.\u201d \u201cBeyond this, Ud\u0101y\u012b, I know very many gods on whom the luminosity of the sun and moon makes no impression. Nevertheless, I do not say: \u2018The splendor compared to which no other splendor is finer.\u2019 But of the splendor inferior to a firefly you say, \u2018This is the ultimate splendor.\u2019 And you don\u2019t describe that splendor.\u201d \u201cThe Blessed One has cut short the discussion! The Holy One has cut short the discussion!\u201d \u201cBut Ud\u0101y\u012b, why do you say this?\u201d \u201cSir, it says this in our own denomination: \u2018This is the ultimate splendor, this is the ultimate splendor.\u2019 But when pursued, pressed, and grilled on our own denomination, we turned out to be vacuous, hollow, and mistaken.\u201d \u201cBut Ud\u0101y\u012b, is there a world of absolute happiness? And is there a grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness?\u201d \u201cSir, it says this in our own denomination: \u2018There is a world of absolute happiness. And there is a grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness.\u2019\u201d \u201cWell, what is that grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness?\u201d \u201cSir, it\u2019s when someone gives up killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying. And they proceed having undertaken some kind of mortification. This is the grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? On an occasion when someone refrains from killing living creatures, is their self absolutely happy at that time, or does it have both pleasure and pain?\u201d \u201cIt has both pleasure and pain.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? On an occasion when someone refrains from stealing \u2026 sexual misconduct \u2026 lying, is their self absolutely happy at that time, or does it have both pleasure and pain?\u201d \u201cIt has both pleasure and pain.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? On an occasion when someone proceeds having undertaken some kind of mortification, is their self absolutely happy at that time, or does it have both pleasure and pain?\u201d \u201cIt has both pleasure and pain.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Ud\u0101y\u012b? Is an absolutely happy world realized by relying on a practice of mixed pleasure and pain?\u201d \u201cThe Blessed One has cut short the discussion! The Holy One has cut short the discussion!\u201d \u201cBut Ud\u0101y\u012b, why do you say this?\u201d \u201cSir, it says this in our own denomination: \u2018There is a world of absolute happiness. And there is a grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness.\u2019 But when pursued, pressed, and grilled on our own denomination, we turned out to be vacuous, hollow, and mistaken. But sir, is there a world of absolute happiness? And is there a grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness?\u201d \u201cThere is a world of absolute happiness, Ud\u0101y\u012b. And there is a grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness.\u201d \u201cWell sir, what is that grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness?\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption. As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second absorption. With the fading away of rapture, they enter and remain in the third absorption. This is the grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness.\u201d \u201cSir, that\u2019s not the grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness. At that point an absolutely happy world has already been realized.\u201d \u201cNo, Ud\u0101y\u012b, at that point an absolutely happy world has not been realized. This is the grounded practice for realizing a world of absolute happiness.\u201d When he said this, Sakulud\u0101y\u012b\u2019s assembly made an uproar, a colossal racket, \u201cIn that case, we are lost, together with our denomination! We are lost, together with our denomination! We know nothing higher than this!\u201d Then Sakulud\u0101y\u012b, having quieted those wanderers, said to the Buddha, \u201cWell sir, at what point is an absolutely happy world realized?\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s when, with the giving up of pleasure and pain and the disappearance of former happiness and sadness, a mendicant enters and remains in the fourth absorption. There are deities who have been reborn in a absolutely happy world. That mendicant associates with them, converses, and engages in discussion. It\u2019s at this point that a absolutely happy world has been realized.\u201d \u201cSurely the mendicants must lead the spiritual life under the Buddha for the sake of realizing this absolutely happy world?\u201d \u201cNo, Ud\u0101y\u012b, the mendicants don\u2019t lead the spiritual life under me for the sake of realizing this absolutely happy world. There are other things that are finer, for the sake of which the mendicants lead the spiritual life under me.\u201d \u201cBut what are those finer things?\u201d \u201cIt\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 They give up these five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom. Then, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, they enter and remain in the first absorption. This is one of the finer things for the sake of which the mendicants lead the spiritual life under me. Furthermore, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, a mendicant enters and remains in the second absorption \u2026 third absorption \u2026 fourth absorption. This too is one of the finer things. 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. They recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details. This too is one of the finer things. 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. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds. This too is one of the finer things. 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 This too is one of the finer things. These are the finer things for the sake of which the mendicants lead the spiritual life under me.\u201d When he had spoken, Sakulud\u0101y\u012b said to the Buddha, \u201cExcellent, sir! 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, the Buddha has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Sa\u1e45gha. Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha\u2019s presence?\u201d When he said this, Sakulud\u0101y\u012b\u2019s assembly said to him, \u201cWorthy Ud\u0101y\u012b, don\u2019t lead the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama. You have been a tutor; don\u2019t live as a pupil. You\u2019ll end up like a water jar that turns into a water ladle. Worthy Ud\u0101y\u012b, don\u2019t lead the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama. You have been a tutor; don\u2019t live as a pupil.\u201d And that\u2019s how the wanderer Sakulud\u0101y\u012b\u2019s own assembly prevented him from leading the spiritual life under the Buddha.","title":"The Shorter Discourse With Sakulud\u0101y\u012b","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":2888}