4: The Book of the Fours
186. Acumen
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Blessed One … and said to him:
(1) "Bhante, by what is the world led? By what is the world dragged around? When what has arisen does the world go under its control?" [n.898] The questions and the Buddha’s reply are stated as verse at SN 1:62, I 39.
2"Good, good, bhikkhu! Your acumen is excellent. Your discernment is excellent. [n.899] Mp identifies both ummagga and paṭibhāna with wisdom (pañña): "Acumen is rising up, that is, the movement of wisdom. Or wisdom itself is called ‘acumen,’ in the sense of rising up. It is (also called) ‘discernment’ in the sense of discerning" (ummaggo ti ummujjanaṁ, paññāgamanan ti attho. Paññā eva vā ummujjanaṭṭhena ummaggo ti vuccati. Sā va paṭibhānaṭṭhena paṭibhānaṁ). Your inquiry is a good one. For you have asked thus: ‘Bhante, by what is the world led? By what is the world dragged around? When what has arisen does the world go under its control?’"
"Yes, Bhante."
"The world, bhikkhu, is led by the mind; it is dragged around by the mind; when the mind has arisen, the world goes under its control."
3Saying, "Good, Bhante," that bhikkhu delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One's statement. Then he asked the Blessed One a further question:
(2) "It is said, Bhante, ‘a learned expert on the Dhamma, a learned expert on the Dhamma.’ In what way is one a learned expert on the Dhamma?"
4"Good, good, bhikkhu! Your acumen is excellent. Your discernment is excellent. Your inquiry is a good one. For you have asked thus: ‘It is said, Bhante, "a learned expert on the Dhamma, a learned expert on the Dhamma." In what way is one a learned expert on the Dhamma?’"
"Yes, Bhante."
"I have taught many teachings, bhikkhu: discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quotations, birth stories, amazing accounts, and questions-andanswers. If, after learning the meaning and Dhamma of even a four-line verse, one practices in accordance with the Dhamma, that is enough for one to be called ‘a learned expert on the Dhamma.’"
5Saying, "Good, Bhante," that bhikkhu delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One's statement. Then he asked the Blessed One a further question:
(3) "It is said, Bhante, ‘learned, of penetrative wisdom; learned, of penetrative wisdom.’ In what way is one learned, of penetrative wisdom?"
6"Good, good, bhikkhu! Your acumen is excellent. Your discernment is excellent. Your inquiry is a good one. For you have asked thus: ‘It is said, Bhante, "learned, of penetrative wisdom; learned, of penetrative wisdom." In what way is one learned, of penetrative wisdom?’"
"Yes, Bhante."
"Here, bhikkhu, a bhikkhu has heard: ‘This is suffering,’ and he sees the meaning of this, having pierced through it with wisdom. He has heard: ‘This is the origin of suffering,’ and he sees the meaning of this, having pierced through it with wisdom. He has heard: ‘This is the cessation of suffering,’ and he sees the meaning of this, having pierced through it with wisdom. He has heard: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering,’ and he sees the meaning of this, having pierced through it with wisdom. It is in this way that one is learned, of penetrative wisdom."
7Saying, "Good, Bhante," that bhikkhu delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One's statement. Then he asked the Blessed One a further question:
(4) "It is said, Bhante, ‘a wise person of great wisdom, a wise person of great wisdom.’ In what way is one a wise person of great wisdom?"
8"Good, good, bhikkhu! Your acumen is excellent. Your discernment is excellent. Your inquiry is a good one. For you have asked thus: ‘It is said, Bhante, "a wise person of great wisdom, a wise person of great wisdom." In what way is one a wise person of great wisdom?’"
"Yes, Bhante."
"Here, bhikkhu, a wise person of great wisdom does not intend for his own affliction, or for the affliction of others, or for the affliction of both. Rather, when he thinks, he thinks only of his own welfare, the welfare of others, the welfare of both, and the welfare of the whole world. [n.900] There is a change in the text from ceteti in the preceding sentence to cintamāno cinteti here. It is hard to determine whether this has any significance. Mp does not comment on it, so I assume it is unimportant. It is in this way that one is a wise person of great wisdom."
1Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
"kena nu kho, bhante, loko nīyati, kena loko parikassati, kassa ca uppannassa vasaṁ gacchatī"ti?
2"Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Bhaddako kho te, bhikkhu, ummaggo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pucchasi: ‘kena nu kho, bhante, loko nīyati, kena loko parikassati, kassa ca uppannassa vasaṁ gacchatī’"ti?
"Evaṁ, bhante".
"Cittena kho, bhikkhu, loko nīyati, cittena parikassati, cittassa uppannassa vasaṁ gacchatī"ti.
3"Sādhu, bhante"ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā bhagavantaṁ uttari pañhaṁ apucchi:
"‘bahussuto dhammadharo, bahussuto dhammadharo’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bahussuto dhammadharo hotī"ti?
4"Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Bhaddako kho te, bhikkhu ummaggo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pucchasi: ‘bahussuto dhammadharo, bahussuto dhammadharoti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bahussuto dhammadharo hotī’"ti?
"Evaṁ, bhante".
"Bahū kho, bhikkhu, mayā dhammā desitā – suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthā, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Catuppadāya cepi, bhikkhu, gāthāya atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti bahussuto dhammadharoti alaṁvacanāyā"ti.
5"Sādhu, bhante"ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā bhagavantaṁ uttari pañhaṁ apucchi:
"‘sutavā nibbedhikapañño, sutavā nibbedhikapañño’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sutavā nibbedhikapañño hotī"ti?
6"Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Bhaddako kho te, bhikkhu, ummaggo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pucchasi: ‘sutavā nibbedhikapañño, sutavā nibbedhikapaññoti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sutavā nibbedhikapañño hotī’"ti?
"Evaṁ, bhante".
"Idha, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti sutaṁ hoti, paññāya cassa atthaṁ ativijjha passati; ‘Ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti sutaṁ hoti, paññāya cassa atthaṁ ativijjha passati; ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti sutaṁ hoti, paññāya cassa atthaṁ ativijjha passati; ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti sutaṁ hoti, paññāya cassa atthaṁ ativijjha passati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā nibbedhikapañño hotī"ti.
7"Sādhu, bhante"ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā bhagavantaṁ uttari pañhaṁ apucchi: "‘paṇḍito mahāpañño, paṇḍito mahāpañño’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, paṇḍito mahāpañño hotī"ti?
8"Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Bhaddako kho te, bhikkhu, ummaggo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ bhikkhu pucchasi: ‘paṇḍito mahāpañño, paṇḍito mahāpaññoti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, paṇḍito mahāpañño hotī’"ti?
"Evaṁ, bhante".
"Idha, bhikkhu, paṇḍito mahāpañño nevattabyābādhāya ceteti na parabyābādhāya ceteti na ubhayabyābādhāya ceteti attahitaparahitaubhayahitasabbalokahitameva cintayamāno cinteti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, paṇḍito mahāpañño hotī"ti.
Chaṭṭhaṁ.