4: The Book of the Fours
193. Bhaddiya
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the hall with the peaked roof in the Great Wood. Then Bhaddiya the Licchavi approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
2"Bhante, I have heard this: ‘The ascetic Gotama is a magician who knows a converting magic by which he converts the disciples of teachers of other sects.’ Do those who speak thus state what has been said by the Blessed One and not misrepresent him with what is contrary to fact? Do they explain in accordance with the Dhamma so that they do not incur any reasonable criticism or ground for censure? For we do not want to misrepresent the Blessed One." [n.907] This charge is also at SN 42:13, IV 340,23–29. According to MN 56.33, I 375,24–26, it originated among the Jains.
3"Come, Bhaddiya, do not go by oral tradition, by lineage of teaching, by hearsay, by a collection of scriptures, by logical reasoning, by inferential reasoning, by reasoned cogitation, by the acceptance of a view after pondering it, by the seeming competence of a speaker, or because you think: ‘The ascetic is our guru.’ But when you know for yourself: ‘These things are unwholesome; these things are blameworthy; these things are censured by the wise; these things, if accepted and undertaken, lead to harm and suffering,’ then you should abandon them. [n.908] This is the Buddha’s advice to the Kālāmas at AN3.65. The interrogation that follows also parallels that used with the Kālāmas, but with an additional unwholesome motive.
4(1) "What do you think, Bhaddiya? When greed arises in a person, is it for his welfare or for his harm?"
"For his harm, Bhante."
"Bhaddiya, a greedy person, overcome by greed, with mind obsessed by it, destroys life, takes what is not given, transgresses with another's wife, and speaks falsehood; and he encourages others to do likewise. Will that lead to his harm and suffering for a long time?"
"Yes, Bhante."
5(2) "What do you think, Bhaddiya? When hatred … (3) … delusion … (4) … vehemence arises in a person, is it for his welfare or for his harm?" [n.909] BHSD defines sārambha as "quarrelsomeness" and connects the word with Skt saṁrambha, which SED explains as "the act of grasping or taking hold of," and gives as meanings "vehemence, impetuosity … fury, wrath against." Since the sutta speaks about sārambha as occurring through body, speech, and mind, I settle for "vehemence."
"For his harm, Bhante."
"Bhaddiya, a vehement person, overcome and with mind obsessed by vehemence, destroys life … and he encourages others to do likewise. Will that lead to his harm and suffering for a long time?"
"Yes, Bhante."
6"What do you think, Bhaddiya? Are these things wholesome or unwholesome?" – "Unwholesome, Bhante." – "Blameworthy or blameless?" – "Blameworthy, Bhante." – "Censured or praised by the wise?" – "Censured by the wise, Bhante." – "Accepted and undertaken, do they lead to harm and suffering or not, or how do you take it?" – "Accepted and undertaken, these things lead to harm and suffering. So we take it."
7"Thus, Bhaddiya, when we said: ‘Come, Bhaddiya, do not go by oral tradition … … But when you know for yourself: "These things are unwholesome; these things are blameworthy; these things are censured by the wise; these things, if undertaken and practiced, lead to harm and suffering," then you should abandon them,’ it is because of this that this was said.
8"Come, Bhaddiya, do not go by oral tradition, by lineage of teaching, by hearsay, by a collection of texts, by logical reasoning, by inferential reasoning, by reasoned cogitation, by the acceptance of a view after pondering it, by the seeming competence of a speaker, or because you think: ‘The ascetic is our guru.’ But when you know for yourself: ‘These things are wholesome; these things are blameless; these things are praised by the wise; these things, if accepted and undertaken, lead to welfare and happiness,’ then you should live in accordance with them.
9(1) "What do you think, Bhaddiya? When non-greed arises in a person, is it for his welfare or for his harm?"
"For his welfare, Bhante."
"Bhaddiya, a person without greed, not overcome by greed, his mind not obsessed by it, does not destroy life, take what is not given, transgress with another's wife, or speak falsehood; nor does he encourage others to do likewise. Will that lead to his welfare and happiness for a long time?"
"Yes, Bhante."
10(2) "What do you think, Bhaddiya? When non-hatred … (3) … non-delusion … (4) … non-vehemence arises in a person, is it for his welfare or his harm?"
"For his welfare, Bhante."
"Bhaddiya, a non-vehement person, not overcome by vehemence, his mind not obsessed by it, does not destroy life … nor does he encourage others to do likewise. Will that lead to his welfare and happiness for a long time?"
"Yes, Bhante."
11"What do you think, Bhaddiya? Are these things wholesome or unwholesome?" – "Wholesome, Bhante." – "Blameworthy or blameless?" – "Blameless, Bhante." – "Censured or praised by the wise?" – "Praised by the wise, Bhante." – "Accepted and undertaken, do they lead to welfare and happiness or not, or how do you take it?" – "Accepted and undertaken, these things lead to welfare and happiness. So we take it."
12"Thus, Bhaddiya, when we said: ‘Come, Bhaddiya, do not go by oral tradition … But when you know for yourself: "These things are wholesome; these things are blameless; these things are praised by the wise; these things, if accepted and undertaken, lead to welfare and happiness," then you should live in accordance with them,’ it is because of this that this was said.
13"Bhaddiya, the good persons in the world encourage their disciples thus: ‘Come, good man, you should constantly remove greed. [n.910] Ce reads lobhaṁ vineyya vineyya viharanto, and so in relation to dosa, moha, and sārambha. I try to capture this sense with "constantly," though "repeatedly" might also have been used. Be and Ee read simply lobhaṁ vineyya viharanto. When you constantly remove greed, you will not do any action born of greed, whether by body, speech, or mind. You should constantly remove hatred. When you constantly remove hatred, you will not do any action born of hatred, whether by body, speech, or mind. You should constantly remove delusion. When you constantly remove delusion, you will not do any action born of delusion, whether by body, speech, or mind. You should constantly remove vehemence. When you constantly remove vehemence, you will not do any action born of vehemence, whether by body, speech, or mind.’"
14When this was said, Bhaddiya the Licchavi said to the Blessed One: "Excellent, Bhante! … Let the Blessed One consider me a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life."
15"Now, Bhaddiya, did I say to you: ‘Come, Bhaddiya, be my disciple and I will be your teacher?’"
"Surely not, Bhante."
"But, Bhaddiya, though I speak thus and declare my teaching in such a way, some ascetics and brahmins untruthfully, baselessly, falsely, and wrongly misrepresent me when they say: ‘The ascetic Gotama is a magician who knows a converting magic by which he converts the disciples of teachers of other sects.’"
"Excellent is that converting magic, Bhante! Good is that converting magic! If my beloved relatives and family members would be converted by this conversion, that would lead to their welfare and happiness for a long time. If all khattiyas would be converted by this conversion, that would lead to their welfare and happiness for a long time. If all brahmins … vessas … suddas would be converted by this conversion, that would lead to their welfare and happiness for a long time." [n.911] See MN 56.74, II 383,32 –384,7.
16"So it is, Bhaddiya, so it is! If all khattiyas would be converted by this conversion toward the abandoning of unwholesome qualities and the acquisition of wholesome qualities, that would lead to their welfare and happiness for a long time. If all brahmins … vessas … suddas would be converted by this conversion toward the abandoning of unwholesome qualities and the acquisition of wholesome qualities, that would lead to their welfare and happiness for a long time. If the world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, would be converted by this conversion toward the abandoning of unwholesome qualities and the acquisition of wholesome qualities, that would lead to the welfare and happiness of the world for a long time. If these great sal trees would be converted by this conversion toward the abandoning of unwholesome qualities and the acquisition of wholesome qualities, that would lead to the welfare and happiness even of these great sal trees for a long time, if they could choose. [n.912] The words sace ceteyyuṁ are in Ce and Ee, but not Be. How much more then for a human being!"
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho bhaddiyo licchavi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho bhaddiyo licchavi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
2"Sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘māyāvī samaṇo gotamo āvaṭṭaniṁ māyaṁ jānāti yāya aññatitthiyānaṁ sāvake āvaṭṭetī’ti. Ye te, bhante, evamāhaṁsu: ‘māyāvī samaṇo gotamo āvaṭṭaniṁ māyaṁ jānāti yāya aññatitthiyānaṁ sāvake āvaṭṭetī’ti, kacci te, bhante, bhagavato vuttavādino, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkhanti, dhammassa ca anudhammaṁ byākaronti, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānupāto gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgacchati, anabbhakkhātukāmā hi mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavantan"ti?
3"Etha tumhe, bhaddiya, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā ‘samaṇo no garū’ti. Yadā tumhe, bhaddiya, attanāva jāneyyātha: ‘ime dhammā akusalā, ime dhammā sāvajjā, ime dhammā viññugarahitā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṁvattantī’ti, atha tumhe, bhaddiya, pajaheyyātha.
4Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhaddiya, lobho purisassa ajjhattaṁ uppajjamāno uppajjati hitāya vā ahitāya vā"ti?
"Ahitāya, bhante".
"Luddho panāyaṁ, bhaddiya, purisapuggalo lobhena abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto pāṇampi hanati, adinnampi ādiyati, paradārampi gacchati, musāpi bhaṇati, parampi tathattāya samādapeti yaṁsa hoti dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāyā"ti.
"Evaṁ, bhante".
5"Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhaddiya, doso purisassa … pe … moho purisassa … pe … sārambho purisassa ajjhattaṁ uppajjamāno uppajjati hitāya vā ahitāya vā"ti?
"Ahitāya, bhante".
"Sāraddho panāyaṁ, bhaddiya, purisapuggalo sārambhena abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto pāṇampi hanati, adinnampi ādiyati, paradārampi gacchati, musāpi bhaṇati, parampi tathattāya samādapeti yaṁsa hoti dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāyā"ti.
"Evaṁ, bhante".
6"Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhaddiya, ime dhammā kusalā vā akusalā vā"ti? "Akusalā, bhante". "Sāvajjā vā anavajjā vā"ti? "Sāvajjā, bhante". "Viññugarahitā vā viññuppasatthā vā"ti? "Viññugarahitā, bhante". "Samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṁvattanti, no vā? Kathaṁ vā ettha hotī"ti? "Samattā, bhante, samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṁvattanti. Evaṁ no ettha hotī"ti.
7"Iti kho, bhaddiya, yaṁ taṁ te avocumhā – etha tumhe, bhaddiya, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā ‘samaṇo no garū’ti. Yadā tumhe, bhaddiya, attanāva jāneyyātha: ‘ime dhammā akusalā, ime dhammā sāvajjā, ime dhammā viññugarahitā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṁvattantīti, atha tumhe, bhaddiya, pajaheyyāthā’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.
8Etha tumhe, bhaddiya, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā ‘samaṇo no garū’ti. Yadā tumhe, bhaddiya, attanāva jāneyyātha: ‘ime dhammā kusalā, ime dhammā anavajjā, ime dhammā viññuppasatthā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā hitāya sukhāya saṁvattantī’ti, atha tumhe, bhaddiya, upasampajja vihareyyāthāti.
9Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhaddiya, alobho purisassa ajjhattaṁ uppajjamāno uppajjati hitāya vā ahitāya vā"ti?
"Hitāya, bhante".
"Aluddho panāyaṁ, bhaddiya, purisapuggalo lobhena anabhibhūto apariyādinnacitto neva pāṇaṁ hanati, na adinnaṁ ādiyati, na paradāraṁ gacchati, na musā bhaṇati, parampi tathattāya na samādapeti yaṁsa hoti dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā"ti.
"Evaṁ, bhante".
10"Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhaddiya, adoso purisassa … pe … amoho purisassa … pe … asārambho purisassa ajjhattaṁ uppajjamāno uppajjati hitāya vā ahitāya vā"ti?
"Hitāya, bhante".
"Asāraddho panāyaṁ, bhaddiya, purisapuggalo sārambhena anabhibhūto apariyādinnacitto neva pāṇaṁ hanati, na adinnaṁ ādiyati, na paradāraṁ gacchati, na musā bhaṇati, parampi tathattāya na samādapeti yaṁsa hoti dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā"ti.
"Evaṁ, bhante".
11"Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhaddiya, ime dhammā kusalā vā akusalā vā"ti? "Kusalā, bhante". "Sāvajjā vā anavajjā vā"ti? "Anavajjā, bhante". "Viññugarahitā vā viññuppasatthā vā"ti? "Viññuppasatthā, bhante". "Samattā samādinnā hitāya sukhāya saṁvattanti no vā? Kathaṁ vā ettha hotī"ti? "Samattā, bhante, samādinnā hitāya sukhāya saṁvattanti. Evaṁ no ettha hotī"ti.
12"Iti kho, bhaddiya, yaṁ taṁ te avocumhā – etha tumhe, bhaddiya, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā ‘samaṇo no garū’ti. Yadā tumhe, bhaddiya, attanāva jāneyyātha: ‘ime dhammā kusalā, ime dhammā anavajjā, ime dhammā viññuppasatthā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā hitāya sukhāya saṁvattantīti, atha tumhe, bhaddiya, upasampajja vihareyyāthā’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.
13Ye kho te, bhaddiya, loke santo sappurisā te sāvakaṁ evaṁ samādapenti: ‘ehi tvaṁ, ambho purisa, lobhaṁ vineyya viharāhi. Lobhaṁ vineyya viharanto na lobhajaṁ kammaṁ karissasi kāyena vācāya manasā. Dosaṁ vineyya viharāhi. Dosaṁ vineyya viharanto na dosajaṁ kammaṁ karissasi kāyena vācāya manasā. Mohaṁ vineyya viharāhi. Mohaṁ vineyya viharanto na mohajaṁ kammaṁ karissasi kāyena vācāya manasā. Sārambhaṁ vineyya viharāhi. Sārambhaṁ vineyya viharanto na sārambhajaṁ kammaṁ karissasi kāyena vācāya manasā’"ti.
14Evaṁ vutte, bhaddiyo licchavi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Abhikkantaṁ, bhante … pe … upāsakaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.
15"Api nu tāhaṁ, bhaddiya, evaṁ avacaṁ: ‘ehi me tvaṁ, bhaddiya, sāvako hohi; ahaṁ satthā bhavissāmī’"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
"Evaṁvādiṁ kho maṁ, bhaddiya, evamakkhāyiṁ eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā asatā tucchā musā abhūtena abbhācikkhanti: ‘māyāvī samaṇo gotamo āvaṭṭaniṁ māyaṁ jānāti yāya aññatitthiyānaṁ sāvake āvaṭṭetī’"ti. "Bhaddikā, bhante, āvaṭṭanī māyā.
Kalyāṇī, bhante, āvaṭṭanī māyā. Piyā me, bhante, ñātisālohitā imāya āvaṭṭaniyā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ, piyānampi me assa ñātisālohitānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sabbe cepi, bhante, khattiyā imāya āvaṭṭaniyā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ, sabbesampissa khattiyānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sabbe cepi, bhante, brāhmaṇā … vessā … suddā imāya āvaṭṭaniyā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ, sabbesampissa suddānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā"ti.
16"Evametaṁ, bhaddiya, evametaṁ, bhaddiya. Sabbe cepi, bhaddiya, khattiyā imāya āvaṭṭaniyā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ akusaladhammappahānāya kusaladhammūpasampadāya, sabbesampissa khattiyānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sabbe cepi, bhaddiya, brāhmaṇā … vessā … suddā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ akusaladhammappahānāya kusaladhammūpasampadāya, sabbesampissa suddānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Sadevako cepi, bhaddiya, loko samārako sabrahmako sassamaṇabrāhmaṇī pajā sadevamanussā imāya āvaṭṭaniyā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ akusaladhammappahānāya kusaladhammūpasampadāya, sadevakassapissa lokassa samārakassa sabrahmakassa sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Ime cepi, bhaddiya, mahāsālā imāya āvaṭṭaniyā āvaṭṭeyyuṁ akusaladhammappahānāya kusaladhammūpasampadāya, imesampissa mahāsālānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya. Ko pana vādo manussabhūtassā"ti.
Tatiyaṁ.