SN22:90 Channa
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1On one occasion a number of bhikkhus were dwelling at Baraṇasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Then, in the evening, the Venerable Channa emerged from seclusion and, taking his key, went from dwelling to dwelling saying to the elder bhikkhus: "Let the elder venerable ones exhort me, let them instruct me, let them give me a Dhamma talk in such a way that I might see the Dhamma." [n.179] Spk identifies this Channa with the Bodhisatta's charioteer who led him out of the palace on the night of his great renunciation. He had received ordination as a monk but, because of his former close relationship with the Buddha, he became proud and domineering and spoke harshly to the other bhikkhus. Shortly before his parinibbāna the Buddha had instructed the Saṅgha to impose on him the brahmadaṇḍa, "the silence treatment" (DN II 154,18–23). When Channa realized he was being treated as a pariah by the Saṅgha, he was shaken by a sense of urgency (saṁvega). It is at this point that the sutta opens.
2When this was said, the elder bhikkhus said to the Venerable Channa:
"Form, friend Channa, is impermanent, feeling is impermanent, perception is impermanent, volitional formations are impermanent, consciousness is impermanent.
Form is nonself, sn.iii.133 feeling is nonself, perception is nonself, volitional formations are nonself, consciousness is nonself.
All formations are impermanent; all phenomena are nonself."
[n.180] Spk: All formations of the three planes (sabbe tebhūmakā saṅkhārā) are impermanent; all phenomena of the four planes (sabbe catubhūmakā dhammā) are nonself. Why didn’t those bhikkhus mention the characteristic of suffering? Because they thought, "This bhikkhu is argumentative. If we mention suffering he will quarrel with us, saying, ‘If form, etc., are suffering, the path and fruit too are suffering, so you monks have attained nothing but suffering.’" Thus they answered in a way that could not be faulted.
See too MN I 228,10–14, 230,5–8, where only impermanence and nonself are mentioned in the explicit context of debate. The commentary to this passage gives a similar explanation of the omission of suffering.
3Then it occurred to the Venerable Channa: "I too think in this way:
‘Form is impermanent, feeling is impermanent, perception is impermanent, volitional formations are impermanent, consciousness is impermanent.
Form is nonself, feeling is nonself, perception is nonself, volitional formations are nonself, consciousness is nonself.
All formations are impermanent; all phenomena are nonself.’
But my mind does not launch out upon the stilling of all formations, the relinquishing of all acquisitions, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna; nor does it acquire confidence, settle down, and resolve on it.
Instead, agitation and clinging arise and the mind turns back, thinking: ‘But who is my self?’ But such does not happen to one who sees the Dhamma.
[n.181] Atha ko carahi me attā. Spk: It is said that this elder had started to practise insight meditation without having done discernment of conditions. His weak insight could not eliminate the grip of self (attagāha), and thus when formations appeared to him as empty, agitation arose in him along with the annihilationist view, "I will be annihilated, I will be destroyed." He saw himself falling into an abyss. [Spkpṭ: Agitation through fear (bhayaparitassanā) and clinging to views (diṭṭh’ upādāna) arose in him over the thought, "If phenomena are nonself, then what self can deeds done by what is nonself affect?" (see SN22.82 (III 104,1) and n. 142)].
Discernment of conditions (paccayapariggaha) is a stage in the development of insight in which the meditator explores the conditions for the five aggregates (see Vism, chap. 19). In the proper sequence of development this stage should precede investigation of the aggregates as impermanent, suffering, and nonself.
So who can teach me the Dhamma in such a way that I might see the Dhamma?"
4Then it occurred to the Venerable Channa: "This Venerable Ānanda is dwelling at Kosambi in Ghosita's Park, and he has been praised by the Teacher and is esteemed by his wise brothers in the holy life. The Venerable Ānanda is capable of teaching me the Dhamma in such a way that I might see the Dhamma. Since I have so much trust in the Venerable Ānanda, let me approach him."
Then the Venerable Channa set his lodging in order, took his bowl and robe, and went to Ghosita's Park in Kosambi, where he approached the Venerable Ānanda and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and
5–7told the Venerable Ānanda everything that had happened, adding: sn.iii.134
"Let the Venerable Ānanda exhort me, let him instruct me, let him give me a Dhamma talk in such a way that I might see the Dhamma."
8"Even by this much am I pleased with the Venerable Channa. Perhaps the Venerable Channa has opened himself up and broken through his barrenness. [n.182] Khilaṁ pabhindi. MN I 101,9–27 mentions five types of mental barrenness (cetokhila). Channa's problem seems to have been the fifth, anger and contemptuousness towards his fellow monks. Lend your ear, friend Channa, you are capable of understanding the Dhamma."
Then at once a lofty rapture and gladness arose in the Venerable Channa as he thought: "It seems that I am capable of understanding the Dhamma."
9The Venerable Ānanda then said: "In the presence of the Blessed One I have heard this, friend Channa; in his presence I have received the exhortation he spoke to the bhikkhu Kaccanagotta:
--- sn.iii.135The teaching from SN12.15 is repeated in full here ---
"This world, Kaccāna, for the most part depends upon a duality— upon the notion of existence and the notion of nonexistence.
[n.29] Dvayanissito khvayaṁ Kaccāna loko yebhuyyena atthitañ c’ eva natthitañ ca. Spk: "For the most part" (yebhuyyena) means: for the great multitude, with the exception of the noble individuals (ariyapuggala). The notion of existence (atthita) is eternalism (sassata); the notion of nonexistence (natthita) is annihilationism (uccheda). Spk-pṭ: The notion of existence is eternalism because it maintains that the entire world (of personal existence) exists forever. The notion of nonexistence is annihilationism because it maintains that the entire world does not exist (forever) but is cut off.
In view of these explanations it would be misleading to translate the two terms, atthita and natthita, simply as "existence" and "nonexistence" and then to maintain (as is sometimes done) that the Buddha rejects all ontological notions as inherently invalid. The Buddha’s utterances at SN22.94, for example, show that he did not hesitate to make pronouncements with a clear ontological import when they were called for. In the present passage atthita and natthita are abstract nouns formed from the verbs atthi and natthi. It is thus the metaphysical assumptions implicit in such abstractions that are at fault, not the ascriptions of existence and nonexistence themselves. I have tried to convey this sense of metaphysical abstraction, conveyed in Pali by the terminal -ta, by rendering the two terms "the notion of existence" and "the notion of nonexistence," respectively. On the two extremes rejected by the Buddha, see SN12.48, and for the Buddha’s teaching on the origin and passing away of the world, SN12.44.
Unfortunately, atthita and bhava both had to be rendered by "existence," which obscures the fact that in Pali they are derived from different roots. While atthita is the notion of existence in the abstract, bhava is concrete individual existence in one or another of the three realms. For the sake of marking the difference, bhava might have been rendered by "being" (as was done in MLDB), but this English word, I feel, is too broad (suggestive of "Being," the absolute object of philosophical speculation) and does not sufficiently convey the sense of concreteness intrinsic to bhava.
But for one who sees the origin of the world as it really is with correct wisdom, there is no notion of nonexistence in regard to the world. And for one who sees the cessation of the world as it really is with correct wisdom, there is no notion of existence in regard to the world.
[n.30] Spk: The origin of the world: the production of the world of formations. There is no notion of nonexistence in regard to the world: there does not occur in him the annihilationist view that might arise in regard to phenomena produced and made manifest in the world of formations, holding "They do not exist." Spk-pṭ: The annihilationist view might arise in regard to the world of formations thus: "On account of the annihilation and perishing of beings right where they are, there is no persisting being or phenomenon." It also includes the wrong view, having those formations as its object, which holds: "There are no beings who are reborn." That view does not occur in him; for one seeing with right understanding the production and origination of the world of formations in dependence on such diverse conditions as kamma, ignorance, craving, etc., that annihilationist view does not occur, since one sees the uninterrupted production of formations.
Spk: The cessation of the world: the dissolution (bhanga) of formations. There is no notion of existence in regard to the world: There does not occur in him the eternalist view which might arise in regard to phenomena produced and made manifest in the world of formations, holding "They exist." Spk-pṭ: The eternalist view might arise in regard to the world of formations, taking it to exist at all times, owing to the apprehension of identity in the uninterrupted continuum occurring in a cause-effect relationship. But that view does not occur in him; because he sees the cessation of the successively arisen phenomena and the arising of successively new phenomena, the eternalist view does not occur.
Spk: Further, "the origin of the world" is direct-order conditionality (anuloma-paccayakara); "the cessation of the world," reverse-order conditionality (paṭiloma-paccayakara). (Spk-pṭ: "Direct-order conditionality" is the conditioning efficiency of the conditions in relation to their own effects; "reverse-order conditionality" is the cessation of the effects through the cessation of their respective causes.) For in seeing the dependency of the world, when one sees the nontermination of the conditionally arisen phenomena owing to the nontermination of their conditions, the annihilationist view, which might otherwise arise, does not occur. And in seeing the cessation of conditions, when one sees the cessation of the conditionally arisen phenomena owing to the cessation of their conditions, the eternalist view, which might otherwise arise, does not occur.
"This world, Kaccāna, is for the most part shackled by engagement, clinging, and adherence. [n.31] The reading I prefer is a hybrid of Be and Se: upayupādānabhinivesavinibaddho. I take upay- from Be (Se and Ee: upay-) and -vinibaddho from Se (Be and Ee: -vinibandho). The rendering at KS 2:13, "grasping after systems and imprisoned by dogmas," echoed by SN-Anth 2:17, is too narrow in emphasis. Spk explains that each of the three nouns—engagement, clinging, and adherence—occurs by way of craving and views (taṇhā, diṭṭhi), for it is through these that one engages, clings to, and adheres to the phenomena of the three planes as "I" and "mine."
But this one (with right view) does not become engaged and cling through that engagement and clinging, mental standpoint, adherence, underlying tendency; he does not take a stand about ‘my self.’ [n.32] Tañ cayaṁ upayupādānaṁ cetaso adhiṭṭhanaṁ abhinivesanusayaṁ na upeti na upadiyati nadhiṭṭhati "atta me" ti. I have unravelled the difficult syntax of this sentence with the aid of Spk, which glosses ayaṁ as "this noble disciple" (ayaṁ ariyāsavāko). Spk says that craving and views are also called "mental standpoints" (adhiṭṭhana) because they are the foundation for the (unwholesome) mind, and "adherences and underlying tendencies" (abhinivesanusaya) because they adhere to the mind and lie latent within it. Spk connects the verb adhiṭṭhati to the following "atta me," and I conform to this interpretation in the translation.
He has no perplexity or doubt that what arises is only suffering arising, what ceases is only suffering ceasing. His knowledge about this is independent of others.
It is in this way, Kaccāna, that there is right view.
[n.33] Spk explains dukkha here as "the mere five aggregates subject to clinging" (pañcupādānakkhandhamattam eva). Thus what the noble disciple sees, when he reflects upon his personal existence, is not a self or a substantially existent person but a mere assemblage of conditioned phenomena arising and passing away through the conditioning process governed by dependent origination. In this connection see the verses of the bhikkhuni Vajira, I, vv. 553–55. Spk: By just this much—the abandonment of the idea of a being (sattasañña)—there is right seeing.
Aparappaccaya ñāṇaṁ, "knowledge independent of others," is glossed by Spk as "personal direct knowledge without dependence on another" (aññassa apattiyayetva attapaccakkhañāṇaṁ). This is said because the noble disciple, from the point of stream-entry on, has seen the essential truth of the Dhamma and thus is not dependent on anyone else, not even the Buddha, for his or her insight into the Dhamma. Until arahantship is attained, however, such a disciple might still approach the Buddha (or another enlightened teacher) for practical guidance in meditation.
"‘All exists’: Kaccāna, this is one extreme. ‘All does not exist’: this is the second extreme. Without veering towards either of these extremes, the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma by the middle:
‘With ignorance as condition, volitional formations come to be;
with volitional formations as condition, consciousness;
with consciousness as condition, name-and-form;
with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases;
with the six sense bases as condition, contact;
with contact as condition, feeling;
with feeling as condition, craving;
with craving as condition, clinging;
with clinging as condition, existence;
with existence as condition, birth;
with birth as condition, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be.
Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.
But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations;
with the cessation of volitional formations, cessation of consciousness; with the cessation of consciousness, cessation of name-and-form;
with the cessation of name-and-form, cessation of the six sense bases;
with the cessation of the six sense bases, cessation of contact;
with the cessation of contact, cessation of feeling;
with the cessation of feeling, cessation of craving;
with the cessation of craving, cessation of clinging;
with the cessation of clinging, cessation of existence;
with the cessation of existence, cessation of birth;
with the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease.
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering." sn.ii.18
10"So it is, friend Ānanda, for those venerable ones who have such compassionate and benevolent brothers in the holy life to admonish and instruct them. And now that I have heard this Dhamma teaching of the Venerable Ānanda, I have made the breakthrough to the Dhamma."
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū bārāṇasiyaṁ vihāranti isipatane migadāye. Atha kho āyasmā channo sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito avāpuraṇaṁ ādāya vihārena vihāraṁ upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū etadavoca: "ovadantu maṁ āyasmanto therā, anusāsantu maṁ āyasmanto therā, karontu me āyasmanto therā dhammiṁ kathaṁ, yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyan"ti.
2Evaṁ vutte, therā bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ channaṁ etadavocuṁ:
"rūpaṁ kho, āvuso channa, aniccaṁ; vedanā aniccā; saññā aniccā; saṅkhārā aniccā; viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ.
Rūpaṁ anattā; vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ anattā.
Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā; sabbe dhammā anattā"ti.
3Atha kho āyasmato channassa etadahosi: "mayhampi kho etaṁ evaṁ hoti:
‘rūpaṁ aniccaṁ, vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ;
rūpaṁ anattā, vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ anattā.
Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā, sabbe dhammā anattā’ti.
Atha ca pana me sabbasaṅkhārasamathe sabbūpadhipaṭinissagge taṇhākkhaye virāge nirodhe nibbāne cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati nādhimuccati.
Paritassanā upādānaṁ uppajjati; paccudāvattati mānasaṁ: ‘atha ko carahi me attā’ti? Na kho panevaṁ dhammaṁ passato hoti.
Ko nu kho me tathā dhammaṁ deseyya yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyan"ti.
4Atha kho āyasmato channassa etadahosi: "Ayaṁ kho āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ vihārati ghositārāme satthu ceva saṁvaṇṇito sambhāvito ca viññūnaṁ sabrahmacārīnaṁ, pahoti ca me āyasmā ānando tathā dhammaṁ desetuṁ yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyaṁ; atthi ca me āyasmante ānande tāvatikā vissaṭṭhi. Yannūnāhaṁ yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkameyyan"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā channo senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena kosambī ghositārāmo yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi … pe … ekamantaṁ nisinno kho
5āyasmā channo āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ etadavoca: "Ekamidāhaṁ, āvuso Ānanda, samayaṁ bārāṇasiyaṁ viharāmi isipatane migadāye. Atha khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito avāpuraṇaṁ ādāya vihārena vihāraṁ upasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū etadavocaṁ: ‘ovadantu maṁ āyasmanto therā, anusāsantu maṁ āyasmanto therā, karontu me āyasmanto therā dhammiṁ kathaṁ yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyan’ti. Evaṁ vutte, maṁ, āvuso, therā bhikkhū etadavocuṁ: ‘rūpaṁ kho, āvuso channa, aniccaṁ; vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ; rūpaṁ anattā … pe … viññāṇaṁ anattā. Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā, sabbe dhammā anattā’ti.
6Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi: ‘mayhampi kho etaṁ evaṁ hoti – rūpaṁ aniccaṁ … pe … viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ, rūpaṁ anattā, vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ anattā. Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā, sabbe dhammā anattā’ti. Atha ca pana me sabbasaṅkhārasamathe sabbūpadhipaṭinissagge taṇhākkhaye virāge nirodhe nibbāne cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati nādhimuccati. Paritassanā upādānaṁ uppajjati; paccudāvattati mānasaṁ: ‘atha ko carahi me attā’ti? Na kho panevaṁ dhammaṁ passato hoti. Ko nu kho me tathā dhammaṁ deseyya yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyanti.
7Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi: ‘Ayaṁ kho āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ vihārati ghositārāme satthu ceva saṁvaṇṇito sambhāvito ca viññūnaṁ sabrahmacārīnaṁ, pahoti ca me āyasmā ānando tathā dhammaṁ desetuṁ yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyaṁ. Atthi ca me āyasmante ānande tāvatikā vissaṭṭhi. Yannūnāhaṁ yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkameyyan’ti.
Ovadatu maṁ, āyasmā ānando; anusāsatu maṁ, āyasmā ānando; karotu me, āyasmā ānando dhammiṁ kathaṁ yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyan"ti.
8"Ettakenapi mayaṁ āyasmato channassa attamanā api nāma taṁ āyasmā channo āvi akāsi khīlaṁ chindi. Odahāvuso channa, sotaṁ; bhabbosi dhammaṁ viññātun"ti.
Atha kho āyasmato channassa tāvatakeneva uḷāraṁ pītipāmojjaṁ uppajji: "Bhabbo kirasmi dhammaṁ viññātun"ti.
9"Sammukhā metaṁ, āvuso channa, bhagavato sutaṁ, sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ kaccānagottaṁ bhikkhuṁ ovadantassa –
"Dvayanissito khvāyaṁ, kaccāna, loko yebhuyyena – atthitañceva natthitañca. Lokasamudayaṁ kho, kaccāna, yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato yā loke natthitā sā na hoti. Lokanirodhaṁ kho, kaccāna, yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato yā loke atthitā sā na hoti.
Upayupādānābhinivesavinibandho khvāyaṁ, kaccāna, loko yebhuyyena.
Tañcāyaṁ upayupādānaṁ cetaso adhiṭṭhānaṁ abhinivesānusayaṁ na upeti na upādiyati nādhiṭṭhāti: ‘attā me’ti.
‘Dukkhameva uppajjamānaṁ uppajjati, dukkhaṁ nirujjhamānaṁ nirujjhatī’ti na kaṅkhati na vicikicchati aparapaccayā ñāṇamevassa ettha hoti.
Ettāvatā kho, kaccāna, sammādiṭṭhi hoti.
‘Sabbamatthī’ti kho, kaccāna, ayameko anto. ‘Sabbaṁ natthī’ti ayaṁ dutiyo anto. Ete te, kaccāna, ubho ante anupāgamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:
‘Avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;
saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ … pe …
Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.
Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;
saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho … pe …
Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’"ti.
10"Evametaṁ, āvuso Ānanda, hoti yesaṁ āyasmantānaṁ tādisā sabrahmacārayo anukampakā atthakāmā ovādakā anusāsakā. Idañca pana me āyasmato ānandassa dhammadesanaṁ sutvā dhammo abhisamito"ti.
Aṭṭhamaṁ.