SN35:121 Exhortation to Rahula
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. [n.109] Identical with MN No. 147. Then, while the Blessed One was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in his mind thus: "The states that ripen in liberation have come to maturity in Rahula. Let me lead him on further to the destruction of the taints." [n.110] Vimuttiparipācaniyā dhammā. Spk interprets these as the fifteen qualities that purify the five faculties (faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom), namely, in regard to each faculty: avoiding people who lack the faculty, associating with those endowed with it, and reflecting on suttas that inspire its maturation. Spk expands on this with another fifteen qualities: the five faculties again; the five perceptions partaking of penetration, namely, perception of impermanence, suffering, nonself, abandoning, and dispassion (on the last two, see AN V 110,13–20); and the five qualities taught to Meghiya, namely, noble friendship, the virtue of the monastic rules, suitable conversation, energy, and wisdom (see AN IV 357,5–30; Ud 36,3–28).
Then, in the morning, the Blessed One dressed and, taking bowl and robe, walked for alms in Sāvatthī. When he had returned from the alms round, after his meal he addressed the Venerable Rahula thus: "Take a sitting cloth, Rahula. Let us go to the Blind Men's Grove for the day's abiding."
"Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Rahula replied and, having taken a sitting cloth, he followed close behind the Blessed One.
2Now on that occasion many thousands of devatas followed the Blessed One, thinking: "Today the Blessed One will lead the Venerable Rahula on further to the destruction of the taints." [n.111] Spk: These devas had made their aspiration (for enlightenment) along with Rahula when the latter made his aspiration (to become the son of a Buddha) at the feet of the Buddha Padumuttara. They had been reborn in various heavenly worlds but on this day they all assembled in the Blind Men's Grove. Then the Blessed One plunged into the Blind Men's Grove and sat down at the foot of a certain tree on a seat that was prepared for him. The Venerable Rahula paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. sn.iv.106 The Blessed One then said to him:
3–8"What do you think, Rahula, is the eye permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, venerable sir."
"Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?"
"No, venerable sir."
9–20"Are forms permanent or impermanent? … Is eye-consciousness … Is eye-contact … Is anything included in feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness arisen with eye-contact as condition permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir." The rest as in the preceding paragraph.
21–50"Is the ear … the mind permanent or impermanent? … sn.iv.107 … Are mental phenomena … Is mind-consciousness … Is mind-contact … Is anything included in feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness arisen with mind-contact as condition permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, venerable sir."
"Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?"
"No, venerable sir."
51"Seeing thus, Rahula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards the eye, revulsion towards forms, revulsion towards eye-consciousness, revulsion towards eye-contact; revulsion towards anything included in feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness arisen with eye-contact as condition. He experiences revulsion towards the ear … towards the mind … towards anything included in feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness arisen with mind-contact as condition.
52"Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion his mind is liberated. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It's liberated.’ He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’"
53This is what the Blessed One said. Elated, the Venerable Rahula delighted in the Blessed One's statement. And while this discourse was being spoken, the Venerable Rahula's mind was liberated from the taints by nonclinging, and in those many thousands of devatas there arose the dust-free, stainless vision of the Dhamma: "Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation." [n.112] Spk: In this sutta "the vision of the Dhamma" denotes the four paths and their fruits. For some devas became streamenterers, some once-returners, some nonreturners, and some arahants. The devas were innumerable.
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: "paripakkā kho rāhulassa vimuttiparipācaniyā dhammā; yannūnāhaṁ rāhulaṁ uttariṁ āsavānaṁ khaye vineyyan"ti. Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto āyasmantaṁ rāhulaṁ āmantesi: "gaṇhāhi, rāhula, nisīdanaṁ. Yena andhavanaṁ tenupasaṅkamissāma divāvihārāyā"ti. "Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho āyasmā rāhulo bhagavato paṭissutvā nisīdanaṁ ādāya bhagavantaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandhi.
2Tena kho pana samayena anekāni devatāsahassāni bhagavantaṁ anubandhāni honti: "ajja bhagavā āyasmantaṁ rāhulaṁ uttariṁ āsavānaṁ khaye vinessatī"ti. Atha kho bhagavā andhavanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle paññatte āsane nisīdi. Āyasmāpi kho rāhulo bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ rāhulaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
3"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rāhula, cakkhu niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
4"Aniccaṁ, bhante".
5"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?
6"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".
7"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’"ti?
8"No hetaṁ, bhante".
9"Rūpā niccā vā aniccā vā"ti?
10"Aniccā, bhante" … pe … .
11"Cakkhuviññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
12"Aniccaṁ, bhante" … pe … .
13"Cakkhusamphasso nicco vā anicco vā"ti?
14"Anicco, bhante" … pe … .
15"Yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedanāgataṁ, saññāgataṁ, saṅkhāragataṁ, viññāṇagataṁ, tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
16"Aniccaṁ, bhante".
17"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?
18"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".
19"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’"ti?
20"No hetaṁ, bhante" … pe … .
21"Jivhā niccā vā aniccā vā"ti?
22"Aniccā, bhante" … pe … .
23"Jivhāviññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
24"Aniccaṁ, bhante" … pe … .
25"Jivhāsamphasso nicco vā anicco vā"ti?
26"Anicco, bhante" … pe … .
27"Yampidaṁ jivhāsamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedanāgataṁ, saññāgataṁ, saṅkhāragataṁ, viññāṇagataṁ, tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
28"Aniccaṁ, bhante".
29"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?
30"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".
31"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’"ti?
32"No hetaṁ, bhante" … pe … .
33"Mano nicco vā anicco vā"ti?
34"Anicco, bhante".
35"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?
36"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".
37"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’"ti?
38"No hetaṁ, bhante".
39"Dhammā niccā vā aniccā vā"ti?
40"Aniccā, bhante" … pe … .
41"Manoviññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
42"Aniccaṁ, bhante" … pe … .
43"Manosamphasso nicco vā anicco vā"ti?
44"Anicco, bhante" … pe … .
45"Yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedanāgataṁ, saññāgataṁ, saṅkhāragataṁ, viññāṇagataṁ, tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
46"Aniccaṁ, bhante".
47"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?
48"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".
49"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’"ti?
50"No hetaṁ, bhante".
51"Evaṁ passaṁ, rāhula, sutavā ariyasāvako cakkhusmimpi nibbindati, rūpesupi nibbindati, cakkhuviññāṇepi nibbindati, cakkhusamphassepi nibbindati, yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedanāgataṁ saññāgataṁ saṅkhāragataṁ viññāṇagataṁ tasmimpi nibbindati … pe … jivhāyapi nibbindati, rasesupi nibbindati, jivhāviññāṇepi nibbindati, jivhāsamphassepi nibbindati, yampidaṁ jivhāsamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedanāgataṁ saññāgataṁ saṅkhāragataṁ viññāṇagataṁ tasmimpi nibbindati … pe … .
52Manasmimpi nibbindati, dhammesupi nibbindati, manoviññāṇepi nibbindati, manosamphassepi nibbindati, yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedanāgataṁ saññāgataṁ saṅkhāragataṁ viññāṇagataṁ tasmimpi nibbindati. Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti. ‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī"ti.
53Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano āyasmā rāhulo bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandi. Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne āyasmato rāhulassa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucci. Anekānañca devatāsahassānaṁ virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi: "yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman"ti.
Aṭṭhamaṁ.