SN41:3 Isidatta (2)
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1On one occasion a number of elder bhikkhus were dwelling at Macchikasaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove. Then Citta the householder approached those elder bhikkhus, paid homage to them, sat down to one side, and said to them: "Venerable sirs, let the elders consent to accept tomorrow's meal from me."
The elder bhikkhus consented by silence. Then Citta the householder, having understood that the elders had consented, rose from his seat, paid homage to them, and departed, keeping them on his right.
When the night had passed, in the morning the elder bhikkhus dressed, took their bowls and outer robes, and went to the residence of Citta the householder. There they sat down on the appointed seats.
2Then Citta the householder approached the elder bhikkhus, paid homage to them, sat down to one side, and said to the venerable chief elder:
"Venerable Elder, there are various views that arise in the world: ‘The world is eternal’ or ‘The world is not eternal’; or ‘The world is finite’ or ‘The world is infinite’; or ‘The soul and the body are the same’ or ‘The soul is one thing, the body is another’; or ‘The Tathāgata exists after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata does not exist after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death’—these as well as the sixty-two views mentioned in the Brahmajala. [n.292] DN No. 1. This is translated, along with the commentary and excerpts from the sub-commentary, in Bodhi, All-Embracing Net of Views come to be? When what is nonexistent do these views not come to be?"
When this was said, the venerable chief elder was silent. A second time and a third time Citta the householder asked the same question, and a second time and a third time the venerable chief elder was silent.
4Now on that occasion the Venerable Isidatta was the most junior bhikkhu in that Saṅgha. Then the Venerable Isidatta said to the venerable chief elder: "Allow me, venerable elder, to answer Citta the householder's question."
"Answer it, friend Isidatta." sn.iv.287
"Now, householder, are you asking thus: ‘Venerable elder, there are various views that arise in the world: "The world is eternal" … —these as well as the sixty-two speculative views mentioned in the Brahmajala. Now when what exists do these views come to be? When what is nonexistent do these views not come to be?’"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"As to the various views that arise in the world, householder, ‘The world is eternal’ … —these as well as the sixty-two speculative views mentioned in the Brahmajala: when there is identity view, these views come to be; when there is no identity view, these views do not come to be."
5"But, venerable sir, how does identity view come to be?"
"Here, householder, the uninstructed worldling, who has no regard for the noble ones and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, who has no regard for the good persons and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, regards form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form. He regards feeling as self … perception as self … volitional formations as self … consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. It is in such a way that identity view comes to be."
6"And, venerable sir, how does identity view not come to be?"
"Here, householder, the instructed noble disciple, who has regard for the noble ones and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, who has regard for the good persons and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, does not regard form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form. He does not regard feeling as self … or perception as self … or volitional formations as self … or consciousness as self … or self as in consciousness. It is in such a way that identity view does not come to be." sn.iv.288
7"Venerable sir, where does Master Isidatta come from?"
"I come from Avanti, householder."
"There is, venerable sir, a clansman from Avanti named Isidatta, an unseen friend of ours, who has gone forth. Has the venerable one ever met him?"
"Yes, householder."
"Where is that venerable one now dwelling, venerable sir?"
When this was said, the Venerable Isidatta was silent.
"Is the master Isidatta?"
"Yes, householder."
"Then let Master Isidatta delight in the delightful Wild Mango Grove at Macchikasaṇḍa. I will be zealous in providing Master Isidatta with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites."
"That is kindly said, householder."
8Then Citta the householder, having delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Isidatta's words, with his own hand served and satisfied the elder bhikkhus with the various kinds of delicious food. When the elder bhikkhus had finished eating and had put away their bowls, they rose from their seats and departed.
Then the venerable chief elder said to the Venerable Isidatta: "It is good, friend Isidatta, that the answer to this question occurred to you. The answer did not occur to me. Therefore, friend Isidatta, whenever a similar question comes up at some other time, you should clear it up."
Then the Venerable Isidatta set his lodging in order and, taking bowl and robe, he left Macchikasaṇḍa. When he left Macchikasaṇḍa, he left for good and he never returned. [n.293] Neither Spk nor Spk-pṭ gives an explanation for his sudden departure. He may have seen the danger in fame and honour and preferred to dwell in complete anonymity.
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū macchikāsaṇḍe vihāranti ambāṭakavane. Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati there bhikkhū etadavoca: "adhivāsentu me, bhante therā, svātanāya bhattan"ti.
Adhivāsesuṁ kho therā bhikkhū tuṇhībhāvena. Atha kho citto gahapati therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.
Atha kho therā bhikkhū tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena cittassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdiṁsu.
2Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca:
"yā imā, bhante thera, anekavihitā diṭṭhiyo loke uppajjanti: ‘sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā, antavā lokoti vā, anantavā lokoti vā, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā. Yāni cimāni dvāsaṭṭhi diṭṭhigatāni brahmajāle bhaṇitāni; imā nu kho, bhante, diṭṭhiyo kismiṁ sati honti, kismiṁ asati na hontī"ti?
3Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā thero tuṇhī ahosi. Dutiyampi kho citto gahapati … pe … tatiyampi kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: "yā imā, bhante thera, anekavihitā diṭṭhiyo loke uppajjanti – sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā, antavā lokoti vā, anantavā lokoti vā, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā. Yāni cimāni dvāsaṭṭhi diṭṭhigatāni brahmajāle bhaṇitāni; imā nu kho, bhante, diṭṭhiyo kismiṁ sati honti, kismiṁ asati na hontī"ti? Tatiyampi kho āyasmā thero tuṇhī ahosi.
4Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā isidatto tasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe sabbanavako hoti. Atha kho āyasmā isidatto āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: "byākaromahaṁ, bhante thera, cittassa gahapatino etaṁ pañhan"ti?
"Byākarohi tvaṁ, āvuso isidatta, cittassa gahapatino etaṁ pañhan"ti.
"Evañhi tvaṁ, gahapati, pucchasi: ‘yā imā, bhante thera, anekavihitā diṭṭhiyo loke uppajjanti – sassato lokoti vā … pe … ; imā nu kho, bhante, diṭṭhiyo kismiṁ sati honti, kismiṁ asati na hontī’"ti?
"Evaṁ, bhante".
"Yā imā, gahapati, anekavihitā diṭṭhiyo loke uppajjanti: ‘sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā, antavā lokoti vā anantavā lokoti vā, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā. Yāni cimāni dvāsaṭṭhi diṭṭhigatāni brahmajāle bhaṇitāni; imā kho, gahapati, diṭṭhiyo sakkāyadiṭṭhiyā sati honti, sakkāyadiṭṭhiyā asati na hontī’"ti.
5"Kathaṁ pana, bhante, sakkāyadiṭṭhi hotī"ti?
"Idha, gahapati, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ; vedanāṁ attato samanupassati … pe … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, sakkāyadiṭṭhi hotī"ti.
6"Kathaṁ pana, bhante, sakkāyadiṭṭhi na hotī"ti?
"Idha, gahapati, sutavā ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ; na vedanāṁ … na saññaṁ … na saṅkhāre … na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, sakkāyadiṭṭhi na hotī"ti.
7"Kuto, bhante, ayyo isidatto āgacchatī"ti?
"Avantiyā kho, gahapati, āgacchāmī"ti.
"Atthi, bhante, avantiyā isidatto nāma kulaputto amhākaṁ adiṭṭhasahāyo pabbajito? Diṭṭho so āyasmatā"ti?
"Evaṁ, gahapatī"ti. "Kahaṁ nu kho so, bhante, āyasmā etarahi vihāratī"ti?
Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā isidatto tuṇhī ahosi. "Ayyo no, bhante, isidatto"ti?
"Evaṁ, gahapatī"ti.
"Abhiramatu, bhante, ayyo isidatto macchikāsaṇḍe. Ramaṇīyaṁ ambāṭakavanaṁ. Ahaṁ ayyassa isidattassa ussukkaṁ karissāmi cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānan"ti.
"Kalyāṇaṁ vuccati, gahapatī"ti.
8Atha kho citto gahapati āyasmato isidattassa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā there bhikkhū paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi. Atha kho therā bhikkhū bhuttāvino onītapattapāṇino uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu.
Atha kho āyasmā thero āyasmantaṁ isidattaṁ etadavoca: "sādhu kho taṁ, āvuso isidatta, eso pañho paṭibhāsi. Neso pañho maṁ paṭibhāsi. Tenahāvuso isidatta, yadā aññathāpi evarūpo pañho āgaccheyya, taññevettha paṭibhāseyyā"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā isidatto senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya macchikāsaṇḍamhā pakkāmi. Yaṁ macchikāsaṇḍamhā pakkāmi, tathā pakkantova ahosi, na puna paccāgacchīti.
Tatiyaṁ.