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Numbered Discourses 3.59 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.59

6. Brahmins – 6. Brāhmaṇavagga

AN 3.59 With Jāṇussoṇi – Jāṇussoṇisutta

 

1.1

Then the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. Seated to one side he said to the Buddha:

Atha kho jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

1.2

“Master Gotama, whoever has a sacrifice, an offering of food for ancestors, a dish of milk-rice prepared for an auspicious ceremony, or a gift to give, should give it to the brahmins who have mastered the three Vedic knowledges.”

“yassassu, bho gotama, yañño vā saddhaṁ vā thālipāko vā deyyadhammaṁ vā, tevijjesu brāhmaṇesu dānaṁ dadeyyā”ti.

1.3

“But brahmin, how do the brahmins describe a brahmin who is proficient in the three Vedic knowledges?”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇā tevijjaṁ paññapentī”ti?

1.4

“Master Gotama, it’s when a brahmin is well born on both his mother’s and father’s side, of pure descent, irrefutable and impeccable in questions of ancestry back to the seventh paternal generation. He recites and remembers the hymns, and has mastered the three Vedas, together with their vocabularies, ritual, phonology and etymology, and the testament as fifth. He knows philology and grammar, and is well versed in cosmology and the marks of a great man.

“Idha kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇo ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena, ajjhāyako mantadharo, tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū sanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ sākkharappabhedānaṁ itihāsapañcamānaṁ, padako, veyyākaraṇo, lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayoti.

1.5

That’s how the brahmins describe a brahmin who is proficient in the three Vedic knowledges.”

Evaṁ kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā tevijjaṁ paññapentī”ti.

2.1

“Brahmin, a master of three knowledges according to the brahmins is quite different from a master of the three knowledges in the training of the Noble One.”

“Aññathā kho, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ tevijjaṁ paññapenti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hotī”ti.

2.2

“But Master Gotama, how is one a master of the three knowledges in the training of the Noble One?

“Yathā kathaṁ pana, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hoti?

2.3

Master Gotama, please teach me this.”

Sādhu me bhavaṁ gotamo tathā dhammaṁ desetu yathā ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hotī”ti.

2.4

“Well then, brahmin, listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.

2.5

“Yes sir,” Jāṇussoṇi replied.

“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo bhagavato paccassosi.

2.6

The Buddha said this:

Bhagavā etadavoca:

3.1

“Brahmin, it’s when a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures …

“Idha pana, brāhmaṇa, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi …pe…

3.2

enters and remains in the fourth absorption.

catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

4.1

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward recollection of past lives.

So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti.

4.2

They recollect many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

So anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati.

4.3

This is the first knowledge that they attain.

Ayamassa paṭhamā vijjā adhigatā hoti;

4.4

Ignorance is destroyed and knowledge has arisen; darkness is destroyed and light has arisen, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato, āloko uppanno yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.

5.1

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings.

So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte sattānaṁ cutūpapātañāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti.

5.2

With clairvoyance that is purified and surpasses the human, they understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds.

So dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena …pe… yathākammūpage satte pajānāti.

5.3

This is the second knowledge that they attain.

Ayamassa dutiyā vijjā adhigatā hoti;

5.4

Ignorance is destroyed and knowledge has arisen; darkness is destroyed and light has arisen, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato, āloko uppanno yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.

6.1

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward knowledge of the ending of defilements.

So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte āsavānaṁ khayañāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti.

6.2

They truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti;

6.3

They truly understand: ‘These are defilements’ … ‘This is the origin of defilements’ … ‘This is the cessation of defilements’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of defilements’.

‘ime āsavā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ āsavanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

6.4

Knowing and seeing like this, their mind is freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance.

Tassa evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, bhavāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, avijjāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati;

6.5

When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

6.6

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.’

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.

6.7

This is the third knowledge that they attain.

Ayamassa tatiyā vijjā adhigatā hoti;

6.8

Ignorance is destroyed and knowledge has arisen; darkness is destroyed, and light has arisen, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato, āloko uppanno yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharatoti.

7.1

One who is perfect in precepts and observances,

Yo sīlabbatasampanno,

7.2

resolute and serene,

pahitatto samāhito;

7.3

whose mind is mastered,

Cittaṁ yassa vasībhūtaṁ,

7.4

unified, serene;

ekaggaṁ susamāhitaṁ.

8.1

who knows their past lives,

Pubbenivāsaṁ yo vedī,

8.2

and sees heaven and places of loss,

saggāpāyañca passati;

8.3

and has attained the end of rebirth,

Atho jātikkhayaṁ patto,

8.4

that sage has perfect insight.

abhiññāvosito muni.

9.1

Because of these three knowledges

Etāhi tīhi vijjāhi,

9.2

a brahmin is a master of the three knowledges.

tevijjo hoti brāhmaṇo;

9.3

That’s who I call a three-knowledge master,

Tamahaṁ vadāmi tevijjaṁ,

9.4

and not some mere reciter.

nāññaṁ lapitalāpananti.

10.1

This, brahmin, is a master of the three knowledges in the training of the Noble One.”

Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hotī”ti.

10.2

“Master Gotama, the master of three knowledges according to the brahmins is quite different from a master of the three knowledges in the training of the Noble One.

“Aññathā, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ tevijjo, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hoti.

10.3

And, Master Gotama, a master of three knowledges according to the brahmins is not worth a sixteenth part of a master of the three knowledges in the training of the Noble One.

Imassa ca, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye tevijjassa brāhmaṇānaṁ tevijjo kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasiṁ.

11.1

Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent! …

Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…

11.2

From this day forth, may Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

11.3

 

Navamaṁ.