AN 3 The Book of the Threes – Tikanipāta > AN 3.74 Jains

Numbered Discourses 3.74 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.74

8. Ānanda – 8. Ānandavagga

AN 3.74 Jains – Nigaṇṭhasutta

1.1

At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

1.2

Then the Licchavis Abhaya and Paṇḍitakumāra went up to Venerable Ānanda, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

Atha kho abhayo ca licchavi paṇḍitakumārako ca licchavi yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho abhayo licchavi āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:

1.3

“Sir, the Jain leader Nāṭaputta claims to be all-knowing and all-seeing, to know and see everything without exception, thus:

“nigaṇṭho, bhante, nāṭaputto sabbaññū sabbadassāvī aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti:

1.4

‘Knowledge and vision are constantly and continually present to me, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking.’

‘carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti.

1.5

He advocates the elimination of past karma by mortification, and breaking the bridge by not making new karma.

So purāṇānaṁ kammānaṁ tapasā byantībhāvaṁ paññāpeti navānaṁ kammānaṁ akaraṇā setughātaṁ.

1.6

So with the ending of karma, suffering ends; with the ending of suffering, feeling ends; and with the ending of feeling, all suffering will have been worn away.

Iti kammakkhayā dukkhakkhayo, dukkhakkhayā vedanākkhayo, vedanākkhayā sabbaṁ dukkhaṁ nijjiṇṇaṁ bhavissati—

1.7

This is how to go beyond suffering by means of this purification by wearing away in this very life.

evametissā sandiṭṭhikāya nijjarāya visuddhiyā samatikkamo hoti.

1.8

What, sir, does the Buddha say about this?”

Idha, bhante, bhagavā kimāhā”ti?

2.1

“Abhaya, these three kinds of purification by wearing away have been rightly explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to end the cycle of suffering, and to realize extinguishment.

“Tisso kho imā, abhaya, nijjarā visuddhiyo tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātā sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya.

2.2

What three?

Katamā tisso?

2.3

It’s when, Abhaya, a bhikkhu is ethical, restrained in the code of conduct, conducting themselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

Idha, abhaya, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti …pe… samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu.

2.4

They don’t perform any new deeds, and old deeds are eliminated by experiencing their results little by little.

So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti.

2.5

This wearing away is visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhīti.

3.1

Then a bhikkhu accomplished in ethics, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption … second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption.

Sa kho so, abhaya, bhikkhu evaṁ sīlasampanno vivicceva kāmehi …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

3.2

They don’t perform any new deeds, and old deeds are eliminated by experiencing their results little by little.

So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti.

3.3

This wearing away is visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhīti.

4.1

Then a bhikkhu accomplished in samādhi realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.

Sa kho so, abhaya, bhikkhu evaṁ samādhisampanno āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

4.2

They don’t perform any new deeds, and old deeds are eliminated by experiencing their results little by little.

So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti.

4.3

This wearing away is visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhīti.

4.4

These are the three kinds of purification by wearing away that have been rightly explained by the Buddha … in order to realize extinguishment.”

Imā kho, abhaya, tisso nijjarā visuddhiyo tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātā sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.

5.1

When he said this, Paṇḍitakumāra said to Abhaya,

Evaṁ vutte, paṇḍitakumārako licchavi abhayaṁ licchaviṁ etadavoca:

5.2

“Dear Abhaya, is there anything in what Ānanda has said so well that you would disagree with?”

“kiṁ pana tvaṁ, samma abhaya, āyasmato ānandassa subhāsitaṁ subhāsitato nābbhanumodasī”ti?

5.3

“How could I not agree with what was said so well by Ānanda?

“Kyāhaṁ, samma paṇḍitakumāraka, āyasmato ānandassa subhāsitaṁ subhāsitato nābbhanumodissāmi.

5.4

If anyone didn’t agree with him, their head would explode!”

Muddhāpi tassa vipateyya yo āyasmato ānandassa subhāsitaṁ subhāsitato nābbhanumodeyyā”ti.

5.5

Catutthaṁ.