AN 6 The Book of the Sixes – Chakkanipāta > AN 6.61 In the Middle

Numbered Discourses 6.61 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.61

6. The Great Chapter – 6. Mahāvagga

AN 6.61 In the Middle – Majjhesutta

1.1

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

1.2

At one time the Buddha was staying near Benares, in the deer park at Isipatana.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye.

1.3

Now at that time, after the meal, on return from almsround, several senior bhikkhū sat together in the pavilion and this discussion came up among them,

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulānaṁ therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ maṇḍalamāḷe sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:

1.4

“Reverends, this was said by the Buddha in ‘The Way to the Beyond’, in ‘The Questions of Metteyya’:

“vuttamidaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā pārāyane metteyyapañhe:

2.1

‘The sage has known both ends,

‘Yo ubhonte viditvāna,

2.2

and is not stuck in the middle.

majjhe mantā na lippati;

2.3

He is a great man, I declare,

Taṁ brūmi mahāpurisoti,

2.4

he has escaped the seamstress here.’

sodha sibbini maccagā’”ti.

3.1

But what is one end? What’s the second end? What’s the middle? And who is the seamstress?”

“Katamo nu kho, āvuso, eko anto, katamo dutiyo anto, kiṁ majjhe, kā sibbinī”ti?

3.2

When this was said, one of the bhikkhū said to the senior bhikkhū:

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu there bhikkhū etadavoca:

3.3

“Contact, reverends, is one end. The origin of contact is the second end. The cessation of contact is the middle. And craving is the seamstress,

“phasso kho, āvuso, eko anto, phassasamudayo dutiyo anto, phassanirodho majjhe, taṇhā sibbinī;

3.4

for craving weaves one to being reborn in one state of existence or another.

taṇhā hi naṁ sibbati tassa tasseva bhavassa abhinibbattiyā.

3.5

That’s how a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known and completely understands what should be completely understood. Knowing and understanding thus they make an end of suffering in this very life.”

Ettāvatā kho, āvuso, bhikkhu abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānāti, pariññeyyaṁ parijānāti, abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānanto pariññeyyaṁ parijānanto diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hotī”ti.

4.1

When this was said, one of the bhikkhū said to the senior bhikkhū:

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu there bhikkhū etadavoca:

4.2

“The past, reverends, is one end. The future is the second end. The present is the middle. And craving is the seamstress …

“atītaṁ kho, āvuso, eko anto, anāgataṁ dutiyo anto, paccuppannaṁ majjhe, taṇhā sibbinī;

4.3

taṇhā hi naṁ sibbati tassa tasseva bhavassa abhinibbattiyā.

4.4

That’s how a bhikkhu directly knows … an end of suffering in this very life.”

Ettāvatā kho, āvuso, bhikkhu abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānāti, pariññeyyaṁ parijānāti, abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānanto, pariññeyyaṁ parijānanto diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hotī”ti.

5.1

When this was said, one of the bhikkhū said to the senior bhikkhū:

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu there bhikkhū etadavoca:

5.2

“Pleasant feeling, reverends, is one end. Painful feeling is the second end. Neutral feeling is the middle. And craving is the seamstress …

“sukhā, āvuso, vedanā eko anto, dukkhā vedanā dutiyo anto, adukkhamasukhā vedanā majjhe, taṇhā sibbinī;

5.3

taṇhā hi naṁ sibbati tassa tasseva bhavassa abhinibbattiyā.

5.4

That’s how a bhikkhu directly knows … an end of suffering in this very life.”

Ettāvatā kho, āvuso, bhikkhu abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānāti, pariññeyyaṁ parijānāti, abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānanto, pariññeyyaṁ parijānanto diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hotī”ti.

6.1

When this was said, one of the bhikkhū said to the senior bhikkhū:

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu there bhikkhū etadavoca:

6.2

“Name, reverends, is one end. Form is the second end. Consciousness is the middle. And craving is the seamstress …

“nāmaṁ kho, āvuso, eko anto, rūpaṁ dutiyo anto, viññāṇaṁ majjhe, taṇhā sibbinī;

6.3

taṇhā hi naṁ sibbati tassa tasseva bhavassa abhinibbattiyā.

6.4

That’s how a bhikkhu directly knows … an end of suffering in this very life.”

Ettāvatā kho, āvuso, bhikkhu abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānāti, pariññeyyaṁ parijānāti, abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānanto pariññeyyaṁ parijānanto diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hotī”ti.

7.1

When this was said, one of the bhikkhū said to the senior bhikkhū:

Evaṁ vutte aññataro bhikkhu there bhikkhū etadavoca:

7.2

“The six interior sense fields, reverends, are one end. The six exterior sense fields are the second end. Consciousness is the middle. And craving is the seamstress …

“cha kho, āvuso, ajjhattikāni āyatanāni eko anto, cha bāhirāni āyatanāni dutiyo anto, viññāṇaṁ majjhe, taṇhā sibbinī;

7.3

taṇhā hi naṁ sibbati tassa tasseva bhavassa abhinibbattiyā.

7.4

That’s how a bhikkhu directly knows … an end of suffering in this very life.”

Ettāvatā kho, āvuso, bhikkhu abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānāti, pariññeyyaṁ parijānāti, abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānanto pariññeyyaṁ parijānanto diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hotī”ti.

8.1

When this was said, one of the bhikkhū said to the senior bhikkhū:

Evaṁ vutte aññataro bhikkhu there bhikkhū etadavoca:

8.2

“Identity, reverends, is one end. The origin of identity is the second end. The cessation of identity is the middle. And craving is the seamstress,

“sakkāyo kho, āvuso, eko anto, sakkāyasamudayo dutiyo anto, sakkāyanirodho majjhe, taṇhā sibbinī;

8.3

for craving weaves one to being reborn in one state of existence or another.

taṇhā hi naṁ sibbati tassa tasseva bhavassa abhinibbattiyā.

8.4

Ettāvatā kho, āvuso, bhikkhu abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānāti, pariññeyyaṁ parijānāti, abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānanto pariññeyyaṁ parijānanto diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hotī”ti.

9.1

When this was said, one of the bhikkhū said to the senior bhikkhū:

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu there bhikkhū etadavoca:

9.2

“Each of us has spoken from the heart.

“byākataṁ kho, āvuso, amhehi sabbeheva yathāsakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ.

9.3

Come, reverends, let’s go to the Buddha, and inform him about this.

Āyāmāvuso, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocessāma.

9.4

As he answers, so we’ll remember it.”

Yathā no bhagavā byākarissati tathā naṁ dhāressāmā”ti.

10.1

“Yes, reverend,” those senior bhikkhū replied.

“Evamāvuso”ti kho therā bhikkhū tassa bhikkhuno paccassosuṁ.

10.2

Then those senior bhikkhū went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side,

Atha kho therā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.

10.3

and informed the Buddha of all they had discussed. They asked,

Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho therā bhikkhū yāvatako ahosi sabbeheva saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo, taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesuṁ.

10.4

“Sir, who has spoken well?”

“Kassa nu kho, bhante, subhāsitan”ti?

10.5

“Bhikkhū, you’ve all spoken well in a way. However, this is what I was referring to in ‘The Way to the Beyond’, in ‘The Questions of Metteyya’ when I said:

“Sabbesaṁ vo, bhikkhave, subhāsitaṁ pariyāyena, api ca yaṁ mayā sandhāya bhāsitaṁ pārāyane metteyyapañhe:

11.1

‘The sage has known both ends,

‘Yo ubhonte viditvāna,

11.2

and is not stuck in the middle.

majjhe mantā na lippati;

11.3

He is a great man, I declare,

Taṁ brūmi mahāpurisoti,

11.4

he has escaped the seamstress here.’

sodha sibbinimaccagā’ti.

12.1

Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

12.2

“Yes, sir,” they replied.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho therā bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

12.3

The Buddha said this:

Bhagavā etadavoca:

12.4

“Contact, bhikkhū, is one end. The origin of contact is the second end. The cessation of contact is the middle. And craving is the seamstress,

“phasso kho, bhikkhave, eko anto, phassasamudayo dutiyo anto, phassanirodho majjhe, taṇhā sibbinī;

12.5

for craving weaves one to being reborn in one state of existence or another.

taṇhā hi naṁ sibbati tassa tasseva bhavassa abhinibbattiyā.

12.6

Ettāvatā kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānāti, pariññeyyaṁ parijānāti, abhiññeyyaṁ abhijānanto pariññeyyaṁ parijānanto diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hotī”ti.

12.7

Sattamaṁ.