MN 71 To Vacchagotta on the Three Knowledges

Medium Discourses Collection 71 – Majjhima Nikāya 71

MN 71 To Vacchagotta on the Three Knowledges – Tevijjavacchasutta

1.1

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

1.2

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

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

2.1

Now at that time the wanderer Vacchagotta was residing in the Single Lotus Monastery of the wanderers.

Tena kho pana samayena vacchagotto paribbājako ekapuṇḍarīke paribbājakārāme paṭivasati.

3.1

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Vesālī for alms.

Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya vesāliṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.

3.2

Then it occurred to him,

Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi:

3.3

“It’s too early to wander for alms in Vesālī.

“atippago kho tāva vesāliyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ;

3.4

Why don’t I visit the wanderer Vacchagotta at the Single Lotus Monastery?”

yannūnāhaṁ yena ekapuṇḍarīko paribbājakārāmo yena vacchagotto paribbājako tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.

3.5

So that’s what he did.

Atha kho bhagavā yena ekapuṇḍarīko paribbājakārāmo yena vacchagotto paribbājako tenupasaṅkami.

4.1

Vacchagotta saw the Buddha coming off in the distance,

Addasā kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

4.2

and said to him,

Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

4.3

“Come, Blessed One!

“Etu kho, bhante, bhagavā.

4.4

Welcome, Blessed One!

Svāgataṁ, bhante, bhagavato.

4.5

It’s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here.

Cirassaṁ kho, bhante, bhagavā imaṁ pariyāyamakāsi yadidaṁ idhāgamanāya.

4.6

Please, sir, sit down, this seat is ready.”

Nisīdatu, bhante, bhagavā idamāsanaṁ paññattan”ti.

4.7

The Buddha sat on the seat spread out,

Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane.

4.8

while Vacchagotta took a low seat and sat to one side.

Vacchagottopi kho paribbājako aññataraṁ nīcaṁ āsanaṁ gahetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

4.9

Then Vacchagotta said to the Buddha:

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

5.1

“Sir, I have heard this:

“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante:

5.2

‘The ascetic Gotama claims to be all-knowing and all-seeing, to know and see everything without exception, thus:

‘samaṇo gotamo sabbaññū sabbadassāvī, aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti,

5.3

“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.

5.4

I trust that those who say this repeat what the Buddha has said, and do not misrepresent him with an untruth? Is their explanation in line with the teaching? Are there any legitimate grounds for rebuke and criticism?”

Ye te, bhante, evamāhaṁsu: ‘samaṇo gotamo sabbaññū sabbadassāvī, aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti, carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti, kacci te, bhante, bhagavato vuttavādino, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkhanti, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākaronti, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgacchatī”ti?

5.5

“Vaccha, those who say this do not repeat what I have said. They misrepresent me with what is false and untrue.”

“Ye te, vaccha, evamāhaṁsu: ‘samaṇo gotamo sabbaññū sabbadassāvī, aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti, carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti, na me te vuttavādino, abbhācikkhanti ca pana maṁ asatā abhūtenā”ti.

6.1

“So how should we answer so as to repeat what the Buddha has said, and not misrepresent him with an untruth? How should we explain in line with his teaching, with no legitimate grounds for rebuke and criticism?”

“Kathaṁ byākaramānā pana mayaṁ, bhante, vuttavādino ceva bhagavato assāma, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyyāma, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyyāma, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyyā”ti?

6.2

“‘The ascetic Gotama has the three knowledges.’ Answering like this you would repeat what I have said, and not misrepresent me with an untruth. You would explain in line with my teaching, and there would be no legitimate grounds for rebuke and criticism.

“‘Tevijjo samaṇo gotamo’ti kho, vaccha, byākaramāno vuttavādī ceva me assa, na ca maṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyya, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyya, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyya.

7.1

For, Vaccha, whenever I want, I recollect my many kinds of past lives.

Ahañhi, vaccha, yāvadeva ākaṅkhāmi anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarāmi,

7.2

That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. I remember: ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so I recollect my many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarāmi.

8.1

And whenever I want, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, I see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. I understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds.

Ahañhi, vaccha, yāvadeva ākaṅkhāmi dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passāmi cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate …pe… yathākammūpage satte pajānāmi.

9.1

And I have realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. I live having realized it with my own insight due to the ending of cravings.

Ahañhi, vaccha, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi.

10.1

‘The ascetic Gotama has the three knowledges.’ Answering like this you would repeat what I have said, and not misrepresent me with an untruth. You would explain in line with my teaching, and there would be no legitimate grounds for rebuke and criticism.”

‘Tevijjo samaṇo gotamo’ti kho, vaccha, byākaramāno vuttavādī ceva me assa, na ca maṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyya, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyya, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyyā”ti.

11.1

When he said this, the wanderer Vacchagotta said to the Buddha,

Evaṁ vutte, vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

11.2

“Master Gotama, are there any laypeople who, without giving up the fetter of lay life, make an end of suffering when the body breaks up?”

“atthi nu kho, bho gotama, koci gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti?

11.3

“No, Vaccha.”

“Natthi kho, vaccha, koci gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti.

12.1

“But are there any laypeople who, without giving up the fetter of lay life, go to heaven when the body breaks up?”

“Atthi pana, bho gotama, koci gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā saggūpago”ti?

12.2

“There’s not just one hundred laypeople, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that who, without giving up the fetter of lay life, go to heaven when the body breaks up.”

“Na kho, vaccha, ekaṁyeva sataṁ na dve satāni na tīṇi satāni na cattāri satāni na pañca satāni, atha kho bhiyyova ye gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā saggūpagā”ti.

13.1

“Master Gotama, are there any Ājīvaka ascetics who make an end of suffering when the body breaks up?”

“Atthi nu kho, bho gotama, koci ājīvako kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti?

13.2

“No, Vaccha.”

“Natthi kho, vaccha, koci ājīvako kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti.

14.1

“But are there any Ājīvaka ascetics who go to heaven when the body breaks up?”

“Atthi pana, bho gotama, koci ājīvako kāyassa bhedā saggūpago”ti?

14.2

“Vaccha, when I recollect the past ninety-one eons, I can’t find any Ājīvaka ascetics who have gone to heaven, except one;

“Ito kho so, vaccha, ekanavuto kappo yamahaṁ anussarāmi, nābhijānāmi kañci ājīvakaṁ saggūpagaṁ aññatra ekena;

14.3

and he taught the efficacy of deeds and action.”

sopāsi kammavādī kiriyavādī”ti.

15.1

“In that case, Master Gotama, the sectarian tenets are empty even of the chance to go to heaven.”

“Evaṁ sante, bho gotama, suññaṁ aduṁ titthāyatanaṁ antamaso saggūpagenapī”ti?

15.2

“Yes, Vaccha, the sectarian tenets are empty even of the chance to go to heaven.”

“Evaṁ, vaccha, suññaṁ aduṁ titthāyatanaṁ antamaso saggūpagenapī”ti.

15.3

That is what the Buddha said.

Idamavoca bhagavā.

15.4

Satisfied, the wanderer Vacchagotta was happy with what the Buddha said.

Attamano vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.

15.5

Tevijjavacchasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.