MN 78 With Uggāhamāna Samaṇamuṇḍika

Medium Discourses Collection 78 – Majjhima Nikāya 78

MN 78 With Uggāhamāna Samaṇamuṇḍika – Samaṇamuṇḍikasutta

1.1

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

1.2

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

1.3

Now at that time the wanderer Uggāhamāna Samaṇamuṇḍikāputta was residing together with around three hundred wanderers in Mallikā’s single-halled monastery for group debates, set among the flaking pale-moon ebony trees.

Tena kho pana samayena uggāhamāno paribbājako samaṇamuṇḍikāputto samayappavādake tindukācīre ekasālake mallikāya ārāme paṭivasati mahatiyā paribbājakaparisāya saddhiṁ pañcamattehi paribbājakasatehi.

2.1

Then the master builder Pañcakaṅga left Sāvatthī in the middle of the day to see the Buddha.

Atha kho pañcakaṅgo thapati sāvatthiyā nikkhami divā divassa bhagavantaṁ dassanāya.

2.2

It occurred to him,

Atha kho pañcakaṅgassa thapatissa etadahosi:

2.3

“It’s the wrong time to see the Buddha,

“akālo kho tāva bhagavantaṁ dassanāya;

2.4

as he’s in retreat.

paṭisallīno bhagavā.

2.5

And it’s the wrong time to see the esteemed bhikkhū,

Manobhāvaniyānampi bhikkhūnaṁ asamayo dassanāya;

2.6

as they’re in retreat.

paṭisallīnā manobhāvaniyā bhikkhū.

2.7

Why don’t I go to Mallikā’s monastery to visit the wanderer Uggāhamāna?”

Yannūnāhaṁ yena samayappavādako tindukācīro ekasālako mallikāya ārāmo yena uggāhamāno paribbājako samaṇamuṇḍikāputto tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.

2.8

So that’s what he did.

Atha kho pañcakaṅgo thapati yena samayappavādako tindukācīro ekasālako mallikāya ārāmo yena uggāhamāno paribbājako samaṇamuṇḍikāputto tenupasaṅkami.

3.1

Now at that time, Uggāhamāna was sitting together with a large assembly of wanderers making an uproar, a dreadful racket. They engaged in all kinds of unworthy talk, such as

Tena kho pana samayena uggāhamāno paribbājako samaṇamuṇḍikāputto mahatiyā paribbājakaparisāya saddhiṁ nisinno hoti unnādiniyā uccāsaddamahāsaddāya anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ kathentiyā, seyyathidaṁ—

3.2

talk about kings, bandits, and ministers; talk about armies, threats, and wars; talk about food, drink, clothes, and beds; talk about garlands and fragrances; talk about family, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries; talk about women and heroes; street talk and well talk; talk about the departed; motley talk; tales of land and sea; and talk about being reborn in this or that state of existence.

rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ mahāmattakathaṁ senākathaṁ bhayakathaṁ yuddhakathaṁ annakathaṁ pānakathaṁ vatthakathaṁ sayanakathaṁ mālākathaṁ gandhakathaṁ ñātikathaṁ yānakathaṁ gāmakathaṁ nigamakathaṁ nagarakathaṁ janapadakathaṁ itthikathaṁ sūrakathaṁ visikhākathaṁ kumbhaṭṭhānakathaṁ pubbapetakathaṁ nānattakathaṁ lokakkhāyikaṁ samuddakkhāyikaṁ itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vā.

3.3

Uggāhamāna saw Pañcakaṅga coming off in the distance,

Addasā kho uggāhamāno paribbājako samaṇamuṇḍikāputto pañcakaṅgaṁ thapatiṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

3.4

and hushed his own assembly,

Disvāna sakaṁ parisaṁ saṇṭhāpesi:

3.5

“Be quiet, good sirs, don’t make a sound.

“appasaddā bhonto hontu, mā bhonto saddamakattha;

3.6

Here comes Pañcakaṅga, a disciple of the ascetic Gotama.

ayaṁ samaṇassa gotamassa sāvako āgacchati pañcakaṅgo thapati.

3.7

He is included among the white-clothed lay disciples of the ascetic Gotama, who is residing in Sāvatthī.

Yāvatā kho pana samaṇassa gotamassa sāvakā gihī odātavasanā sāvatthiyaṁ paṭivasanti ayaṁ tesaṁ aññataro pañcakaṅgo thapati.

3.8

Such venerables like the quiet, are educated to be quiet, and praise the quiet.

Appasaddakāmā kho pana te āyasmanto appasaddavinītā appasaddassa vaṇṇavādino;

3.9

Hopefully if he sees that our assembly is quiet he’ll see fit to approach.”

appeva nāma appasaddaṁ parisaṁ viditvā upasaṅkamitabbaṁ maññeyyā”ti.

3.10

Then those wanderers fell silent.

Atha kho te paribbājakā tuṇhī ahesuṁ.

4.1

Then Pañcakaṅga approached Uggāhamāna, and exchanged greetings with him.

Atha kho pañcakaṅgo thapati yena uggāhamāno paribbājako samaṇamuṇḍikāputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā uggāhamānena paribbājakena samaṇamuṇḍikāputtena saddhiṁ sammodi.

4.2

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side. Uggāhamāna said to him:

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho pañcakaṅgaṁ thapatiṁ uggāhamāno paribbājako samaṇamuṇḍikāputto etadavoca:

5.1

“Householder, when an individual has four qualities I describe them as an invincible ascetic—accomplished in the skillful, excelling in the skillful, attained to the highest attainment.

“catūhi kho ahaṁ, gahapati, dhammehi samannāgataṁ purisapuggalaṁ paññapemi sampannakusalaṁ paramakusalaṁ uttamapattipattaṁ samaṇaṁ ayojjhaṁ.

5.2

What four?

Katamehi catūhi?

5.3

It’s when they do no bad deeds with their body; speak no bad words; think no bad thoughts; and don’t earn a living by bad livelihood.

Idha, gahapati, na kāyena pāpakammaṁ karoti, na pāpakaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati, na pāpakaṁ saṅkappaṁ saṅkappeti, na pāpakaṁ ājīvaṁ ājīvati—

5.4

When an individual has these four qualities I describe them as an invincible ascetic.”

imehi kho ahaṁ, gahapati, catūhi dhammehi samannāgataṁ purisapuggalaṁ paññapemi sampannakusalaṁ paramakusalaṁ uttamapattipattaṁ samaṇaṁ ayojjhan”ti.

6.1

Then Pañcakaṅga neither approved nor dismissed that bhikkhu’s statement.

Atha kho pañcakaṅgo thapati uggāhamānassa paribbājakassa samaṇamuṇḍikāputtassa bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi.

6.2

He got up from his seat, thinking,

Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi:

6.3

“I will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”

“bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī”ti.

7.1

Then he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side,

Atha kho pañcakaṅgo thapati yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

7.2

and informed the Buddha of all that had been discussed.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho pañcakaṅgo thapati yāvatako ahosi uggāhamānena paribbājakena samaṇamuṇḍikāputtena saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesi.

8.1

When he had spoken, the Buddha said to him,

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā pañcakaṅgaṁ thapatiṁ etadavoca:

8.2

“Master builder, if what Uggāhamāna says is true, a little baby boy is an invincible ascetic—accomplished in the skillful, excelling in the skillful, attained to the highest attainment.

“evaṁ sante kho, thapati, daharo kumāro mando uttānaseyyako sampannakusalo bhavissati paramakusalo uttamapattipatto samaṇo ayojjho, yathā uggāhamānassa paribbājakassa samaṇamuṇḍikāputtassa vacanaṁ.

8.3

For a little baby doesn’t even have a concept of ‘a body’, so how could they possibly do a bad deed with their body, apart from just wriggling?

Daharassa hi, thapati, kumārassa mandassa uttānaseyyakassa kāyotipi na hoti, kuto pana kāyena pāpakammaṁ karissati, aññatra phanditamattā.

8.4

And a little baby doesn’t even have a concept of ‘speech’, so how could they possibly speak bad words, apart from just crying?

Daharassa hi, thapati, kumārassa mandassa uttānaseyyakassa vācātipi na hoti, kuto pana pāpakaṁ vācaṁ bhāsissati, aññatra roditamattā.

8.5

And a little baby doesn’t even have a concept of ‘thought’, so how could they possibly think bad thoughts, apart from just whimpering?

Daharassa hi, thapati, kumārassa mandassa uttānaseyyakassa saṅkappotipi na hoti, kuto pana pāpakaṁ saṅkappaṁ saṅkappissati, aññatra vikūjitamattā.

8.6

And a little baby doesn’t even have a concept of ‘livelihood’, so how could they possibly earn a living by bad livelihood, apart from their mother’s breast?

Daharassa hi, thapati, kumārassa mandassa uttānaseyyakassa ājīvotipi na hoti, kuto pana pāpakaṁ ājīvaṁ ājīvissati, aññatra mātuthaññā.

8.7

If what Uggāhamāna says is true, a little baby boy is an invincible ascetic—accomplished in the skillful, excelling in the skillful, attained to the highest attainment.

Evaṁ sante kho, thapati, daharo kumāro mando uttānaseyyako sampannakusalo bhavissati paramakusalo uttamapattipatto samaṇo ayojjho, yathā uggāhamānassa paribbājakassa samaṇamuṇḍikāputtassa vacanaṁ.

8.8

When an individual has four qualities I describe them, not as an invincible ascetic—accomplished in the skillful, excelling in the skillful, attained to the highest attainment—but as having achieved the same level as a little baby.

Catūhi kho ahaṁ, thapati, dhammehi samannāgataṁ purisapuggalaṁ paññapemi na ceva sampannakusalaṁ na paramakusalaṁ na uttamapattipattaṁ samaṇaṁ ayojjhaṁ, api cimaṁ daharaṁ kumāraṁ mandaṁ uttānaseyyakaṁ samadhigayha tiṭṭhati.

8.9

What four?

Katamehi catūhi?

8.10

It’s when they do no bad deeds with their body; speak no bad words; think no bad thoughts; and don’t earn a living by bad livelihood.

Idha, thapati, na kāyena pāpakammaṁ karoti, na pāpakaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati, na pāpakaṁ saṅkappaṁ saṅkappeti, na pāpakaṁ ājīvaṁ ājīvati—

8.11

When an individual has these four qualities I describe them, not as an invincible ascetic, but as having achieved the same level as a little baby.

imehi kho ahaṁ, thapati, catūhi dhammehi samannāgataṁ purisapuggalaṁ paññapemi na ceva sampannakusalaṁ na paramakusalaṁ na uttamapattipattaṁ samaṇaṁ ayojjhaṁ, api cimaṁ daharaṁ kumāraṁ mandaṁ uttānaseyyakaṁ samadhigayha tiṭṭhati.

9.1

When an individual has ten qualities, master builder, I describe them as an invincible ascetic—accomplished in the skillful, excelling in the skillful, attained to the highest attainment.

Dasahi kho ahaṁ, thapati, dhammehi samannāgataṁ purisapuggalaṁ paññapemi sampannakusalaṁ paramakusalaṁ uttamapattipattaṁ samaṇaṁ ayojjhaṁ.

9.2

But certain things must first be understood, I say. ‘These are unskillful behaviors.’

Ime akusalā sīlā;

9.3