MN 131 One Fine Night – Bhaddekarattasutta

Medium Discourses Collection 131 – Majjhima Nikāya 131

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

There the Buddha addressed the bhikkhū,

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

1.4

“Bhikkhū!”

“bhikkhavo”ti.

1.5

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

1.6

The Buddha said this:

Bhagavā etadavoca:

2.1

“I shall teach you the passage for recitation and the analysis of One Fine Night.

“bhaddekarattassa vo, bhikkhave, uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desessāmi.

2.2

Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

2.3

“Yes, sir,” they replied.

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

2.4

The Buddha said this:

Bhagavā etadavoca:

3.1

“Don’t run back to the past,

“Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,

3.2

don’t hope for the future.

nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;

3.3

What’s past is left behind;

Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,

3.4

the future has not arrived;

appattañca anāgataṁ.

3.5

and phenomena in the present

Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,

3.6

are clearly seen in every case.

Tattha tattha vipassati;

3.7

Knowing this, foster it—

Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,

3.8

unfaltering, unshakable.

Taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.

3.9

Today’s the day to keenly work—

Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,

3.10

who knows, tomorrow may bring death!

ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;

3.11

For there is no bargain to be struck

Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,

3.12

with Death and his mighty hordes.

mahāsenena maccunā.

3.13

The peaceful sage explained it’s those

Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,

3.14

who keenly meditate like this,

ahorattamatanditaṁ;

3.15

tireless all night and day,

Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,

3.16

who truly have that one fine night.

santo ācikkhate muni.

4.1

And how do you run back to the past?

Kathañca, bhikkhave, atītaṁ anvāgameti?

4.2

You muster delight there, thinking: ‘I had such form in the past.’ … ‘I had such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the past.’

‘Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—

4.3

That’s how you run back to the past.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atītaṁ anvāgameti.

5.1

And how do you not run back to the past?

Kathañca, bhikkhave, atītaṁ nānvāgameti?

5.2

You don’t muster delight there, thinking: ‘I had such form in the past.’ … ‘I had such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the past.’

‘Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—

5.3

That’s how you don’t run back to the past.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.

6.1

And how do you hope for the future?

Kathañca, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati?

6.2

You muster delight there, thinking: ‘May I have such form in the future.’ … ‘May I have such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the future.’

‘Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe… evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—

6.3

That’s how you hope for the future.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati.

7.1

And how do you not hope for the future?

Kathañca, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati?

7.2

You don’t muster delight there, thinking: ‘May I have such form in the future.’ … ‘May I have such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the future.’

‘Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ … evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … ‘evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—

7.3

That’s how you don’t hope for the future.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.

8.1

And how do you falter amid presently arisen phenomena?

Kathañca, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati?

8.2

It’s when an uneducated average person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen noble persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble persons.

Idha, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto

8.3

They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.

rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;

8.4

They regard feeling …

vedanaṁ …pe…

8.5

perception …

saññaṁ …

8.6

actions done with defilement …

saṅkhāre …

8.7

consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.

viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—

8.8

That’s how you falter amid presently arisen phenomena.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati.

9.1

And how do you not falter amid presently arisen phenomena?

Kathañca, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati?

9.2

It’s when an educated noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen noble persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble persons.

Idha, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto

9.3

They don’t regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.

na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;

9.4

They don’t regard feeling …

na vedanaṁ …

9.5

perception …

na saññaṁ …

9.6

actions done with defilement …

na saṅkhāre …

9.7

consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.

na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—

9.8

That’s how you don’t falter amid presently arisen phenomena.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.

10.1

Don’t run back to the past,

Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,

10.2

don’t hope for the future.

nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;

10.3

What’s past is left behind;

Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,

10.4

the future has not arrived;

appattañca anāgataṁ.

10.5

and phenomena in the present

Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,

10.6

are clearly seen in every case.

tattha tattha vipassati;

10.7

Knowing this, foster it—

Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,

10.8

unfaltering, unshakable.

taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.

10.9

Today’s the day to keenly work—

Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,

10.10

who knows, tomorrow may bring death!

ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;

10.11

For there is no bargain to be struck

Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,

10.12

with Death and his mighty hordes.

mahāsenena maccunā.

10.13

The peaceful sage explained it’s those

Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,

10.14

who keenly meditate like this,

ahorattamatanditaṁ;

10.15

tireless all night and day,

Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,

10.16

who truly have that one fine night.

santo ācikkhate munīti.

11.1

And that’s what I meant when I said: ‘I shall teach you the passage for recitation and the analysis of One Fine Night.’”

‘Bhaddekarattassa vo, bhikkhave, uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desessāmī’ti—

11.2

iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti.

11.3

That is what the Buddha said.

Idamavoca bhagavā.

11.4

Satisfied, the bhikkhū were happy with what the Buddha said.

Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.

11.5

Bhaddekarattasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.