SN 16.10 The Nuns’ Quarters – Upassayasutta

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SN 16.10 The Nuns’ Quarters – Upassayasutta

Linked Discourses 16.10 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 16.10

1. Kassapa – 1. Kassapavagga

SN 16.10 The Nuns’ Quarters – Upassayasutta

 

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

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

ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākassapo sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Then Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to Mahākassapa and said,

Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:

“Kassapa, come, sir. Let’s go to one of the nuns’ quarters.”

“āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā”ti.

“You go, Reverend Ānanda. You have many duties and responsibilities.”

“Gaccha tvaṁ, āvuso ānanda, bahukicco tvaṁ bahukaraṇīyo”ti.

And a second time …

Dutiyampi kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:

“āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā”ti.

“Gaccha tvaṁ, āvuso ānanda, bahukicco tvaṁ bahukaraṇīyo”ti.

And a third time, Ānanda said,

Tatiyampi kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:

“Kassapa, come, sir. Let’s go to one of the nuns’ quarters.”

“āyāma, bhante kassapa, yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkamissāmā”ti.

Then Venerable Mahākassapa robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went with Venerable Ānanda as his second monk to one of the nuns’ quarters, where he sat on the seat spread out.

Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya āyasmatā ānandena pacchāsamaṇena yena aññataro bhikkhunupassayo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.

And then several nuns went up to Mahākassapa, bowed, and sat down to one side.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhuniyo yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.

Mahākassapa educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired those nuns with a Dhamma talk,

Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho tā bhikkhuniyo āyasmā mahākassapo dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi.

after which he got up from his seat and left.

Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo tā bhikkhuniyo dhammiyā kathāya sandassetvā samādapetvā samuttejetvā sampahaṁsetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.

But the nun Thullatissā was upset and blurted out,

Atha kho thullatissā bhikkhunī anattamanā anattamanavācaṁ nicchāresi:

“What is Master Mahākassapa thinking, that he’d teach Dhamma in front of Master Ānanda, the Videhan sage?

“kiṁ pana ayyo mahākassapo, ayyassa ānandassa vedehamunino sammukhā dhammaṁ bhāsitabbaṁ maññati?

He’s like a needle seller who thinks they can sell a needle to a needle maker!”

Seyyathāpi nāma sūcivāṇijako sūcikārassa santike sūciṁ vikketabbaṁ maññeyya;

evameva ayyo mahākassapo ayyassa ānandassa vedehamunino sammukhā dhammaṁ bhāsitabbaṁ maññatī”ti.

Mahākassapa heard Thullatissā say these words,

Assosi kho āyasmā mahākassapo thullatissāya bhikkhuniyā imaṁ vācaṁ bhāsamānāya.

and he said to Ānanda,

Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:

“Is that right, Reverend Ānanda? Am I the needle seller and you the needle maker?

“kiṁ nu kho, āvuso ānanda, ahaṁ sūcivāṇijako, tvaṁ sūcikāro;

Or am I the needle maker and you the needle seller?”

udāhu ahaṁ sūcikāro, tvaṁ sūcivāṇijako”ti?

“Forgive her, sir. The woman’s a fool.”

“Khama, bhante kassapa, bālo mātugāmo”ti.

“Hold on, Reverend Ānanda! Don’t make the Saṅgha investigate you further!

“Āgamehi tvaṁ, āvuso ānanda, mā te saṅgho uttari upaparikkhi.

What do you think, Reverend Ānanda?

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, āvuso ānanda,

Was it you who the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of bhikkhū, saying:

api nu tvaṁ bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto:

Bhikkhū, whenever I want, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, I enter and remain in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.

‘ahaṁ, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhāmi vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

And so does Ānanda’?”

Ānandopi, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhati vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharatī’”ti?

“No, sir.”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“I was the one the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of bhikkhū, saying:

“Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto:

Bhikkhū, whenever I want, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, I enter and remain in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.

‘ahaṁ, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhāmi vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

And so does Kassapa. …’

Kassapopi, bhikkhave, yāvade ākaṅkhati vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi …pe… paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharatī’ti …pe….

(The nine progressive meditations and the five insights should be treated in full.)

(Navannaṁ anupubbavihārasamāpattīnaṁ pañcannañca abhiññānaṁ evaṁ vitthāro veditabbo.)

What do you think, Reverend Ānanda?

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, āvuso ānanda,

Was it you who the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of bhikkhū, saying:

api nu tvaṁ bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto:

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

‘ahaṁ, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi.

And so does Ānanda’?”

Ānandopi, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’”ti?

“No, sir.”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“I was the one the Buddha brought up before the Saṅgha of bhikkhū, saying:

“Ahaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā bhikkhusaṅghe upanīto:

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

‘ahaṁ, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi.

And so does Kassapa.’

Kassapopi, bhikkhave, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti.

Reverend, you might as well think to hide a bull elephant that’s three or three and a half meters tall behind a palm leaf as to hide my six insights.”

Sattaratanaṁ vā, āvuso, nāgaṁ aḍḍhaṭṭhamaratanaṁ vā tālapattikāya chādetabbaṁ maññeyya, yo me cha abhiññā chādetabbaṁ maññeyyā”ti.

But the nun Thullatissā fell from the spiritual life.

Cavittha ca pana thullatissā bhikkhunī brahmacariyamhāti.