SN 24.5 There’s No Meaning in Giving – Natthidinnasutta

<< Click to Display Table of Contents >>

Navigation:  SN 22-34 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With the Aggregates – Khandhavaggasaṁyutta > SN 24 Connected Discourses on Views – Diṭṭhisaṁyutta >

SN 24.5 There’s No Meaning in Giving – Natthidinnasutta

Linked Discourses 24.5 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 24.5

1. Stream-Entry – 1. Sotāpattivagga

SN 24.5 There’s No Meaning in Giving – Natthidinnasutta

 

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Bhikkhū, when what exists, because of grasping what and insisting on what, does the view arise:

“Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:

‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There are no duties to mother and father. No beings are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is well attained and practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ, natthi hutaṁ, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko; natthi ayaṁ loko, natthi paro loko, natthi mātā, natthi pitā, natthi sattā opapātikā; natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedenti.

This person is made up of the four primary elements. When they die, the earth in their body merges and coalesces with the main mass of earth. The water in their body merges and coalesces with the main mass of water. The fire in their body merges and coalesces with the main mass of fire. The air in their body merges and coalesces with the main mass of air.

Cātumahābhūtiko ayaṁ puriso yadā kālaṁ karoti pathavī pathavīkāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati, āpo āpokāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati, tejo tejokāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati, vāyo vāyokāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati.

The faculties are transferred to space.

Ākāsaṁ indriyāni saṅkamanti.

Four men with a bier carry away the corpse.

Āsandipañcamā purisā mataṁ ādāya gacchanti.

Their footprints show the way to the cemetery.

Yāva āḷāhanā padāni paññāyanti.

The bones become bleached.

Kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni bhavanti.

Offerings dedicated to the gods end in ashes.

Bhassantā āhutiyo.

Giving is a doctrine of morons.

Dattupaññattaṁ yadidaṁ dānaṁ.

When anyone affirms a positive teaching it’s just baseless, false nonsense.

Tesaṁ tucchaṁ musā vilāpo ye keci atthikavādaṁ vadanti.

Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and don’t exist after death’?”

Bāle ca paṇḍite ca kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …”

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe…

“When form exists, because of grasping form and insisting on form, the view arises:

“Rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati, rūpaṁ upādāya, rūpaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:

‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. …

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…

Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and don’t exist after death.’

kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’ti.

When feeling …

Vedanāya sati …pe…

perception …

saññāya sati …

saṅkhāra

saṅkhāresu sati …

consciousness exists, because of grasping consciousness and insisting on consciousness, the view arises:

viññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:

‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. …

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…

Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and don’t exist after death.’

kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’ti.

What do you think, bhikkhū?

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,

Is form permanent or anicca?”

rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

Anicca, sir.” …

“Aniccaṁ, bhante …pe…

api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…

kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Is feeling …

“Vedanā …

perception …

saññā …

saṅkhāra

saṅkhārā …

consciousness permanent or anicca?”

viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

Anicca, sir.” …

“Aniccaṁ, bhante …pe…

api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…

kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“That which is seen, heard, thought, known, sought, and explored by the mind: is that permanent or anicca?”

“Yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

Anicca, sir.” …

“Aniccaṁ, bhante …pe…

“But by not grasping what’s anicca, suffering, and perishable, would such a view arise?”

api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:

‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…

ye keci atthikavādaṁ vadanti;

bāle ca paṇḍite ca kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

“No, sir.”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“When a noble disciple has given up doubt in these six cases, and has given up doubt in suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation,

“Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imesu ca ṭhānesu kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti, dukkhepissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāyapissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti—

they’re called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening.”

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano”ti.