SN 35-44 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With the Six Sense Fields – Saḷāyatanavaggasaṁyutta > SN 41 Connected Discourses with Citta the Householder – Cittasaṁyutta > SN 41.5 With Kāmabhū (1st)

Linked Discourses 41.5 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 41.5

1. With Citta – 1. Cittavagga

SN 41.5 With Kāmabhū (1st) – Paṭhamakāmabhūsutta

At one time Venerable Kāmabhū was staying near Macchikāsaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā kāmabhū macchikāsaṇḍe viharati ambāṭakavane.

Then Citta the householder went up to Venerable Kāmabhū, bowed, and sat down to one side. Kāmabhū said to him,

Atha kho citto gahapati yenāyasmā kāmabhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho cittaṁ gahapatiṁ āyasmā kāmabhū etadavoca:

“Householder, there is this saying:

“Vuttamidaṁ, gahapati:

‘With flawless wheel and white canopy,

‘Nelaṅgo setapacchādo,

the one-spoke chariot rolls on.

ekāro vattatī ratho;

See it come, untroubled,

Anīghaṁ passa āyantaṁ,

with stream cut, unbound.’

chinnasotaṁ abandhanan’ti.

How should we see the detailed meaning of this brief statement?”

Imassa nu kho, gahapati, saṅkhittena bhāsitassa kathaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?

“Sir, was this spoken by the Buddha?”

“Kiṁ nu kho etaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā bhāsitan”ti?

“Yes, householder.”

“Evaṁ, gahapatī”ti.

“Well then, sir, please wait a moment while I consider the meaning of this.”

“Tena hi, bhante, muhuttaṁ āgamehi yāvassa atthaṁ pekkhāmī”ti.

Then after a short silence Citta said to Kāmabhū:

Atha kho citto gahapati muhuttaṁ tuṇhī hutvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, ‘flawless wheel’ is a term for ethics.

“‘Nelaṅgan’ti kho, bhante, sīlānametaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘White canopy’ is a term for freedom.

‘Setapacchādo’ti kho, bhante, vimuttiyā etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘One spoke’ is a term for mindfulness.

‘Ekāro’ti kho, bhante, satiyā etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Rolls on’ is a term for going forward and coming back.

‘Vattatī’ti kho, bhante, abhikkamapaṭikkamassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Chariot’ is a term for this body made up of the four primary elements, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to anicca, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction.

‘Ratho’ti kho, bhante, imassetaṁ cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa adhivacanaṁ mātāpettikasambhavassa odanakummāsūpacayassa aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammassa.

Greed, hate, and delusion are troubles.

Rāgo kho, bhante, nīgho, doso nīgho, moho nīgho.

A bhikkhu who has ended the defilements has given these up, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, and obliterated them, so they are unable to arise in the future.

Te khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.

That’s why a bhikkhu who has ended the defilements is called ‘untroubled’.

Tasmā khīṇāsavo bhikkhu ‘anīgho’ti vuccati.

‘The one who comes’ is a term for the perfected one.

‘Āyantan’ti kho, bhante, arahato etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Stream’ is a term for craving.

‘Soto’ti kho, bhante, taṇhāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

A bhikkhu who has ended the defilements has given this up, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, and obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.

Sā khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.

That’s why a bhikkhu who has ended the defilements is said to have ‘cut the stream’.

Tasmā khīṇāsavo bhikkhu ‘chinnasoto’ti vuccati.

Greed, hate, and delusion are bonds.

Rāgo kho, bhante, bandhanaṁ, doso bandhanaṁ, moho bandhanaṁ.

A bhikkhu who has ended the defilements has given these up, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, and obliterated them, so they are unable to arise in the future.

Te khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.

That’s why a bhikkhu who has ended the defilements is called ‘unbound’.

Tasmā khīṇāsavo bhikkhu ‘abandhano’ti vuccati.

So, sir, that’s how I understand the detailed meaning of what the Buddha said in brief:

Iti kho, bhante, yaṁ taṁ bhagavatā vuttaṁ:

‘With flawless wheel and white canopy,

‘Nelaṅgo setapacchādo,

the one-spoke chariot rolls on.

ekāro vattatī ratho;

See it come, untroubled,

Anīghaṁ passa āyantaṁ,

with stream cut, unbound.’”

chinnasotaṁ abandhanan’ti.

Imassa kho, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“You’re fortunate, householder, so very fortunate,

“Lābhā te, gahapati, suladdhaṁ te, gahapati.

to traverse the Buddha’s deep teachings with the eye of wisdom.”

Yassa te gambhīre buddhavacane paññācakkhu kamatī”ti.