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 41.9 With Kassapa, the Naked Ascetic

Linked Discourses 41.9 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 41.9

1. With Citta – 1. Cittavagga

SN 41.9 With Kassapa, the Naked Ascetic – Acelakassapasutta

Now at that time the naked ascetic Kassapa, who in lay life was an old friend of Citta, had arrived at Macchikāsaṇḍa.

Tena kho pana samayena acelo kassapo macchikāsaṇḍaṁ anuppatto hoti cittassa gahapatino purāṇagihisahāyo.

Citta the householder heard that he had arrived.

Assosi kho citto gahapati: “acelo kira kassapo macchikāsaṇḍaṁ anuppatto amhākaṁ purāṇagihisahāyo”ti.

So he went up to him, and they exchanged greetings.

Atha kho citto gahapati yena acelo kassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā acelena kassapena saddhiṁ sammodi.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the naked ascetic Kassapa,

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati acelaṁ kassapaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, Kassapa, how long has it been since you went forth?”

“kīvaciraṁ pabbajitassa, bhante kassapā”ti?

“It’s been thirty years, householder.”

“Tiṁsamattāni kho me, gahapati, vassāni pabbajitassā”ti.

“But sir, in these thirty years have you achieved any superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, a meditation at ease?”

“Imehi pana te, bhante, tiṁsamattehi vassehi atthi koci uttari manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanaviseso adhigato phāsuvihāro”ti?

“I have no such achievement, householder, only nakedness, baldness, and pokes in the buttocks.”

“Imehi kho me, gahapati, tiṁsamattehi vassehi pabbajitassa natthi koci uttari manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanaviseso adhigato phāsuvihāro, aññatra naggeyyā ca muṇḍeyyā ca pāvaḷanipphoṭanāya cā”ti.

Citta said to him,

Evaṁ vutte, citto gahapati acelaṁ kassapaṁ etadavoca:

“It’s incredible, it’s amazing,

“acchariyaṁ vata, bho, abbhutaṁ vata, bho.

how well explained the teaching is. For in thirty years you have achieved no superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, no meditation at ease, only nakedness, baldness, and pokes in the buttocks.”

Dhammassa svākkhātatā yatra hi nāma tiṁsamattehi vassehi na koci uttari manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanaviseso adhigato abhavissa phāsuvihāro, aññatra naggeyyā ca muṇḍeyyā ca pāvaḷanipphoṭanāya cā”ti.

“But householder, how long have you been a lay follower?”

“Tuyhaṁ pana, gahapati, kīvaciraṁ upāsakattaṁ upagatassā”ti?

“It’s been thirty years, sir.”

“Mayhampi kho pana, bhante, tiṁsamattāni vassāni upāsakattaṁ upagatassā”ti.

“But householder, in these thirty years have you achieved any superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, a meditation at ease?”

“Imehi pana te, gahapati, tiṁsamattehi vassehi atthi koci uttari manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanaviseso adhigato phāsuvihāro”ti?

“How, sir, could I not?

“Gihinopi siyā, bhante.

For 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.

Ahañhi, bhante, yāvadeva ākaṅkhāmi, vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

And whenever I want, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled … I enter and remain in the second absorption.

Ahañhi, bhante, yāvadeva ākaṅkhāmi, vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā … dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

And whenever I want, with the fading away of rapture … I enter and remain in the third absorption.

Ahañhi, bhante, yāvadeva ākaṅkhāmi, pītiyā ca virāgā …pe… tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

And whenever I want, giving up pleasure and pain … I enter and remain in the fourth absorption.

Ahañhi, bhante, yāvadeva ākaṅkhāmi, sukhassa ca pahānā …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharāmi.

If I pass away before the Buddha, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Buddha declares of me:

Sace kho panāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato paṭhamataraṁ kālaṁ kareyyaṁ, anacchariyaṁ kho panetaṁ yaṁ maṁ bhagavā evaṁ byākareyya:

‘The householder Citta is bound by no fetter that might return him to this world.’”

‘natthi taṁ saṁyojanaṁ yena saṁyojanena saṁyutto citto gahapati puna imaṁ lokaṁ āgaccheyyā’”ti.

When this was said, Kassapa said to Citta,

Evaṁ vutte, acelo kassapo cittaṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca:

“It’s incredible, it’s amazing,

“acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho.

how well explained the teaching is. For a white-clothed layperson can achieve such a superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, a meditation at ease.

Dhammassa svākkhātatā, yatra hi nāma gihī odātavasano evarūpaṁ uttari manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanavisesaṁ adhigamissati phāsuvihāraṁ.

Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”

Labheyyāhaṁ, gahapati, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

Then Citta the householder took the naked ascetic Kassapa to see the senior bhikkhū, and said to them:

Atha kho citto gahapati acelaṁ kassapaṁ ādāya yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū etadavoca:

“Sirs, this is the naked ascetic Kassapa, who in lay life was an old friend of mine.

“ayaṁ, bhante, acelo kassapo amhākaṁ purāṇagihisahāyo.

May the senior monks give him the going forth, the ordination.

Imaṁ therā pabbājentu upasampādentu.

I’ll make sure that he’s provided with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.”

Ahamassa ussukkaṁ karissāmi cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānan”ti.

And the naked ascetic Kassapa received the going forth, the ordination in this teaching and training.

Alattha kho acelo kassapo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ.

Not long after his ordination, Venerable Kassapa, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme end of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

Acirūpasampanno ca panāyasmā kassapo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is no return to any state of existence.”

“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi.

And Venerable Kassapa became one of the perfected.

Aññataro ca panāyasmā kassapo arahataṁ ahosīti.