SN 45-56 The Group of Connected Discourses on the Path – Mahāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 56 Linked Discourses on the Truths – Saccasaṁyutta > SN 56.41 Speculation About the World

Linked Discourses 56.41 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 56.41

5. A Cliff – 5. Papātavagga

SN 56.41 Speculation About the World – Lokacintāsutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

There the Buddha addressed the bhikkhū:

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Once upon a time, bhikkhū, a certain person left Rājagaha, thinking ‘I’ll speculate about the world.’ They went to the Sumāgadhā lotus pond and sat down on the bank speculating about the world.

“bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, aññataro puriso rājagahā nikkhamitvā ‘lokacintaṁ cintessāmī’ti yena sumāgadhā pokkharaṇī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā sumāgadhāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre nisīdi lokacintaṁ cintento.

Then that person saw an army of four divisions enter a lotus stalk.

Addasā kho, bhikkhave, so puriso sumāgadhāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ bhisamuḷālaṁ pavisantaṁ.

When he saw this he thought,

Disvānassa etadahosi:

‘I’ve gone mad, really, I’ve lost my mind!

‘ummattosmi nāmāhaṁ, vicetosmi nāmāhaṁ.

I’m seeing things that don’t exist in the world.’

Yaṁ loke natthi taṁ mayā diṭṭhan’ti.

Then that person entered the city and informed a large crowd,

Atha kho so, bhikkhave, puriso nagaraṁ pavisitvā mahājanakāyassa ārocesi:

‘I’ve gone mad, really, I’ve lost my mind!

‘ummattosmi nāmāhaṁ, bhante, vicetosmi nāmāhaṁ, bhante.

I’m seeing things that don’t exist in the world.’

Yaṁ loke natthi taṁ mayā diṭṭhan’ti.

‘But how is it that you’re mad? How have you lost your mind?

‘Kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, ambho purisa, ummatto kathaṁ viceto?

And what have you seen that doesn’t exist in the world?’

Kiñca loke natthi yaṁ tayā diṭṭhan’ti?

‘Sirs, I left Rājagaha, thinking “I’ll speculate about the world.” I went to the Sumāgadhā lotus pond and sat down on the bank speculating about the world.

‘Idhāhaṁ, bhante, rājagahā nikkhamitvā “lokacintaṁ cintessāmī”ti yena sumāgadhā pokkharaṇī tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā sumāgadhāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre nisīdiṁ lokacintaṁ cintento.

Then I saw an army of four divisions enter a lotus stalk.

Addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, sumāgadhāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ bhisamuḷālaṁ pavisantaṁ.

That’s why I’m mad, that’s why I’ve lost my mind.

Evaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, ummatto evaṁ viceto.

And that’s what I’ve seen that doesn’t exist in the world.’

Idañca loke natthi yaṁ mayā diṭṭhan’ti.

‘Well, mister, you’re definitely mad, you’ve definitely lost your mind.

‘Taggha tvaṁ, ambho purisa, ummatto taggha viceto.

And you’re seeing things that don’t exist in the world.’

Idañca loke natthi yaṁ tayā diṭṭhan’ti.

But what that person saw was in fact real, not unreal.

Taṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, so puriso bhūtaṁyeva addasa, no abhūtaṁ.

Once upon a time, a battle was fought between the gods and the demons.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi.

In that battle the gods won and the demons lost.

Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājiniṁsu.

The defeated and terrified demons entered the citadel of the demons through the lotus stalk only to confuse the gods.

Parājitā ca kho, bhikkhave, asurā bhītā bhisamuḷālena asurapuraṁ pavisiṁsu devānaṁyeva mohayamānā.

So bhikkhū, don’t speculate about the world.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, mā lokacintaṁ cintetha:

For example: the cosmos is eternal, or not eternal, or finite, or infinite; the soul and the body are the same thing, or they are different things; after death, a Realized One exists, or doesn’t exist, or both exists and doesn’t exist, or neither exists nor doesn’t exist.

‘sassato loko’ti vā ‘asassato loko’ti vā, ‘antavā loko’ti vā ‘anantavā loko’ti vā, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran’ti vā ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran’ti vā, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā.

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Because those thoughts aren’t beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They don’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.

Nesā, bhikkhave, cintā atthasaṁhitā nādibrahmacariyakā na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati.

When you think something up, you should think: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

Cintentā kho tumhe, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti cinteyyātha …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti cinteyyātha.

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Because those thoughts are beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.

Esā, bhikkhave, cintā atthasaṁhitā esā ādibrahmacariyakā esā nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati.

That’s why you should practice meditation …”

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.