Ājīvakasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.72

Numbered Discourses 3.72

8. Ānandavagga

8. Ānanda

Ājīvakasutta

A Disciple of the Ājīvakas

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery.

Atha kho aññataro ājīvakasāvako gahapati yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so ājīvakasāvako gahapati āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:

Then a householder who was a disciple of the Ājīvaka ascetics went up to Venerable Ānanda, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to Ānanda:

“Kesaṁ no, bhante ānanda, dhammo svākkhāto?

“Honorable Ānanda, whose teaching is well explained?

Ke loke suppaṭipannā?

Who in the world is practicing well?

Ke loke sukatā”ti?

Who in the world has done well?”

“Tena hi, gahapati, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi, yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.

“Well then, householder, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gahapati,

What do you think, householder?

ye rāgassa pahānāya dhammaṁ desenti, dosassa pahānāya dhammaṁ desenti, mohassa pahānāya dhammaṁ desenti, tesaṁ dhammo svākkhāto no vā?

Is the teaching of those who teach for giving up greed, hate, and delusion well explained or not?

Kathaṁ vā te ettha hotī”ti?

Or how do you see this?”

“Ye, bhante, rāgassa pahānāya dhammaṁ desenti, dosassa pahānāya dhammaṁ desenti, mohassa pahānāya dhammaṁ desenti, tesaṁ dhammo svākkhāto.

“The teaching of those who teach for giving up greed, hate, and delusion is well explained.

Evaṁ me ettha hotī”ti.

That’s how I see it.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gahapati,

“What do you think, householder?

ye rāgassa pahānāya paṭipannā, dosassa pahānāya paṭipannā, mohassa pahānāya paṭipannā, te loke suppaṭipannā no vā?

Are those who practice for giving up greed, hate, and delusion practicing well or not?

Kathaṁ vā te ettha hotī”ti?

Or how do you see this?”

“Ye, bhante, rāgassa pahānāya paṭipannā, dosassa pahānāya paṭipannā, mohassa pahānāya paṭipannā, te loke suppaṭipannā.

“Those who practice for giving up greed, hate, and delusion are practicing well.

Evaṁ me ettha hotī”ti.

That’s how I see it.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gahapati,

“What do you think, householder?

yesaṁ rāgo pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo, yesaṁ doso pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo, yesaṁ moho pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo, te loke sukatā no vā?

Have those who’ve given up greed, hate, and delusion—so they’re cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future—done well in the world, or not?

Kathaṁ vā te ettha hotī”ti?

Or how do you see this?”

“Yesaṁ, bhante, rāgo pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo, yesaṁ doso pahīno …pe… yesaṁ moho pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo, te loke sukatā.

“Those who’ve given up greed, hate, and delusion have done well in the world.

Evaṁ me ettha hotī”ti.

That’s how I see it.”

“Iti kho, gahapati, tayāvetaṁ byākataṁ:

“So, householder, you’ve declared:

‘ye, bhante, rāgassa pahānāya dhammaṁ desenti, dosassa pahānāya dhammaṁ desenti, mohassa pahānāya dhammaṁ desenti, tesaṁ dhammo svākkhāto’ti.

‘The teaching of those who teach for giving up greed, hate, and delusion is well explained.’

Tayāvetaṁ byākataṁ:

And you’ve declared:

‘ye, bhante, rāgassa pahānāya paṭipannā, dosassa pahānāya paṭipannā, mohassa pahānāya paṭipannā, te loke suppaṭipannā’ti.

‘Those who practice for giving up greed, hate, and delusion are practicing well.’

Tayāvetaṁ byākataṁ:

And you’ve declared:

‘yesaṁ, bhante, rāgo pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo, yesaṁ doso pahīno …pe… yesaṁ moho pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo, te loke sukatā’”ti.

‘Those who’ve given up greed, hate, and delusion have done well in the world.’”

“Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante.

“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing!

Na ceva nāma sadhammukkaṁsanā bhavissati, na ca paradhammāpasādanā.

There’s no acclaiming your own teaching or disrespecting someone else’s,

Āyataneva dhammadesanā, attho ca vutto, attā ca anupanīto.

just teaching what’s relevant in that context. The goal is spoken of, but the self is not involved.

Tumhe, bhante ānanda, rāgassa pahānāya dhammaṁ desetha, dosassa …pe… mohassa pahanāya dhammaṁ desetha.

You, sir, teach Dhamma for giving up greed, hate, and delusion.

Tumhākaṁ, bhante ānanda, dhammo svākkhāto.

Your teaching is well explained.

Tumhe, bhante ānanda, rāgassa pahānāya paṭipannā, dosassa …pe… mohassa pahānāya paṭipannā.

You, sir, practice for giving up greed, hate, and delusion.

Tumhe, bhante, loke suppaṭipannā.

You in the world are practicing well.

Tumhākaṁ, bhante ānanda, rāgo pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo, tumhākaṁ doso pahīno …pe… tumhākaṁ moho pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo.

You’ve given up greed, hate, and delusion.

Tumhe loke sukatā.

You in the world have done well.

Abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante.

Excellent, sir! Excellent!

Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ ayyena ānandena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.

As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, Master Ānanda has made the teaching clear in many ways.

Esāhaṁ, bhante ānanda, taṁ bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.

I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.

Upāsakaṁ maṁ ayyo ānando dhāretu, ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

From this day forth, may Master Ānanda remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Dutiyaṁ.