Uposathasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.20

Numbered Discourses 8.20

2. Mahāvagga

2. The Great Chapter

Uposathasutta

Sabbath

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā tadahuposathe bhikkhusaṅghaparivuto nisinno hoti.

Now, at that time it was the sabbath, and the Buddha was sitting surrounded by the Saṅgha of monks.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando abhikkantāya rattiyā, nikkhante paṭhame yāme, uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

And then, as the night was getting late, in the first watch of the night, Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha and said,

“abhikkantā, bhante, ratti, nikkhanto paṭhamo yāmo, ciranisinno bhikkhusaṅgho.

“Sir, the night is getting late. It is the first watch of the night, and the Saṅgha of monks has been sitting long.

Uddisatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhūnaṁ pātimokkhan”ti.

Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the monks.”

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā tuṇhī ahosi.

But when he said this, the Buddha kept silent.

Dutiyampi kho āyasmā ānando abhikkantāya rattiyā, nikkhante majjhime yāme, uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

For a second time, as the night was getting late, in the middle watch of the night, Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha and said,

“abhikkantā, bhante, ratti, nikkhanto majjhimo yāmo, ciranisinno bhikkhusaṅgho.

“Sir, the night is getting late. It is the middle watch of the night, and the Saṅgha of monks has been sitting long.

Uddisatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhūnaṁ pātimokkhan”ti.

Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the monks.”

Dutiyampi kho bhagavā tuṇhī ahosi.

But for a second time the Buddha kept silent.

Tatiyampi kho āyasmā ānando abhikkantāya rattiyā, nikkhante pacchime yāme, uddhaste aruṇe, nandimukhiyā rattiyā uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

For a third time, as the night was getting late, in the last watch of the night, as dawn stirred, bringing joy to the night, Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha and said,

“abhikkantā, bhante, ratti, nikkhanto pacchimo yāmo, uddhastaṁ aruṇaṁ, nandimukhī ratti;

“Sir, the night is getting late. It is the last watch of the night and dawn stirs, bringing joy to the night.

ciranisinno bhikkhusaṅgho.

And the Saṅgha has been sitting long.

Uddisatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhūnaṁ pātimokkhan”ti.

Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the monks.”

“Aparisuddhā, ānanda, parisā”ti.

“Ānanda, the assembly is not pure.”

Atha kho āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa etadahosi:

Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna thought,

“kaṁ nu kho bhagavā puggalaṁ sandhāya evamāha:

“Who is the Buddha talking about?”

‘aparisuddhā, ānanda, parisā’”ti?

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno sabbāvantaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ cetasā ceto paricca manasākāsi.

Then he focused on encompassing the minds of everyone in the Saṅgha.

Addasā kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ puggalaṁ dussīlaṁ pāpadhammaṁ asuciṁ saṅkassarasamācāraṁ paṭicchannakammantaṁ assamaṇaṁ samaṇapaṭiññaṁ abrahmacāriṁ brahmacāripaṭiññaṁ antopūtiṁ avassutaṁ kasambujātaṁ majjhe bhikkhusaṅghassa nisinnaṁ;

He saw that unethical individual, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner—though claiming to be one—rotten inside, festering, and depraved, sitting in the middle of the Saṅgha.

disvāna uṭṭhāyāsanā yena so puggalo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ puggalaṁ etadavoca:

When he saw him he rose from his seat, went up to him and said,

“uṭṭhehāvuso, diṭṭhosi bhagavatā.

“Get up, reverend. The Buddha has seen you.

Natthi te bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ saṁvāso”ti.

You can’t live in communion with the monks.”

Evaṁ vutte, so puggalo tuṇhī ahosi.

But when he said this, that individual kept silent.

Dutiyampi kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ puggalaṁ etadavoca:

For a second time

“uṭṭhehāvuso, diṭṭhosi bhagavatā.

Natthi te bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ saṁvāso”ti.

Dutiyampi kho so puggalo tuṇhī ahosi.

Tatiyampi kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ puggalaṁ etadavoca:

and a third time,

“uṭṭhehāvuso, diṭṭhosi bhagavatā.

he asked that monk to leave.

Natthi te bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ saṁvāso”ti.

Tatiyampi kho so puggalo tuṇhī ahosi.

But for a third time that individual kept silent.

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ puggalaṁ bāhāyaṁ gahetvā bahidvārakoṭṭhakā nikkhāmetvā sūcighaṭikaṁ datvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna took that individual by the arm, ejected him out the gate, and bolted the door. Then he went up to the Buddha, and said to him,

“nikkhāmito so, bhante, puggalo mayā.

“I have ejected that individual.

Parisuddhā parisā.

The assembly is pure.

Uddisatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhūnaṁ pātimokkhan”ti.

Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the monks.”

“Acchariyaṁ, moggallāna, abbhutaṁ, moggallāna.

“It’s incredible, Moggallāna, it’s amazing,

Yāva bāhā gahaṇāpi nāma so moghapuriso āgamissatī”ti.

how that futile man waited to be taken by the arm!”

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

Then the Buddha said to the monks:

“tumheva dāni, bhikkhave, uposathaṁ kareyyātha, pātimokkhaṁ uddiseyyātha.

“Now, monks, you should perform the sabbath and recite the monastic code.

Na dānāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ajjatagge uposathaṁ karissāmi, pātimokkhaṁ uddisissāmi.

From this day forth, I will not perform the sabbath or recite the monastic code.

Aṭṭhānametaṁ, bhikkhave, anavakāso yaṁ tathāgato aparisuddhāya parisāya pātimokkhaṁ uddiseyya.

It’s impossible, monks, it can’t happen that a Realized One could recite the monastic code in an impure assembly.

Aṭṭhime, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde acchariyā abbhutā dhammā, ye disvā disvā asurā mahāsamudde abhiramanti.

Seeing these eight incredible and amazing things the titans love the ocean.

Katame aṭṭha?

What eight?

Mahāsamuddo, bhikkhave, anupubbaninno anupubbapoṇo anupubbapabbhāro, na āyatakeneva papāto.

The ocean gradually slants, slopes, and inclines, with no abrupt precipice.

Yampi, bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo anupubbaninno anupubbapoṇo anupubbapabbhāro, na āyatakeneva papāto;

ayaṁ, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde paṭhamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo, yaṁ disvā disvā asurā mahāsamudde abhiramanti (yathā purime tathā vitthāro.)

This is the first thing the titans love about the ocean.

…pe…

(Tell in full as in the previous discourse.)

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo mahataṁ bhūtānaṁ āvāso. Tatrime bhūtā—timi timiṅgalo timirapiṅgalo asurā nāgā gandhabbā. Vasanti mahāsamudde yojanasatikāpi attabhāvā …pe… pañcayojanasatikāpi attabhāvā.

Furthermore, many great beings live in the ocean, such as leviathans, leviathan-gulpers, leviathan-gulper-gulpers, titans, dragons, and centaurs. In the ocean there are life-forms a hundred leagues long, or even two hundred, three hundred, four hundred, or five hundred leagues long.

Yampi, bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo mahataṁ bhūtānaṁ āvāso; tatrime bhūtā—timi timiṅgalo timirapiṅgalo asurā nāgā gandhabbā; vasanti mahāsamudde yojanasatikāpi attabhāvā …pe… pañcayojanasatikāpi attabhāvā;

ayaṁ, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde aṭṭhamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo, yaṁ disvā disvā asurā mahāsamudde abhiramanti.

This is the eighth thing the titans love about the ocean.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde aṭṭha acchariyā abbhutā dhammā, yaṁ disvā disvā asurā mahāsamudde abhiramanti.

Seeing these eight incredible and amazing things the titans love the ocean.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha imasmiṁ dhammavinaye acchariyā abbhutā dhammā, ye disvā disvā bhikkhū imasmiṁ dhammavinaye abhiramanti.

In the same way, seeing eight incredible and amazing things, monks, the mendicants love this teaching and training.

Katame aṭṭha?

What eight?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo anupubbaninno anupubbapoṇo anupubbapabbhāro, na āyatakeneva papāto;

The ocean gradually slants, slopes, and inclines, with no abrupt precipice.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye anupubbasikkhā anupubbakiriyā anupubbapaṭipadā, na āyatakeneva aññāpaṭivedho.

In the same way in this teaching and training the penetration to enlightenment comes from gradual training, progress, and practice, not abruptly.

Yampi, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye anupubbasikkhā anupubbakiriyā anupubbapaṭipadā, na āyatakeneva aññāpaṭivedho;

ayaṁ, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye paṭhamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo, yaṁ disvā disvā bhikkhū imasmiṁ dhammavinaye abhiramanti …pe…

This is the first thing the mendicants love about this teaching and training. …

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo mahataṁ bhūtānaṁ āvāso; tatrime bhūtā—timi timiṅgalo timirapiṅgalo asurā nāgā gandhabbā, vasanti mahāsamudde yojanasatikāpi attabhāvā …pe… pañcayojanasatikāpi attabhāvā;

Many great beings live in the ocean, such as leviathans, leviathan-gulpers, leviathan-gulper-gulpers, titans, dragons, and centaurs. In the ocean there are life-forms a hundred leagues long, or even two hundred, three hundred, four hundred, or five hundred leagues long.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, ayaṁ dhammavinayo mahataṁ bhūtānaṁ āvāso. Tatrime bhūtā—sotāpanno sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno …pe… arahā arahattāya paṭipanno.

In the same way, great beings live in this teaching and training, and these are those beings. The stream-enterer and the one practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry. The once-returner and the one practicing to realize the fruit of once-return. The non-returner and the one practicing to realize the fruit of non-return. The perfected one, and the one practicing for perfection.

Yampi, bhikkhave, ayaṁ dhammavinayo mahataṁ bhūtānaṁ āvāso; tatrime bhūtā—sotāpanno sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno …pe… arahā arahattāya paṭipanno;

ayaṁ, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye aṭṭhamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo, yaṁ disvā disvā bhikkhū imasmiṁ dhammavinaye abhiramanti.

This is the eighth thing the mendicants love about this teaching and training.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye aṭṭha acchariyā abbhutā dhammā, ye disvā disvā bhikkhū imasmiṁ dhammavinaye abhiramantī”ti.

Seeing these eight incredible and amazing things, the mendicants love this teaching and training.”

Dasamaṁ.

Mahāvaggo dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Verañjo sīho ājaññaṁ,

khaḷuṅkena malāni ca;

Dūteyyaṁ dve ca bandhanā,

pahārādo uposathoti.