Uṇṇābhabrāhmaṇasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 51.15

Linked Discourses 51.15

2. Pāsādakampanavagga

2. Shaking the Stilt Longhouse

Uṇṇābhabrāhmaṇasutta

The Brahmin Uṇṇābha

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

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

Atha kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then Uṇṇābha the brahmin went up to Venerable Ānanda, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:

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

“kimatthiyaṁ nu kho, bho ānanda, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti?

“Worthy Ānanda, what’s the goal of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?”

“Chandappahānatthaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti.

“The goal of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha, brahmin, is to give up desire.”

“Atthi pana, bho ānanda, maggo atthi paṭipadā etassa chandassa pahānāyā”ti?

“But is there a path and a practice for giving up that desire?”

“Atthi kho, brāhmaṇa, maggo, atthi paṭipadā etassa chandassa pahānāyā”ti.

“There is.”

“Katamo pana, bho ānanda, maggo katamā paṭipadā etassa chandassa pahānāyā”ti?

“What is that path?”

“Idha, brāhmaṇa, bhikkhu chandasamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti,

“It’s when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm …

vīriyasamādhi …pe…

energy …

cittasamādhi …

mental development …

vīmaṁsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—

inquiry, and active effort.

ayaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā etassa chandassa pahānāyā”ti.

This is the path and the practice for giving up that desire.”

“Evaṁ sante, bho ānanda, santakaṁ hoti no asantakaṁ.

“This being the case, worthy Ānanda, the path is endless, not finite.

Chandeneva chandaṁ pajahissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati”.

For it’s not possible to give up desire by means of desire.”

“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā taṁ byākareyyāsi.

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

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa,

What do you think, brahmin?

ahosi te pubbe chando ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti?

Have you ever had a desire to walk to the park,

Tassa te ārāmagatassa yo tajjo chando so paṭippassaddho”ti?

but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding desire faded away?”

“Evaṁ, bho”.

“Yes, sir.”

“Ahosi te pubbe vīriyaṁ ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti?

“Have you ever had the energy to walk to the park,

Tassa te ārāmagatassa yaṁ tajjaṁ vīriyaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhan”ti?

but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding energy faded away?”

“Evaṁ, bho”.

“Yes, sir.”

“Ahosi te pubbe cittaṁ ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti?

“Have you ever had the idea to walk to the park,

Tassa te ārāmagatassa yaṁ tajjaṁ cittaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhan”ti?

but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding idea faded away?”

“Evaṁ, bho”.

“Yes, sir.”

“Ahosi te pubbe vīmaṁsā ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti?

“Have you ever inquired regarding a walk to the park,

Tassa te ārāmagatassa yā tajjā vīmaṁsā sā paṭippassaddhā”ti?

but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding inquiry faded away?”

“Evaṁ, bho”.

“Yes, sir.”

“Evameva kho, brāhmaṇa, yo so bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, tassa yo pubbe chando ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yo tajjo chando so paṭippassaddho;

“In the same way, take a mendicant who is perfected—with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart’s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and is rightly freed through enlightenment. They formerly had the desire to attain perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding desire faded away.

yaṁ pubbe vīriyaṁ ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yaṁ tajjaṁ vīriyaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhaṁ;

They formerly had the energy to attain perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding energy faded away.

yaṁ pubbe cittaṁ ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yaṁ tajjaṁ cittaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhaṁ;

They formerly had the idea to attain perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding idea faded away.

yā pubbe vīmaṁsā ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yā tajjā vīmaṁsā sā paṭippassaddhā.

They formerly inquired regarding attaining perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding inquiry faded away.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa,

What do you think, brahmin?

iti evaṁ sante, santakaṁ vā hoti no asantakaṁ vā”ti?

This being the case, is the path endless or finite?”

“Addhā, bho ānanda, evaṁ sante, santakaṁ hoti no asantakaṁ.

“Clearly, worthy Ānanda, this being the case, the path is finite, not endless.

Abhikkantaṁ, bho ānanda, abhikkantaṁ, bho ānanda.

Excellent, worthy Ānanda! Excellent!

Seyyathāpi, bho ānanda, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā 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, the worthy Ānanda has made the teaching clear in many ways.

Esāhaṁ, bho ānanda, taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.

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

Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ ānando dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

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

Pañcamaṁ.