Majjhima Nikāya 132

The Middle-Length Suttas Collection 132

Ānandabhaddekarattasutta

Ānanda and One Fine Night

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ānando upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca bhāsati.

Now at that time Venerable Ānanda was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk on the topic of the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenupaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “ko nu kho, bhikkhave, upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti?

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat, went to the assembly hall, where he sat on the seat spread out, and addressed the bhikkhus, “Who was inspiring the bhikkhus with a talk on the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night?”

“Āyasmā, bhante, ānando upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti.

“It was Venerable Ānanda, sir.”

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi: “yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti?

Then the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda, “But in what way were you inspiring the bhikkhus with a talk on the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night?”

“Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesiṁ samādapesiṁ samuttejesiṁ sampahaṁsesiṁ, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsiṁ—

“I was doing so in this way, sir,” replied Ānanda.

Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya, nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ; Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ, appattañca anāgataṁ.

“Don’t run back to the past, don’t hope for the future. What’s past is left behind; the future has not arrived;

Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ, tattha tattha vipassati; Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ, taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.

and phenomena in the present are clearly seen in every case. Knowing this, foster it—unfaltering, unshakable.

Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ, ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve; Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena, mahāsenena maccunā.

Today’s the day to keenly work—who knows, tomorrow may bring death! For there is no bargain to be struck with Death and his mighty hordes.

Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ, ahorattamatanditaṁ; Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti, santo ācikkhate muni.

The peaceful sage explained it’s those who keenly meditate like this, tireless all night and day, who truly have that one fine night.”

‘Kathañca, āvuso, atītaṁ anvāgameti? Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—evaṁ kho, āvuso, atītaṁ anvāgameti.

(Ānanda went on to repeat the analysis as in the previous discourse, MN 131.)

Kathañca, āvuso, atītaṁ nānvāgameti? Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—evaṁ kho, āvuso, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.

Kathañca, āvuso, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati? Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe… evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—evaṁ kho, āvuso, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati.

Kathañca, āvuso, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati? Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe… evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—evaṁ kho, āvuso, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.

Kathañca, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati? Idha, āvuso, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ; vedanaṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—evaṁ kho, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati.

Kathañca, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati? Idha, āvuso, sutavā ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ; na vedanaṁ … na saññaṁ … na saṅkhāre … na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—evaṁ kho, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.

Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya, nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ; Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ, appattañca anāgataṁ.

Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ, tattha tattha vipassati; Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ, taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.

Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ, ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve; Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena, mahāsenena maccunā.

Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ, ahorattamatanditaṁ; Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti, santo ācikkhate munī’ti.

Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesiṁ samādapesiṁ samuttejesiṁ sampahaṁsesiṁ, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsin”ti.

“That’s how I was inspiring the bhikkhus with a talk on the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night.”

“Sādhu sādhu, ānanda. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsi:

“Good, good, Ānanda. It’s good that you were inspiring the bhikkhus with a talk on the recitation passage and analysis of One Fine Night.”

‘Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya, …pe… Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti, santo ācikkhate munī’ti.

Kathañca, ānanda, atītaṁ anvāgameti …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, atītaṁ anvāgameti. Kathañca, ānanda, atītaṁ nānvāgameti …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, atītaṁ nānvāgameti. Kathañca, ānanda, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati. Kathañca, ānanda, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati. Kathañca, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati. Kathañca, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.

And the Buddha repeated the verses and analysis once more.

‘Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya, …pe… Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti, santo ācikkhate munī’”ti.

Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano āyasmā ānando bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.

That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Ānanda was happy with what the Buddha said.

Ānandabhaddekarattasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.