Majjhima Nikāya 144

The Middle-Length Suttas Collection 144

Channovādasutta

Advice to Channa

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

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

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo āyasmā ca channo gijjhakūṭe pabbate viharanti.

Now at that time the venerables Sāriputta, Mahācunda, and Channa were staying on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā channo ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.

Now at that time Venerable Channa was sick, suffering, gravely ill.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahācundo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahācundaṁ etadavoca: “āyāmāvuso cunda, yenāyasmā channo tenupasaṅkamissāma gilānapucchakā”ti.

Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahācunda and said to him, “Come, Friend Cunda, let’s go to see Venerable Channa and ask about his illness.”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā mahācundo āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosi.

“Yes, friend,” replied Mahācunda.

Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo yenāyasmā channo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā channena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ channaṁ etadavoca: “kacci te, āvuso channa, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ? Kacci te dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti, no abhikkamanti; paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no abhikkamo”ti?

And then Sāriputta and Mahācunda went to see Channa and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side. Then Sāriputta said to Channa, “I hope you’re keeping well, Friend Channa; I hope you’re alright. I hope that your pain is fading, not growing, that its fading is evident, not its growing.”

“Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo. Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, balavā puriso tiṇhena sikharena muddhani abhimattheyya; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimattā vātā muddhani ūhananti. Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no paṭikkamo. Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, balavā puriso daḷhena varattakkhaṇḍena sīse sīsaveṭhaṁ dadeyya; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimattā sīse sīsavedanā. Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo. Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, dakkho goghātako vā goghātakantevāsī vā tiṇhena govikantanena kucchiṁ parikanteyya; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimattā vātā kucchiṁ parikantanti. Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo. Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, dve balavanto purisā dubbalataraṁ purisaṁ nānābāhāsu gahetvā aṅgārakāsuyā santāpeyyuṁ samparitāpeyyuṁ; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimatto kāyasmiṁ ḍāho. Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo. Satthaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, āharissāmi, nāvakaṅkhāmi jīvitan”ti.

“Friend Sāriputta, I’m not keeping well, I’m not alright. The pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading. The winds piercing my head are so severe, it feels like a strong man drilling into my head with a sharp point. The pain in my head is so severe, it feels like a strong man tightening a tough leather strap around my head. The winds slicing my belly are so severe, like a deft butcher or their apprentice were slicing open a cows’s belly with a meat cleaver. The burning in my body is so severe, it feels like two strong men grabbing a weaker man by the arms to burn and scorch him on a pit of glowing coals. I’m not keeping well, I’m not alright. The pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading. Friend Sāriputta, I will slit my wrists. I don’t wish to live.”

“Māyasmā channo satthaṁ āharesi. Yāpetāyasmā channo. Yāpentaṁ mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ icchāma. Sace āyasmato channassa natthi sappāyāni bhojanāni, ahaṁ āyasmato channassa sappāyāni bhojanāni pariyesissāmi. Sace āyasmato channassa natthi sappāyāni bhesajjāni, ahaṁ āyasmato channassa sappāyāni bhesajjāni pariyesissāmi. Sace āyasmato channassa natthi patirūpā upaṭṭhākā, ahaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ upaṭṭhahissāmi. Māyasmā channo satthaṁ āharesi. Yāpetāyasmā channo. Yāpentaṁ mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ icchāmā”ti.

“Please don’t slit your wrists! Venerable Channa, keep going! We want you to keep going. If you don’t have any suitable food, we’ll find it for you. If you don’t have suitable medicine, we’ll find it for you. If you don’t have a capable carer, we’ll find one for you. Please don’t slit your wrists! Venerable Channa, keep going! We want you to keep going.”

“Napi me, āvuso sāriputta, natthi sappāyāni bhojanāni; napi me natthi sappāyāni bhesajjāni; napi me natthi patirūpā upaṭṭhākā; api cāvuso sāriputta, pariciṇṇo me satthā dīgharattaṁ manāpeneva no amanāpena. Etañhi, āvuso sāriputta, sāvakassa patirūpaṁ yaṁ satthāraṁ paricareyya manāpeneva no amanāpena. ‘Anupavajjaṁ channo bhikkhu satthaṁ āharissatī’ti evametaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, dhārehī”ti.

“Friend Sāriputta, it’s not that I don’t have suitable food, or suitable medicine, or a capable carer. Moreover, for a long time now I have served the Teacher with love, not without love. For it is proper for a disciple to serve the Teacher with love, not without love. You should remember this: ‘The bhikkhu Channa will slit his wrists blamelessly.’”

“Puccheyyāma mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ kañcideva desaṁ, sace āyasmā channo okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti.

“I’d like to ask you about a certain point, if you’d take the time to answer.”

“Pucchāvuso sāriputta, sutvā vedissāmī”ti.

“Ask, Friend Sāriputta. When I’ve heard it I’ll know.”

“Cakkhuṁ, āvuso channa, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassasi? Sotaṁ, āvuso channa, sotaviññāṇaṁ …pe… ghānaṁ, āvuso channa, ghānaviññāṇaṁ … jivhaṁ, āvuso channa, jivhāviññāṇaṁ … kāyaṁ, āvuso channa, kāyaviññāṇaṁ … manaṁ, āvuso channa, manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassasī”ti?

“Friend Channa, do you regard the eye, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness in this way: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’? Do you regard the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness in this way: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

“Cakkhuṁ, āvuso sāriputta, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmi. Sotaṁ, āvuso sāriputta …pe… ghānaṁ, āvuso sāriputta … jivhaṁ, āvuso sāriputta … kāyaṁ, āvuso sāriputta … manaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmī”ti.

“Friend Sāriputta, I regard the eye, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ I regard the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’.”

“Cakkhusmiṁ, āvuso channa, cakkhuviññāṇe cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu kiṁ disvā kiṁ abhiññāya cakkhuṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassasi? Sotasmiṁ, āvuso channa, sotaviññāṇe … ghānasmiṁ, āvuso channa, ghānaviññāṇe … jivhāya, āvuso channa, jivhāviññāṇe … kāyasmiṁ, āvuso channa, kāyaviññāṇe … manasmiṁ, āvuso channa, manoviññāṇe manoviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu kiṁ disvā kiṁ abhiññāya manaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassasī”ti?

“Friend Channa, what have you seen, what have you directly known in these things that you regard them in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’?”

“Cakkhusmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, cakkhuviññāṇe cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu nirodhaṁ disvā nirodhaṁ abhiññāya cakkhuṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmi. Sotasmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, sotaviññāṇe … ghānasmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, ghānaviññāṇe … jivhāya, āvuso sāriputta, jivhāviññāṇe … kāyasmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, kāyaviññāṇe … manasmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, manoviññāṇe manoviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu nirodhaṁ disvā nirodhaṁ abhiññāya manaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmī”ti.

“Friend Sāriputta, after seeing cessation, after directly knowing cessation in these things I regard them in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā mahācundo āyasmantaṁ channaṁ etadavoca:

When he said this, Venerable Mahācunda said to Venerable Channa:

“tasmātiha, āvuso channa, idampi tassa bhagavato sāsanaṁ, niccakappaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ: ‘nissitassa calitaṁ, anissitassa calitaṁ natthi. Calite asati passaddhi, passaddhiyā sati nati na hoti. Natiyā asati āgatigati na hoti. Āgatigatiyā asati cutūpapāto na hoti. Cutūpapāte asati nevidha na huraṁ na ubhayamantarena. Esevanto dukkhassā’”ti. Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo āyasmantaṁ channaṁ iminā ovādena ovaditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu.

“So, Friend Channa, you should regularly apply your mind to this instruction of the Buddha: ‘For the dependent there is agitation. For the independent there’s no agitation. When there’s no agitation there is tranquility. When there is tranquility there’s no inclination. When there’s no inclination there’s no coming and going. When there’s no coming and going there’s no passing away and reappearing. When there’s no passing away and reappearing there’s no this world or world beyond or between the two. Just this is the end of suffering.’” And when the venerables Sāriputta and Mahācunda had given Venerable Channa this advice they got up from their seat and left.

Atha kho āyasmā channo acirapakkante āyasmante ca sāriputte āyasmante ca mahācunde satthaṁ āharesi.

Not long after those venerables had left, Venerable Channa slit his wrists.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “āyasmatā, bhante, channena satthaṁ āharitaṁ. Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti?

Then Sāriputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, Venerable Channa has slit his wrists. Where has he been reborn in his next life?”

“Nanu te, sāriputta, channena bhikkhunā sammukhāyeva anupavajjatā byākatā”ti?

“Sāriputta, didn’t the bhikkhu Channa declare his blamelessness to you personally?”

“Atthi, bhante, pubbajiraṁ nāma vajjigāmo. Tatthāyasmato channassa mittakulāni suhajjakulāni upavajjakulānī”ti.

“Sir, there is a Vajjian village named Pubbavijjhana where Channa had families with whom he was friendly, intimate, and familiar.”

“Honti¹ hete, sāriputta, channassa bhikkhuno mittakulāni suhajjakulāni upavajjakulāni. Nāhaṁ, sāriputta, ettāvatā ‘saupavajjo’ti vadāmi. Yo kho, sāriputta, imañca kāyaṁ nikkhipati aññañca kāyaṁ upādiyati tamahaṁ ‘saupavajjo’ti vadāmi. Taṁ channassa bhikkhuno natthi. ‘Anupavajjo channo bhikkhu satthaṁ āharesī’ti evametaṁ, sāriputta, dhārehī”ti.

“The bhikkhu Channa did indeed have such families. But this is not enough for me to call someone ‘blameworthy’. When someone lays down this body and takes up another body, I call them ‘blameworthy’. But the bhikkhu Channa did no such thing. You should remember this: ‘The bhikkhu Channa slit his wrists blamelessly.’”

Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano āyasmā sāriputto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.

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

Channovādasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.