Saṁyutta Nikāya 41.5

The Related Suttas Collection 41.5

1. Cittavagga

1. With Citta

Paṭhamakāmabhūsutta

With Kāmabhū (1st)

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā kāmabhū macchikāsaṇḍe viharati ambāṭakavane.

At one time Venerable Kāmabhū was staying near Macchikāsaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove.

Atha kho citto gahapati yenāyasmā kāmabhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho cittaṁ gahapatiṁ āyasmā kāmabhū etadavoca: “Vuttamidaṁ, gahapati:

Then Citta the householder went up to Venerable Kāmabhū, bowed, and sat down to one side. Kāmabhū said to him, “Householder, there is this saying:

‘Nelaṅgo setapacchādo, ekāro vattatī ratho; Anīghaṁ passa āyantaṁ, chinnasotaṁ abandhanan’ti.

‘With flawless wheel and white canopy, the one-spoke chariot rolls on. See it come, untroubled, with stream cut, unbound.’

Imassa nu kho, gahapati, saṅkhittena bhāsitassa kathaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?

How should we see the detailed meaning of this brief statement?”

“Kiṁ nu kho etaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā bhāsitan”ti?

“Sir, was this spoken by the Buddha?”

“Evaṁ, gahapatī”ti.

“Yes, householder.”

“Tena hi, bhante, muhuttaṁ āgamehi yāvassa atthaṁ pekkhāmī”ti. Atha kho citto gahapati muhuttaṁ tuṇhī hutvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ etadavoca:

“Well then, sir, please wait a moment while I consider the meaning of this.” Then after a short silence Citta said to Kāmabhū:

“‘Nelaṅgan’ti kho, bhante, sīlānametaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

“Sir, ‘flawless wheel’ is a term for ethics.

‘Setapacchādo’ti kho, bhante, vimuttiyā etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘White canopy’ is a term for freedom.

‘Ekāro’ti kho, bhante, satiyā etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘One spoke’ is a term for mindfulness.

‘Vattatī’ti kho, bhante, abhikkamapaṭikkamassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Rolls on’ is a term for going forward and coming back.

‘Ratho’ti kho, bhante, imassetaṁ cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa adhivacanaṁ mātāpettikasambhavassa odanakummāsūpacayassa aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammassa.

‘Chariot’ is a term for this body made up of the four primary elements, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction.

Rāgo kho, bhante, nīgho, doso nīgho, moho nīgho. Te khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā. Tasmā khīṇāsavo bhikkhu ‘anīgho’ti vuccati.

Greed, hate, and delusion are troubles. A bhikkhu who has ended the defilements has given these up, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, and obliterated them, so they are unable to arise in the future. That’s why a bhikkhu who has ended the defilements is called ‘untroubled’.

‘Āyantan’ti kho, bhante, arahato etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘The one who comes’ is a term for the perfected one.

‘Soto’ti kho, bhante, taṇhāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Sā khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā. Tasmā khīṇāsavo bhikkhu ‘chinnasoto’ti vuccati.

‘Stream’ is a term for craving. A bhikkhu who has ended the defilements has given this up, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, and obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future. That’s why a bhikkhu who has ended the defilements is said to have ‘cut the stream’.

Rāgo kho, bhante, bandhanaṁ, doso bandhanaṁ, moho bandhanaṁ. Te khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā. Tasmā khīṇāsavo bhikkhu ‘abandhano’ti vuccati.

Greed, hate, and delusion are bonds. A bhikkhu who has ended the defilements has given these up, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, and obliterated them, so they are unable to arise in the future. That’s why a bhikkhu who has ended the defilements is called ‘unbound’.

Iti kho, bhante, yaṁ taṁ bhagavatā vuttaṁ:

So, sir, that’s how I understand the detailed meaning of what the Buddha said in brief:

‘Nelaṅgo setapacchādo, ekāro vattatī ratho; Anīghaṁ passa āyantaṁ, chinnasotaṁ abandhanan’ti.

‘With flawless wheel and white canopy, the one-spoke chariot rolls on. See it come, untroubled, with stream cut, unbound.’”

Imassa kho, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“Lābhā te, gahapati, suladdhaṁ te, gahapati. Yassa te gambhīre buddhavacane paññācakkhu kamatī”ti.

“You’re fortunate, householder, so very fortunate, to traverse the Buddha’s deep teachings with the eye of wisdom.”

Pañcamaṁ.