Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.58

Numbered Discourses 3.58

6. Brāhmaṇavagga

6. Brahmins

Tikaṇṇasutta

With Tikaṇṇa

Atha kho tikaṇṇo brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho tikaṇṇo brāhmaṇo bhagavato sammukhā tevijjānaṁ sudaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati: “evampi tevijjā brāhmaṇā, itipi tevijjā brāhmaṇā”ti.

Then Tikaṇṇa the brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. Seated to one side, in front of the Buddha, Tikaṇṇa praised the brahmins who were proficient in the three Vedas, “Such are the brahmins, masters of the three Vedic knowledges! Thus are the brahmins, masters of the three Vedic knowledges!”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ tevijjaṁ paññāpentī”ti?

“But brahmin, how do the brahmins describe a brahmin who is master of the three Vedic knowledges?”

“Idha, bho gotama, brāhmaṇo ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā, akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena, ajjhāyako, mantadharo, tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū sanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ sākkharappabhedānaṁ itihāsapañcamānaṁ, padako, veyyākaraṇo, lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayoti. Evaṁ kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ tevijjaṁ paññāpentī”ti.

“Master Gotama, it’s when a brahmin is well born on both his mother’s and father’s side, of pure descent, with irrefutable and impeccable genealogy back to the seventh paternal generation. He recites and remembers the hymns, and has mastered the three Vedas, together with their vocabularies, ritual, phonology and etymology, and the testament as fifth. He knows philology and grammar, and is well versed in cosmology and the marks of a great man. That’s how the brahmins describe a brahmin who is master of the three Vedic knowledges.”

“Aññathā kho, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ tevijjaṁ paññāpenti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hotī”ti.

“Brahmin, a master of three knowledges according to the brahmins is quite different from a master of the three knowledges in the training of the Noble One.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hoti? Sādhu me bhavaṁ gotamo tathā dhammaṁ desetu yathā ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hotī”ti.

“But Master Gotama, how is one a master of the three knowledges in the training of the Noble One? Master Gotama, please teach me this.”

“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Well then, brahmin, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho tikaṇṇo brāhmaṇo bhagavato paccassosi. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Yes sir,” Tikaṇṇa replied. The Buddha said this:

“Idha, brāhmaṇa, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno, sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā, pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

“Brahmin, it’s when a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first jhāna, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second jhāna, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. And with the fading away of rapture, they enter and remain in the third jhāna, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally experiencing the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’ With the giving up of pleasure and pain, and the ending of former happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth jhāna, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.

So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti. So anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṁsampi jātiyo cattārīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jātisatasahassampi, anekepi saṁvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe: ‘amutrāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādiṁ. Tatrāpāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhūpapanno’ti. Iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati. Ayamassa paṭhamā vijjā adhigatā hoti; avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato, āloko uppanno yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward recollection of past lives. They recollect many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. They remember: ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so they recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details. This is the first knowledge that they attain. Ignorance is destroyed and knowledge has arisen; darkness is destroyed and light has arisen, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte sattānaṁ cutūpapātañāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti. So dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti: ‘ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā …pe… manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā. Ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā, vacīsucaritena samannāgatā, manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannā’ti. Iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti. Ayamassa dutiyā vijjā adhigatā hoti; avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato, āloko uppanno yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings. With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds: ‘These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They spoke ill of the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they acted out of that wrong view. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never spoke ill of the noble ones; they had right view; and they acted out of that right view. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds. This is the second knowledge that they attain. Ignorance is destroyed and knowledge has arisen; darkness is destroyed and light has arisen, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte āsavānaṁ khayañāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti; ‘ime āsavā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ āsavasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ āsavanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ āsavanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Tassa evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, bhavāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, avijjāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward knowledge of the ending of defilements. They truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. They truly understand: ‘These are defilements’ … ‘This is the origin of defilements’ … ‘This is the cessation of defilements’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of defilements’. Knowing and seeing like this, their mind is freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti. Ayamassa tatiyā vijjā adhigatā hoti; avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato, āloko uppanno yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharatoti.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.’ This is the third knowledge that they attain. Ignorance is destroyed and knowledge has arisen; darkness is destroyed, and light has arisen, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

Anuccāvacasīlassa, nipakassa ca jhāyino; Cittaṁ yassa vasībhūtaṁ, ekaggaṁ susamāhitaṁ.

For someone whose ethical conduct doesn’t waver, who is alert, practicing jhāna; whose mind is mastered, unified, serene.

Taṁ ve tamonudaṁ dhīraṁ, tevijjaṁ maccuhāyinaṁ; Hitaṁ devamanussānaṁ, āhu sabbappahāyinaṁ.

That wise one dispels the darkness, master of the three knowledges, conqueror of death. For the welfare of gods and humans, he has given up everything, they say.

Tīhi vijjāhi sampannaṁ, asammūḷhavihārinaṁ; Buddhaṁ antimadehinaṁ, taṁ namassanti gotamaṁ.

Accomplished in the three knowledges, living without confusion, bearing the final body, they revere the awakened Gotama.

Pubbenivāsaṁ yo vedī, saggāpāyañca passati; Atho jātikkhayaṁ patto, abhiññāvosito muni.

Who knows their past lives, and sees heaven and places of loss, and has attained the ending of rebirth, that sage has perfect insight.

Etāhi tīhi vijjāhi, tevijjo hoti brāhmaṇo; Tamahaṁ vadāmi tevijjaṁ, nāññaṁ lapitalāpananti.

It’s because of these three knowledges that a brahmin is a master of the three knowledges. That’s who I call a three-knowledge master, and not some mere reciter.

Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hotī”ti.

This, brahmin, is a master of the three knowledges in the training of the Noble One.”

“Aññathā, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ tevijjo, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hoti. Imassa ca pana, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye tevijjassa brāhmaṇānaṁ tevijjo kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasiṁ.

“Master Gotama, a master of three knowledges according to the brahmins is quite different from a master of the three knowledges in the training of the Noble One. And, Master Gotama, a master of three knowledges according to the brahmins is not worth a sixteenth part of a master of the three knowledges in the training of the Noble One.

Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent! … From this day forth, may Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.