Saṁyutta Nikāya 51.15

The Related Suttas Collection 51.15

2. Pāsādakampanavagga

2. Shaking the Stilt Longhouse

Uṇṇābhabrāhmaṇasutta

The Brahmin Uṇṇābha

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. Atha kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca: “kimatthiyaṁ nu kho, bho ānanda, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti?

So I have heard. At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery. Then Uṇṇābha the brahmin went up to Venerable Ānanda, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to him, “Master Ānanda, what’s the purpose of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?”

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

“The purpose 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, vīriyasamādhi …pe… cittasamādhi … vīmaṁsāsamādhippadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti—ayaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā etassa chandassa pahānāyā”ti.

“It’s when a bhikkhu develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm … energy … mental development … inquiry, and active effort. This is the path and the practice for giving up that desire.”

“Evaṁ sante, bho ānanda, santakaṁ hoti no asantakaṁ. Chandeneva chandaṁ pajahissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati”.

“This being the case, Master Ānanda, the path is endless, not finite. For it’s not possible to give up desire by means of desire.”

“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā taṁ byākareyyāsi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, ahosi te pubbe chando ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti? Tassa te ārāmagatassa yo tajjo chando so paṭippassaddho”ti?

“Well then, brahmin, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, brahmin? Have you ever had a desire to walk to the park, but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding desire faded away?”

“Evaṁ, bho”.

“Yes, sir.”

“Ahosi te pubbe vīriyaṁ ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti? Tassa te ārāmagatassa yaṁ tajjaṁ vīriyaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhan”ti?

“Have you ever had the energy to walk to the park, but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding energy faded away?”

“Evaṁ, bho”.

“Yes, sir.”

“Ahosi te pubbe cittaṁ ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti? Tassa te ārāmagatassa yaṁ tajjaṁ cittaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhan”ti?

“Have you ever had the idea to walk to the park, but when you arrived at the park, the corresponding idea faded away?”

“Evaṁ, bho”.

“Yes, sir.”

“Ahosi te pubbe vīmaṁsā ‘ārāmaṁ gamissāmī’ti? Tassa te ārāmagatassa yā tajjā vīmaṁsā sā paṭippassaddhā”ti?

“Have you ever inquired regarding a walk to the park, 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, arahattappatte¹ yo tajjo chando so paṭippassaddho; yaṁ pubbe vīriyaṁ ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yaṁ tajjaṁ vīriyaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhaṁ; yaṁ pubbe cittaṁ ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yaṁ tajjaṁ cittaṁ taṁ paṭippassaddhaṁ; yā pubbe vīmaṁsā ahosi arahattappattiyā, arahattappatte yā tajjā vīmaṁsā sā paṭippassaddhā. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, iti evaṁ sante, santakaṁ vā hoti no asantakaṁ vā”ti?

“In the same way, take a bhikkhu who is perfected—with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment. They formerly had the desire to attain perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding desire faded away. They formerly had the energy to attain perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding energy faded away. They formerly had the idea to attain perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding idea faded away. They formerly inquired regarding attaining perfection, but when they attained perfection the corresponding inquiry faded away. What do you think, brahmin? This being the case, is the path endless or finite?”

“Addhā, bho ānanda, evaṁ sante, santakaṁ hoti no asantakaṁ. Abhikkantaṁ, bho ānanda, abhikkantaṁ, bho ānanda. 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. Esāhaṁ, bho ānanda, taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ ānando dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

“Clearly, Master Ānanda, this being the case, the path is finite, not endless. Excellent, Master Ānanda! Excellent! 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, Master Ānanda has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the teaching, and to the bhikkhu Saṅgha. From this day forth, may Master Ānanda remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Pañcamaṁ.