Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
38. Jambukhādaka Saṃyutta
Roseapple-Eater's Questions
Sutta 1
Nibbānaṃ Suttaṃ
Nibbāna
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time, Old Man Sāriputta,
was living amungst the Magadhese,
in Nālagā town.
There then Roseapple-Eater, the wanderer,
went to where Old Man Sāriputta was located,
where he drew near and
having drawn near Old Man Sāriputta,
having given salutation,
took a seat to one side.
Having taken a seat to one side then,
Roseapple-Eater, the wanderer, said this
to Old Man Sāriputta:
"'Nibbāna, Nibbāṇa'
they say, friend Sāriputta.
What then, friend,
is this Nibbāna?"
"Just this, friend:
the destruction of lust,
the destruction of anger,
the destruction of confusion.
This is called
Nibbāna."
"Is there, friend, a Way,
is there a path
to personally experience
this Nibbāna?"
"There is, friend, a Way,
there is a path
to personally experience
this Nibbāna.'
"What, friend, is that Way,
what is that path
to personally experience
this Nibbāna?"
"This, friend:
The Aristocratic Multi-dimensional Way,[1]
that is:
Consummate view,
consummate principles,
consummate talk,
consummate works,
consummate lifestyle,
consummate self-control,
consummate mind,
consummate serenity.
"This is, friend, that Way,
that path
to personally experience
this Nibbāna.'
"A lucky Way, friend,
a lucky path,
to personally experience,
this Nibbāna and
moreover, friend Sāriputta,
there is enough there
to bring about non-carelessness."
[1] The Aristocratic Multi-dimensional Way:
Ariyo Aṭṭhaṇgiko Magga.
[1] Sammā Diṭṭhi: Consummate view:
This is pain.
The origin of this pain is thirst.
The ending of this pain is the ending of thirst.
The walk-to-walk to the ending of this pain is the Aristocratic Multi-Dimensional High Way:
consummate view, consummate principles, consummate talk, consummate works, consummate lifestyle, consummate self-control, consummate mind, consummate serenity.
[2] Sammā Sankappa: Consummate Principles: let it go, inflict no mental harm, inflict no physical pain.
[3] Sammā Vaca: Consummate Talk: let go of lies, malicious speech, gossip, slander, harsh speech.
[4] Sammā Kammanta: Consummate Works: abstain from intentional taking of life, theft, giving up ethical conduct in the pursuit of pleasure; in one's commerce, mantras, or acts of thought, speech, or body.
[5] Sammā Ajiva: Consummate Lifestyle: consummate Lifestyle is the style or process of living in accordance with this system. Identifying an element of one's lifestyle that is clearly seen by one's self as low, harmful, detrimental to one's self or others one abandons it, lets it go, drops it, renounces it, restrains it, eradicates it.
[6] Sammā Vayama: Consummate Self-control, restrain low conditions that are present in this visible thing, refrain from low conditions that are not yet present in this visible thing, retain high conditions that are present in this visible thing, and obtain high conditions that are not yet present in this visible thing.
[7] Sammā Sati: Consummate Mind: Live in a body, in sense experience, mental states, and in the Dhamma, seeing bodies, sense experience, mental states, and the Dhamma, as they really are, seeing how they come to be, seeing how they burn out, living above it all, without carelessness, insightful and calmed down, overcoming any hunger and thirst that may appear, downbound to nothing at all in the world.
[8] Sammā Samādhi: Consummate Serenity: get high on the appreciation of the peace and calm of solitude, get high on getting high, get high with ease, on the sweet sensations of ease, get high off the all round, clean clear through, bright shiny, radiance of detachment.
