Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
12. Nidāna Saṃyutta
2. Āhāra Vagga
Sutta 15
Kaccāna-Gotta Suttaṃ
The Ancient of the Clan Kaccāyana
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael Olds
[1][bit][pts][bodh][than][wlsh] I HEAR TELL:
Once upon a time, The Lucky Man,
Sāvatthi-town revisiting,
Jeta Grove,
Anathapiṇḍika's Sporting Grounds.
There then, the Ancient of the Clan Kaccayana[1]
went to where The Lucky Man was located,
where he drew near and
having drawn near The Lucky Man,
having given salutation,
took a seat to one side.
Having taken a seat to one side then,
the Ancient of the Clan Kakkayana
said this to the Lucky Man:
"'Consummate view, consummate view', Bhante,
is the saying.
To what extent, then, Bhante,
is there consummate view?"
"Well, as to this, Kaccayana,
the world is mostly split,
adhering to 'this exists'
or to 'this exists not'.
But when, Kaccayana,
the arising of the world
is seen in its reality
with consummate wisdom,
one does not hold that
'this exists not'.
When, Kaccayana,
the ending of the world
is seen in its reality
with consummate wisdom
one does not hold that
'this exists'.[2]
Then, as to this, Kaccayana,
the world is mostly bound up
down-bound
up end down,[3]
but those who do not welcome,
who do not take hold of
the bias of a clinging and
attached heart
do not think in terms of
'self' or 'me'.
Thinking:
'Just pain arises
in the arisen,
pain passes away
in the passed away,'
he doubts not,
nor wavers —
Not following
anyone else
he knows this for himself.
This far then Kaccāna,
one has consummate view.
'Everything exists',
this Kaccāna,
is the first end.
'Nothing exists',
this is
the second end.
As to this, Kaccāna,
The-Getter-of-the-Getting,
not going towards
either end
teaches a 'middle-way':
Rebounding off blindness, beggars,
own-making
rebounding off own-making,
consciousness
rebounding off consciousness,
named-form
rebounding off named-form,
the six-realms
rebounding off the six-realms,
touch
rebounding off touch,
sensation
rebounding off sensation,
thirst
rebounding off thirst,
bind-ups
rebounding off bind-ups,
existence
rebounding off existence,
birth
rebounding off birth,
aging and death
grief and lamentation
pain and misery
and despair
become one's own.
Even thus
is the self-arising
of this pile of pain
made to be.
§
But with the
utterly-dispassionately-endinding of blindness,
own-making is ended
own-making ended,
consciousness is ended
consciousness ended,
named-form is ended
named-form ended,
the six-realms are ended
the six-realms ended,
touch is ended
touch ended,
sensation is ended
sensation ended,
thirst is ended
thirst ended,
bind-ups are ended
bind-ups ended,
existence is ended
existence ended,
birth is ended
birth ended,
aging and death
grief and lamentation
pain and misery
and despair
are ended.
Even so
is this pile of pain
made to not be."
[1] We can hear this something like: "... of the Apache tribe," and later for when The Lucky Man addresses him: "... for the most part, Apache."
[2] BJT in my version and in the version on ATI has the sequence as:
1. seeing the arising — not holding the view 'it exists not'
2. seeing the ending — not holding the view 'it exists not'
3. seeing the ending — not holding the view 'it exists'
Feer, PTS, and CSCD have only #s 1 and 3. This could be a copy and paste error but it is not unreasonable to think that this might have actually been the case or even that the four possibilities were given. If seen as it is in reality whether arising or ending, one does not hold views about its existence or non-existence.
Walshe has it that this is actually 'seeing' something there rather than seeing something there and holding a view about it, but the discussion focuses on the two extreme theories held by the world.
[3] Upāyupādānābhinivesavinibaddho. You going to argue with me about this?
