Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
9. Thera Vagga
Sutta 85
Yamaka Suttaṃ
Yamaka
[Excerpt]
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
[1][wrrn][pts][than][bodh] I Hear Tell:
Once upon a time, the venerable Sāriputta
was Sāvatthi-town,
Jeta Grove,
Anāthapiṇḍika's Park
revisiting.
At that time there had come into the mind
of a certain beggar name-a Yamaka
the following point of view:
"This is how I understand the Dhamma as taught by the Buddha:
If a Beggar has destroyed the āsavas,
at the break up of the elements at death,
he has reached his end
and becomes non existent."
At this point
he is questioned by his fellow Beggars
and they are unable to dissuade him from this view
and he is brought to Sāriputta
who asks him if it is true
that he holds this view.
He admits that he does,
and he is subjected to the following interview:
"Now then, friend Yamaka,
what do you think about this:
Is body permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent."
And sense-experience, perception, own-making, consciousness?"
"Impermanent."
"And that which is impermanent;
is that properly regarded as painful or pleasant?"
"Painful."
"And that which is painful,
is that properly regarded
as being the self
or belonging to the self
or being that in which the self is to be found
or being that which is to be found
as a part within the self?"
"It is not to be so regarded."
"So then is it not the case
that one who sees it this way
knows that there is no further prospect
of life identified with these conditions?"
"That is true."
"Well, then, let me ask you:
Do you regard the Tathāgata[1] as body?"
"No."
"Do you regard the Tathāgata as sense-experience,
or perception,
or own-making
or consciousness?"
"No."
"Do you regard the Tathāgata
as something other than body,
or sense-experience,
or perception,
or own-making
or consciousness?"
"No."
"Do you regard the Tathāgata
as inside the body somewhere?
Do you regard the Tathāgata
as possessing the body somewhere in him?
"Do you regard the Tathāgata
as inside the sense-experiences somewhere?
Do you regard the Tathāgata
as possessing the sense-experiences somewhere in him?
"Do you regard the Tathāgata
as inside perception somewhere?
Do you regard the Tathāgata
as possessing perception somewhere in him?
"Do you regard the Tathāgata
as inside own-making somewhere?
Do you regard the Tathāgata
as possessing own-making somewhere in him?
"Do you regard the Tathāgata
as inside consciousness somewhere?
Do you regard the Tathāgata
as possessing consciousness somewhere in him?
"None of these."
"Do you regard the Tathāgata
as being body
and sense-experience
and perception
and own-making
and consciousness?"
"No."
"Do you regard the Tathāgata
as not having body,
sense-experience,
perception,
own-making,
or consciousness?"
"No."
"So then, friend Yamaka,
you are saying that
right here and now
the Tathāgata is not to be regarded
as existing in ultimate reality,
so how is it proper for you to assert that
'If a Beggar has destroyed the āsavas, at the break up of the elements at death, he has reached his end and becomes non existent'?"
[1]'The That-that-got-that', lower case "t". Here it is clear that what is being spoken of is not The Buddha, but any person who has destroyed the āsavas.
