Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
24. Diṭṭhi Saṃyutta
1. Sotāpatti Vagga
The Constituent Aspects of Individuality
Sutta 15
Hoti Tathāgata Suttaṃ
The Tathāgata[1] Exists
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time, The Lucky man,
Sāvatthi-town revisiting,
Jeta Grove,
Anathapiṇḍika's Sporting Grounds.
There then The Lucky Man addressed the beggars, saying:
"Beggars!"
And the beggars responding "Bhante!"
The Lucky Man said this to them:
"There being what, beggars,
bound to what
adhering to what
does this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists'"?
"For us Bhante,
things are best resorted to
rooted in The Lucky Man,
channeled through The Lucky Man.
It would be good, Bhante,
if further explanation of this point
were given by The Lucky Man.
That which is said
by the Lucky Man
will be held in memory
by the beggars."
"Then give ear, beggars,
pay good attention!
I will speak!"
Then, the beggars saying
"Even so, Bhante!"
in response,
the Lucky Man said this to them:
"There being form, beggars,
bound to form,
adhering to form,
even thus does this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists.'
There being sense-experience, beggars,
bound to sense-experience,
adhering to sense-experience,
even thus does this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists.'
There being perception, beggars,
bound to perception,
adhering to perception,
even thus does this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists.'
There being own-making, beggars,
bound to own-making,
adhering to own-making,
even thus does this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists.'
There being consciousness, beggars,
bound to consciousness,
adhering to consciousness,
even thus does this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists.'
■
What do you think, beggars?
Is form permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is sense-experience permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is perception permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is own-making permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"That which is seen,
heard,
sensed,
cognized,
attained,
yearned after,
pondered over in mind —
is that permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Tathāgata Exists'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
§
"So then, beggars,
when in the student of the aristocrats
doubt as to these six positions has been abandoned,
doubt as to pain[2] has been abandoned,
doubt as to the arising of pain has been abandoned,
doubt as to the ending of pain has been abandoned,
doubt as to the walk-to-walk to the ending of pain has been abandoned —
this is said to be, beggars,
a student of the aristocrats
a stream-winner
one aimed at self-awakening."
[1] Tathāgata. "The that that got that." One who has achieved the goal in this system. Also being One of the terms used by Gotama when he refers to himself. The problem here is not really with this term, but with the understanding of "Hoti" which means, and was the way those at the time understood it, "becoming". So hearing it that way the idea is that one who has "got it" becomes, is, an on-going phenomena (this, by the way, is the view being held by Mrs. Rhys Davids — the error being made is that she insists that this is the only way to see this.) Again what must be remembered is that the objection here is not to the idea of becoming as such but to that as a view; a way of holding "one who has got it" in one way.
[2] For details see my translation of SN 3.24.1 footnotes. All the suttas of SN.24 should be read (slowly!) together.
