Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
40. Moggallāna Saṃyutta
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
IV. Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-fold Sphere'
Chapter 40: Kindred Sayings about Moggallāna
Sutta 3
Sukha Suttaṃ
The Pleasant Abiding
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time Old Man Moggallāna The Great,
Sāvatthī-town revisiting,
Jeta Grove,
Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
There then Old Man Moggallāna The Great addressed the beggars:
"Beggars, my friends!"
"Friend!" the beggars responded to Moggallāna.
Old Man Moggallāna The Great said to them:
"Here, friends,
as I had retreated into solitude
there arose in my heart
this train of thought:
'"The Third Kenning!
The Third Kenning!"
so they say.
Now what then is The Third Kenning?'
So then it recurred to me, friends:
'Here a beggar,
enjoyment fading-away
and living detached,
recollected and self-aware,
and personally experiencing in body
the pleasure of which the Aristocrat declares:
"Detached, recollected, he lives pleasantly."
abides getting a grip
on The Third Kenning.
This is what they call The Third Kenning.'
Then I, friends,
enjoyment fading-away
and living detached,
recollected and self-aware,
and personally experiencing in body
the pleasure of which the Aristocrat declares:
'Detached, recollected, he lives pleasantly.'
abided getting a grip
on The Third Kenning.
But then, friends,
as I abided in this abiding,
there arose and came about me
attention of mind to
perceptions connected to enjoyment.
There then, friends,
The Lucky man, through his majesty,
approached me and said:
'Moggallāna!
Moggallāna!
Do not, Brahmin,
be careless with The Third Kenning!
Set your heart on The Third Kenning!
Make one with your heart The Third Kenning.
Steady your heart in The Third Kenning!'
So then I, friends
after a time,
enjoyment fading-away
and living detached,
recollected and self-aware,
and personally experiencing in body
the pleasure of which the Aristocrat declares:
'Detached, recollected, he lives pleasantly.'
abided getting a grip
on The Third Kenning.
He who would, speaking highly of one, friends, say:
'The Master brought the student
to attainment of great higher knowledge,'
would, speaking highly of me, say:
'The Master brought the student
to attainment of great higher knowledge.'"
