Majjhima Nikāya
3. Upari Paṇṇāsa
4. Vibhaṅga Vagga
Sutta 131
Bhaddekaratta Sutta
One Fortunate Attachment
Translated from the Pāḷi by Venerable Ñāṇamoli Thera
from A Treasury of the Buddha's Words
edited and arranged by Phra Khantipalo
Printed in Thailand by Mahāmakut Rājavidyālaya Press, 1977, for free distribution
Translator's Introduction
There are four consecutive suttas in the Majjhima Nikaya with the name Bhaddekaratta, each based on the same verse.
The term has been translated "The Saint" and like phrases, which however, quite miss the point.
The Commentary says only this: "'Bhaddekaratassa' means 'of one who is fortunate (bhadda) in having one (eka) attachment (ratta or ratti)'; this is because of his possessing application to insight." The Sub-commentary resolves the compound ekaratta (one-attachment) into eka ratti, and says only that "'Bhaddekaratta' means one who has a fortunate single attachment (bhaddo ekaratto etassa), and it is a term for a person who is cultivating insight."
The Mahà-Niddesa (commentary on Sutta Nipata verse 964) alludes to these suttas without throwing any light on them. There appears to be no other mention of the term elsewhere in the Canon and its Commentaries.
The Pāḷi word ratta (adj) or ratti (s) in this instance is from the root raj (rañjati, rajjati — "to take pleasure in" — e.g. ettha me rañjati mano — "here my mind delights", Sutta Nipata verse 424). So "Bhaddekaratta" appears as one who is applying himself invincibly, unshakeably, to know and study the present state as it occurs (see, verse). This application or attachment is auspicious or fortunate because it leads to deliverance.
The much commoner meaning of the Pāḷi word ratti is "night" (Skt. rātra). But (and neither the Commentary nor Sub-commentary decides the point) if we attempt to interpret the Sutta term "Bhaddekatta" as "one who has a single auspicious night" (and the commentarial passages accordingly, which is grammatically possible), it is hard to make satisfactory sense of the context. It might be supposed that the expression Bhaddekaratta was a popular phrase taken over by the Buddha and given a special sense by him, as was not infrequently done, but there seems no reason to do so in this case and there is no evidence for it. It is more likely to be a term coined by the Buddha himself to describe a certain aspect of development. Other such terms are ukkhitapaligha (one who has lifted the bar — M 22), ditthipatta (one who has attained vision — M. 70), and many more.
[1][pts][ntbb][than][upal][olds] 1. Thus I heard:
On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthi in Jeta's Grove,
Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
There he addressed the bhikkhus thus:
"Bhikkhus."
"Venerable sir,"
they replied.
The Blessed One said this:
2. "Bhikkhus, I shall give you a summary and an exposition of him who has one fortunate attachment.[1]
Listen and heed well what I shall say."
"Even so, venerable sir,"
the bhikkhus replied.
The Blessed One said this:[ed1]
3.[2] Let not a man revive the past
Or on the future build his hopes;
The past is ... as the left-behind,
The future ... as the yet-unreached.
Rather with insight let him see
Each dhamma presently arisen:
To know and to be sure of that.
Today the effort must be made:
Tomorrow Death may come, who knows?
No bargain with Mortality Can keep him and his hordes away.
But one who dwells thus ardently
Relentlessly, by day, by night,
'Tis he, the Hermit Stilled, has said,
That has one Fortunate Attachment.
4. And how does he revive the past?
(Thinking)
'I had such form[3] in the past',
he allows (himself) to relish[4] that.
(Thinking)
'I had such feeling in the past',
he allows himself to relish that.
(Thinking)
'I had such perception in the past',
he allows himself to relish that.
(Thinking)
'I had such formations in the past',
he allows himself to relish that.
(Thinking)
'I had such consciousness in the past',
he allows himself to relish that.
That is how he revives the past.
5. And how does he not revive the past?
(Thinking)
'I had such form in the past',
he does not allow himself to relish that...
feeling ...
perception ...
formations ...
(Thinking)
'I had such consciousness in the past',
he does not allow himself to relish that.
That is how he does not revive the past.
6. And how does he build up hope upon the future?
(Thinking)
'I may have such form in the future',
he allows himself to relish that.
(Thinking)
'I may have such feeling in the future',
he allows himself to relish that.
(Thinking)
'I may have such perception in the future',
he allows himself to relish that.
(Thinking)
'I may have such formations in the future',
he allows himself to relish that.
(Thinking)
'I may have such consciousness in the future',
he allows himself to relish that.
That is how he builds up hope upon the future.
7.[5] And how does he not build up hope upon the future?
(Thinking)
'I may have such form in the future',
he does not allow himself to relish that
feeling ...
perception ...
formations ...
(Thinking)
'I may have such consciousness in the future',
he does not allow himself to relish that.
That is how he does not build up hope upon the future.
8. And how is he vanquished in regard to presently arisen dhammas?
Here an untaught ordinary man who has no regard for Noble Ones and is unconversant with their Dhamma and undisciplined in it,
who has no regard for True Men and is unconversant with their Dhamma and undisciplined in it,
sees form as self,
or self possessed of form,
or form in self,
or self in form.
He sees feeling as self,
or self possessed of feeling,
or feeling in self,
or self in feeling.
He sees perception as self,
or self possessed of perception,
or perception in self,
or self in perception.
He sees formations as self,
or self possessed of formations,
or formations in self,
or self in formations.
He sees consciousness as self,
or self possessed of consciousness,
or consciousness in self,
or self in consciousness.
That is how he is vanquished in regard to presently arisen dhammas.
9. And how is he invincible in regard to presently arisen dhammas?
Here a well-taught Noble disciple who has regard for Noble Ones and is conversant with their Dhamma and disciplined in it,
who has regard for True Men and is conversant with their Dhamma and disciplined in it,
does not see form as self,
or self possessed of form,
or form in self,
or self in form.
He does not see feeling as self,
or self possessed of feeling,
or feeling in self,
or self in feeling.
He does not see perception as self,
or self possessed of perception,
or perception in self,
or self in perception.
He does not see formations as self,
or self possessed of formations,
or formations in self,
or self in formations.
He does not see consciousness as self,
or self possessed of consciousness,
or consciousness in self,
or self in consciousness.
That is how he is invincible in regard to presently arisen dhammas.
10. Let not a man revive the past
Or on the future build his hopes;
The past is ... as the left-behind,
The future ... as the yet-unreached.
Rather with insight let him see
Each dhamma presently arisen:
To know and to be sure of that.
Today the effort must be made:
Tomorrow Death may come, who knows?
No bargain with Mortality Can keep him and his hordes away.
But one who dwells thus ardently
Relentlessly, by day, by night,
'Tis he, the Hermit Stilled. has said,
That has one Fortunate Attachment.
11. "So it was with reference to this that it was said:
'Bhikkhus, I shall give you a summary and an exposition of him who has one fortunate attachment.'"
This is what the Blessed One said.
The bhikkhus were satisfied and they delighted in the Blessed One's words.
[1] Bhaddekaratta: adjectival compound (bahubbihi): single (eka), attachment (ratti). Cf. Skt. rakti attachment. Ratti (from rañj) is not in P.T.S. Dictionary.
[2] Cf. S iii, 19.
[3] read evaṁrūpo for evarūpo.
[4] nandiṁ samanvāneti — allows (himself) to relish. Samanvāneti (sam + anu + ā + neti), see samannāneti in P.T.S. Dict. Lit: 'he directs delight there'.
[5] Read na samanvāneti throughout para., and mappaṭikankhati at end of para.
[ed1] Ven. Khantipalo notes: "In manuscript there are many versions of the following verses incorporating more or less experimental changes. The editor has selected the best renderings from them." A better choice, considering the historical value of this translation would have been to have kept the variations as is and to have let the reader see the changes made.
