Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
9. Thera Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
3. The Book Called the Khandhā-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the Elements of Sensory Existence and other Subjects
22. Kindred Sayings on Elements
9. The Elders
Sutta 86
Anurādha Suttaṃ
Anurādha[1]
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1][than][bodh] Thus have I heard:—
Once the Exalted One was staying near Vesalī,
in Great Grove,
at the Hall of the Gabled House.
At that time the venerable Anurādha
was staying not far from the Exalted One
in a forest hut.
Then a number of wandering heretics
came to the venerable Anurādha,
greeted him
and exchanged the courtesies of civil words
and sat down at one side.
So seated,
those heretic Wanderers said to the venerable Anurādha:
"Friend Anurādha, a Tathāgata,
a superman,
one of the best of men,
a winner of the highest gain,
is proclaimed in [one of] these four ways:
'A Tathāgata comes to be after death;
or he does not come to be after death;
or he both comes to be and does not come to be after death;
or he neither comes to be nor comes not to be after death.'"
Upon this the venerable Anuradha
said to those heretic Wanderers:
"Friends, a Tathāgata,
a superman,
one of the best of men,
a winner of the highest gain,
is spoken of in other than those four ways,
to wit:
'A Tathāgata comes to be after death;
or he does not come to be after death;
or he both comes to be and does not come to be after death;
or he neither comes to be nor comes not to be after death.'"
Upon this those heretic Wanderers
said of the venerable Anurādha:
"This brother must be a novice,
not long ordained.
Or, if he is an elder,
he is an ignorant fool."
So those heretic Wanderers,
having thus abused the venerable Anurādha,
by calling him "novice"
and "fool,"
rose up and went away.
Thereupon the venererable Anurādha,
not long after those [100] heretic Wanderers were gone,
thought thus:
"If these heretic Wanderers were to put me a further question,
how, in answering,
should I tell them the views of the Exalted One,
without misrepresenting the Exalted One
by stating an untruth?
so that no one who agrees with his teaching
and follows his views
might reproach me.
Or:
so that I might not incur the reproach of one who agrees with his teaching
and follows his views.
Or:
so that no one repeating it might incur the reproach of one who agrees with his teaching and follows his views.
— p.p.
How should I answer
in accordance with his teaching,
so that no one who agrees with his teaching
and follows his views
might incur reproach?"
Thereupon the venerable Anurādha
went to the Exalted One and sat down.
Seated at one side
the venerable Anurādha thus addressed the Exalted One:
"I am staying here, lord,
in a forest hut
not far from the Exalted One.
Now a number of heretic Wanderers came to me
greeted me
and exchanged the courtesies of civil words
and sat down at one side.
So seated,
those heretic Wanderers said to me:
'Friend Anurādha,
a Tathāgata,
a superman,
one of the best of men,
a winner of the highest gain,
is proclaimed in [one of] these fpur ways:
"A Tathāgata comes to be after death;
or he does not come to be after death;
or he both comes to be and does not come to be after death;
or he neither comes to be nor comes not to be after death."'
Upon this
I said to those heretic Wanderers:
'Friends, a Tathāgata,
a superman,
one of the best of men,
a winner of the highest gain,
is spoken of
in other than those four ways, to wit:
"A Tathāgata comes to be after death;
or he does not come to be after death;
or he both comes to be and does not come to be after death;
or he neither comes to be nor comes not to be after death."'
Upon this
those heretic Wanderers said of me:
'This brother must be a novice,
not long ordained.
Or, if he is an elder,
he is an ignorant fool.'
So those heretic Wanderers,
having thus abused me,
by calling me 'novice'
and 'fool,'
rose up and went away.
Thereupon, not long after those heretic Wanderers were gone,
I thought thus:
'If these heretic Wanderers were to put me a further question,
how, in answering,
should I tell them the views of the Exalted One,
without misrepresenting the Exalted One
by stating an untruth?
How should I answer
in accordance with his teaching,
so that no one who agrees with his teaching
and follows his views
might incur reproach?'"
§
"Now what think you, Anurādha?
Is body permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"But that which is impermanent,
woeful,
unstable in nature,
is it right to regard it thus:
'This is mine,
this am I
this is the Self of me?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is feeling permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"But that which is impermanent,
woeful,
unstable in nature,
is it right to regard it thus:
'This is mine,
this am I
this is the Self of me?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is perception permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"But that which is impermanent,
woeful,
unstable in nature,
is it right to regard it thus:
'This is mine,
this am I
this is the Self of me?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Are the activities permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"But that which is impermanent,
woeful,
unstable in nature,
is it right to regard it thus:
'This is mine,
this am I
this is the Self of me?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"But that which is impermanent,
woeful,
unstable in nature,
is it right to regard it thus:
'This is mine,
this am I
this is the Self of me?'"
"Surely not, lord."
§
"Therefore, Anurādha, every body whatever,
be it past,
future
or present,
be it inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or high,
far or near, -
every body should be thus regarded,
as it really is,
by right insight:
'This is not mine.
This I am not.
This is not the Self of me.'
■
Every feeling whatever,
be it past,
future
or present,
be it inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or high,
far or near, -
every feeling should be thus regarded,
as it really is,
by right insight:
'This is not mine.
This I am not.
This is not the Self of me.'
■
Every perception whatever,
be it past,
future
or present,
be it inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or high,
far or near, -
every perception should be thus regarded,
as it really is,
by right insight:
'This is not mine.
This I am not.
This is not the Self of me.'
■
Every activity whatever,
be it past,
future
or present,
be it inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or high,
far or near, -
every activity should be thus regarded,
as it really is,
by right insight:
'This is not mine.
This I am not.
This is not the Self of me.'
■
Every consciousness whatever,
be it past,
future
or present,
be it inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or high,
far or near, -
every consciousness should be thus regarded,
as it really is,
by right insight:
'This is not mine.
This I am not.
This is not the Self of me.'
§
Wherefore, Anurādha, he who thus sees
conceives disgust at body,
at feeling,
at perception,
at the activities,
at consciousness.
Being disgusted
he is repelled by them;
by that repulsion he is released;
by that release he is set free;
knowledge arises:
in the freed man is the freed thing,
and he knows:
'Destroyed is rebirth;
lived is the righteous life;
done is the task;
for life in these conditions
there is no hereafter.'
§
Now as to this, Anurādha,
what think you?
Do you regard a Tathāgata's body
as the Tathāgata?"
[101] "Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata's feelings
as the Tathāgata?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata's perceptions
as the Tathāgata?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata's activities
as the Tathāgata?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata's consciousness
as the Tathāgata?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Now as to this, Anurādha, what think you?
Do you regard a Tathāgata
as [his] body?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as apart from body?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as having no body?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as [his] feelings?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as apart from feelings?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as having no feelings?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as [his] perceptions?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as apart from perceptions?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as having no perceptions?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as [his] activities?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as apart from activities?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as having no activities?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as [his] consciousness?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as apart from consciousness?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Do you regard a Tathāgata
as having no consciousness?"
"Surely not, lord."
§
"Then, Anurādha,
since in this very life
a Tathāgata is not to be regarded
as existing in truth,
in reality,
is it proper for you to pronounce this of him:
"Friends, he who is a Tathāgata,
a superman,
one of the best of beings,
a winner of the highest gain,
is proclaimed in other than these four ways:
'A Tathāgata comes to be after death;
or he does not come to be after death;
or he both comes to be and does not come to be after death;
or he neither comes to be nor comes not to be after death.'"
"Surely not, lord."
"Well said!
Well said, Anurādha!
Both formerly and now also, Anurādha,
it is just sorrow
and the ceasing of sorrow
that I proclaim."[2]
[1] This sutta is repeated and expanded at S. iv, 380-6. The name is famous as that of the capital city of ancient Ceylon, Anurādha-pura.
[2] = M. i, 140. The matter is left a mystery, as not tending to edification or release. At S. iv, 385 it is said to be avyākataṇ, 'not declared.'
