Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
35. Saḷāyatana Saṃyutta
§ II: Paññāsaka Dutiya
5. Saḷa Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
35. Kindred Sayings the Sixfold Sphere of Sense
§ II: The 'Second Fifty' Suttas
5. The Chapter of the Six
Sutta 95
Māluṇkya-Putta (Dutiya Saṇgaya) Suttaṃ
Including (ii)
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][olds] Thus have I heard:
The Exalted One once staying near Sāvatthī.
Then the venerable Mālunkya's Son[1] came to see the Exalted One,
saluted him,
and sat down at one side.
Seated at one side
the venerable Mālunkya's Son said to the Exalted One: -
"Well for me, lord,
if the Exalted One would teach me a teaching in brief,
hearing which teaching from the Exalted One,
I might dwell solitary,
remote,
earnest,
ardent
and aspiring."
"Now herein, Mālunkya's Son,
what am I to say to the younger brethren
if (as in your case),
when you are a broken-down old man,
aged,
far gone in years,
come to life's end,
you ask for instruction in brief?"[2]
"Although, lord, I am a broken-down old man,
aged,
far gone in years,
come to life's end,
yet, lord,
let the Exalted One teach me a teaching in brief.
Let the Happy One
teach me a teaching in brief.
Surely I could understand the meaning
of the Exalted One's words.
Surely I should become an heir[3]
to the Exalted One's words."
"Now what think you, Mālunkya's Son?
Those objects cognizable by the eye,
objects not seen,
never seen before,
which you see not now
nor wish to see, -
have you desire,
lust
and fondness for them?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Those sounds cognizable by the ear,
objects not heard,
never heard before,
which you hear not now
nor wish to hear, -
have you desire,
lust
and fondness for them?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Those scents cognizable by the nose,
objects not smelled,[ed1]
never smelled before,
which you smell not now
nor wish to smell, -
have you desire,
lust
and fondness for them?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Those savours cognizable by the tongue,
objects not savoured,
never savoured before,
which you savour not now
nor wish to savour, -
have you desire,
lust
and fondness for them?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Those tangibles cognizable by the body,
objects not contacted,
never contacted before,
which you contact not now
nor wish to contact, -
have you desire,
lust
and fondness for them?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Those mind-states cognizable by the mind,
objects not cognized,
never before [43] cognized,
which you cognize not now
nor wish to cognize, -
have you desire,
lust
and fondness for them?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"imagined" is 'muta' most frequently translated 'sensed'
— p.p.
"Herein, then, of those things seen,
heard,
imagined,
cognizable,
in what is seen
you will have only the seen.
In what is heard
you will have only what is heard.
In the imagined
you will have only what is imagined.
In the cognized
you will have only what is cognized.
When, Mālunkya's Son, of those things seen,
heard,
imagined,
cognizable,
in what is seen
you will have only the seen.
In what is heard
you will have only what is heard.
In the imagined
you will have only what is imagined.
In the cognized
you will have only what is cognized,
you will have no 'thereby.'
As you will have no 'thereby,'
you will have no 'therein.'
As you, Mālunkya's Son will have no 'therein,'
it follows that you will have no 'here'
or 'beyond'
or 'midway between.'[4]
That is the end of ill."
"Indeed, lord, I understand in full
the meaning of what the Exalted One has spoken in brief:[5]
Sight of fair shape bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in the sight,
Greed and aversion, and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say,
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering:
Far from Nibbāna!
Sound, bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in the sight,
Greed and aversion, and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say,
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering:
Far from Nibbāna!
Smell bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in the sight,
Greed and aversion, and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say,
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering:
Far from Nibbāna!
Taste bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in the sight,
Greed and aversion, and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say,
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering:
Far from Nibbāna!
Touch, bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in the sight,
Greed and aversion, and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say,
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering:
Far from Nibbāna!
[44] Object, idea, bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in idea,
Greed and aversion; and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say, -
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering: -
Far from Nibbāna!
He who for things he sees no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he sees, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
He who for things he hears no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he hears, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
He who for things he smells no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he smells, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
He who for things he tastes no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he tastes, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
He who for things things touched no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he is touched, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
He who for things things felt no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he doth perceive, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
Indeed, lord, I understand in full the meaning of what the Exalted One has spoken in brief."
"Well said! Well said, Mālunkya's Son!
Well indeed do you understand in full the meaning of what I have spoken in brief: -
Sight of fair shape bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in the sight,
Greed and aversion, and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say,
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering:
Far from Nibbāna!
Sound, bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in the sight,
Greed and aversion, and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say,
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering:
Far from Nibbāna!
Smell bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in the sight,
Greed and aversion, and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say,
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering:
Far from Nibbāna!
Taste bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in the sight,
Greed and aversion, and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say,
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering:
Far from Nibbāna!
Touch, bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in the sight,
Greed and aversion, and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say,
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering:
Far from Nibbāna!
Object, idea, bewildering lucid thought,
If one but heed the image sweet and dear,
The heart inflamed in feeling doth o'erflow,
And clinging stayeth. Thus in him do grow
Divers emotions rooted in idea,
Greed and aversion; and the heart of him
Doth suffer grievously. Of him we say, -
Thus heaping store of pain and suffering: -
Far from Nibbāna!
He who for things he sees no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he sees, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
He who for things he hears no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he hears, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
He who for things he smells no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he smells, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
He who for things he tastes no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he tastes, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
He who for things things touched no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he is touched, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
He who for things things felt no passion breeds,
But mindful, clear of head, can suffer sense,
With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings;
And as he doth perceive, so normally he feels;
For him no heaping up, but minishing:
Thus doth he heedfully pursue his way.
Of him, building no store of ill, we say: -
Near is Nibbāna!
[45] That is how, Mālunkya's Son, you should regard in full
the meaning of what I have said in brief."
Thereupon Mālunkya's Son welcomed what was said by the Exalted One
and took pleasure therein.
And he rose from his seat,
saluted the Exalted One by the right
and went away.
And the venerable Mālunkya's Son,
dwelling solitary,
remote,
earnest,
ardent
and aspiring,
in no long time
attained that goal
for which the clansmen rightly leave home
for the homeless life,
even that unrivalled goal of righteous living,
attained it in that very life,
and knowing it for himself
abode therein,
so that he came to know:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived is the righteous life,
done is the task,
for life in these conditions
there is no hereafter."
And the venerable Mālunkya's Son was yet another of the Arahants.
[1] For Mālunkya's Son (Text has Mālukya, but Comy. Māluinkya) see Brethren, 212; M. 1, § 63; A. ii, 248. Again, at Brethren, 307, the stanzas summing up the teaching of the present section are given in full. Mrs. Rhys Davids has given so fine a rendering of them that I have ventured to include them here instead of my own.
[2] As in the passage at A. ii, 248, where he is given a teaching on taṇhā, Comy. says this brother had in his youth neglected the detailed teaching and fallen back. Yet now he asks for a comprehensive view of it. How can such a practice be advised to the young? The Master speaks thus both to depreciate and encourage him.
[3] Dāyāda.
[4] Cf. supra. § 87. That is, birth in this world, or that beyond, or the intermediate state: as you will have no grounds for rāga, dosa, moha.
[5] Here Malunkya's Son sums up the teaching, just given, in verses of his own, which the Master repeats with approval. In the last stanza of the English version, as in the second, the separate verses of the Pali are combined. [Ed. here unabridged.]
[ed1] In this and the following cases Woodward has abridged without indicating his preferred translation. I have inserted my best guess as to what he would have used.
