Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
41. Citta Saṃyutta
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
41. Kindred Sayings about Citta
Sutta 8
Nigaṇṭha Suttaṃ
Nigaṇṭha
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
[1] Now at that time the Nigaṇṭha,[1] Nāṭa's Son, had come to Macchikasaṇḍa together with a great company of the Nigaṇṭhas.
Now Citta, the housefather, heard it said:
"The Nigaṇṭha, Nāta's Son, has come to Macchikasaṇḍa
together with a great company of the Nigaṇṭhas."
So Citta, the housefather, with a number of followers,
went to visit the Nigaṇṭha, Nāṭa's Son,
and on coming to him greeted him in friendly wise,
and after the exchange of greetings and courtesies
sat down at one side.
As he thus sat,
the Nigaṇṭha, Nāta's Son, said to Citta, the housefather:
"Hast thou faith, housefather,
in the teaching of Gotama, the recluse,
that there is a mental balance
without thought directed and sustained,
that there is a ceasing
of thought directed and sustained?"
"Herein, sir, I do not walk with faith
in the teaching[2] of Gotama, the recluse,
that there is a mental balance
without thought directed and sustained,
that there is a ceasing
of thought directed and sustained."
At these words, the Nigaṇṭha, Nāta's Son,
looking round[3] on his own company, said:
"I would have you look, sirs,
how straight is this housefather Citta,
how guileless[4] is this housefather Citta,
how ingenuous is this housefather Citta!
Why, he who should think there can be any ceasing
of thought directed and sustained,
might think the mind could be caught in a net,
or that Gangā's stream
could be held back with his own fist!"
"Now what think you sir?
Which is the more excellent,
knowledge or faith?"
"Why, housefather,
knowledge is more excellent than faith."[5]
"Now I, sir, if I so desire,
aloof from lusts,
aloof from states that are evil,
can enter upon the first trance,
which is joined with thought directed and sustained,
born of solitude,
zestful and easeful,
and can abide therein.
I, sir, if I so desire,
by the calming down
of thought directed and sustained[ed1]
by entering on the inward calm,
that single-mindedness of will,
apart from thought directed and sained,
born of mental blance,
zestful and full of ease,
can enter on the second trance and abide therein.
I, sir, if I so desire,
by the fading ut of zest
become balanced
and remain mindful and composed,
and experience with the body
the happiness of which the Ariyans aver:
'The balanced thoughtful man dwells happily'
can enter on the third trance and abide therein.
I, sir, if I so desire,
by abandoning ease and pain,
by the coming to an end
of the joy and sorrow which I had before,
can enter on the fourth trance
which is free of pain and free of pleasure,
a state of perfect purity of balance and equanimity,
and abide therein.
Thus knowing, sir,
thus seeing,
believing what other recluse or brahmin,
should I hold
that there is a mental balance
without thought directed and sustained,
or that there is a ceasing of thought directed and sustained?"
At these words,
the Nigaṇṭha, Nāta's Son,
looking around on his company, said:
"I would have you look, sirs,
how crooked is this housefather,
how crafty,
how counterfeiting is this housefather Citta!"
'Now, indeed, sir, we understand your saying:
'I would have ye look, sirs,
how straight is this housefather Citta,
how guileless,
how honest is this housefather Citta.'
And now indeed we understand your saying:
'I would have ye look, sirs,
how crooked is this housefather Citta,
how crafty,
how dishonest is this housefather Citta.'
If, sir, your first assertion was true,
your last was false.
And if your last was true,
your first was false.
Now here, sir,
these ten reasonable questions[6] arise.
If you know the way to [208] reply to them,
you should give me a counter-blow
along with your company.
One question,
one explanation,
one answer.[7]
Two questions,
two explanations,
two answers.
Three questions,
three explanations,
three answers.
Four questions,
four explanations,
four answers.
Five questions,
five explanations,
five answers.
Six questions,
six explanations,
six answers.
Seven questions,
seven explanations,
seven answers.
Eight questions,
eight explanations,
eight answers.
Nine questions,
nine explanations,
nine answers.
Ten questions,
ten explanations,
ten answers."
Then Citta, the housefather,
getting no reply to these ten reasonable questions,
rose up from his seat and went away.
[1] He was Vardhamāna, the head of the Jain community. Cf. D. i, 57. The word means 'free from bonds.'
[2] I.e., 'not with faith only.' Comy. says that to assert faith in a teaching is the method of those who have not declared aññā, realization. [MO: This is speaking about the second jhana, something attainable by ordinary laymen. Citta was a Non-returner, and I don't believe non-returners were said to have aññā,]
[3] Reading apaloketvā, as below, with Sinh. MSS. and MSS. of Comy. Text has ulloketvā.
[4] Reading asaṭha for text's asaṭṭha.
[5] The three 'jewels' of the Jains — unlike the three later so called of the Buddhists — were morals, faith, and knowledge.
[6] Saha-dhammikā = sa-kāraṇā. Comy. says these are the Kumāra-pañha or 'novice's catechism' of ten questions. Cf. KhP. 2: D. i. 94.
[7] Text veyyākaraṇaṇ. MSS. of Comy. byākaraṇaṇ.
[ed1] Woodward abridges the jhāna formulas. I have unabridged them according to his version in SN 4.36.19.
