English
"What do you think, Udayi, is it possible to realize a world of unmixed happiness by means of a path mixed with pleasure and pain?" "The Blessed One's discourse is unbroken, the Sugata's discourse is unbroken!" "But why do you, Udayi, say—'The Blessed One's discourse is unbroken, the Sugata's discourse is unbroken'?" "For us, Venerable Sir, in our own teaching, it is thus: 'There is a world of unmixed happiness, there is a way of practice for the realization of a world of unmixed happiness.' We, Venerable Sir, being questioned, being admonished, being discoursed with by the Blessed One concerning our own teaching, are empty, hollow, mistaken." "But, Venerable Sir, is there a world of unmixed happiness, is there a way of practice for the realization of a world of unmixed happiness?" "There is, Udayi, a world of unmixed happiness, there is a way of practice for the realization of a world of unmixed happiness." "But what, Venerable Sir, is that way of practice for the realization of a world of unmixed happiness?" "Here, Udayi, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures... he enters upon and abides in the first jhāna; with the subsiding of applied thought and sustained thought... he enters upon and abides in the second jhāna; with the fading away of rapture... he enters upon and abides in the third jhāna—this, Udayi, is that way of practice for the realization of a world of unmixed happiness." "Is that not, Venerable that, the practice with characteristics is for the realization of a world of pure bliss. For, venerable sir, to that extent a world of pure bliss is realized.” “No, Udāyi, to that extent a world of pure bliss is not realized; that practice is only a practice with characteristics for the realization of a world of pure bliss.” When this was said, the assembly of Sakuludāyī the wanderer became noisy, with a loud and great clamor – “Here we are lost, our teachers too! Here we are lost, our teachers too! We do not understand anything further than this!” Then Sakuludāyī the wanderer, having made those wanderers quiet, said to the Blessed One: “To what extent then, venerable sir, is a world of pure bliss realized?” “Here, Udāyi, a bhikkhu, having abandoned pleasure… the fourth jhāna… abides having entered it. With those deities who have arisen in a world of pure bliss, he stands, converses, and engages in discussion. To that extent, Udāyi, a world of pure bliss is realized.” “Is it for the realization of this world of pure bliss, venerable sir, that bhikkhus lead the holy life in the Blessed One?” “No, Udāyi, it is not for the realization of a world of pure bliss that bhikkhus lead the holy life in me. There are, Udāyi, other states higher and more excellent, for the realization of which bhikkhus lead the holy life in me.” “What then, venerable sir, are those states higher and more excellent, for the realization of which bhikkhus lead the holy life in the Blessed One?” “Here, Udāyi, a Tathāgata arises in the world, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Enlightened One, endowed with knowledge and conduct, the Fortunate One, Knower of the world, the unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One… …he, having abandoned these five hindrances, the corruptions of the mind, the weakening of wisdom, quite secluded from sensual pleasures… He enters and dwells in the eighth jhana. This too, Udāyi, is a teaching higher and more sublime, for the realization of which monks lead the holy life in me. Furthermore, Udāyi, a monk, with the fading away of applied thought and sustained thought... enters and dwells in the second jhana... the third jhana... the fourth jhana. This too, Udāyi, is a teaching higher and more sublime, for the realization of which monks lead the holy life in me. With his mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, pliable, workable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs his mind to the knowledge of recollecting past lives. He recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births... Thus he recollects his manifold past lives with their aspects and details. This too, Udāyi, is a teaching higher and more sublime, for the realization of which monks lead the holy life in me. With his mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, pliable, workable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs his mind to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the divine eye, purified and surpassing human sight, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate... He understands beings according to their kamma. This too, Udāyi, is a teaching higher and more sublime, for the realization of which monks lead the holy life in me. With his mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, pliable, workable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs his mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the taints. He understands ‘This is suffering’ as it really is. He understands ‘This is the origin of suffering’... ‘This is the cessation of suffering’... ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering’... ‘These are the taints’ as they really are. He understands ‘This is the origin of the taints’... … ‘This is the cessation of defilements,’ ‘This is the path leading to the cessation of defilements,’ he understands as it really is. For him who thus knows, thus sees, his mind is liberated from the defilement of sensual desire, his mind is liberated from the defilement of becoming, his mind is liberated from the defilement of ignorance. In the liberated, the knowledge ‘it is liberated’ arises. ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being,’ he understands. This too, Udayi, is a teaching higher and more excellent, for the realization of which monks lead the holy life under me. These too, Udayi, are teachings higher and more excellent, for the realization of which monks lead the holy life under me.” 277. When this was said, Sakuludayi the wanderer said to the Blessed One: “Excellent, venerable sir! Excellent, venerable sir! Just as, venerable sir, one might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what was hidden, or point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness so that those with eyes might see forms; even so has the Blessed One expounded the Dhamma in various ways. I, venerable sir, go for refuge to the Blessed One, and to the Dhamma and to the Sangha of monks. May I receive, venerable sir, the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One, may I receive the full ordination.” When this was said, the assembly of Sakuludayi the wanderer said to Sakuludayi the wanderer: “Do not, good sir, Udayi, lead the holy life under the recluse Gotama; do not, good sir, Udayi, having been a teacher, live the life of a pupil. Just as, for instance, one who was a water-pot might become a dipper, so will this be for you, good sir, Udayi. Do not, good sir, Udayi, lead the holy life under the recluse Gotama; do not, good sir, Udayi, having been a teacher, live the life of a pupil.” Thus indeed, the assembly of Sakuludayi the wanderer (tried to prevent) Sakuludayi the wanderer… He lived the holy life in the Blessed One. The Lesser Sakuludāyi Sutta, the ninth, is finished. 10. The Vekhanasa Sutta Thus have I heard – At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then the wanderer Vekhanasa approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, the wanderer Vekhanasa uttered an exclamation in the presence of the Blessed One: "This is the supreme beauty, this is the supreme beauty!" "But why, Kaccāna, do you speak thus: 'This is the supreme beauty, this is the supreme beauty'? What, Kaccāna, is that supreme beauty?" "That beauty, good Gotama, beyond which there is no other beauty more excellent or more sublime, that is the supreme beauty." "But what, Kaccāna, is that beauty beyond which there is no other beauty more excellent or more sublime?" "That beauty, good Gotama, beyond which there is no other beauty more excellent or more sublime, that is the supreme beauty." "This, Kaccāna, could indeed be a long-standing claim for you: 'That beauty, good Gotama, beyond which there is no other beauty more excellent or more sublime, that is the supreme beauty,' you say, but you do not describe that beauty. Just as, Kaccāna, a man might say: 'I desire, I long for the most beautiful woman in this country.' They would say to him: 'Good sir, that most beautiful woman whom you desire, for whom you long, do you know her? Is she a noblewoman, or a brahmin woman, or a merchant woman, or a worker woman?' Being asked thus, he would say: 'No.' They would say to him: 'Good sir, that most beautiful woman whom you desire, for whom you long, do you know her? Is she named thus, of such and such a clan, or... is she tall, or short, or of medium height, or dark, or dusky, or of golden complexion, or... in such and such a village, or n..." in this village or in that town? Being asked thus, he would say, "No." Then they would say to him thus: "Good sir, that which you do not know, do not see, do you desire it, seek it?" Being asked thus, he would say, "Yes." "What do you think, Kaccāna, would not that man's statement be without foundation in such a case?" "Indeed, Venerable Gotama, in such a case, that man's statement would be without foundation." "Just so, Kaccāna, you say, 'Venerable Gotama, there is no other form higher or more excellent than this form; that is the supreme form'; yet you cannot describe that form."