English
but arisen by chance'? Do not say so, Kassapa, the Blessed One said. Is it, Master Gotama, that 'there is no suffering'? No, Kassapa, there is not no suffering. Indeed, Kassapa, there is suffering. Then Master Gotama does not know suffering, does not see it. No, Kassapa, I do not not know suffering, I do not not see it. Indeed, Kassapa, I know suffering; Indeed, Kassapa, I see suffering. When asked, Master Gotama, 'Is suffering self-made?', you say, 'Do not say so, Kassapa.' When asked, Master Gotama, 'Is suffering made by another?', you say, 'Do not say so, Kassapa.' When asked, Master Gotama, 'Is suffering both self-made and made by another?', you say, 'Do not say so, Kassapa.' Then, Master Gotama, 'is not self-made... When asked, "Is suffering arisen by chance?" You said, "Not so, Kassapa." When asked, "Is there no suffering, good Gotama?" You said, "Indeed, Kassapa, there is not no suffering; Indeed, Kassapa, there is suffering." When asked, "Then Venerable Gotama does not know suffering, does not see suffering?" You said, "Indeed, Kassapa, I do not not know suffering, I do not not see suffering. Indeed, Kassapa, I know suffering; Indeed, Kassapa, I see suffering." "Let the Blessed One, Venerable Sir, explain suffering to me. Let the Blessed One, Venerable Sir, teach me suffering." "When one says, 'He who acts is he who experiences,' Kassapa, this, from the beginning, being 'self-made suffering,' leads to eternalism. When one says, 'Another acts, another experiences,' Kassapa, this, being 'other-made suffering' for one afflicted by feeling, leads to annihilationism. Avoiding these two extremes, Kassapa, the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma by the middle way: 'Ignorance is the condition for volitional formations; Volitional formations are the condition for consciousness... ...and so there is the origin of this entire mass of suffering. But with the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, there is the cessation of volitional formations; With the cessation of volitional formations, there is the cessation of consciousness... ...and so there is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering.'" When this was said, the naked ascetic Kassapa 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 bring an oil lamp into the darkness so that those with eyes might see forms; Even so has the Dhamma been made clear by the Blessed One in many ways. I go for refuge, Venerable Sir, to the Blessed One, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. May I receive the going forth, Venerable Sir, in the presence of the Blessed One. May I receive the full ordination." "Kassapa, whoever was formerly a follower of another sect..." Whoever in this Dhamma and Discipline desires to go forth, desires to receive ordination, he shall undergo probation for four months. After the lapse of four months, when the probation is completed, if the bhikkhus are willing, they may ordain him, they may give him full ordination to the state of a bhikkhu. But I have known individual differences. “If, venerable sir, one who was formerly of another sect in this Dhamma and Discipline desires to go forth, desires to receive ordination, he undergoes probation for four months. After the lapse of four months, when the probation is completed, if the bhikkhus are willing, they ordain him, they give him full ordination to the state of a bhikkhu. I will undergo probation for four years. After the lapse of four years, when the probation is completed, may the bhikkhus, if willing, ordain me, may they give me full ordination to the state of a bhikkhu.” Then the naked ascetic Kassapa received the going forth from the Blessed One, he received the full ordination. Not long after his ordination, Venerable Kassapa, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, and resolute, not long thereafter, by realizing it for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, entered upon and abode in that unsurpassed goal of the holy life, for the sake of which sons of good families rightly go forth from home to homelessness. He directly knew: “Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.” And Venerable Kassapa became one of the Arahants. The seventh. 8. The Timbaruka Sutta 18. Dwelling at Savatthi. Then the wandering ascetic Timbaruka approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Timbaruka The wanderer said this to the Blessed One: “Is it, good Gotama, that pleasure and pain are self-made?” “Not so, Timbaruka,” the Blessed One said. “Then, good Gotama, are pleasure and pain made by another?” “Not so, Timbaruka,” the Blessed One said. “Is it, good Gotama, that pleasure and pain are self-made and made by another?” “Not so, Timbaruka,” the Blessed One said. “Then, good Gotama, are pleasure and pain not self-made, not made by another, but arisen by chance?” “Not so, Timbaruka,” the Blessed One said. “Is it, good Gotama, that there is no pleasure and pain?” “No, Timbaruka, there is not no pleasure and pain; there is, Timbaruka, pleasure and pain.” “Then, indeed, good Gotama does not know pleasure and pain, does not see pleasure and pain?” “No, Timbaruka, I do not not know pleasure and pain, I do not not see pleasure and pain. I know, Timbaruka, pleasure and pain; I see, Timbaruka, pleasure and pain.” “When asked, ‘Is it, good Gotama, that pleasure and pain are self-made?’ you say, ‘Not so, Timbaruka.’ When asked, ‘Then, good Gotama, are pleasure and pain made by another?’ you say, ‘Not so, Timbaruka.’ When asked, ‘Is it, good Gotama, that pleasure and pain are self-made and made by another?’ you say, ‘Not so, Timbaruka.’ When asked, ‘Then, good Gotama, are pleasure and pain not self-made, not made by another, but arisen by chance?’ you say, ‘Not so, Timbaruka.’ When asked, ‘Is it, good Gotama, that there is no pleasure and pain?’ you say, ‘No, Timbaruka, there is not no pleasure and pain; there is, Timbaruka, pleasure and pain.’ When asked, ‘Then, indeed, good Gotama does not know pleasure and pain, does not see pleasure and pain?’ you say, ‘No, Timbaruka, I do not not know pleasure and pain, I do not not see pleasure and pain. I know, Timbaruka, pleasure and pain; I see, Timbaruka, pleasure and pain.’” Timbaruka, you speak of pleasure and pain. Let Master Gotama explain pleasure and pain to me. Let Master Gotama teach me pleasure and pain. Timbaruka, I do not say that 'the feeling is the same, the one who feels is the same,' so that 'pleasure and pain are self-made.' I do not say that 'the feeling is different, the one who feels is different,' so that 'pleasure and pain are made by another,' when one is afflicted by feeling. Timbaruka, without approaching these two extremes, the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma by the middle way: 'Ignorance is the condition for volitional formations; volitional formations are the condition for consciousness... ...Thus arises this entire mass of suffering. But with the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, there is the cessation of volitional formations; with the cessation of volitional formations, there is the cessation of consciousness... ...Thus ceases this entire mass of suffering.' When this was said, the wanderer Timbaruka said to the Blessed One: "Excellent, Master Gotama... ...I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. Let Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower, who has gone for refuge from this day forth, as long as life lasts." The Eighth. 9. Discourse on the Fool and the Wise 19. Dwelling at Sāvatthī... ...Monks, for the fool, shrouded in ignorance, bound by craving, this body has thus come into being. So this body itself, and external name-and-form— here there are these two. Conditioned by these two, there is contact at the six sense bases. Touched by these, the fool experiences pleasure and pain, or by one of them. Monks, for the wise person, shrouded in ignorance, bound by craving, this body has thus come into being. So this body itself, and external name-and-form— here there are these two. Conditioned by these two, there is contact at the six sense bases. Touched by these, the wise person experiences pleasure and pain, or by one of them. Monks, what is the distinction here, what is the difference, What is the difference between the wise and the fool?" "Our teachings, venerable sir, have the Blessed One as their root, the Blessed One as their guide, the Blessed One as their refuge. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One himself would illuminate the meaning of this statement. Having heard from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it." "Then, monks, listen, pay careful attention, I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," those monks replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "And by that ignorance, monks, with which the fool is enveloped, and by that craving, with which he is conjoined, this body has come to be. That ignorance of the fool is not abandoned, and that craving is not exhausted. For what reason? Because, monks, the fool did not lead the holy life for the complete destruction of suffering. Therefore, the fool, with the breaking up of the body, goes to a body. Having gone to a body, he is not freed from birth, from old age and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. He is not freed from suffering, I say. "And by that ignorance, monks, with which the wise one is enveloped, and by that craving, with which he is conjoined, this body has come to be. That ignorance of the wise one is abandoned, and that craving is exhausted. For what reason? Because, monks, the wise one led the holy life