1On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Vesālī in the hall with the peaked roof in the Great Wood. Then the Licchavi Abhaya and the Licchavi Paṇḍitakumāra approached the Venerable Ānanda, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. [n.495] The Licchavis were the dominant clan in the Vajji republic, which had its capital at Vesālī. The Licchavi Abhaya then said to the Venerable Ānanda:

"Bhante, the Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta claims to be all-knowing and all-seeing and to have all-embracing knowledge and vision, (saying): ‘When I am walking, standing, sleeping, and awake, knowledge and vision are constantly and continuously present to me.’ [n.496] For a satire of Nātaputta's claim to omniscience, see MN 76.16, II 519,13–33. He prescribes the termination of old kammas by means of austerity and the demolition of the bridge by not creating any new kamma. [n.497] So purāṇānaṁ kammānaṁ tapasā byantībhāvaṁ paññāpeti navānaṁ kammānaṁ akaraṇā setughātaṁ. Mp: "He declares the destruction by austere practice of accumulated kammas (āyūhitakammānaṁ) and the present non-accumulation of any kammas that might have been accumulated. The demolition of the bridge (setughātaṁ) is the demolition of the factor and the demolition of the condition (padaghātaṁ paccayaghātaṁ)." Presumably what is meant is the destruction of kammic accumulations and their condition. SED gives "bond, fetter" as meanings of setu, which seems to fit here. Thus, through the destruction of kamma, suffering is destroyed. Through the destruction of suffering, feeling is destroyed. Through the destruction of feeling, all suffering will be worn away. In this way, the overcoming (of suffering) takes place through this directly visible purification by wearing away. [n.498] Evam etissā sandiṭṭhikāya nijjarāya visuddhiyā samatikkamo hoti. The "wearing away" (nijjarā) of old kamma through austerities is a fundamental Jain concept. What does the Blessed One say about this?"

2"Abhaya, these three kinds of wearing-away purification have been properly expounded by the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One who knows and sees, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and dejection, for the achievement of the method, for the realization of nibbāna. What three?

(1) "Here, Abhaya, a bhikkhu is virtuous … (as in 3:73) … Having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. He does not create any new kamma and he terminates the old kamma having contacted it again and again. [n.499] So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa vyantīkaroti. Mp. "He does not accumulate new kamma. ‘Old kamma’ is the kamma accumulated in the past. Having contacted it again and again, he makes it vanish. This means that having contacted the resultant-contact again and again, he destroys that kamma." The wearing away is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise.

3(2) "When, Abhaya, this bhikkhu is thus accomplished in virtuous behavior, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters and dwells in the first jhāna … (as in 3:58) … the fourth jhāna …. He does not create any new kamma and he terminates the old kamma having contacted it again and again. The wearing away is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise.

4(3) "When, Abhaya, this bhikkhu is thus accomplished in virtuous behavior and concentration, then, with the destruction of the taints, he realizes for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it. He does not create any new kamma and he terminates the old kamma having contacted it again and again. The wearing away is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise. [n.500] Mp identifies the three stages of wearing away with the four noble attainments. The description of the bhikkhu in the first "wearing away" as virtuous, according to Mp, indicates the lower two paths and fruits—those of stream-entry and the once-returner—for disciples at these stages are said to have fulfilled virtuous behavior. The description of the bhikkhu in the second "wearing away," as one who attains the four jhānas, indicates the attainment of the third path and fruit, that of the non-returner, described as one who has fulfilled concentration. And the description of the bhikkhu in the third "wearing away" as one who has reached the destruction of the taints indicates the fruit of arahantship, since the arahant has fulfilled wisdom. Mp mentions another interpretation, which holds that all three kinds of "wearing away" are descriptions of arahantship, made from the standpoint of the arahant's virtue, concentration, and wisdom. For the correlation between the three trainings and the four noble attainments, see AN3.86.

"These, Abhaya, are the three kinds of wearing-away purification that have been properly expounded by the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One who knows and sees, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and dejection, for the achievement of the method, for the realization of nibbāna."

5When this was said, the Licchavi Paṇḍitakumāra said to the Licchavi Abhaya: "Why, friend Abhaya, don’t you thank [n.501] Abbhanumodasi. Lit. "to rejoice along with." the Venerable Ānanda for his well-stated words?.

"How, friend, could I not thank the Venerable Ānanda for his well-stated words? If one were not to thank the Venerable Ānanda for his well-stated words, one's head would split apart!"

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho abhayo ca licchavi paṇḍitakumārako ca licchavi yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho abhayo licchavi āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:.

"nigaṇṭho, bhante, nāṭaputto sabbaññū sabbadassāvī aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti: ‘carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti. So purāṇānaṁ kammānaṁ tapasā byantībhāvaṁ paññāpeti navānaṁ kammānaṁ akaraṇā setughātaṁ. Iti kammakkhayā dukkhakkhayo, dukkhakkhayā vedanākkhayo, vedanākkhayā sabbaṁ dukkhaṁ nijjiṇṇaṁ bhavissati – evametissā sandiṭṭhikāya nijjarāya visuddhiyā samatikkamo hoti. Idha, bhante, bhagavā kimāhā"ti?

2"Tisso kho imā, abhaya, nijjarā visuddhiyo tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātā sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya. Katamā tisso.

Idha, abhaya, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti … pe … samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu. So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti. Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhīti.

3Sa kho so, abhaya, bhikkhu evaṁ sīlasampanno vivicceva kāmehi … pe … catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti. Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhīti.

4Sa kho so, abhaya, bhikkhu evaṁ samādhisampanno āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti. Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhīti.

Imā kho, abhaya, tisso nijjarā visuddhiyo tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātā sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā"ti.

5Evaṁ vutte, paṇḍitakumārako licchavi abhayaṁ licchaviṁ etadavoca: "Kiṁ pana tvaṁ, samma abhaya, āyasmato ānandassa subhāsitaṁ subhāsitato nābbhanumodasī"ti.

"Kyāhaṁ, samma paṇḍitakumāraka, āyasmato ānandassa subhāsitaṁ subhāsitato nābbhanumodissāmi. Muddhāpi tassa vipateyya yo āyasmato ānandassa subhāsitaṁ subhāsitato nābbhanumodeyyā"ti.

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Catutthaṁ.