4: The Book of the Fours
195. Vappa
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Park. Then Vappa the Sakyan, a disciple of the Nigaṇṭhas, approached the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Venerable Mahāmoggallāna then said to him:
2"Here, Vappa, if one is restrained by body, speech, and mind, then, with the fading away of ignorance and the arising of true knowledge, do you see anything on account of which taints productive of painful feeling might flow in upon such a person in future lives?"
"I do see such a possibility, Bhante. In the past one did an evil deed whose result has not yet ripened. On that account taints productive of painful feeling might flow in upon a person in some future life." [n.918] This seems to have been a tenet of the Jains, who sought, through the practice of self-affliction, to eradicate past kamma. See the teaching given by Nātaputta Mahāvīra at AN3.74.
3While this conversation between the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna and Vappa the Sakyan was underway, in the evening the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and went to the attendance hall. He sat down on the appointed seat and said to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna:
4"What, Moggallāna, was the discussion that you were engaged in just now? And what was the conversation of yours that was underway?.
The Venerable Mahāmoggallāna here relates his entire conversation with Vappa the Sakyan, concluding:
"This, Bhante, was the conversation I was having with Vappa the Sakyan when the Blessed One arrived."
5Then the Blessed One said to Vappa the Sakyan: "If, Vappa, you would admit what should be admitted and reject what should be rejected; and if, when you do not understand the meaning of my words, you would question me about them further, saying: ‘How is this, Bhante? What is the meaning of this?’; then we might discuss this."
"Bhante, I will admit to the Blessed One what should be admitted and reject what should be rejected; and when I do not understand the meaning of his words, I will question him about them further, saying: ‘How is this, Bhante? What is the meaning of this?’ So let's discuss this."
6(1) "What do you think, Vappa? Those taints, distressing and feverish, that might arise because of bodily undertakings do not occur when one refrains from them. He does not create any new kamma and he terminates the old kamma having contacted it again and again. [n.919] So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañ ca kammaṁ phussa phussa vyantīkaroti. See AN3.74, n. 499. Mp's paraphrase here differs slightly from the earlier one: "Having contacted the kamma again and again by contact with knowledge, he destroys the kamma to be eliminated by means of knowledge. Having contacted the result again and again by resultant-contact, he destroys the kamma to be eliminated by experiencing the result." The wearing away is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise. Do you see, Vappa, anything on account of which taints productive of painful feeling might flow in upon such a person in future lives?"
"No, Bhante."
7(2) "What do you think, Vappa? Those taints, distressing and feverish, that might arise because of verbal undertakings do not occur when one refrains from them. 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. Do you see, Vappa, anything on account of which taints productive of painful feeling might flow in upon such a person in future lives?"
"No, Bhante."
8(3) "What do you think, Vappa? Those taints, distressing and feverish, that might arise because of mental undertakings do not occur when one refrains from them. 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. Do you see, Vappa, anything on account of which taints productive of painful feeling might flow in upon such a person in future lives?"
"No, Bhante."
9(4) "What do you think, Vappa? With the fading away of ignorance and the arising of true knowledge, those taints, distressing and feverish, that arise with ignorance as condition no longer occur. 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. Do you see, Vappa, anything on account of which taints productive of painful feeling might flow in upon such a person in future lives?"
"No, Bhante."
10"A bhikkhu thus perfectly liberated in mind, Vappa, achieves six constant dwellings. Having seen a form with the eye, he is neither joyful nor saddened, but dwells equanimous, mindful and clearly comprehending. [n.920] Mp: "Because he has acquired equanimity, which is embraced by mindfulness and clear comprehension and has mental balance as its characteristic, ‘he dwells equanimous,’ mentally balanced in relation to those objects" (satisampajaññapariggahitāya majjhattākāralakkhaṇāya upekkhāya tesu ārammaṇesu upekkhako majjhatto hutvā viharati). Having heard a sound with the ear … Having smelled an odour with the nose … Having experienced a taste with the tongue … Having felt a tactile object with the body … Having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, he is neither joyful nor saddened, but dwells equanimous, mindful and clearly comprehending.
"When he feels a feeling terminating with the body, he understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with the body.’ When he feels a feeling terminating with life, he understands: ‘I feel a feeling terminating with life.’ He understands: ‘With the breakup of the body, following the exhaustion of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.’ [n.921] This shows the arahant's attitude toward present experience. He knows that his feelings continue only as long as the body and vitality continue, and that with the perishing of the body and the extinction of vitality all feelings will come to an end. Mp explains "will become cool right here (idh’eva sītībhavissanti)" thus: "They will become cool, devoid of the disturbance and trouble caused by the occurrence of the life process; they will never recur. This takes place right here, without his going elsewhere by way of rebirth."
11"Suppose, Vappa, a shadow is seen on account of a stump. Then a man would come along bringing a shovel and a basket. He would cut down the stump at its foot, dig it up, and pull out the roots, even the fine rootlets and root-fibers. He would cut the stump into pieces, split the pieces, and reduce them to slivers. Then he would dry the slivers in the wind and sun, burn them in a fire, and reduce them to ashes. Having done so, he would winnow the ashes in a strong wind or let them be carried away by the swift current of a river. Thus the shadow that depended on that stump would be cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that it is no more subject to future arising. [n.922] Mp: "Here is the application of the simile: The body should be seen as like the tree. Wholesome and unwholesome kamma are like the shadow depending on the tree. The meditator is like the man who wants to remove the shadow; wisdom is like the shovel; concentration is like the basket; insight is like the pick (khaṇitti, not mentioned in the sutta; DOP defines both kuddāla and khaṇitti as a digging tool, a spade, a trowel). The time of digging up the roots with the pick is like the time of cutting off ignorance with the path of arahantship. The time of reducing the stump to pieces is like the time of seeing the aggregates; the time of splitting the pieces is like the time of seeing the sense bases; the time of reducing them to slivers is like the time of seeing the elements. The time of drying the slivers in the wind and sun is like the time of applying bodily and mental energy. The time of burning the slivers in a fire is like the time of burning the defilements with knowledge. The time of reducing them to ash is like the time when the five aggregates are still occurring after one reaches arahantship. The time of winnowing the ashes in a strong wind and letting them be carried away by the current is like the cessation of the five aggregates, which have been cut off at the root with no further rebirth. As the ashes winnowed and carried away go to the indiscernible state (apaññattibhāvūpagamo), so should one understand the indescribable state (appaṇṇattibhāvo) reached by the non-arising of resultant aggregates in renewed existence."
12"So too, Vappa, a bhikkhu thus perfectly liberated in mind achieves six constant dwellings. Having seen a form with the eye … Having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, he is neither joyful nor saddened, but dwells equanimous, mindful and clearly comprehending. When he feels a feeling terminating with the body, he understands … ‘With the breakup of the body, following the exhaustion of life, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.’"
13When this was said, Vappa the Sakyan, a disciple of the Nigaṇṭhas, said to the Blessed One: "Suppose, Bhante, there was a man in quest of profit who raised horses for sale, but he would not gain a profit and instead would only reap weariness and distress. Just so, in quest of profit, I attended upon the foolish Nigaṇṭhas, but I did not gain a profit and instead only reaped weariness and distress. Starting today, whatever confidence I had in the foolish Nigaṇṭhas, I winnow in a strong wind or let it be carried away by the current of a river.
"Excellent, Bhante! … … Let the Blessed One consider me as a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life."
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme. Atha kho vappo sakko nigaṇṭhasāvako yenāyasmā mahāmoggallāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho vappaṁ sakkaṁ nigaṇṭhasāvakaṁ āyasmā mahāmoggallāno etadavoca:
2"Idhassa, vappa, kāyena saṁvuto vācāya saṁvuto manasā saṁvuto avijjāvirāgā vijjuppādā. Passasi no tvaṁ, vappa, taṁ ṭhānaṁ yatonidānaṁ purisaṁ dukkhavedaniyā āsavā assaveyyuṁ abhisamparāyan"ti?
"Passāmahaṁ, bhante, taṁ ṭhānaṁ. Idhassa, bhante, pubbe pāpakammaṁ kataṁ avipakkavipākaṁ. Tatonidānaṁ purisaṁ dukkhavedaniyā āsavā assaveyyuṁ abhisamparāyan"ti. Ayañceva kho pana āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa vappena sakkena nigaṇṭhasāvakena saddhiṁ antarākathā vippakatā hoti.
3Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena upaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:
4"Kāya nuttha, moggallāna, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā; kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā"ti? "Idhāhaṁ, bhante, vappaṁ sakkaṁ nigaṇṭhasāvakaṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘idhassa, vappa, kāyena saṁvuto vācāya saṁvuto manasā saṁvuto avijjāvirāgā vijjuppādā. Passasi no tvaṁ, vappa, taṁ ṭhānaṁ yatonidānaṁ purisaṁ dukkhavedaniyā āsavā assaveyyuṁ abhisamparāyan’ti? Evaṁ vutte, bhante, vappo sakko nigaṇṭhasāvako maṁ etadavoca: ‘passāmahaṁ, bhante, taṁ ṭhānaṁ. Idhassa, bhante, pubbe pāpakammaṁ kataṁ avipakkavipākaṁ. Tatonidānaṁ purisaṁ dukkhavedaniyā āsavā assaveyyuṁ abhisamparāyan’ti. Ayaṁ kho no, bhante, vappena sakkena nigaṇṭhasāvakena saddhiṁ antarākathā vippakatā; atha bhagavā anuppatto"ti.
5Atha kho bhagavā vappaṁ sakkaṁ nigaṇṭhasāvakaṁ etadavoca: "Sace me tvaṁ, vappa, anuññeyyañceva anujāneyyāsi, paṭikkositabbañca paṭikkoseyyāsi, yassa ca me bhāsitassa atthaṁ na jāneyyāsi mamevettha uttari paṭipuccheyyāsi: ‘idaṁ, bhante, kathaṁ, imassa ko attho’ti, siyā no ettha kathāsallāpo"ti.
"Anuññeyyañcevāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato anujānissāmi, paṭikkositabbañca paṭikkosissāmi, yassa cāhaṁ bhagavato bhāsitassa atthaṁ na jānissāmi bhagavantaṁyevettha uttari paṭipucchissāmi: ‘idaṁ, bhante, kathaṁ, imassa ko attho’ti? Hotu no ettha kathāsallāpo"ti.
6"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, vappa, ye kāyasamārambhapaccayā uppajjanti āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, kāyasamārambhā paṭiviratassa evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti. So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti, sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhi. Passasi no tvaṁ, vappa, taṁ ṭhānaṁ yatonidānaṁ purisaṁ dukkhavedaniyā āsavā assaveyyuṁ abhisamparāyan"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
7"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, vappa, ye vacīsamārambhapaccayā uppajjanti āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, vacīsamārambhā paṭiviratassa evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti. So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti. Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhi. Passasi no tvaṁ, vappa, taṁ ṭhānaṁ yatonidānaṁ purisaṁ dukkhavedaniyā āsavā assaveyyuṁ abhisamparāyan"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
8"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, vappa, ye manosamārambhapaccayā uppajjanti āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, manosamārambhā paṭiviratassa evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti. So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti. Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhi. Passasi no tvaṁ, vappa, taṁ ṭhānaṁ yatonidānaṁ purisaṁ dukkhavedaniyā āsavā assaveyyuṁ abhisamparāyan"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
9"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, vappa, ye avijjāpaccayā uppajjanti āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, avijjāvirāgā vijjuppādā evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti. So navañca kammaṁ na karoti, purāṇañca kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkaroti. Sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā akālikā ehipassikā opaneyyikā paccattaṁ veditabbā viññūhi. Passasi no tvaṁ, vappa, taṁ ṭhānaṁ yatonidānaṁ purisaṁ dukkhavedaniyā āsavā assaveyyuṁ abhisamparāyan"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
10"Evaṁ sammā vimuttacittassa kho, vappa, bhikkhuno cha satatavihārā adhigatā honti. So cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā neva sumano hoti na dummano; upekkhako viharati sato sampajāno. Sotena saddaṁ sutvā … pe … ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … pe … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … pe … kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā … pe … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya neva sumano hoti na dummano; upekkhako viharati sato sampajāno.
So kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vediyamāno ‘kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vediyāmī’ti pajānāti; jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vediyamāno ‘jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vediyāmī’ti pajānāti; ‘kāyassa bhedā uddhaṁ jīvitapariyādānā idheva sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sītī bhavissantī’ti pajānāti.
11Seyyathāpi, vappa, thūṇaṁ paṭicca chāyā paññāyati. Atha puriso āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya. So taṁ thūṇaṁ mūle chindeyya; mūle chinditvā palikhaṇeyya; palikhaṇitvā mūlāni uddhareyya, antamaso usīranāḷimattānipi. So taṁ thūṇaṁ khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chindeyya. Khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chetvā phāleyya. Phāletvā sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ kareyya. Sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ katvā vātātape visoseyya. Vātātape visosetvā agginā ḍaheyya. Agginā ḍahetvā masiṁ kareyya. Masiṁ karitvā mahāvāte vā ophuṇeyya nadiyā vā sīghasotāya pavāheyya. Evaṁ hissa, vappa, yā thūṇaṁ paṭicca chāyā sā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.
12Evamevaṁ kho, vappa, evaṁ sammā vimuttacittassa bhikkhuno cha satatavihārā adhigatā honti. So cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā neva sumano hoti na dummano; upekkhako viharati sato sampajāno. Sotena saddaṁ sutvā … pe … ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … pe … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … pe … kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā … pe … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya neva sumano hoti na dummano; upekkhako viharati sato sampajāno. So kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vediyamāno ‘kāyapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vediyāmī’ti pajānāti; jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vediyamāno ‘jīvitapariyantikaṁ vedanaṁ vediyāmī’ti pajānāti; ‘kāyassa bhedā uddhaṁ jīvitapariyādānā idheva sabbavedayitāni anabhinanditāni sītī bhavissantī’ti pajānāti".
13Evaṁ vutte, vappo sakko nigaṇṭhasāvako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Seyyathāpi, bhante, puriso udayatthiko assapaṇiyaṁ poseyya. So udayañceva nādhigaccheyya, uttariñca kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assa. Evamevaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, udayatthiko bāle nigaṇṭhe payirupāsiṁ. Svāhaṁ udayañceva nādhigacchiṁ, uttariñca kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī ahosiṁ. Esāhaṁ, bhante, ajjatagge yo me bālesu nigaṇṭhesu pasādo taṁ mahāvāte vā ophuṇāmi nadiyā vā sīghasotāya pavāhemi.
Abhikkantaṁ, bhante … pe … upāsakaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.
Pañcamaṁ.