9: The Book of the Nines
13. Koṭṭhita
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1Then the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita approached the Venerable Sāriputta and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Venerable Sāriputta:
"Now, friend Sāriputta, is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: ‘Let kamma whose result is to be experienced in this life become kamma whose result I am to experience in a future life’?" [n.1859] Mp glosses samparāyavedanīyaṁ as "kamma ripening in the next existence" (dutiye attabhāve vipaccanakakammaṁ).
"Certainly not, friend."
2"Then is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: ‘Let kamma whose result is to be experienced in a future life become kamma whose result I am to experience in this life’?"
"Certainly not, friend."
3"Now, friend Sāriputta, is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: ‘Let kamma whose result is to be experienced as pleasant become kamma whose result I am to experience as painful?’" [n.1860] I translate following Be and Ee, which read dukkhavedaniyaṁ. Ce has sukhavedaniyaṁ, presumably because of the difficulty in seeing why the practitioner would want his kamma to be felt as painful.
"Certainly not, friend."
4"Then is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: ‘Let kamma whose result is to be experienced as painful become kamma whose result I am to experience as pleasant ‘?"
"Certainly not, friend."
5"Now, friend Sāriputta, is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: ‘Let my kamma whose result is to be experienced when it has matured become kamma whose result I am to experience while it has not matured’?" [n.1861] Mp glosses paripakkavedanīyaṁ as laddhavipākavāraṁ, "(kamma) that has gained the chance to yield results." Its opposite, aparipakkavedanīyaṁ, is aladdhavipākavāraṁ, "(kamma) that has not gained the chance to yield results."
"Certainly not, friend."
6"Then is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: ‘Let kamma whose result is to be experienced while it has not matured become kamma whose result I am to experience when it has matured’?"
"Certainly not, friend."
7"Now, friend Sāriputta, is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: ‘Let kamma whose result is to be experienced copiously become kamma whose result I am to experience just slightly’?"
"Certainly not, friend."
8"Then is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: ‘Let kamma whose result is to be experienced just slightly become kamma whose result I am to experience copiously’?"
"Certainly not, friend."
9"Now, friend Sāriputta, is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: ‘Let kamma whose result is to be experienced become kamma whose result I am not to experience’?" [n.1862] Mp-ṭ: "Kamma to be experienced is (kamma) that has not yet started to ripen but which is capable of producing results when there is an assemblage of other conditions. Kamma not to be experienced is classified as ahosikamma, etc., which is incapable of ripening because of a deficiency of conditions" (vedanīyan ti paccayantarasamavāye vipākuppādanasamatthaṁ, na āraddhavipākam eva; avedanīyan ti paccayavekallena vipaccituṁ asamatthaṁ ahosikammādibhedaṁ). The concept of ahosikamma, kamma that never obtains a chance to ripen, is derived from Paṭis II 78,2–10 (Be §234). See too CMA 205.
"Certainly not, friend."
10"Then is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: ‘Let kamma whose result is not to be experienced become kamma whose result I am to experience’?"
"Certainly not, friend." [n.1863] Mahākoṭṭhita asks Sāriputta a total of ten questions and receives ten replies. It thus seems peculiar that this sutta is included among the Nines, yet there is no other indication of a numerical framework than the number of questions asked and answered.
11"Friend Sāriputta, when you are asked: ‘Now, friend Sāriputta, is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: "Let kamma whose result is to be experienced in this life become kamma whose result I am to experience in a future life"?’ you say: ‘Certainly not, friend.’
12-20And when you are asked: ‘Then is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: "Let kamma whose result is to be experienced in a future life become kamma whose result I am to experience in this life"?’ you say: ‘Certainly not, friend.’ … … When you are asked: ‘Now, friend Sāriputta, is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: "Let kamma whose result is to be experienced become kamma whose result I am not to experience"?’ you say: ‘Certainly not, friend.’ And when you are asked: ‘Then is the spiritual life lived under the Blessed One for this purpose: "Let kamma whose result is not to be experienced become kamma whose result I am to experience"?’ you say: ‘Certainly not, friend.’ Then for what purpose does one live the spiritual life under the Blessed One?"
21"One lives the spiritual life under the Blessed One, friend, for the purpose of knowing, seeing, attaining, realizing, and penetrating what one has not known, seen, attained, realized, and penetrated."
"But, friend, what is it that one has not known, seen, attained, realized, and penetrated?"
"‘This is suffering,’ friend, is what one has not known, seen, attained, realized, and penetrated, and it is for the purpose of knowing, seeing, attaining, realizing, and penetrating this that one lives the spiritual life under the Blessed One. ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering’ is what one has not known, seen, attained, realized, and penetrated, and it is for the purpose of knowing, seeing, attaining, realizing, and penetrating this that one lives the spiritual life under the Blessed One. This, friend, is what one has not known, seen, attained, realized, and penetrated, and it is for the purpose of knowing, seeing, attaining, realizing, and penetrating this that one lives the spiritual life under the Blessed One."
1Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: "Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, ‘Yaṁ kammaṁ diṭṭhadhammavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ samparāyavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
"No hidaṁ, āvuso".
2"Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, ‘Yaṁ kammaṁ samparāyavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ diṭṭhadhammavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
"No hidaṁ, āvuso".
3"Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, ‘Yaṁ kammaṁ sukhavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ dukkhavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti? "No hidaṁ, āvuso".
4"Kiṁ panāvuso, sāriputta, ‘Yaṁ kammaṁ dukkhavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ sukhavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
"No hidaṁ, āvuso".
5"Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, ‘Yaṁ kammaṁ paripakkavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ aparipakkavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
"No hidaṁ, āvuso".
6"Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, ‘Yaṁ kammaṁ aparipakkavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ paripakkavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
"No hidaṁ, āvuso".
7"Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, ‘Yaṁ kammaṁ bahuvedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ appavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
"No hidaṁ, āvuso".
8"Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, ‘Yaṁ kammaṁ appavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ bahuvedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
"No hidaṁ, āvuso".
9"Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, ‘Yaṁ kammaṁ vedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ avedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
"No hidaṁ, āvuso".
10"Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, ‘Yaṁ kammaṁ avedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ vedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
"No hidaṁ, āvuso".
11"‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ diṭṭhadhammavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ samparāyavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.
12‘Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ samparāyavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ diṭṭhadhammavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.
13‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ sukhavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ dukkhavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.
14‘Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ dukkhavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ sukhavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.
15‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ paripakkavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ aparipakkavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.
16‘Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ aparipakkavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ paripakkavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.
17‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ bahuvedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ appavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.
18‘Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ appavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ bahuvedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.
19‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ vedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ avedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.
20‘Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ avedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ vedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi. Atha kimatthaṁ carahāvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti?
21"Yaṁ khvassa, āvuso, aññātaṁ adiṭṭhaṁ appattaṁ asacchikataṁ anabhisametaṁ, tassa ñāṇāya dassanāya pattiyā sacchikiriyāya abhisamayāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatīti.
Kiṁ panassāvuso, aññātaṁ adiṭṭhaṁ appattaṁ asacchikataṁ anabhisametaṁ, yassa ñāṇāya dassanāya pattiyā sacchikiriyāya abhisamayāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatīti?
‘Idaṁ dukkhan’ti khvassa, āvuso, aññātaṁ adiṭṭhaṁ appattaṁ asacchikataṁ anabhisametaṁ. Tassa ñāṇāya dassanāya pattiyā sacchikiriyāya abhisamayāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. ‘Ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti khvassa, āvuso … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti khvassa, āvuso … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti khvassa, āvuso, aññātaṁ adiṭṭhaṁ appattaṁ asacchikataṁ anabhisametaṁ. Tassa ñāṇāya dassanāya pattiyā sacchikiriyāya abhisamayāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. Idaṁ khvassa, āvuso, aññātaṁ adiṭṭhaṁ appattaṁ asacchikataṁ anabhisametaṁ. Tassa ñāṇāya dassanāya pattiyā sacchikiriyāya abhisamayāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī"ti.
Tatiyaṁ.