SN22:84 Tissa
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion the Venerable Tissa, the Blessed One's paternal cousin, [n.148] See SN21.9. informed a number of bhikkhus: "Friends, my body seems as if it has been drugged, I have become disoriented, the teachings are no longer clear to me. [n.149] This passage occurs elsewhere, e.g., in SN at SN47.9 (V 153,11–12) and SN47.13 (V 162,15–16). Spk does not explain the etymology of madhurakajato but paraphrases, "It has become unwieldy, as if heavy." Madhuraka means "sweet, pleasant, charming," but I follow PED's explanation, "full of sweet drink, intoxicated." See madhupita in I, v. 842 and I, n. 590. In explaining dhamma pi maṁ na paṭibhanti, Spk takes dhamma as "the teachings": "Even the doctrinal teachings are not clear to me; what I learned and studied does not appear." Possibly dhamma here bears the more general sense of "things." Sloth and torpor persist obsessing my mind. I am leading the holy life dissatisfied, and I have doubt about the teachings."
2Then a number of bhikkhus approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported this matter to him.
3The Blessed One then addressed a certain bhikkhu thus: "Come, bhikkhu, tell the bhikkhu Tissa in my name that the Teacher calls him."
"Yes, venerable sir," that bhikkhu replied, and he went to the Venerable Tissa and told him: "The Teacher calls you, friend Tissa."
"Yes, friend," the Venerable Tissa replied, and he approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to him: "Is it true, Tissa, sn.iii.107 that you informed a number of bhikkhus thus: ‘Friends, my body seems as if it were drugged … and I have doubt about the teachings’?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"What do you think, Tissa, if one is not devoid of lust for form, not devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for it, then with the change and alteration of that form, do sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair arise within?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
4"Good, good, Tissa! So it is, Tissa, with one who is not devoid of lust for form.
If one is not devoid of lust for feeling … for perception … for volitional formations, not devoid of desire, sn.iii.108 affection, thirst, passion, and craving for them,
then with the change and alteration of that feeling … perception … volitional formations, do sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair arise within?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
5"Good, good, Tissa! So it is, Tissa, with one who is not devoid of lust for feeling … for perception … for volitional formations.
If one is not devoid of lust for consciousness, not devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for it, then with the change and alteration of that consciousness, do sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair arise within?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
6"Good, good, Tissa! So it is, Tissa, with one who is not devoid of lust for consciousness.
If one is devoid of lust for form, devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for it, then with the change and alteration of that form, do sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair arise within?"
"No, venerable sir."
7"Good, good, Tissa! So it is, Tissa, with one who is devoid of lust for form.
If one is devoid of lust for feeling … for perception … for volitional formations … for consciousness, devoid of desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving for it,
then with the change and alteration of that consciousness, do sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair arise within?"
"No, venerable sir."
8"Good, good, Tissa! So it is, Tissa, with one who is devoid of lust for feeling … for perception … for volitional formations … for consciousness.
What do you think, Tissa, is form permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"Is feeling permanent or impermanent? … Is perception permanent or impermanent? … Are volitional formations permanent or impermanent? … Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, venerable sir."
"Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?"
"No, venerable sir."
"Therefore any kind of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, or consciousness whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near – all of these should be seen as they really are with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards form, revulsion towards feeling, revulsion towards perception, revulsion towards volitional formations, revulsion towards consciousness.
Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion his mind is liberated. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It's liberated.’ He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’
9"Suppose, Tissa, there were two men: one unskilled in the path, the other skilled in the path. The man unskilled in the path would ask the skilled man a question about the path, and the latter would say: ‘Come, good man, this is the path. Go along it a little way and you will see a fork in the road. Avoid the left-hand branch and take the right-hand branch. Go a little further and you will see a dense thicket. Go a little further and you will see a vast marshy swamp. Go a little further and you will see a steep precipice. Go a little further and you will see a delightful expanse of level ground.’
10"I have made up this simile, Tissa, in order to convey a meaning. This here is the meaning: ‘The man unskilled in the path’: this is a designation for the worldling. ‘The man skilled in the path’: this is a designation for the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One.
‘The forked road’: this is a designation for doubt. sn.iii.109 ‘The left-hand branch’: this is a designation for the wrong eightfold path; that is, wrong view … wrong concentration. ‘The right-hand branch’: this is a designation for the Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
‘The dense thicket’: this is a designation for ignorance. ‘The vast marshy swamp’: this is a designation for sensual pleasures. ‘The steep precipice’: this is a designation for despair due to anger.
‘The delightful expanse of level ground’: this is a designation for Nibbāna.
"Rejoice, Tissa! Rejoice, Tissa! I am here to exhort, I am here to assist, I am here to instruct!"
11This is what the Blessed One said. Elated, the Venerable Tissa delighted in the Blessed One's statement. [n.150] Spk: He not only delighted in it, but having gained this consolation from the Teacher, struggling and striving, after some time he was established in arahantship.
1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā tisso bhagavato pitucchāputto sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamāroceti: "api me, āvuso, madhurakajāto viya kāyo; disāpi me na pakkhāyanti; dhammāpi maṁ na paṭibhanti; thinamiddhañca me cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati; anabhirato ca brahmacariyaṁ carāmi; hoti ca me dhammesu vicikicchā"ti.
2Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: "Āyasmā, bhante, tisso bhagavato pitucchāputto sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamāroceti: ‘api me, āvuso, madhurakajāto viya kāyo; disāpi me na pakkhāyanti; dhammāpi maṁ na paṭibhanti; thinamiddhañca me cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati; anabhirato ca brahmacariyaṁ carāmi; hoti ca me dhammesu vicikicchā’"ti.
3Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: "ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena tissaṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehī"ti.
"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā yenāyasmā tisso tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ tissaṁ etadavoca: "satthā taṁ, āvuso tissa, āmantetī"ti.
"Evamāvuso"ti kho āyasmā tisso tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ tissaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: "Saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, tissa, sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamārocesi: ‘api me, āvuso, madhurakajāto viya kāyo … pe … hoti ca me dhammesu vicikicchā’"ti?
"Evaṁ, bhante".
"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, tissa, rūpe avigatarāgassa avigatacchandassa avigatapemassa avigatapipāsassa avigatapariḷāhassa avigātataṇhassa, tassa rūpassa vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti?
"Evaṁ, bhante".
4"Sādhu sādhu, tissa. Evañhetaṁ, tissa, hoti. Yathā taṁ rūpe avigatarāgassa …
vedanāya … saññāya … saṅkhāresu avigatarāgassa … pe …
tesaṁ saṅkhārānaṁ vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti?
"Evaṁ, bhante".
5"Sādhu sādhu, tissa. Evañhetaṁ, tissa, hoti. Yathā taṁ saṅkhāresu anigatarāgassa,
viññāṇe avigatarāgassa avigatacchandassa avigatapemassa avigatapipāsassa avigatapariḷāhassa avigātataṇhassa, tassa viññāṇassa vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti?
"Evaṁ, bhante".
6"Sādhu sādhu, tissa. Evañhetaṁ, tissa, hoti. Yathā taṁ viññāṇe avigatarāgassa.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, tissa, rūpe vigatarāgassa vigatacchandassa vigatapemassa vigatapipāsassa vigatapariḷāhassa vigātataṇhassa, tassa rūpassa vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
7"Sādhu sādhu, tissa. Evañhetaṁ, tissa, hoti. Yathā taṁ rūpe vigatarāgassa
… vedanāya … saññāya … saṅkhāresu vigatarāgassa … viññāṇe vigatarāgassa vigatacchandassa vigatapemassa vigatapipāsassa vigatapariḷāhassa vigātataṇhassa
tassa viññāṇassa vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
8"Sādhu sādhu, tissa. Evañhetaṁ, tissa, hoti. Yathā taṁ viññāṇe vigatarāgassa.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, tissa, rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
"Aniccaṁ, bhante".
"Vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
"Aniccaṁ, bhante".
"Tasmātiha … pe …
Evaṁ passaṁ … pe
… nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāti.
9Seyyathāpi, tissa, dve purisā – eko puriso amaggakusalo, eko puriso maggakusalo. Tamenaṁ so amaggakusalo puriso amuṁ maggakusalaṁ purisaṁ maggaṁ puccheyya. So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘ehi, bho purisa, ayaṁ maggo. Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha. Tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi dvedhāpathaṁ, tattha vāmaṁ muñcitvā dakkhiṇaṁ gaṇhāhi. Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha. Tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi tibbaṁ vanasaṇḍaṁ. Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha. Tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi mahantaṁ ninnaṁ pallalaṁ. Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha. Tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi sobbhaṁ papātaṁ. Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha. Tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi samaṁ bhūmibhāgaṁ ramaṇīyan’ti.
10Upamā kho myāyaṁ, tissa, katā atthassa viññāpanāya. Ayaṁ cevettha attho: ‘puriso amaggakusalo’ti kho, tissa, puthujjanassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘Puriso maggakusalo’ti kho, tissa, tathāgatassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassa.
‘Dvedhāpatho’ti kho, tissa, vicikicchāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘Vāmo maggo’ti kho, tissa, aṭṭhaṅgikassetaṁ micchāmaggassa adhivacanaṁ, seyyathidaṁ – micchādiṭṭhiyā … pe … micchāsamādhissa. ‘Dakkhiṇo maggo’ti kho, tissa, ariyassetaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa adhivacanaṁ, seyyathidaṁ – sammādiṭṭhiyā … pe … sammāsamādhissa.
‘Tibbo vanasaṇḍo’ti kho, tissa, avijjāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘Mahantaṁ ninnaṁ pallalan’ti kho, tissa, kāmānametaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘Sobbho papāto’ti kho, tissa, kodhūpāyāsassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘Samo bhūmibhāgo ramaṇīyo’ti kho, tissa, nibbānassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
Abhirama, tissa, abhirama, tissa. Ahamovādena ahamanuggahena ahamanusāsaniyā"ti.
11Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano āyasmā tisso bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Dutiyaṁ.