SN22:89 Khemaka
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1On one occasion a number of elder bhikkhus were dwelling at Kosambi in Ghosita's Park. Now on that occasion the Venerable Khemaka was living at Jujube Tree Park, sick, afflicted, gravely ill.
Then, in the evening, those elder bhikkhus emerged from seclusion and addressed the Venerable Dasaka thus: "Come, friend Dasaka, approach the bhikkhu Khemaka and say to him:
‘The elders say to you, friend Khemaka: We hope that you are bearing up, friend, we hope that you are getting better. We hope that your painful feelings are subsiding and not increasing, and that their subsiding, not their increase, is to be discerned.’"
"Yes, friends," the Venerable Dasaka replied, and he approached the Venerable Khemaka and delivered his message.
The Venerable Khemaka answered: "I am not bearing up, friend, I am not getting better. Strong painful feelings are increasing in me, not subsiding, and their increase, not their subsiding, is to be discerned."
2Then the Venerable Dasaka approached the elder bhikkhus and reported what the Venerable Khemaka had said.
They told him: "Come, friend Dasaka, approach the bhikkhu Khemaka and say to him: ‘The elders say to you, friend Khemaka: These five aggregates subject to clinging, friend, have been spoken of by the Blessed One; that is, the form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the volitional formations aggregate subject to clinging, the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging.
Does the Venerable Khemaka regard anything as self or as belonging to self among these five aggregates subject to clinging?’"
3"Yes, friends," the Venerable Dasaka replied, and he approached the Venerable Khemaka and delivered his message.
The Venerable Khemaka replied: sn.iii.128 "These five aggregates subject to clinging have been spoken of by the Blessed One; that is, the form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the volitional formations aggregate subject to clinging, the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging.
Among these five aggregates subject to clinging, I do not regard anything as self or as belonging to self."
4Then the Venerable Dasaka approached the elder bhikkhus and reported what the Venerable Khemaka had said.
They replied: "Come, friend Dasaka, approach the bhikkhu Khemaka and say to him: ‘The elders say to you, friend Khemaka: These five aggregates subject to clinging, friend, have been spoken of by the Blessed One; that is, the form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the volitional formations aggregate subject to clinging, the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging.
If the Venerable Khemaka does not regard anything among these five aggregates subject to clinging as self or as belonging to self, then he is an arahant, one whose taints are destroyed.’"
5"Yes, friends," the Venerable Dasaka replied, and he approached the Venerable Khemaka and delivered his message.
The Venerable Khemaka replied: "These five aggregates subject to clinging have been spoken of by the Blessed One; that is, the form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the volitional formations aggregate subject to clinging, the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging.
I do not regard anything among these five aggregates subject to clinging as self or as belonging to self, yet I am not an arahant, one whose taints are destroyed.
Friends, the notion ‘I am’ has not yet vanished in me in relation to these five aggregates subject to clinging, but I do not regard anything among them as ‘This I am.’"
[n.176] Although all three eds. of SN and both eds. of Spk read asmī ti adhigataṁ, this is probably an old corruption. I propose reading asmī ti avigataṁ; see my argument in support of this amendation at n. 61. Spk: Craving and conceit are found occurring in the mode "I am."
This passage clarifies the essential difference between the sekha and the arahant. While the sekha has eliminated identity view and thus no longer identifies any of the five aggregates as a self, he has not yet eradicated ignorance, which sustains a residual conceit and desire "I am" (nusahagato asmī ti māno asmī ti chando) in relation to the five aggregates. The arahant, in contrast, has eradicated ignorance, the root of all misconceptions, and thus no longer entertains any ideas of "I" and "mine." The other elders apparently had not yet attained any stage of awakening and thus did not understand this difference, but the Venerable Khemaka must have been at least a stream-enterer (Spk-pṭ: some hold he was a nonreturner, others a once-returner) and thus knew that the elimination of identity view does not completely remove the sense of personal identity. Even for the nonreturner, an "odour of subjectivity" based on the five aggregates still lingers over his experience.
sn.iii.129
6Then the Venerable Dasaka approached the elder bhikkhus and reported what the Venerable Khemaka had said.
7They replied: "Come, friend Dasaka, approach the bhikkhu Khemaka and say to him: ‘The elders say to you, friend Khemaka: Friend Khemaka, when you speak of this "I am"—what is it that you speak of as "I am"?
Do you speak of form as "I am," or do you speak of "I am" apart from form? Do you speak of feeling … of perception … of volitional formations … of consciousness as "I am," or do you speak of "I am" apart from consciousness?
When you speak of this "I am," friend Khemaka, what is it that you speak of as "I am"?’"
8"Yes, friends," the Venerable Dasaka replied, and he approached the Venerable Khemaka and delivered his message.
"Enough, friend Dasaka! Why keep running back and forth? Bring me my staff, friend. I’ll go to the elder bhikkhus myself."
9Then the Venerable Khemaka, leaning on his staff, approached the elder bhikkhus, exchanged greetings with them, and sat down to one side. sn.iii.130 The elder bhikkhus then said to him: "Friend Khemaka, when you speak of this ‘I am’ … what is it that you speak of as ‘I am’?"
"Friends, I do not speak of form as ‘I am,’ nor do I speak of ‘I am’ apart from form. I do not speak of feeling as ‘I am’ … nor of perception as ‘I am’ … nor of volitional formations as ‘I am’ … nor of consciousness as ‘I am,’ nor do I speak of ‘I am’ apart from consciousness.
Friends, although the notion ‘I am’ has not yet vanished in me in relation to these five aggregates subject to clinging, still I do not regard anything among them as ‘This I am.’
10"Suppose, friends, there is the scent of a blue, red, or white lotus. Would one be speaking rightly if one would say, ‘The scent belongs to the petals,’ or ‘The scent belongs to the stalk,’ [n.177] I prefer vaṇṭassa, found in SS, over vaṇṇassa in all three printed eds. or ‘The scent belongs to the pistils’?"
"No, friend."
"And how, friends, should one answer if one is to answer rightly?"
"Answering rightly, friend, one should answer: ‘The scent belongs to the flower.’"
"So too, friends, I do not speak of form as ‘I am,’ nor do I speak of ‘I am’ apart from form. I do not speak of feeling as ‘I am’ … nor of perception as ‘I am’ … nor of volitional formations as ‘I am’ … nor of consciousness as ‘I am,’ nor do I speak of ‘I am’ apart from consciousness.
Friends, although the notion ‘I am’ has not yet vanished in me in relation to these five aggregates subject to clinging, still I do not regard anything among them as ‘This I am.’
11"Friends, even though a noble disciple has abandoned the five lower fetters, still, in relation to the five aggregates subject to clinging, there lingers in him a residual conceit ‘I am,’ a desire ‘I am,’ an underlying tendency ‘I am’ that has not yet been uprooted.
Sometime later he dwells contemplating rise and fall in the five aggregates subject to clinging: ‘Such is form, such its origin, sn.iii.131 such its passing away; such is feeling … such is perception … such are volitional formations … such is consciousness, such its origin, such its passing away.’
As he dwells thus contemplating rise and fall in the five aggregates subject to clinging, the residual conceit ‘I am,’ the desire ‘I am,’ the underlying tendency ‘I am’ that had not yet been uprooted—this comes to be uprooted.
12"Suppose, friends, a cloth has become soiled and stained, and its owners give it to a laundryman. The laundryman would scour it evenly with cleaning salt, lye, or cowdung, and rinse it in clean water. Even though that cloth would become pure and clean, it would still retain a residual smell of cleaning salt, lye, or cowdung that had not yet vanished.
The laundryman would then give it back to the owners. The owners would put it in a sweet-scented casket, and the residual smell of cleaning salt, lye, or cowdung that had not yet vanished would vanish. [n.178] Spk: The worldling's mental process is like the soiled cloth. The three contemplations (of impermanence, suffering, and nonself) are like the three cleansers. The mental process of the nonreturner is like the cloth that has been washed with the three cleansers. The defilements to be eradicated by the path of arahantship are like the residual smell of the cleansers. The knowledge of the path of arahantship is like the sweetly scented casket, and the destruction of all defilements by that path is like the vanishing of the residual smell of the cleansers from the cloth after it has been placed in the casket.
"So too, friends, even though a noble disciple has abandoned the five lower fetters, still, in relation to the five aggregates subject to clinging, there lingers in him a residual conceit ‘I am,’ a desire ‘I am,’ an underlying tendency ‘I am’ that has not yet been uprooted … .
Sometime later he dwells contemplating rise and fall in the five aggregates subject to clinging: ‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling … such is perception … such are volitional formations … such is consciousness, such its origin, such its passing away.’
As he dwells thus contemplating rise and fall in the five aggregates subject to clinging, the residual conceit ‘I am,’ the desire ‘I am,’ the underlying tendency ‘I am’ that had not yet been uprooted—this comes to be uprooted."
13When this was said, the elder bhikkhus said to the Venerable Khemaka: "We did not ask our questions in order to trouble the Venerable Khemaka, sn.iii.132 but we thought that the Venerable Khemaka would be capable of explaining, teaching, proclaiming, establishing, disclosing, analysing, and elucidating the Blessed One's teaching in detail.
And the Venerable Khemaka has explained, taught, proclaimed, established, disclosed, analysed, and elucidated the Blessed One's teaching in detail."
14This is what the Venerable Khemaka said. Elated, the elder bhikkhus delighted in the Venerable Khemaka's statement.
And while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of sixty elder bhikkhus and of the Venerable Khemaka were liberated from the taints by nonclinging.
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū kosambiyaṁ vihāranti ghositārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā khemako badarikārāme vihārati ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.
Atha kho therā bhikkhū sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhitā āyasmantaṁ dāsakaṁ āmantesuṁ: "ehi tvaṁ, āvuso dāsaka, yena khemako bhikkhu tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā khemakaṁ bhikkhuṁ evaṁ vadehi:
‘therā taṁ, āvuso khemaka, evamāhaṁsu – kacci te, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti no abhikkamanti, paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no abhikkamo?’"ti.
"Evamāvuso"ti kho āyasmā dāsako therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ paṭissutvā yenāyasmā khemako tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ khemakaṁ etadavoca: "therā taṁ, āvuso khemaka, evamāhaṁsu: ‘kacci te, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ … pe … no abhikkamo?’"ti.
"Na me, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ … pe … abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no paṭikkamo"ti.
2Atha kho āyasmā dāsako yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū etadavoca: "khemako, āvuso, bhikkhu evamāha: ‘Na me, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ … pe … abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no paṭikkamo’"ti.
"Ehi tvaṁ, āvuso dāsaka, yena khemako bhikkhu tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā khemakaṁ bhikkhuṁ evaṁ vadehi: ‘therā taṁ, āvuso khemaka, evamāhaṁsu – pañcime, āvuso, upādānakkhandhā vuttā bhagavatā, seyyathidaṁ – rūpupādānakkhandho, vedanupādānakkhandho, saññupādānakkhandho, saṅkhārupādānakkhandho, viññāṇupādānakkhandho.
Imesu āyasmā khemako pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu kiñci attaṁ vā attaniyaṁ vā samanupassatī?’"ti.
3"Evamāvuso"ti kho āyasmā dāsako therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ paṭissutvā yenāyasmā khemako tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā … pe … therā taṁ, āvuso khemaka, evamāhaṁsu:
"pañcime, āvuso, upādānakkhandhā vuttā bhagavatā, seyyathidaṁ – rūpupādānakkhandho … pe … viññāṇupādānakkhandho.
Imesu āyasmā khemako pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu kiñci attaṁ vā attaniyaṁ vā samanupassatī"ti?
"Pañcime, āvuso, upādānakkhandhā vuttā bhagavatā, seyyathidaṁ – rūpupādānakkhandho … pe … viññāṇupādānakkhandho.
Imesu khvāhaṁ, āvuso, pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu na kiñci attaṁ vā attaniyaṁ vā samanupassāmī"ti.
4Atha kho āyasmā dāsako yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū etadavoca: "khemako, āvuso, bhikkhu evamāha: ‘pañcime, āvuso, upādānakkhandhā vuttā bhagavatā, seyyathidaṁ – rūpupādānakkhandho … pe … viññāṇupādānakkhandho. Imesu khvāhaṁ, āvuso, pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu na kiñci attaṁ vā attaniyaṁ vā samanupassāmī’"ti.
"Ehi tvaṁ, āvuso dāsaka, yena khemako bhikkhu tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā khemakaṁ bhikkhuṁ evaṁ vadehi: ‘therā taṁ, āvuso khemaka, evamāhaṁsu – pañcime, āvuso, upādānakkhandhā vuttā bhagavatā, seyyathidaṁ – rūpupādānakkhandho … pe … viññāṇupādānakkhandho.
No ce kirāyasmā khemako imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu kiñci attaṁ vā attaniyaṁ vā samanupassati. Tenahāyasmā khemako arahaṁ khīṇāsavo’"ti.
5"Evamāvuso"ti kho āyasmā dāsako therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ paṭissutvā yenāyasmā khemako … pe … therā taṁ, āvuso khemaka, evamāhaṁsu: "pañcime, āvuso, upādānakkhandhā vuttā bhagavatā, seyyathidaṁ – rūpupādānakkhandho … pe … viññāṇupādānakkhandho; no ce kirāyasmā khemako imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu kiñci attaṁ vā attaniyaṁ vā samanupassati, tenahāyasmā khemako arahaṁ khīṇāsavo"ti.
"Pañcime, āvuso, upādānakkhandhā vuttā bhagavatā, seyyathidaṁ – rūpupādānakkhandho … pe … viññāṇupādānakkhandho.
Imesu khvāhaṁ, āvuso, pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu na kiñci attaṁ vā attaniyaṁ vā samanupassāmi, na camhi arahaṁ khīṇāsavo;
api ca me, āvuso, pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu ‘asmī’ti adhigataṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti na ca samanupassāmī"ti.
6Atha kho āyasmā dāsako yena therā bhikkhū … pe … there bhikkhū etadavoca: "khemako, āvuso, bhikkhu evamāha – pañcime, āvuso, upādānakkhandhā vuttā bhagavatā, seyyathidaṁ – rūpupādānakkhandho … pe … viññāṇupādānakkhandho. Imesu khvāhaṁ, āvuso, pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu na kiñci attaṁ vā attaniyaṁ vā samanupassāmi, na camhi arahaṁ khīṇāsavo; api ca me, āvuso, pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu ‘asmī’ti adhigataṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti na ca samanupassāmī"ti.
7"Ehi tvaṁ, āvuso dāsaka, yena khemako bhikkhu tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā khemakaṁ bhikkhuṁ evaṁ vadehi: ‘therā taṁ, āvuso khemaka, evamāhaṁsu – yametaṁ, āvuso khemaka, asmīti vadesi, kimetaṁ asmīti vadesi?
Rūpaṁ asmīti vadesi, aññatra rūpā asmīti vadesi, vedanāṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ asmīti vadesi, aññatra viññāṇā asmīti vadesi.
Yametaṁ, āvuso khemaka, asmīti vadesi. Kimetaṁ asmīti vadesī?’"ti.
8"Evamāvuso"ti kho āyasmā dāsako therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ paṭissutvā yenāyasmā khemako tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ khemakaṁ etadavoca – therā taṁ, āvuso khemaka, evamāhaṁsu: "yametaṁ, āvuso khemaka, ‘asmī’ti vadesi, kimetaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadesi? Rūpaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadesi aññatra rūpā ‘asmī’ti vadesi? vedanāṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadesi aññatra viññāṇā ‘asmī’ti vadesi? Yametaṁ, āvuso khemaka, ‘asmī’ti vadesi, kimetaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadesī"ti?
"Alaṁ, āvuso dāsaka, kiṁ imāya sandhāvanikāya. Āharāvuso, daṇḍaṁ; ahameva yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkamissāmī"ti.
9Atha kho āyasmā khemako daṇḍamolubbha yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā therehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ khemakaṁ therā bhikkhū etadavocuṁ: "yametaṁ, āvuso khemaka, ‘asmī’ti vadesi, kimetaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadesi? Rūpaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadesi, aññatra rūpā ‘asmī’ti vadesi? vedanāṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadesi, aññatra viññāṇā ‘asmī’ti vadesi? Yametaṁ, āvuso khemaka, ‘asmī’ti vadesi, kimetaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadesī"ti?
"Na khvāhaṁ, āvuso, rūpaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadāmi; napi aññatra rūpā ‘asmī’ti vadāmi. Na vedanāṁ … na saññaṁ … na saṅkhāre … na viññāṇaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadāmi; napi aññatra viññāṇā ‘asmī’ti vadāmi.
Api ca me, āvuso, pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu ‘asmī’ti adhigataṁ ‘ayamahamasmī’ti na ca samanupassāmi.
10Seyyathāpi, āvuso, uppalassa vā padumassa vā puṇḍarīkassa vā gandho. Yo nu kho evaṁ vadeyya: ‘pattassa gandho’ti vā ‘vaṇṇassa gandho’ti vā ‘kiñjakkhassa gandho’ti vā sammā nu kho so vadamāno vadeyyā"ti?
"No hetaṁ, āvuso".
"Yathā kathaṁ, panāvuso, sammā byākaramāno byākareyyā"ti?
"‘Pupphassa gandho’ti kho, āvuso, sammā byākaramāno byākareyyā"ti.
"Evameva khvāhaṁ, āvuso, na rūpaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadāmi, napi aññatra rūpā ‘asmī’ti vadāmi. Na vedanāṁ … na saññaṁ … na saṅkhāre … na viññāṇaṁ ‘asmī’ti vadāmi, napi aññatra viññāṇā ‘asmī’ti vadāmi.
Api ca me, āvuso, pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu ‘asmī’ti adhigataṁ ‘ayamahamasmī’ti na ca samanupassāmi.
11Kiñcāpi, āvuso, ariyasāvakassa pañcorambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni bhavanti, atha khvassa hoti: ‘yo ca pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu anusahagato asmīti māno, asmīti chando, asmīti anusayo asamūhato.
So aparena samayena pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassī vihārati – iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā … iti saññā … iti saṅkhārā … iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti.
Tassimesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassino vihārato yopissa hoti pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu anusahagato ‘asmī’ti, māno ‘asmī’ti, chando ‘asmī’ti anusayo asamūhato, sopi samugghātaṁ gacchati.
12Seyyathāpi, āvuso, vatthaṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ malaggahitaṁ. Tamenaṁ sāmikā rajakassa anupadajjuṁ. Tamenaṁ rajako ūse vā khāre vā gomaye vā sammadditvā acche udake vikkhāleti. Kiñcāpi taṁ hoti vatthaṁ parisuddhaṁ pariyodātaṁ, atha khvassa hoti yeva anusahagato ūsagandho vā khāragandho vā gomayagandho vā asamūhato.
Tamenaṁ rajako sāmikānaṁ deti. Tamenaṁ sāmikā gandhaparibhāvite karaṇḍake nikkhipanti. Yopissa hoti anusahagato ūsagandho vā khāragandho vā gomayagandho vā asamūhato, sopi samugghātaṁ gacchati.
Evameva kho, āvuso, kiñcāpi ariyasāvakassa pañcorambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni bhavanti, atha khvassa hoti yeva pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu anusahagato ‘asmī’ti, māno ‘asmī’ti, chando ‘asmī’ti anusayo asamūhato.
So aparena samayena pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassī vihārati. ‘Iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā … iti saññā … iti saṅkhārā … iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti.
Tassa imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassino vihārato yopissa hoti pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu anusahagato ‘asmī’ti, māno ‘asmī’ti, chando ‘asmī’ti anusayo asamūhato, sopi samugghātaṁ gacchatī"ti.
13Evaṁ vutte, therā bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ khemakaṁ etadavocuṁ: "na kho mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ khemakaṁ vihesāpekhā pucchimha, api cāyasmā khemako pahosi tassa bhagavato sāsanaṁ vitthārena ācikkhituṁ desetuṁ paññāpetuṁ paṭṭhapetuṁ vivarituṁ vibhajituṁ uttānīkātuṁ.
Tayidaṁ āyasmatā khemakena tassa bhagavato sāsanaṁ vitthārena ācikkhitaṁ desitaṁ paññāpitaṁ paṭṭhapitaṁ vivaritaṁ vibhajitaṁ uttānīkatan"ti.
14Idamavoca āyasmā khemako. Attamanā therā bhikkhū āyasmato khemakassa bhāsitaṁ abhinanduṁ.
Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne saṭṭhimattānaṁ therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ anupādāya āsavehi cittāni vimucciṁsu, āyasmato khemakassa cāti.
Sattamaṁ.