Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesāli, in the Great Forest, in the hall with the peaked roof.
Tena kho pana samayena vacchagotto paribbājako ekapuṇḍarīke paribbājakārāme paṭivasati.
At that time, the wanderer Vacchagotta was staying in the Single White Lotus wanderers’ park.
Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya vesāliṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi: “atippago kho tāva vesāliyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ; yannūnāhaṁ yena ekapuṇḍarīko paribbājakārāmo yena vacchagotto paribbājako tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti. Atha kho bhagavā yena ekapuṇḍarīko paribbājakārāmo yena vacchagotto paribbājako tenupasaṅkami.
Then the Blessed One, having dressed early in the morning, took his alms bowl and outer robe, and entered Vesāli for alms. Then it occurred to the Blessed One: “It is still too early to walk for alms in Vesāli. What if I go to the Single White Lotus wanderers’ park, where the wanderer Vacchagotta is?” Then the Blessed One went to the Single White Lotus wanderers’ park, where the wanderer Vacchagotta was.
Addasā kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Etu kho, bhante, bhagavā. Svāgataṁ, bhante, bhagavato. Cirassaṁ kho, bhante, bhagavā imaṁ pariyāyamakāsi yadidaṁ idhāgamanāya. Nisīdatu, bhante, bhagavā idamāsanaṁ paññattan”ti.
The wanderer Vacchagotta saw the Blessed One coming from afar. Having seen the Blessed One, he said this: “Let the Blessed One come, venerable sir. Welcome to the Blessed One. It has been a long time since the Blessed One found an opportunity to come here. Let the Blessed One sit; this seat is prepared.”
Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane. Vacchagottopi kho paribbājako aññataraṁ nīcaṁ āsanaṁ gahetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. The wanderer Vacchagotta took a low seat and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the wanderer Vacchagotta said this to the Blessed One:
“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘samaṇo gotamo sabbaññū sabbadassāvī, aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti, carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti. Ye te, bhante, evamāhaṁsu: ‘samaṇo gotamo sabbaññū sabbadassāvī, aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti, carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti, kacci te, bhante, bhagavato vuttavādino, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkhanti, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākaronti, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgacchatī”ti?
“I have heard this, venerable sir: ‘The ascetic Gotama is omniscient and all-seeing and claims to have complete knowledge and vision thus: “Whether I am walking or standing or asleep or awake, knowledge and vision are continuously and uninterruptedly present to me.”’ Venerable sir, do those who say this: ‘The ascetic Gotama is omniscient and all-seeing and claims to have complete knowledge and vision thus: “Whether I am walking or standing or asleep or awake, knowledge and vision are continuously and uninterruptedly present to me,”’ state what has been said by the Blessed One, and not misrepresent the Blessed One with what is untrue? Do they explain in accordance with the Dhamma, and does no reasonable consequence of their statement afford grounds for criticism?”
“Ye te, vaccha, evamāhaṁsu: ‘samaṇo gotamo sabbaññū sabbadassāvī, aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti, carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan’ti, na me te vuttavādino, abbhācikkhanti ca pana maṁ asatā abhūtenā”ti.
“Vaccha, those who say this: ‘The ascetic Gotama is omniscient and all-seeing and claims to have complete knowledge and vision thus: “Whether I am walking or standing or asleep or awake, knowledge and vision are continuously and uninterruptedly present to me,”’ do not state what has been said by me, and they misrepresent me with what is untrue.”
“Kathaṁ byākaramānā pana mayaṁ, bhante, vuttavādino ceva bhagavato assāma, na ca bhagavantaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyyāma, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyyāma, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyyā”ti?
“But answering how, venerable sir, would we state what has been said by the Blessed One, and not misrepresent the Blessed One with what is untrue? How would we explain in accordance with the Dhamma, so that no reasonable consequence of our statement would afford grounds for criticism?”
“‘Tevijjo samaṇo gotamo’ti kho, vaccha, byākaramāno vuttavādī ceva me assa, na ca maṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyya, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyya, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyya.
“Vaccha, answering: ‘The ascetic Gotama possesses the three true knowledges,’ one would state what has been said by me, and not misrepresent me with what is untrue. One would explain in accordance with the Dhamma, so that no reasonable consequence of their statement would afford grounds for criticism.
Ahañhi, vaccha, yāvadeva ākaṅkhāmi anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarāmi, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarāmi.
For, Vaccha, whenever I wish, I recollect my manifold past lives, that is: one birth, two births, ․․․ Thus I recollect my manifold past lives with their aspects and particulars.
Ahañhi, vaccha, yāvadeva ākaṅkhāmi dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passāmi cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate …pe… yathākammūpage satte pajānāmi.
For, Vaccha, whenever I wish, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human ability, I see beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in fortunate and unfortunate destinations․․․and I understand how beings fare according to their kamma.
Ahañhi, vaccha, āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi.
For, Vaccha, with the wearing away of the taints, I have realized for myself in this very life, with direct knowledge, the taintless liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom, and having realized it, I dwell in it.
‘Tevijjo samaṇo gotamo’ti kho, vaccha, byākaramāno vuttavādī ceva me assa, na ca maṁ abhūtena abbhācikkheyya, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākareyya, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānuvādo gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgaccheyyā”ti.
Vaccha, answering: ‘The ascetic Gotama possesses the three true knowledges,’ one would state what has been said by me, and not misrepresent me with what is untrue. One would explain in accordance with the Dhamma, so that no reasonable consequence of their statement would afford grounds for criticism.”
Evaṁ vutte, vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “atthi nu kho, bho gotama, koci gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti?
When this was said, the wanderer Vacchagotta said to the Blessed One: “Sir Gotama, is there any layperson who, without abandoning the fetter to laylife, makes an end of suffering upon the breaking up of the body?”
“Natthi kho, vaccha, koci gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti.
“There is no layperson, Vaccha, who, without abandoning the fetter to laylife, makes an end of suffering upon the breaking up of the body.”
“Atthi pana, bho gotama, koci gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā saggūpago”ti?
“But is there, Sir Gotama, any layperson who, without abandoning the fetter to laylife, goes to heaven upon the breaking up of the body?”
“Na kho, vaccha, ekaṁyeva sataṁ na dve satāni na tīṇi satāni na cattāri satāni na pañca satāni, atha kho bhiyyova ye gihī gihisaṁyojanaṁ appahāya kāyassa bhedā saggūpagā”ti.
“Vaccha, there are not only one hundred or two or three or four or five hundred, but even more laypersons who, without abandoning the fetter to laylife, go to heaven upon the breaking up of the body.”
“Atthi nu kho, bho gotama, koci ājīvako kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti?
“Is there, Sir Gotama, any Ājīvaka who has made an end of suffering upon the breaking up of the body?”
“Natthi kho, vaccha, koci ājīvako kāyassa bhedā dukkhassantakaro”ti.
“There is no Ājīvaka, Vaccha, who has made an end of suffering upon the breaking up of the body.”
“Atthi pana, bho gotama, koci ājīvako kāyassa bhedā saggūpago”ti?
“But is there, Sir Gotama, any Ājīvaka who has gone to heaven upon the breaking up of the body?”
“Ito kho so, vaccha, ekanavuto kappo yamahaṁ anussarāmi, nābhijānāmi kañci ājīvakaṁ saggūpagaṁ aññatra ekena; sopāsi kammavādī kiriyavādī”ti.
“When I recollect the past ninety-one aeons, Vaccha, I do not recall any Ājīvaka who has gone to heaven with one exception, and he was a proponent of actions having consequences and a proponent of the efficacy of deeds.”
“Evaṁ sante, bho gotama, suññaṁ aduṁ titthāyatanaṁ antamaso saggūpagenapī”ti?
“If that is so, sir Gotama, then that sectarian institution is empty even of a single person going to heaven.”
“Evaṁ, vaccha, suññaṁ aduṁ titthāyatanaṁ antamaso saggūpagenapī”ti.
“So it is, Vaccha, that sectarian institution is empty even of one going to heaven.”
Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
The Blessed One said this. The wanderer Vacchagotta was delighted and pleased with the Blessed One’s words.