Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate sūkarakhatāyaṁ.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Boar’s Cave on the Vulture’s peak mountain.
Atha kho dīghanakho paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho dīghanakho paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahañhi, bho gotama, evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’”ti.
Then the wanderer Dīghanakha approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he exchanged friendly greetings with the Blessed One. After the exchange of a courteous and polite conversation, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, the wanderer Dīghanakha said to the Blessed One, “Sir Gotama, I assert this, I hold this view: ‘Nothing is acceptable to me.’”
“Yāpi kho te esā, aggivessana, diṭṭhi: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti, esāpi te diṭṭhi nakkhamatī”ti?
“This view of yours, Aggivessana: ‘Nothing is acceptable to me’—is this view also not acceptable to you?”
“Esā ce me, bho gotama, diṭṭhi khameyya, taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā”ti.
“If this view of mine were acceptable to me, sir Gotama, it too would be the same, it too would be the same.”
“Ato kho te, aggivessana, bahū hi bahutarā lokasmiṁ ye evamāhaṁsu: ‘taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā’ti. Te tañceva diṭṭhiṁ nappajahanti aññañca diṭṭhiṁ upādiyanti. Ato kho te, aggivessana, tanū hi tanutarā lokasmiṁ ye evamāhaṁsu: ‘taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā’ti. Te tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahanti aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyanti.
“Well, Aggivessana, there are plenty in the world who say: ‘It too would be the same, it too would be the same,’ yet they do not abandon that view and they take up another view. There are few in the world, Aggivessana, who say: ‘It too would be the same, it too would be the same,’ and who abandon that view and do not take up another view.
Santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’ti; santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti; santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti. Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’ti tesamayaṁ diṭṭhi sārāgāya santike, saññogāya santike, abhinandanāya santike, ajjhosānāya santike, upādānāya santike; tatraggivessana ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti tesamayaṁ diṭṭhi asārāgāya santike, asaññogāya santike, anabhinandanāya santike, anajjhosānāya santike, anupādānāya santike”ti.
“There are, Aggivessana, some ascetics and brahmins who assert this and hold this view: ‘Everything is acceptable to me.’ There are, Aggivessana, some ascetics and brahmins who assert this and hold this view: ‘Nothing is acceptable to me.’ There are, Aggivessana, some ascetics and brahmins who assert this and hold this view: ‘Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me.’ Among them, Aggivessana, the view of the ascetics and brahmins who hold: ‘Everything is acceptable to me’ is close to lust, close to bondage, close to delight, close to holding on, close to clinging. Among them, Aggivessana, the view of the ascetics and brahmins who hold: ‘Nothing is acceptable to me’ is close to non-lust, close to not being bound, close to non-delight, close to not holding on, close to non-clinging.”
Evaṁ vutte, dīghanakho paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ukkaṁseti me bhavaṁ gotamo diṭṭhigataṁ, samukkaṁseti me bhavaṁ gotamo diṭṭhigatan”ti.
When this was said, the wanderer Dīghanakha said to the Blessed One: “Sir Gotama praises my viewpoint! Sir Gotama fully praises my viewpoint!”
“Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti. Yā hi tesaṁ khamati sāyaṁ diṭṭhi sārāgāya santike, saññogāya santike, abhinandanāya santike, ajjhosānāya santike, upādānāya santike; yā hi tesaṁ nakkhamati sāyaṁ diṭṭhi asārāgāya santike, asaññogāya santike, anabhinandanāya santike, anajjhosānāya santike, anupādānāya santike.
“Among them, Aggivessana, regarding the ascetics and brahmins who assert and hold this view: ‘Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me’—whatever is acceptable to them, that view is close to lust, close to bondage, close to delight, close to holding on, close to clinging. Whatever is not acceptable to them, that view is close to non-lust, close to not being bound, close to non-delight, close to not holding on, close to non-clinging.
Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’ti tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi— sabbaṁ me khamatīti, imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ— idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti; dvīhi me assa viggaho— yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti, yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti— imehi assa dvīhi viggaho. Iti viggahe sati vivādo, vivāde sati vighāto, vighāte sati vihesā’. Iti so viggahañca vivādañca vighātañca vihesañca attani sampassamāno tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahati aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyati. Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.
Now, Aggivessana, a wise person among those ascetics and brahmins who assert and hold the view ‘Everything is acceptable to me’ considers thus: ‘If I obstinately adhere to and insist upon the view “Everything is acceptable to me” and declare: “Only this is true, anything else is wrong,” then I may clash with the two others: with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Nothing is acceptable to me,” and with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me.” I may clash with these two, and when there is a clash, there are disputes; when there are disputes, there are quarrels; when there are quarrels, there is vexation.’ Thus, foreseeing for himself clashes, disputes, quarrels, and vexation, he abandons that view and does not take up another view. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of these views; this is how there comes to be the relinquishing of these views.
Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi— sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti, imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ— idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti; dvīhi me assa viggaho— yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me khamatīti, yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—ekaccaṁ me khamati ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti— imehi assa dvīhi viggaho. Iti viggahe sati vivādo, vivāde sati vighāto, vighāte sati vihesā’. Iti so viggahañca vivādañca vighātañca vihesañca attani sampassamāno tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahati aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyati. Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.
A wise person among those ascetics and brahmins who assert and hold the view ‘Nothing is acceptable to me’ considers thus: ‘If I obstinately adhere to and insist upon the view “Nothing is acceptable to me” and declare: “Only this is true, anything else is wrong,” then I may clash with the two others: with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Everything is acceptable to me,” and with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me.” I may clash with these two, and when there is a clash, there are disputes; when there are disputes, there are quarrels; when there are quarrels, there is vexation.’ Thus, foreseeing for himself clashes, disputes, quarrels, and vexation, he abandons that view and does not take up another view. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of these views; this is how there comes to be the relinquishing of these views.
Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi— ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti, imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ— idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti; dvīhi me assa viggaho— yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me khamatīti, yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti— imehi assa dvīhi viggaho. Iti viggahe sati vivādo, vivāde sati vighāto, vighāte sati vihesā’. Iti so viggahañca vivādañca vighātañca vihesañca attani sampassamāno tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahati aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyati. Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.
A wise person among those ascetics and brahmins who assert and hold the view ‘Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me’ considers thus: ‘If I obstinately adhere to and insist upon the view “Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me” and declare: “Only this is true, anything else is wrong,” then I may clash with the two others: with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Everything is acceptable to me,” and with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Nothing is acceptable to me.” I may clash with these two, and when there is a clash, there are disputes; when there are disputes, there are quarrels; when there are quarrels, there is vexation.’ Thus, foreseeing for himself clashes, disputes, quarrels, and vexation, he abandons that view and does not take up another view. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of these views; this is how there comes to be the relinquishing of these views.
Ayaṁ kho panaggivessana, kāyo rūpī cātumahābhūtiko mātāpettikasambhavo odanakummāsūpacayo aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo, aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassitabbo. Tassimaṁ kāyaṁ aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassato yo kāyasmiṁ kāyachando kāyasneho kāyanvayatā sā pahīyati.
Now, Aggivessana, this body, made of material form, consisting of the four great elements, procreated by a mother and father, and built up out of rice and porridge, subject to impermanence, to being worn and rubbed away, to injury and destruction; should be regarded as impermanent, unsatisfactory, a disease, a boil, a dart, misery, an affliction, alien, disintegrating, empty, and not-self. When one regards this body as impermanent, as unsatisfactory, as a disease, a boil, a dart, misery, an affliction, alien, disintegrating, empty, and as not-self, whatever bodily desire, bodily affection, and bodily subservience one has is abandoned.
Tisso kho imā, aggivessana, vedanā— sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā. Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti; sukhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti. Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti; dukkhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti. Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti; adukkhamasukhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti.
There are, Aggivessana, these three feelings: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Aggivessana, at the time one feels a pleasant feeling, one does not feel a painful feeling or a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; one only feels a pleasant feeling at that time. Aggivessana, at the time one feels a painful feeling, one does not feel a pleasant feeling or a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; one only feels a painful feeling at that time. Aggivessana, at the time one feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one does not feel a pleasant feeling or a painful feeling; one only feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling at that time.
Sukhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā; dukkhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā; adukkhamasukhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.
Pleasant feeling, Aggivessana, is impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, naturally wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away, having the nature to end. Painful feeling, Aggivessana, is impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, naturally wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away, having the nature to end. Neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, Aggivessana, is impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, naturally wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away, having the nature to end.
Evaṁ passaṁ, aggivessana, sutavā ariyasāvako sukhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati, dukkhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati, adukkhamasukhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati; nibbindaṁ virajjati, virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ, vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.
Seeing thus, Aggivessana, a learned disciple of the Noble Ones becomes disenchanted with pleasant feeling, disenchanted with painful feeling, and disenchanted with neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, the mind is liberated. When liberated, there is the knowledge that [the mind] is liberated.
‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.
He knows clearly: ‘Birth is exhausted, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of existence.’
Evaṁ vimuttacitto kho, aggivessana, bhikkhu na kenaci saṁvadati, na kenaci vivadati, yañca loke vuttaṁ tena voharati, aparāmasan”ti.
A bhikkhu whose mind is thus liberated, Aggivessana, does not side with anyone, does not dispute with anyone; he uses the speech of the world without clinging to it.”
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto bhagavato piṭṭhito ṭhito hoti bhagavantaṁ bījayamāno. Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi: “tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no bhagavā dhammānaṁ abhiññā pahānamāha, tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no sugato dhammānaṁ abhiññā paṭinissaggamāhā”ti. Iti hidaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa paṭisañcikkhato anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucci.
At that time, the venerable Sāriputta was standing behind the Blessed One, fanning the Blessed One. Then this thought occurred to the venerable Sāriputta: “The Blessed One speaks of the abandoning of these various things through direct knowledge; the Fortunate One speaks of the relinquishing of these various things through direct knowledge.” As the venerable Sāriputta reflected on this, his mind was liberated from the taints through non-clinging.
Dīghanakhassa pana paribbājakassa virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi: “yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman”ti. Atha kho dīghanakho paribbājako diṭṭhadhammo pattadhammo viditadhammo pariyogāḷhadhammo tiṇṇavicikiccho vigatakathaṅkatho vesārajjappatto aparappaccayo satthusāsane bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Moreover to the wanderer Dīghanakha, there arose the stainless, immaculate Dhamma eye: ‘Whatever is subject to arising, is subject to cessation.’ Then the wanderer Dīghanakha—having seen the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma, understood the Dhamma, deeply penetrated the Dhamma, having crossed beyond doubt, with no more uncertainty, confident and self-assured, and become independent of others in the Teacher’s instruction—said to the Blessed One:
“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama. Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evameva kho bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
Excellent, sir Gotama! Excellent, sir Gotama! Just as if one might set upright what had been overturned, reveal what had been concealed, point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way, sir Gotama, the Dhamma has been explained by you in many ways. I go for refuge to venerable Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. May sir Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge from this day forth for life.”