SN 21.10 Senior In Name Only

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Now at that time there was a certain mendicant who was Senior in name only. He lived alone and praised living alone.

He entered the village for alms alone, returned alone, sat in private alone, and focussed on walking mindfully alone.

Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

“Sir, there’s a certain mendicant who is Senior in name only. He lives alone and praises living alone.”

So the Buddha addressed one of the monks,

“Please, monk, in my name tell the mendicant Senior that

the teacher summons him.”

“Yes, sir,” that monk replied. He went to Venerable Senior and said to him,

“Reverend Senior, the teacher summons you.”

“Yes, reverend,” that monk replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“Is it really true, Senior, that you live alone and praise living alone?”

“Yes, sir.”

“But in what way do you live alone and praise living alone?”

“Well, sir, I enter the village for alms alone, return alone, sit in private alone, and focus on walking mindfully alone.

That’s how I live alone and praise living alone.”

“That is a kind of living alone, I don’t deny it.

But as to how living alone is fulfilled in detail,

listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Yes, sir,” he replied.

“And how, Senior, is living alone fulfilled in detail?

It’s when what’s in the past is given up, what’s in the future is relinquished, and desire and greed for present incarnations is eliminated.

That’s how living alone is fulfilled in detail.”

That is what the Buddha said.

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“The vanquisher of all, knower of all, so very intelligent,

is unsullied in the midst of all things.

He’s given up all, freed in the ending of craving:

I declare that man to be one who lives alone.”

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Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

Tena kho pana samayena aññataro bhikkhu theranāmako ekavihārī ceva hoti ekavihārassa ca vaṇṇavādī.

So eko gāmaṁ piṇḍāya pavisati eko paṭikkamati eko raho nisīdati eko caṅkamaṁ adhiṭṭhāti.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“idha, bhante, aññataro bhikkhu theranāmako ekavihārī ekavihārassa ca vaṇṇavādī”ti.

Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi:

“ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena theraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehi:

‘satthā taṁ, āvuso thera, āmantetī’”ti.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā yenāyasmā thero tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca:

“satthā taṁ, āvuso thera, āmantetī”ti.

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā thero tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ theraṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, thera, ekavihārī ekavihārassa ca vaṇṇavādī”ti?

“Evaṁ, bhante”.

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, thera, ekavihārī ekavihārassa ca vaṇṇavādī”ti?

“Idhāhaṁ, bhante, eko gāmaṁ piṇḍāya pavisāmi eko paṭikkamāmi eko raho nisīdāmi eko caṅkamaṁ adhiṭṭhāmi.

Evaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, ekavihārī ekavihārassa ca vaṇṇavādī”ti.

“Attheso, thera, ekavihāro neso natthīti vadāmi.

Api ca, thera, yathā ekavihāro vitthārena paripuṇṇo hoti

taṁ suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho …pe….

“Kathañca, thera, ekavihāro vitthārena paripuṇṇo hoti.

Idha, thera, yaṁ atītaṁ taṁ pahīnaṁ, yaṁ anāgataṁ taṁ paṭinissaṭṭhaṁ, paccuppannesu ca attabhāvapaṭilābhesu chandarāgo suppaṭivinīto.

Evaṁ kho, thera, ekavihāro vitthārena paripuṇṇo hotī”ti.

Idamavoca bhagavā.

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

“Sabbābhibhuṁ sabbaviduṁ sumedhaṁ,

Sabbesu dhammesu anūpalittaṁ;

Sabbañjahaṁ taṇhākkhaye vimuttaṁ,

Tamahaṁ naraṁ ekavihārīti brūmī”ti.

Dasamaṁ.