MAJJHIMA NIKAAYA III
II. 3. 5. Maagandiyasutta.m
III.
4. 3. Mahaakaccaanabhaddekarattasutta.m-Venerable Mahaakaccaana’s explation
of the single auspicious attachment- (133)
At
one time the Blessed One lived in the monastery that offered warm water
in Raajagaha. Venerable Samiddhi got up in the last watch of the night
and went to wash his body in warm water having washed his body, came out
and stood in one robe to dry his body. Then a certain deity illuminated
the whole of the warm forest, approached venerable Samiddhi, stood on a
side and said ’Bhikkhu, do you remember the short and detailed exposition
of the single auspicious attachment?
‘Friend,
I do not remember the short and detailed exposition of the single auspicious
attachment. Do you remember it?
‘Bhikkhu,
I too do not remember the short and detailed exposition of the single auspicious
attachment. Bhikkhu, learn the short and detailed expsition of the single
auspicious attachment, it tells the fundamentalsof
the holy life.
The
deity saying this vanished from there. Venerable Samiddhi at the end of
that night approached the Blessed One, worshipped, sat on a side and said.
‘Venerable
sir, I got up in the last watch of the night and went to wash my body in
warm water having washed I came out and stood in one robe to dry my body.
Then a certain deity illuminated the whole of the warm forest, approached
me and stood on a side and said, bhikkhu, do you remember the short and
detailed exposition of the single auspicious attachment? I said,Friend,
I do not remember the short and detailed exposition of the single auspicious
attachment. Do you remember it?
Then
the deity said, ‘Bhikkhu, I too do not remember the short and detailed
exposition of the single auspicious attachmentand
the deity also said Bhikkhu, learn the short and detailed expsition of
the single auspicious attachment, it tells the fundamentalsof
the holy life.saying this, the deity vanished from there. Venerable sir,
what is the short and detailed exposition of the single auspicious attachment?
Bhikkhu,
then I will teach the exposition of the single auspicious attachment, listen
attending carefully.
Do
not recollect the past, nor desire the future,
The
past is over, the future has not come.
These
things of the present, see them with insight as they arise
Not
faltering and not moved, think about them.
Today
itself the dispelling should be done
Tomorrow
death might come
We
will not have any associations with Death and his great army
You
should abide dispelling thus, day and night zealously,
This
is the single auspicious attachment, the appeased sage tells
The
Blessed One said this and getting up from his seat went into his dwelling
Soon
after the Blessed One was gone, it occurred to those bhikkhus.’Friends,
the Blessed One gave us this short exposition and without giving the detailed
exposition, went into his dwelling
Do
not recollect the past, nor desire the future,...re....
This
is the single auspicious attachment, the appeased sage tells.
Now
who could give us the detailed exposition of this short exposition?
It
occurred to those bhikkhus, venerable Mahaakaccaana is praised by the Teacher
as well as the wise co-associates of the holy life. It is possible for
venerable Mahaakaccaana to give the detailed exposition for this short
exposition given by the Blessed One. What if we approached venerable Mahaakaccaana
and asked this. Then those bhikkhus approached venerable Mahaakaccaana,
exchanged friendly greetings, sat on a side and said. ‘Friend, Kaccaana,
the Blessed One gave this short exposition and without giving the detailed
exposition got up from the seat and went to his dwelling
‘Do
not recollect the past, nor desire the future,...re....
This
is the single auspicious attachment, the appeased sage tells.’
Friend
Kaccaana, soon after the Blessed One had gone, it occurred to us.’Friends,
the Blessed One gave us this short exposition and without giving the detailed
exposition, went into his dwelling
Do
not recollect the past, nor desire the future,...re....
This
is the single auspicious attachment, the appeased sage tells.
Now
who could give us the detailed exposition of this short exposition?’
It
occurred to us venerable Mahaakaccaana is praised by the Teacher as well
as the wise co-associates of the holy life. It is possible for venerable
Mahaakaccaana to give the detailed exposition for this short exposition
given by the Blessed One. What if we approached venerable Mahaakaccaana
and asked this. So those bhikkhus approached venerable Mahaakaccaana and
said ‘Friend Kaccaana, explain this to us.’
‘Friends,
it is like a man in need of heartwood, going in search of it, come to a
standing huge tree full of heartwood, ignoring the heartwood, roots and
trunk was to think that the branches and leaves was the heartwood. In the
same manner, the venerable ones come face to face with the Teacher have
ignored him and should ask it from me. That Blessed One knows, sees, has
become wise, has become the Teaching and has become Brahmaa. He preaches
and practises, is the bringer of meanings, the giver of deathlessness,
the lord of the Teachingand thus
gone. Now is the right time to ask this from him and as he explains it,
we will bear it in our minds’.
‘Friend
Kaccaana, indeed,that Blessed One
knows, sees, has become wise, has become the Teaching and has become Brahmaa.
He preaches and practises it, is the bringer of meanings, the giver of
deathlessness, the lord of the Teachingand
thus gone. Now is the right time to ask this from him and as he explains
it, we will bear it in our minds Yet, venerable Mahaakaccaana is praised
by the Teacher as well as the wise co-associates of the holy life. It is
possible for venerable Mahaakaccaana to give the detailed exposition for
this short exposition given by the Blessed One. Friend Kaccaana, explain
this to us, if it is not troublesome to you’.
‘Then
friends, listen and attend carefully. Of this short exposition gven by
the Blessed One thus:.
‘Do
not recollect the past, nor desire the future,...re....
This
is the single auspicious attachment, the appeased sage tells.’
I
know the detailed explanation thus.
Friends,
how is the past recollected? My eye and forms were thus in the past, with
this, there arises consciousness bound with interest and greed. That conscioussness
bound to interest and greed delights. With delight the past is recollected.
My ear and sounds were thus in the past,..re.... My nose and scents were
thus in the past,...re..... My tongue and tastes were thus in the past,...re....
My body and touches were thus in the past,...re..... My mind and ideas
were thus in the past, with this, there arises consciousness bound with
interest and greed. That conscioussness bound to interest and greed delights.
With delight the past is recollected. Friends, thus the past is recollected.
Friends,
how is the past not recollected? My eye and forms were thus in the past,
with this, there does not arise consciousness bound to interest and greed.
That conscioussness not bound to interest and greed does not delight. Without
delight the past is not recollected. My ear and sounds were thus in the
past,..re.... My nose and scents were thus in the past,...re..... My tongue
and tastes were thus in the past,...re.... My body and touches were thus
in the past,...re..... My mind and ideas were thus in the past, with this,
there does not arise consciousness bound to interest and greed. That conscioussness
not bound to interest and greed does not delight.. Without delight the
past is not recollected. Friends, thus the past is not recollected.
Friends,
how do you desire the future?My
eye and forms will be thus in the future, for the not gained, an aspiration
is made. On account of an aspiration there is delight The delighted desire
the future. My ear and sounds will be thus in the future,..re.... My nose
and scents will be thus in the future,...re..... My tongue and tastes will
be thus in the future,...re.... My body and touches will be thus in the
future,...re..... My mind and ideas will be thus in the future.For the
not gained an aspiration is made. On account of an aspiration there is
delight. The delighted desire the future.Friends, thus the future is desired.
.
Friends,
how do you not desire the future?My
eye and forms will be thus in the future, for the not gained, an aspiration
is not made. On account of the absence of an aspiration there is no delight
The not delighted do not desire the future. My ear and sounds will be thus
in the future,..re.... My nose and scents will be thus in the future,...re.....
My tongue and tastes will be thus in the future,...re.... My body and touches
will be thus in the future,...re..... My mind and ideas will be thus in
the future.For the not gained an aspiration is not made. On account of
the absence of an aspiration there is no delight. The not delighted do
not desire the future.Friends, thus the future is not desired. .
Friends,
how is there faltering in things arisen in the present? Friends, the eye
and forms are both things that arise in the present. Based on them arises
consciousness bound to interest and greed in the present. There is delight
when the consciousness is bound to interest and greed. To the delighted
there is faltering in things arisen in the present. The ear and sounds
are both things that arise in the present..re....The nose and scents are
both things that arise in the present....re... The tongue and tastes are
both things that arise in the present....re...The body and touches are
both things that arise in the present...re...The mind and ideas are both
things that arise in the present.Based on them arises consciousness bound
to interest and greed in the present. There is delight when the consciousness
is bound to interest and greed. To the delighted there is faltering in
things arisen in the present.
Friends,
how is there no faltering in things arisen in the present? Friends, the
eye and forms are both things that arise in the present. Based on them
arises consciousness not bound to interest and greed in the present. There
is no delight when the consciousness is not bound to interest and greed.
To the not delighted there is no faltering in things arisen in the present.
The ear and sounds are both things that arise in the present..re....The
nose and scents are both things that arise in the present....re... The
tongue and tastes are both things that arise in the present....re...The
body and touches are both things that arise in the present...re...The mind
and ideas are both things that arise in the present.Based on them arises
consciousness not bound to interest and greed in the present. There is
no delight when the consciousness is not bound to interest and greed. To
the not delighted there is no faltering in things arisen in the present.Friends,
in this manner there is no faltering in things arisen in the present
Friends,
of this short exposition gven by the Blessed One thus:.
‘Do
not recollect the past, nor desire the future,...re....
This
is the single auspicious attachment, the appeased sage tells.’
I
know the detailed explanation thus. If you wish approach the Blessed One
and ask him about it. As he explains it, we will bear it in our minds.
Those
bhikkhus delighted with the words of venerable Mahaakaccaana and appreciating
them got up from their seats, approached the Blessed One worshipped, sat
on a side and said. ‘Venerable sir, that exposition, which the Blessed
One stated in short and without giving the detailed explanaton got up from
the seat and went to the dwelling, such as
‘Do
not recollect the past, nor desire the future,...re....
This
is the single auspicious attachment, the appeased sage tells.’
Soon
after the Blessed One had gone to his dwelling it occurred to us who could
give us the detailed exposition of this short exposition?’
It
occurred to us venerable Mahaakaccaana is praised by the Teacher as well
as the wise co-associates of the holy life. It is possible for venerable
Mahaakaccaana to give the detailed exposition for this short exposition
given by the Blessed One. We approached venerable Mahaakaccaana and asked
him to explain this to us. He explained it in this manner with these words
and phrases
Bhikkhus,
Mahaakaccaana is wise, if you had asked it from me, I would have explained
it in this same manner. This is its meaning, bear it as that.
The Blessed One said thus and those bhikkhus delighted in the words of the Blessed One.