AN 10.96

Kokanudasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando rājagahe viharati tapodārāme. Atha kho āyasmā ānando rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya yena tapodā tenupasaṅkami gattāni parisiñcituṁ. Tapodāya gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsi gattāni pubbāpayamāno. Kokanudopi kho paribbājako rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya yena tapodā tenupasaṅkami gattāni parisiñcituṁ.

With Kokanada

At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Rājagaha in the Hot Springs Monastery. Then Ānanda rose at the crack of dawn and went to the hot springs to bathe. When he had bathed and emerged from the water he stood in one robe drying his limbs. The wanderer Kokanada also rose at the crack of dawn and went to the hot springs to bathe.

Addasā kho kokanudo paribbājako āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca: “kvettha, āvuso”ti? “Ahamāvuso, bhikkhū”ti.

He saw Ānanda coming off in the distance and said to him, “Who’s here, reverend?” “I’m a mendicant, reverend.”

“Katamesaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhūnan”ti? “Samaṇānaṁ, āvuso, sakyaputtiyānan”ti.

“Of which mendicants?” “Of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan.”

“Puccheyyāma mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ kiñcideva desaṁ, sace āyasmā okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti. “Pucchāvuso, sutvā vedissāmā”ti.

“I’d like to ask the venerable about a certain point, if you’d take the time to answer.” “Ask, reverend. When I’ve heard it I’ll know.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, bho, ‘sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti—evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavan”ti? “Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’”ti.

“Is this your view: ‘The cosmos is eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile’?” “That’s not my view, reverend.”

“Kiṁ pana, bho, ‘asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti—evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavan”ti? “Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’”ti.

“Then is this your view: ‘The cosmos is not eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile’?” “That’s not my view, reverend.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, bho, antavā loko …pe… anantavā loko … taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ … aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ … hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti—evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavan”ti? “Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’”ti.

“Then is this your view: ‘The cosmos is finite …’ … ‘The cosmos is infinite …’ … ‘The soul and the body are one and the same …’ … ‘The soul is one thing, the body another …’ … ‘A realized one still exists after death …’ … ‘A realized one no longer exists after death …’ … ‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death …’ … ‘A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death. This is the only truth, anything else is futile’?” “That’s not my view, reverend.”

“Tena hi bhavaṁ na jānāti, na passatī”ti? “Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, na jānāmi na passāmi. Jānāmahaṁ, āvuso, passāmī”ti.

“Then, sir, do you neither know nor see?” “That’s not so, reverend. I do know and see.”

“‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho, sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti— evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavan’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi— sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho, asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti— evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavan’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi— asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi. Kiṁ nu kho, bho, antavā loko …pe… anantavā loko … taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ … aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ … hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti— evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavanti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi— neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi.

“When asked about all these points, you say that’s not your view.

‘Tena hi bhavaṁ na jānāti na passatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, na jānāmi na passāmi. Jānāmahaṁ, āvuso, passāmī’ti vadesi. Yathā kathaṁ panāvuso, imassa bhāsitassa attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?

Yet when asked whether you neither know nor see, you say, ‘That’s not so, reverend. I do know and see.’ How then should we see the meaning of this statement?”

“‘Sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti kho, āvuso, diṭṭhigatametaṁ. ‘Asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti kho, āvuso, diṭṭhigatametaṁ. Antavā loko …pe… anantavā loko … taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ … aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ … hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti kho, āvuso, diṭṭhigatametaṁ.

“‘The cosmos is eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile:’ that’s a misconception. ‘The cosmos is not eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile:’ that’s a misconception. ‘The cosmos is finite …’ … ‘The cosmos is infinite …’ … ‘The soul and the body are one and the same …’ … ‘The soul is one thing, the body another …’ … ‘A realized one still exists after death …’ … ‘A realized one no longer exists after death …’ … ‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death …’ … ‘A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death. This is the only truth, anything else is futile:’ that’s a misconception.

Yāvatā, āvuso, diṭṭhi yāvatā diṭṭhiṭṭhānaṁ diṭṭhiadhiṭṭhānaṁ diṭṭhipariyuṭṭhānaṁ diṭṭhisamuṭṭhānaṁ diṭṭhisamugghāto, tamahaṁ jānāmi tamahaṁ passāmi. Tamahaṁ jānanto tamahaṁ passanto kyāhaṁ vakkhāmi: ‘na jānāmi na passāmī’ti? Jānāmahaṁ, āvuso, passāmī”ti.

I know and see the scope of convictions, the scope of grounds for views, fixation on views, obsession with views, the origin of views, and the uprooting of views. Knowing and seeing thus, why should I say: ‘I neither know nor see?’ I do know and see.”

“Ko nāmo āyasmā, kathañca panāyasmantaṁ sabrahmacārī jānantī”ti? “‘Ānando’ti kho me, āvuso, nāmaṁ. ‘Ānando’ti ca pana maṁ sabrahmacārī jānantī”ti. “Mahācariyena vata kira, bho, saddhiṁ mantayamānā na jānimha: ‘āyasmā ānando’ti. Sace hi mayaṁ jāneyyāma: ‘ayaṁ āyasmā ānando’ti, ettakampi no nappaṭibhāyeyya. Khamatu ca me āyasmā ānando”ti.

“What is the venerable’s name? And how are you known among your spiritual companions?” “Reverend, my name is Ānanda. And that’s how I’m known among my spiritual companions.” “Goodness! I had no idea I was consulting such a great tutor as Venerable Ānanda! If I had known who you were, I wouldn’t have said so much. May Venerable Ānanda please forgive me.”