AN 2.37

37

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākaccāno varaṇāyaṁ viharati bhaddasāritīre. Atha kho ārāmadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākaccānena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho ārāmadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca: “ko nu kho, bho kaccāna, hetu ko paccayo yena khattiyāpi khattiyehi vivadanti, brāhmaṇāpi brāhmaṇehi vivadanti, gahapatikāpi gahapatikehi vivadantī”ti? “Kāmarāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānahetu kho, brāhmaṇa, khattiyāpi khattiyehi vivadanti, brāhmaṇāpi brāhmaṇehi vivadanti, gahapatikāpi gahapatikehi vivadantī”ti.

37

So I have heard. At one time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying at Varaṇā, on the bank of the Kaddama Lake. Then the brahmin Ārāmadaṇḍa went up to Mahākaccāna, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Mahākaccāna: “What is the cause, worthy Kaccāna, what is the reason why aristocrats fight with aristocrats, brahmins fight with brahmins, and householders fight with householders?” “It is because of their insistence on sensual desire, their shackles, avarice, and attachment, that aristocrats fight with aristocrats, brahmins fight with brahmins, and householders fight with householders.”

“Ko pana, bho kaccāna, hetu ko paccayo yena samaṇāpi samaṇehi vivadantī”ti? “Diṭṭhirāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānahetu kho, brāhmaṇa, samaṇāpi samaṇehi vivadantī”ti.

“What is the cause, worthy Kaccāna, what is the reason why ascetics fight with ascetics?” “It is because of their insistence on views, their shackles, avarice, and attachment, that ascetics fight with ascetics.”

“Atthi pana, bho kaccāna, koci lokasmiṁ yo imañceva kāmarāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānaṁ samatikkanto, imañca diṭṭhirāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānaṁ samatikkanto”ti? “Atthi, brāhmaṇa, lokasmiṁ yo imañceva kāmarāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānaṁ samatikkanto, imañca diṭṭhirāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānaṁ samatikkanto”ti.

“Worthy Kaccāna, is there anyone in the world who has gone beyond the insistence on sensual desire and the insistence on views?” “There is, brahmin.”

“Ko pana so, bho kaccāna, lokasmiṁ yo imañceva kāmarāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānaṁ samatikkanto, imañca diṭṭhirāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānaṁ samatikkanto”ti? “Atthi, brāhmaṇa, puratthimesu janapadesu sāvatthī nāma nagaraṁ. Tattha so bhagavā etarahi viharati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho. So hi, brāhmaṇa, bhagavā imañceva kāmarāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānaṁ samatikkanto, imañca diṭṭhirāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānaṁ samatikkanto”ti.

“Who in the world has gone beyond the insistence on sensual desire and the insistence on views?” “In the eastern lands there is a city named Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One is now staying, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. He, brahmin, has gone beyond the insistence on sensual desire and the insistence on views.”

Evaṁ vutte, ārāmadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇaṁ jāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā tikkhattuṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

When this was said, the brahmin Ārāmadaṇḍa rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and expressed this heartfelt sentiment three times:

“Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.

“Homage to him, the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.

Homage to him, the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.

Homage to him, the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Yo hi so bhagavā imañceva kāmarāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānaṁ samatikkanto, imañca diṭṭhirāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānaṁ samatikkanto”ti.

He who has gone beyond the insistence on sensual desire and the insistence on views.

“Abhikkantaṁ, bho kaccāna, abhikkantaṁ, bho kaccāna. Seyyathāpi, bho kaccāna, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya; andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā kaccānena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ, bho kaccāna, taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ kaccāno dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

Excellent, worthy Kaccāna! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, the worthy Kaccāna has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Kaccāna remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”