AN 3.53

Aññatarabrāhmaṇasutta

Atha kho aññataro brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “‘sandiṭṭhiko dhammo sandiṭṭhiko dhammo’ti, bho gotama, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bho gotama, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti?

A Certain Brahmin

Then a brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. Seated to one side he said to the Buddha: “Worthy Gotama, they speak of ‘a teaching apparent in the present life’. In what way is the teaching apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves?”

“Ratto kho, brāhmaṇa, rāgena abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto attabyābādhāyapi ceteti, parabyābādhāyapi ceteti, ubhayabyābādhāyapi ceteti, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Rāge pahīne nevattabyābādhāyapi ceteti, na parabyābādhāyapi ceteti, na ubhayabyābādhāyapi ceteti, na cetasikaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Ratto kho …pe… kāyena duccaritaṁ carati, vācāya duccaritaṁ carati, manasā duccaritaṁ carati. Rāge pahīne neva kāyena duccaritaṁ carati, na vācāya duccaritaṁ carati, na manasā duccaritaṁ carati. Ratto kho …pe… attatthampi yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, paratthampi yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ubhayatthampi yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Rāge pahīne attatthampi yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, paratthampi yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ubhayatthampi yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Evampi kho, brāhmaṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti …pe….

“A greedy person, overcome and overwhelmed by greed, intends to hurt themselves, hurt others, and hurt both. They experience mental pain and sadness. When greed has been given up, they don’t intend to hurt themselves, hurt others, and hurt both. They don’t experience mental pain and sadness. This is how the teaching is apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

Duṭṭho kho, brāhmaṇa, dosena abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto attabyābādhāyapi ceteti, parabyābādhāyapi ceteti, ubhayabyābādhāyapi ceteti, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Dose pahīne nevattabyābādhāyapi ceteti, na parabyābādhāyapi ceteti, na ubhayabyābādhāyapi ceteti, na cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Evampi kho, brāhmaṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti …pe….

A hateful person, overcome by hate, intends to hurt themselves, hurt others, and hurt both. They experience mental pain and sadness. When hate has been given up, they don’t intend to hurt themselves, hurt others, and hurt both. They don’t experience mental pain and sadness. This, too, is how the teaching is apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

Mūḷho kho, brāhmaṇa, mohena abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto attabyābādhāyapi ceteti, parabyābādhāyapi ceteti, ubhayabyābādhāyapi ceteti, cetasikampi dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Mohe pahīne nevattabyābādhāyapi ceteti, na parabyābādhāyapi ceteti, na ubhayabyābādhāyapi ceteti, na cetasikaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti.

A deluded person, overcome by delusion, intends to hurt themselves, hurt others, and hurt both. They experience mental pain and sadness. When delusion has been given up, they don’t intend to hurt themselves, hurt others, and hurt both. They don’t experience mental pain and sadness. This, too, is how the teaching is apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.”

“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; evamevaṁ bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

“Excellent, worthy Gotama! 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, worthy Gotama 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 Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”