AN 9.13

Koṭṭhikasutta

Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: “kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, ‘yaṁ kammaṁ diṭṭhadhammavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ samparāyavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti? “No hidaṁ, āvuso”.

With Koṭṭhita

Then Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta: “Reverend Sāriputta, is the spiritual life led under the Buddha for this goal: ‘May deeds to be experienced in this life be experienced by me in lives to come’?” “Certainly not, reverend.”

“Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, ‘yaṁ kammaṁ samparāyavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ diṭṭhadhammavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti? “No hidaṁ, āvuso”.

“Then is the spiritual life led under the Buddha for this goal: ‘May deeds to be experienced in lives to come be experienced by me in this life’?” “Certainly not.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, ‘yaṁ kammaṁ sukhavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ dukkhavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti? “No hidaṁ, āvuso”.

“Is the spiritual life led under the Buddha for this goal: ‘May deeds to be experienced as pleasant be experienced by me as painful’?” “Certainly not.”

“Kiṁ panāvuso, sāriputta, ‘yaṁ kammaṁ dukkhavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ sukhavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti? “No hidaṁ, āvuso”.

“Then is the spiritual life led under the Buddha for this goal: ‘May deeds to be experienced as painful be experienced by me as pleasant’?” “Certainly not.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, ‘yaṁ kammaṁ paripakkavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ aparipakkavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti? “No hidaṁ, āvuso”.

“Is the spiritual life led under the Buddha for this goal: ‘May deeds to be experienced when ripe be experienced by me when unripe’?” “Certainly not.”

“Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, ‘yaṁ kammaṁ aparipakkavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ paripakkavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti? “No hidaṁ, āvuso”.

“Then is the spiritual life led under the Buddha for this goal: ‘May deeds to be experienced when unripe be experienced by me when ripe’?” “Certainly not.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, ‘yaṁ kammaṁ bahuvedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ appavedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti? “No hidaṁ, āvuso”.

“Is the spiritual life led under the Buddha for this goal: ‘May deeds to be experienced a lot be experienced by me a little’?” “Certainly not.”

“Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, ‘yaṁ kammaṁ appavedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ bahuvedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti? “No hidaṁ, āvuso”.

“Then is the spiritual life led under the Buddha for this goal: ‘May deeds to be experienced a little be experienced by me a lot’?” “Certainly not.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, ‘yaṁ kammaṁ vedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ avedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti? “No hidaṁ, āvuso”.

“Is the spiritual life led under the Buddha for this goal: ‘May deeds to be experienced by me be not experienced’?” “Certainly not.”

“Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, ‘yaṁ kammaṁ avedanīyaṁ, taṁ me kammaṁ vedanīyaṁ hotū’ti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti? “No hidaṁ, āvuso”.

“Then is the spiritual life led under the Buddha for this goal: ‘May deeds not to be experienced be experienced’?” “Certainly not.”

“‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ diṭṭhadhammavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ samparāyavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.

“Reverend Sāriputta, when you were asked whether the spiritual life was lived under the Buddha so that deeds to be experienced in this life are experienced in lives to come, you said, ‘Certainly not’.

‘Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ samparāyavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ diṭṭhadhammavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.

When you were asked whether the spiritual life was lived under the Buddha so that deeds to be experienced in lives to come are experienced in this life …

‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ sukhavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ dukkhavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.

deeds to be experienced as pleasant are experienced as painful …

‘Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ dukkhavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ sukhavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.

deeds to be experienced as painful are experienced as pleasant …

‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ paripakkavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ aparipakkavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.

deeds to be experienced when ripe are experienced when unripe …

‘Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ aparipakkavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ paripakkavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.

deeds to be experienced when unripe are experienced when ripe …

‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ bahuvedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ appavedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.

deeds to be experienced a lot are experienced a little …

‘Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ appavedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ bahuvedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.

deeds to be experienced a little are experienced a lot …

‘Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ vedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ avedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi.

deeds to be experienced are not experienced …

‘Kiṁ panāvuso sāriputta, yaṁ kammaṁ avedanīyaṁ taṁ me kammaṁ vedanīyaṁ hotūti, etassa atthāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘no hidaṁ, āvuso’ti vadesi. Atha kimatthaṁ carahāvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti?

When you were asked whether the spiritual life was lived under the Buddha so that deeds not to be experienced are experienced, you said, ‘Certainly not.’ Then what exactly is the goal of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha?”

“Yaṁ khvassa, āvuso, aññātaṁ adiṭṭhaṁ appattaṁ asacchikataṁ anabhisametaṁ, tassa ñāṇāya dassanāya pattiyā sacchikiriyāya abhisamayāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatīti. Kiṁ panassāvuso, aññātaṁ adiṭṭhaṁ appattaṁ asacchikataṁ anabhisametaṁ, yassa ñāṇāya dassanāya pattiyā sacchikiriyāya abhisamayāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatīti? ‘Idaṁ dukkhan’ti khvassa, āvuso, aññātaṁ adiṭṭhaṁ appattaṁ asacchikataṁ anabhisametaṁ. Tassa ñāṇāya dassanāya pattiyā sacchikiriyāya abhisamayāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. ‘Ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti khvassa, āvuso …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti khvassa, āvuso …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti khvassa, āvuso, aññātaṁ adiṭṭhaṁ appattaṁ asacchikataṁ anabhisametaṁ. Tassa ñāṇāya dassanāya pattiyā sacchikiriyāya abhisamayāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. Idaṁ khvassa, āvuso, aññātaṁ adiṭṭhaṁ appattaṁ asacchikataṁ anabhisametaṁ. Tassa ñāṇāya dassanāya pattiyā sacchikiriyāya abhisamayāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī”ti.

“Reverend, the spiritual life is lived under the Buddha to know, see, attain, realize, and comprehend that which is unknown, unseen, unattained, unrealized, and uncomprehended.” “But what is the unknown, unseen, unattained, unrealized, and uncomprehended?” “‘This is suffering.’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering.’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering.’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’ … This is the unknown, unseen, unattained, unrealized, and uncomprehended. The spiritual life is lived under the Buddha to know, see, attain, realize, and comprehend this.”