SN 12.17

Acelakassapasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Addasā kho acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “puccheyyāma mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ kañcideva desaṁ, sace no bhavaṁ gotamo okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti. “Akālo kho tāva, kassapa, pañhassa; antaragharaṁ paviṭṭhamhā”ti.

With Kassapa, the Naked Ascetic

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms. The naked ascetic Kassapa saw the Buddha coming off in the distance. He went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side and said to the Buddha, “I’d like to ask the worthy Gotama about a certain point, if you’d take the time to answer.” “Kassapa, it’s the wrong time for questions. We’ve entered an inhabited area.”

Dutiyampi kho acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “puccheyyāma mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ kañcideva desaṁ, sace no bhavaṁ gotamo okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti. “Akālo kho tāva, kassapa, pañhassa; antaragharaṁ paviṭṭhamhā”ti. Tatiyampi kho acelo kassapo …pe… antaragharaṁ paviṭṭhamhāti. Evaṁ vutte, acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “na kho pana mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ bahudeva pucchitukāmā”ti. “Puccha, kassapa, yadākaṅkhasī”ti.

A second time, and a third time, Kassapa spoke to the Buddha and the Buddha replied. When this was said, Kassapa said to the Buddha, “I don’t want to ask much.” “Ask what you wish, Kassapa.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘sayaṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti? ‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, paraṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti? ‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca dukkhan’ti? ‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ dukkhan’ti? ‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, natthi dukkhan’ti? ‘Na kho, kassapa, natthi dukkhaṁ. Atthi kho, kassapa, dukkhan’ti. ‘Tena hi bhavaṁ gotamo dukkhaṁ na jānāti, na passatī’ti. ‘Na khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ na jānāmi, na passāmi. Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ; passāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhan’”ti.

“Well, worthy Gotama, is suffering made by oneself?” “Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha. “Then is suffering made by another?” “Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha. “Well, is suffering made by both oneself and another?” “Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha. “Then does suffering arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?” “Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha. “Well, is there no such thing as suffering?” “It’s not that there’s no such thing as suffering. Suffering is real.” “Then does the worthy Gotama not know or see suffering?” “It’s not that I don’t know or see suffering. I do know suffering, I do see suffering.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘sayaṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, paraṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, natthi dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na kho, kassapa, natthi dukkhaṁ, atthi kho, kassapa, dukkhan’ti vadesi. ‘Tena hi bhavaṁ gotamo dukkhaṁ na jānāti na passatī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ na jānāmi na passāmi. Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ; passāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhan’ti vadesi. Ācikkhatu ca me, bhante, bhagavā dukkhaṁ. Desetu ca me, bhante, bhagavā dukkhan”ti.

“Worthy Gotama, when asked these questions, you say ‘not so’. Yet you say that there is such a thing as suffering. And you say that you do know suffering, and you do see suffering. Sir, let the Blessed One explain suffering to me! Let the Blessed One teach me about suffering!”

“‘So karoti so paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, kassapa, ādito sato ‘sayaṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti vadaṁ sassataṁ etaṁ pareti. ‘Añño karoti añño paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, kassapa, vedanābhitunnassa sato ‘paraṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti vadaṁ ucchedaṁ etaṁ pareti. Ete te, kassapa, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti: ‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā; saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’”ti.

“Suppose that he who does the deed and he who experiences the result are one and the same. Then for one who has existed since the beginning, suffering is made by oneself. In speaking like this, one implies this is eternal. Suppose that he who does the deed is one, and he who experiences the result is another. Then for one stricken by feeling, suffering is made by another. In speaking like this, one implies this is annihilated. Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way: ‘Ignorance is a requirement for choices. Choices are a requirement for consciousness. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, choices cease. When choices cease, consciousness ceases. … That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.’”

Evaṁ vutte, acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante. Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya …pe… ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhagavatā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

When this was said, Kassapa said to the Buddha, “Excellent, sir! 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 Buddha has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”

“Yo kho, kassapa, aññatitthiyapubbo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ākaṅkhati pabbajjaṁ, ākaṅkhati upasampadaṁ, so cattāro māse parivasati. Catunnaṁ māsānaṁ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājenti upasampādenti bhikkhubhāvāya. Api ca mayā puggalavemattatā viditā”ti.

“Kassapa, if someone formerly ordained in another sect wishes to take the going forth, the ordination in this teaching and training, they must spend four months on probation. When four months have passed, if the mendicants are satisfied, they’ll give the going forth, the ordination into monkhood. However, I have recognized individual differences.”

“Sace, bhante, aññatitthiyapubbo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ākaṅkhati pabbajjaṁ, ākaṅkhati upasampadaṁ, cattāro māse parivasati. Catunnaṁ māsānaṁ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājenti upasampādenti bhikkhubhāvāya. Ahaṁ cattāri vassāni parivasissāmi, catunnaṁ vassānaṁ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājentu upasampādentu bhikkhubhāvāyā”ti.

“Sir, if four months probation are required in such a case, I’ll spend four years on probation. When four years have passed, if the mendicants are satisfied, let them give me the going forth, the ordination into monkhood.”

Alattha kho acelo kassapo bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ. Acirūpasampanno ca panāyasmā kassapo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi. “Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi. Aññataro ca panāyasmā kassapo arahataṁ ahosīti.

And the naked ascetic Kassapa received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence. Not long after his ordination, Venerable Kassapa, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” And Venerable Kassapa became one of the perfected.