SN 22.35

Aññatarabhikkhusutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena dhammaṁ desetu; yamahaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ sutvā eko vūpakaṭṭho, appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihareyyan”ti. “Yaṁ kho, bhikkhu, anuseti, tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati; yaṁ nānuseti, na tena saṅkhaṁ gacchatī”ti. “Aññātaṁ, bhagavā, aññātaṁ, sugatā”ti.

A Mendicant

At Sāvatthī. Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.” “Mendicant, you’re reckoned by what you have an underlying tendency for. You’re not reckoned by what you have no underlying tendency for.” “Understood, Blessed One! Understood, Holy One!”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsī”ti? “Rūpañce, bhante, anuseti tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Vedanañce anuseti tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Saññañce anuseti tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Saṅkhāre ce anuseti tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Viññāṇañce anuseti tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Rūpañce, bhante, nānuseti na tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Vedanañce … saññañce … saṅkhāre ce … viññāṇañce nānuseti na tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Imassa khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“But how do you see the detailed meaning of my brief statement?” “If you have an underlying tendency for form, you’re reckoned by that. If you have an underlying tendency for feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, you’re reckoned by that. If you have no underlying tendency for form, you’re not reckoned by that. If you have no underlying tendency for feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, you’re not reckoned by that. That’s how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.”

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsi. Rūpañce, bhikkhu, anuseti tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Vedanañce … saññañce … saṅkhāre ce … viññāṇañce anuseti tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Rūpañce, bhikkhu, nānuseti na tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Vedanañce … saññañce … saṅkhāre ce … viññāṇañce nānuseti na tena saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Imassa kho, bhikkhu, mayā saṅkhittena, bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti.

“Good, good, mendicant! It’s good that you understand the detailed meaning of what I’ve said in brief like this. If you have an underlying tendency for form, you’re reckoned by that. If you have an underlying tendency for feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, you’re reckoned by that. If you have no underlying tendency for form, you’re not reckoned by that. If you have no underlying tendency for feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, you’re not reckoned by that. This is how to see the detailed meaning of what I said in brief.”

Atha kho so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.

And then that mendicant approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. He got up from his seat, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

Atha kho so bhikkhu 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 pana so bhikkhu arahataṁ ahosīti.

Then that mendicant, 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 that mendicant became one of the perfected.