SN 22.87

Vakkalisutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā vakkali kumbhakāranivesane viharati ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Atha kho āyasmā vakkali upaṭṭhāke āmantesi: “etha tumhe, āvuso, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamatha; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatha: ‘vakkali, bhante, bhikkhu ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno, so bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī’ti. Evañca vadetha: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, bhagavā yena vakkali bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti. “Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato vakkalissa paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “vakkali, bhante, bhikkhu ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno, so bhagavato pāde sirasā vandati; evañca pana vadeti: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, bhagavā yena vakkali bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā’”ti. Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.

With Vakkali

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time Venerable Vakkali was staying in a potter’s shed, and he was sick, suffering, gravely ill. Then he addressed his carers, “Please, reverends, go to the Buddha, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him: ‘Sir, the mendicant Vakkali is sick, suffering, gravely ill. He bows with his head to your feet.’ And then say: ‘Sir, please go to the mendicant Vakkali out of sympathy.’” “Yes, reverend,” those monks replied. They did as he asked. The Buddha consented with silence.

Atha kho bhagavā nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yenāyasmā vakkali tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho āyasmā vakkali bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna mañcake samadhosi. Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ vakkaliṁ etadavoca: “alaṁ, vakkali, mā tvaṁ mañcake samadhosi. Santimāni āsanāni paññattāni; tatthāhaṁ nisīdissāmī”ti. Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane. Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ vakkaliṁ etadavoca: “kacci te, vakkali, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti, no abhikkamanti; paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no abhikkamo”ti? “Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ; bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo”ti. “Kacci te, vakkali, na kiñci kukkuccaṁ, na koci vippaṭisāro”ti? “Taggha me, bhante, anappakaṁ kukkuccaṁ, anappako vippaṭisāro”ti. “Kacci pana taṁ, vakkali, attā sīlato na upavadatī”ti? “Na kho maṁ, bhante, attā sīlato upavadatī”ti. “No ce kira taṁ, vakkali, attā sīlato upavadati; atha kiñca te kukkuccaṁ ko ca vippaṭisāro”ti? “Cirapaṭikāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamitukāmo, natthi ca me kāyasmiṁ tāvatikā balamattā, yāvatāhaṁ bhagavantaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkameyyan”ti.

Then the Buddha robed up and, taking his bowl and robes, went to Venerable Vakkali. Venerable Vakkali saw the Buddha coming off in the distance and stirred in his cot. But the Buddha said to him, “It’s all right, Vakkali, don’t get up. There are some seats spread out, I will sit there.” He sat down on the seat spread out and said to Vakkali, “I hope you’re keeping well, Vakkali; I hope you’re all right. I hope your pain is fading, not growing; that its fading is evident, not its growing.” “Sir, I’m not keeping well, I’m not getting by. My pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading.” “I hope you don’t have any remorse or regret?” “Indeed, sir, I have no little remorse and regret.” “I hope you have no reason to blame yourself when it comes to ethical conduct?” “No sir, I have no reason to blame myself when it comes to ethical conduct.” “In that case, Vakkali, why do you have remorse and regret?” “For a long time I’ve wanted to go and see the Buddha, but I was physically too weak.”

“Alaṁ, vakkali, kiṁ te iminā pūtikāyena diṭṭhena? Yo kho, vakkali, dhammaṁ passati so maṁ passati; yo maṁ passati so dhammaṁ passati. Dhammañhi, vakkali, passanto maṁ passati; maṁ passanto dhammaṁ passati.

“Enough, Vakkali! Why would you want to see this rotting body? One who sees the teaching sees me. One who sees me sees the teaching. Seeing the teaching, you see me. Seeing me, you see the teaching.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, vakkali, rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti? “Aniccaṁ, bhante”. “Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti? “Dukkhaṁ, bhante”. “Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti? “No hetaṁ, bhante”. “Vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti? “Aniccaṁ, bhante” …pe… eso me attāti? “No hetaṁ, bhante”. “Tasmātiha …pe… evaṁ passaṁ …pe… nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānātī”ti.

What do you think, Vakkali? Is form permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, sir.” “But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?” “Suffering, sir.” “But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?” “No, sir.” “Is feeling … perception … choices … consciousness permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, sir.” … “So you should truly see … Seeing this … They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’”

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ vakkaliṁ iminā ovādena ovaditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā yena gijjhakūṭo pabbato tena pakkāmi. Atha kho āyasmā vakkali acirapakkantassa bhagavato upaṭṭhāke āmantesi: “etha maṁ, āvuso, mañcakaṁ āropetvā yena isigilipassaṁ kāḷasilā tenupasaṅkamatha. Kathañhi nāma mādiso antaraghare kālaṁ kattabbaṁ maññeyyā”ti? “Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato vakkalissa paṭissutvā āyasmantaṁ vakkaliṁ mañcakaṁ āropetvā yena isigilipassaṁ kāḷasilā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu. Atha kho bhagavā tañca rattiṁ tañca divāvasesaṁ gijjhakūṭe pabbate vihāsi. Atha kho dve devatāyo abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ gijjhakūṭaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu …pe… ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho ekā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “vakkali, bhante, bhikkhu vimokkhāya cetetī”ti. Aparā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “so hi nūna, bhante, suvimutto vimuccissatī”ti. Idamavocuṁ tā devatāyo. Idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu.

And then, after giving Venerable Vakkali this advice, the Buddha rose from his seat and went to the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. Then Venerable Vakkali addressed his carers, “Come on, reverends, lift my cot and take me to the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili. For how on earth could one such as I imagine dying in an inhabited area!” “Yes, reverend,” replied those mendicants, and did as he asked. Meanwhile, the Buddha spent the rest of that night and day on Vulture’s Peak Mountain. Then, late at night, two glorious deities, lighting up the entire Vulture’s Peak, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side. One deity said to him, “Sir, the mendicant Vakkali is intent on liberation!” And another deity said to him, “He’ll definitely be well freed!” This is what those deities said. Then they bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on their right side, before vanishing right there.

Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi: “etha tumhe, bhikkhave, yena vakkali bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamatha; upasaṅkamitvā vakkaliṁ bhikkhuṁ evaṁ vadetha:

Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Come, mendicants, go to the mendicant Vakkali and tell him:

‘Suṇāvuso tvaṁ, vakkali, bhagavato vacanaṁ dvinnañca devatānaṁ. Imaṁ, āvuso, rattiṁ dve devatāyo abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ gijjhakūṭaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho, āvuso, ekā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca— vakkali, bhante, bhikkhu vimokkhāya cetetīti. Aparā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca— so hi nūna, bhante, suvimutto vimuccissatīti. Bhagavā ca taṁ, āvuso vakkali, evamāha— mā bhāyi, vakkali; mā bhāyi, vakkali. Apāpakaṁ te maraṇaṁ bhavissati, apāpikā kālakiriyā’”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paṭissutvā yenāyasmā vakkali tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ vakkaliṁ etadavocuṁ: “suṇāvuso vakkali, bhagavato vacanaṁ dvinnañca devatānan”ti.

‘Vakkali, hear the word of the Buddha and two deities. Late last night, two glorious deities, lighting up the entire Vulture’s Peak, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side. One deity said to him, “Sir, the mendicant Vakkali is intent on liberation!” The other deity said to him, “He’ll definitely be well freed!” And the Buddha said, “Do not fear, Vakkali, do not fear! Your death will not be a bad one; your passing will not be a bad one.”’” “Yes, sir,” those monks replied. They went to Vakkali and said to him: “Vakkali, hear the word of the Buddha and two deities.”

Atha kho āyasmā vakkali upaṭṭhāke āmantesi: “etha maṁ, āvuso, mañcakā oropetha. Kathañhi nāma mādiso ucce āsane nisīditvā tassa bhagavato sāsanaṁ sotabbaṁ maññeyyā”ti. “Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato vakkalissa paṭissutvā āyasmantaṁ vakkaliṁ mañcakā oropesuṁ. “Imaṁ, āvuso, rattiṁ dve devatāyo abhikkantāya rattiyā …pe… ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho, āvuso, ekā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: ‘vakkali, bhante, bhikkhu vimokkhāya cetetī’ti. Aparā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: ‘so hi nūna, bhante, suvimutto vimuccissatī’ti. Bhagavā ca taṁ, āvuso vakkali, evamāha: ‘mā bhāyi, vakkali; mā bhāyi, vakkali. Apāpakaṁ te maraṇaṁ bhavissati, apāpikā kālakiriyā’”ti. “Tena hāvuso, mama vacanena bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatha: ‘vakkali, bhante, bhikkhu ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. So bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī’ti. Evañca vadetha: ‘rūpaṁ aniccaṁ. Tāhaṁ, bhante, na kaṅkhāmi. Yadaniccaṁ taṁ dukkhanti na vicikicchāmi. Yadaniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, natthi me tattha chando vā rāgo vā pemaṁ vāti na vicikicchāmi. Vedanā aniccā. Tāhaṁ, bhante, na kaṅkhāmi. Yadaniccaṁ taṁ dukkhanti na vicikicchāmi. Yadaniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, natthi me tattha chando vā rāgo vā pemaṁ vāti na vicikicchāmi. Saññā … saṅkhārā aniccā. Tāhaṁ, bhante, na kaṅkhāmi. Yadaniccaṁ taṁ dukkhanti na vicikicchāmi. Yadaniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, natthi me tattha chando vā rāgo vā pemaṁ vāti na vicikicchāmi. Viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ. Tāhaṁ, bhante, na kaṅkhāmi. Yadaniccaṁ taṁ dukkhanti na vicikicchāmi. Yadaniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, natthi me tattha chando vā rāgo vā pemaṁ vāti na vicikicchāmī’”ti. “Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato vakkalissa paṭissutvā pakkamiṁsu. Atha kho āyasmā vakkali acirapakkantesu tesu bhikkhūsu satthaṁ āharesi.

Then Vakkali addressed his carers, “Please, reverends, help me off my cot. For how on earth could one such as I presume to listen to the Buddha’s instructions sitting on a high seat?” “Yes, reverend,” replied those mendicants, and helped him off his cot. They repeated what the Buddha had said. Vakkali said, “Well then, reverends, in my name bow with your head to the Buddha’s feet. Say to him: ‘Sir, the mendicant Vakkali is sick, suffering, gravely ill. He bows with his head to your feet.’ And then say: ‘Form is impermanent. I have no doubt of that. I’m certain that what is impermanent is suffering. And I’m certain that I have no desire or greed or fondness for what is impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Feeling is impermanent … Perception is impermanent … Choices are impermanent … Consciousness is impermanent. I have no doubt of that. I’m certain that what is impermanent is suffering. And I’m certain that I have no desire or greed or fondness for what is impermanent, suffering, and perishable.’” “Yes, reverend,” those monks replied, and left. And then, not long after those mendicants had left, Venerable Vakkali committed suicide.

Atha kho te bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “vakkali, bhante, bhikkhu ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno; so bhagavato pāde sirasā vandati; evañca vadeti: ‘rūpaṁ aniccaṁ. Tāhaṁ, bhante, na kaṅkhāmi. Yadaniccaṁ taṁ dukkhanti na vicikicchāmi. Yadaniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, natthi me tattha chando vā rāgo vā pemaṁ vāti na vicikicchāmi. Vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ. Tāhaṁ, bhante, na kaṅkhāmi. Yadaniccaṁ taṁ dukkhanti na vicikicchāmi. Yadaniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, natthi me tattha chando vā rāgo vā pemaṁ vāti na vicikicchāmī’”ti.

Then those mendicants went up to the Buddha and told him Vakkali’s message.

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “āyāma, bhikkhave, yena isigilipassaṁ kāḷasilā tenupasaṅkamissāma; yattha vakkalinā kulaputtena satthamāharitan”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Atha kho bhagavā sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ yena isigilipassaṁ kāḷasilā tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ vakkaliṁ dūratova mañcake vivattakkhandhaṁ semānaṁ.

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, “Come, mendicants, let’s go to the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili, where Vakkali, the gentleman, committed suicide.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. Then the Buddha together with several mendicants went to the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili. The Buddha saw Vakkali off in the distance on his cot, lying with aggregates cast off.

Tena kho pana samayena dhūmāyitattaṁ timirāyitattaṁ gacchateva purimaṁ disaṁ, gacchati pacchimaṁ disaṁ, gacchati uttaraṁ disaṁ, gacchati dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ, gacchati uddhaṁ disaṁ, gacchati adho disaṁ, gacchati anudisaṁ. Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etaṁ dhūmāyitattaṁ timirāyitattaṁ gacchateva purimaṁ disaṁ …pe… gacchati anudisan”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Eso kho, bhikkhave, māro pāpimā vakkalissa kulaputtassa viññāṇaṁ samanvesati: ‘kattha vakkalissa kulaputtassa viññāṇaṁ patiṭṭhitan’ti? Appatiṭṭhitena ca, bhikkhave, viññāṇena vakkali kulaputto parinibbuto”ti.

Now at that time a cloud of black smoke was moving east, west, north, south, above, below, and in-between. The Buddha said to the mendicants, “Mendicants, do you see that cloud of black smoke moving east, west, north, south, above, below, and in-between?” “Yes, sir.” “That’s Māra the Wicked searching for Vakkali’s consciousness, wondering: ‘Where is Vakkali’s consciousness established?’ But since his consciousness is not established, Vakkali is quenched.”