SN 35.87

Channasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo āyasmā ca channo gijjhakūṭe pabbate viharanti. Tena kho pana samayena yena āyasmā channo ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahācundo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahācundaṁ etadavoca: “āyāmāvuso cunda, yenāyasmā channo tenupasaṅkamissāma gilānapucchakā”ti. “Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā mahācundo āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosi.

With Channa

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time the venerables Sāriputta, Mahācunda, and Channa were staying on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. Now at that time Venerable Channa was sick, suffering, gravely ill. Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahācunda and said to him, “Come, Reverend Cunda, let’s go to see Venerable Channa and ask about his illness.” “Yes, reverend,” replied Mahācunda.

Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo yenāyasmā channo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdiṁsu. Nisajja kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ channaṁ etadavoca: “kacci te, āvuso channa, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti no abhikkamanti, paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no abhikkamo”ti?

And then Sāriputta and Mahācunda went to see Channa and sat down on the seats spread out. Sāriputta said to Channa: “I hope you’re keeping well, Reverend Channa, I hope you’re all right. I hope your pain is fading, not growing; that its fading is evident, not its growing.”

“Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ, bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti no paṭikkamanti, abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no paṭikkamo. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, balavā puriso tiṇhena sikharena muddhani abhimattheyya; evameva kho, āvuso, adhimattā vātā muddhani ūhananti. Na me, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ …pe… no paṭikkamo. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, balavā puriso daḷhena varattakkhaṇḍena sīse sīsaveṭhaṁ dadeyya; evameva kho, āvuso, adhimattā sīse sīsavedanā. Na me, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ …pe… no paṭikkamo. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, dakkho goghātako vā goghātakantevāsī vā tiṇhena govikantanena kucchiṁ parikanteyya; evameva kho adhimattā vātā kucchiṁ parikantanti. Na me, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ …pe… no paṭikkamo. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, dve balavanto purisā dubbalataraṁ purisaṁ nānābāhāsu gahetvā aṅgārakāsuyā santāpeyyuṁ samparitāpeyyuṁ; evameva kho, āvuso, adhimatto kāyasmiṁ ḍāho. Na me, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ, bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti no paṭikkamanti, abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no paṭikkamo. Satthaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, āharissāmi, nāvakaṅkhāmi jīvitan”ti.

“Reverend Sāriputta, 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. The winds piercing my head are so severe, it feels like a strong man drilling into my head with a sharp point. The pain in my head is so severe, it feels like a strong man tightening a strong leather strap around my head. The winds slicing my belly are so severe, like a deft butcher or their apprentice were slicing open a cow’s belly with a sharp meat cleaver. The burning in my body is so severe, it feels like two strong men grabbing a weaker man by the arms to burn and scorch him on a pit of glowing coals. 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. Reverend Sāriputta, I shall commit suicide. I don’t wish to live.”

“Mā āyasmā channo satthaṁ āharesi. Yāpetāyasmā channo, yāpentaṁ mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ icchāma. Sace āyasmato channassa natthi sappāyāni bhojanāni, ahaṁ āyasmato channassa sappāyāni bhojanāni pariyesissāmi. Sace āyasmato channassa natthi sappāyāni bhesajjāni, ahaṁ āyasmato channassa sappāyāni bhesajjāni pariyesissāmi. Sace āyasmato channassa natthi patirūpā upaṭṭhākā, ahaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ upaṭṭhahissāmi. Mā āyasmā channo satthaṁ āharesi. Yāpetāyasmā channo, yāpentaṁ mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ icchāmā”ti.

“Please don’t commit suicide! Venerable Channa, keep going! We want you to keep going. If you don’t have any suitable food, we’ll find it for you. If you don’t have suitable medicine, we’ll find it for you. If you don’t have a capable carer, we’ll find one for you. Please don’t commit suicide! Venerable Channa, keep going! We want you to keep going.”

“Na me, āvuso sāriputta, natthi sappāyāni bhojanāni; atthi me sappāyāni bhojanāni. Napi me natthi sappāyāni bhesajjāni; atthi me sappāyāni bhesajjāni. Napi me natthi patirūpā upaṭṭhākā; atthi me patirūpā upaṭṭhākā. Api ca me, āvuso, satthā pariciṇṇo dīgharattaṁ manāpeneva, no amanāpena. Etañhi, āvuso, sāvakassa patirūpaṁ yaṁ satthāraṁ paricareyya manāpeneva, no amanāpena. ‘Anupavajjaṁ channo bhikkhu satthaṁ āharissatī’ti—evametaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, dhārehī”ti.

“Reverend Sāriputta, it’s not that I don’t have suitable food; I do have suitable food. It’s not that I don’t have suitable medicine; I do have suitable medicine. It’s not that I don’t have a capable carer; I do have a capable carer. Moreover, for a long time now I have served the Teacher with love, not without love. For it is proper for a disciple to serve the Teacher with love, not without love. You should remember this: ‘The mendicant Channa will commit suicide blamelessly.’”

“Puccheyyāma mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ kañcideva desaṁ, sace āyasmā channo okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti. “Pucchāvuso sāriputta, sutvā vedissāmā”ti.

“I’d like to ask Venerable Channa about a certain point, if you’d take the time to answer.” “Ask, Reverend Sāriputta. When I’ve heard it I’ll know.”

“Cakkhuṁ, āvuso channa, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassasi …pe… jivhaṁ, āvuso channa, jivhāviññāṇaṁ jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassasi …pe… manaṁ, āvuso channa, manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassasī”ti?

“Reverend Channa, do you regard the eye, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness in this way: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’? Do you regard the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness in this way: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

“Cakkhuṁ, āvuso sāriputta, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmi …pe… jivhaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, jivhāviññāṇaṁ jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmi …pe… manaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmī”ti.

“Reverend Sāriputta, I regard the eye, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ I regard the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’.”

“Cakkhusmiṁ, āvuso channa, cakkhuviññāṇe cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu kiṁ disvā kiṁ abhiññāya cakkhuṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassasi … jivhāya, āvuso channa, jivhāviññāṇe jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu kiṁ disvā kiṁ abhiññāya jivhaṁ jivhāviññāṇaṁ jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassasi … manasmiṁ, āvuso channa, manoviññāṇe manoviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu kiṁ disvā kiṁ abhiññāya manaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassasī”ti?

“Reverend Channa, what have you seen, what have you directly known in these things that you regard them in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’?”

“Cakkhusmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, cakkhuviññāṇe cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu nirodhaṁ disvā nirodhaṁ abhiññāya cakkhuṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmi …pe… jivhāya, āvuso sāriputta, jivhāviññāṇe jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu nirodhaṁ disvā nirodhaṁ abhiññāya jivhaṁ jivhāviññāṇaṁ jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmi …pe… manasmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, manoviññāṇe manoviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu nirodhaṁ disvā nirodhaṁ abhiññāya manaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmī”ti.

“Reverend Sāriputta, after seeing cessation, after directly knowing cessation in these things I regard them in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā mahācundo āyasmantaṁ channaṁ etadavoca: “tasmātiha, āvuso channa, idampi tassa bhagavato sāsanaṁ niccakappaṁ sādhukaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ: ‘nissitassa calitaṁ, anissitassa calitaṁ natthi. Calite asati passaddhi hoti. Passaddhiyā sati nati na hoti. Natiyā asati āgatigati na hoti. Āgatigatiyā asati cutūpapāto na hoti. Cutūpapāte asati nevidha na huraṁ na ubhayamantarena. Esevanto dukkhassā’”ti.

When he said this, Venerable Mahācunda said to Venerable Channa, “So, Reverend Channa, you should regularly apply your mind well to this instruction of the Buddha: ‘For the dependent there is quivering. For the independent there’s no quivering. When there’s no quivering, there is tranquility. When there is tranquility, there’s no inclination. When there’s no inclination, there’s no coming and going. When there’s no coming and going, there’s no passing away and reappearing. When there’s no passing away and reappearing, there’s no this life or the next or between the two. Just this is the end of suffering.’”

Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo āyasmantaṁ channaṁ iminā ovādena ovaditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu. Atha kho āyasmā channo acirapakkantesu tesu āyasmantesu satthaṁ āharesi.

And when the venerables Sāriputta and Mahācunda had given Venerable Channa this advice they rose from their seats and left. Not long after those venerables had left, Venerable Channa committed suicide.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “āyasmatā, bhante, channena satthaṁ āharitaṁ. Tassa kā gati ko abhisamparāyo”ti? “Nanu te, sāriputta, channena bhikkhunā sammukhāyeva anupavajjatā byākatā”ti? “Atthi, bhante, pubbavijjanaṁ nāma vajjigāmo. Tatthāyasmato channassa mittakulāni suhajjakulāni upavajjakulānī”ti. “Honti hete, sāriputta, channassa bhikkhuno mittakulāni suhajjakulāni upavajjakulāni. Na kho panāhaṁ, sāriputta, ettāvatā saupavajjoti vadāmi. Yo kho, sāriputta, tañca kāyaṁ nikkhipati, aññañca kāyaṁ upādiyati, tamahaṁ saupavajjoti vadāmi. Taṁ channassa bhikkhuno natthi. ‘Anupavajjaṁ channena bhikkhunā satthaṁ āharitan’ti— evametaṁ, sāriputta, dhārehī”ti.

Then Sāriputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, Venerable Channa has committed suicide. Where has he been reborn in his next life?” “Sāriputta, didn’t the mendicant Channa declare his blamelessness to you personally?” “Sir, there is a Vajjian village named Pubbajira. There Channa had families who were friendly, intimate, and hospitable.” “The mendicant Channa did indeed have such families. But, Sāriputta, this is not enough for me to call someone ‘blameworthy’. When someone lays down this body and takes up another body, I call them ‘blameworthy’. But the mendicant Channa did no such thing. You should remember this: ‘The mendicant Channa committed suicide blamelessly.’”