SN 41.3

Dutiyaisidattasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū macchikāsaṇḍe viharanti ambāṭakavane. Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati there bhikkhū etadavoca: “adhivāsentu me, bhante, therā svātanāya bhattan”ti. Adhivāsesuṁ kho therā bhikkhū tuṇhībhāvena. Atha kho citto gahapati therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Atha kho therā bhikkhū tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena cittassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdiṁsu.

With Isidatta (2nd)

At one time several senior mendicants were staying near Macchikāsaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove. Then Citta the householder went up to them, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to them, “Sirs, would the senior monks please accept tomorrow’s meal from me?” They consented with silence. Then, knowing that the senior mendicants had consented, Citta rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled them, keeping them on his right, before leaving. Then when the night had passed, the senior mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, went to Citta’s home, and sat down on the seats spread out.

Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: “yā imā, bhante thera, anekavihitā diṭṭhiyo loke uppajjanti: ‘sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā, antavā lokoti vā, anantavā lokoti vā, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā. Yāni cimāni dvāsaṭṭhi diṭṭhigatāni brahmajāle bhaṇitāni; imā nu kho, bhante, diṭṭhiyo kismiṁ sati honti, kismiṁ asati na hontī”ti?

So he went up to them, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to the senior venerable: “Honorable Senior, there are many different views that arise in the world. For example: the cosmos is eternal, or not eternal, or finite, or infinite; the soul and the body are one and the same, or the soul is one thing, the body another; after death, a realized one still exists, or no longer exists, or both still exists and no longer exists, or neither still exists nor no longer exists. And also the sixty-two misconceptions spoken of in ‘The Divine Net’. When what exists do these views come to be? When what doesn’t exist do these views not come to be?”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā thero tuṇhī ahosi. Dutiyampi kho citto gahapati …pe… tatiyampi kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: “yā imā, bhante thera, anekavihitā diṭṭhiyo loke uppajjanti— sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā, antavā lokoti vā, anantavā lokoti vā, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā. Yāni cimāni dvāsaṭṭhi diṭṭhigatāni brahmajāle bhaṇitāni; imā nu kho, bhante, diṭṭhiyo kismiṁ sati honti, kismiṁ asati na hontī”ti? Tatiyampi kho āyasmā thero tuṇhī ahosi.

When he said this, the senior venerable kept silent. For a second time … And for a third time, Citta said to him: “Honorable Senior, there are many different views that arise in the world. … When what exists do these views come to be? When what doesn’t exist do these views not come to be?” And a second time and a third time the senior venerable kept silent.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā isidatto tasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe sabbanavako hoti. Atha kho āyasmā isidatto āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: “byākaromahaṁ, bhante thera, cittassa gahapatino etaṁ pañhan”ti? “Byākarohi tvaṁ, āvuso isidatta, cittassa gahapatino etaṁ pañhan”ti. “Evañhi tvaṁ, gahapati, pucchasi: ‘yā imā, bhante thera, anekavihitā diṭṭhiyo loke uppajjanti— sassato lokoti vā …pe…; imā nu kho, bhante, diṭṭhiyo kismiṁ sati honti, kismiṁ asati na hontī’”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Yā imā, gahapati, anekavihitā diṭṭhiyo loke uppajjanti: ‘sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā, antavā lokoti vā anantavā lokoti vā, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā. Yāni cimāni dvāsaṭṭhi diṭṭhigatāni brahmajāle bhaṇitāni; imā kho, gahapati, diṭṭhiyo sakkāyadiṭṭhiyā sati honti, sakkāyadiṭṭhiyā asati na hontī’”ti.

Now at that time Venerable Isidatta was the most junior mendicant in that Saṅgha. He said to the senior venerable, “Honorable Senior, may I answer Citta’s question?” “Answer it, Reverend Isidatta.” “Householder, is this your question: ‘There are many different views that arise in the world … When what exists do these views come to be? When what doesn’t exist do these views not come to be?’” “Yes, sir.” “Householder, there are many different views that arise in the world. For example: the cosmos is eternal, or not eternal, or finite, or infinite; the soul and the body are one and the same, or the soul is one thing, the body another; after death, a realized one still exists, or no longer exists, or both still exists and no longer exists, or neither still exists nor no longer exists. And also the sixty-two misconceptions spoken of in ‘The Divine Net’. These views come to be when substantialist view exists. When substantialist view does not exist they do not come to be.”

“Kathaṁ pana, bhante, sakkāyadiṭṭhi hotī”ti? “Idha, gahapati, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ; vedanaṁ attato samanupassati …pe… saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, sakkāyadiṭṭhi hotī”ti.

“But sir, how does substantialist view come about?” “It’s when an unlearned ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons. They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. That’s how substantialist view comes about.”

“Kathaṁ pana, bhante, sakkāyadiṭṭhi na hotī”ti? “Idha, gahapati, sutavā ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ; na vedanaṁ … na saññaṁ … na saṅkhāre … na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Evaṁ kho, gahapati, sakkāyadiṭṭhi na hotī”ti.

“But sir, how does substantialist view not come about?” “It’s when a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons. They don’t regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They don’t regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. That’s how substantialist view does not come about.”

“Kuto, bhante, ayyo isidatto āgacchatī”ti? “Avantiyā kho, gahapati, āgacchāmī”ti. “Atthi, bhante, avantiyā isidatto nāma kulaputto amhākaṁ adiṭṭhasahāyo pabbajito? Diṭṭho so āyasmatā”ti? “Evaṁ, gahapatī”ti. “Kahaṁ nu kho so, bhante, āyasmā etarahi viharatī”ti? Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā isidatto tuṇhī ahosi. “Ayyo no, bhante, isidatto”ti? “Evaṁ, gahapatī”ti. “Abhiramatu, bhante, ayyo isidatto macchikāsaṇḍe. Ramaṇīyaṁ ambāṭakavanaṁ. Ahaṁ ayyassa isidattassa ussukkaṁ karissāmi cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānan”ti. “Kalyāṇaṁ vuccati, gahapatī”ti.

“Sir, where has Master Isidatta come from?” “I come from Avanti, householder.” “Sir, there’s a friend of mine named Isidatta who I’ve never met. He’s gone forth from a good family in Avanti. Have you met him?” “Yes, householder.” “Sir, where is that venerable now staying?” When he said this, Isidatta kept silent. “Sir, are you that Isidatta?” “Yes, householder.” “Sir, I hope Master Isidatta is happy here in Macchikāsaṇḍa, for the Wild Mango Grove is lovely. I’ll make sure that Master Isidatta is provided with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.” “That’s nice of you to say, householder.”

Atha kho citto gahapati āyasmato isidattassa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā there bhikkhū paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi. Atha kho therā bhikkhū bhuttāvino onītapattapāṇino uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu. Atha kho āyasmā thero āyasmantaṁ isidattaṁ etadavoca: “sādhu kho taṁ, āvuso isidatta, eso pañho paṭibhāsi. Neso pañho maṁ paṭibhāsi. Tenahāvuso isidatta, yadā aññathāpi evarūpo pañho āgaccheyya, taññevettha paṭibhāseyyā”ti. Atha kho āyasmā isidatto senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya macchikāsaṇḍamhā pakkāmi. Yaṁ macchikāsaṇḍamhā pakkāmi, tathā pakkantova ahosi, na puna paccāgacchīti.

Then Citta, having approved and agreed with what Isidatta said, served and satisfied the senior mendicants with his own hands with delicious fresh and cooked foods. When the senior mendicants had eaten and washed their hands and bowls, they rose from their seats and left. Then the senior venerable said to Venerable Isidatta, “Isidatta, it’s good that you felt inspired to answer that question, because I didn’t. So when a similar question comes up, you should also answer it as you feel inspired.” But Isidatta set his lodgings in order and, taking his bowl and robe, left Macchikāsaṇḍa, never to return.