SN 56.42

Papātasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate. Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “āyāma, bhikkhave, yena paṭibhānakūṭo tenupasaṅkamissāma divāvihārāyā”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Atha kho bhagavā sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ yena paṭibhānakūṭo tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho aññataro bhikkhu paṭibhānakūṭe mahantaṁ papātaṁ. Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “mahā vatāyaṁ, bhante, papāto subhayānako, bhante, papāto. Atthi nu kho, bhante, imamhā papātā añño papāto mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti? “Atthi kho, bhikkhu, imamhā papātā añño papāto mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti.

A Cliff

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, “Come, mendicants, let’s go to Inspiration Peak for the day’s meditation.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. Then the Buddha together with several mendicants went to Inspiration Peak. A certain mendicant saw the big cliff there and said to the Buddha, “Sir, that big cliff is really big and scary. Is there any other cliff bigger and scarier than this one?” “There is, mendicant.”

“Katamo pana, bhante, imamhā papātā añño papāto mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti? “Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti, jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti, maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti. Te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti, jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti, maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti. Te jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā jātipapātampi papatanti, jarāpapātampi papatanti, maraṇapapātampi papatanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsapapātampi papatanti. Te na parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Na parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

“But sir, what is it?” “Mendicant, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. They take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. Since they take pleasure in such choices, they continue to make them. Having made choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, they fall down the cliff of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not freed from suffering, I say.

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti, jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti, maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti. Te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti, jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti, maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti. Te jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, jātipapātampi nappapatanti, jarāpapātampi nappapatanti, maraṇapapātampi nappapatanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsapapātampi nappapatanti. Te parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

There are ascetics and brahmins who truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. They don’t take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. Since they don’t take pleasure in such choices, they stop making them. Having stopped making choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, they don’t fall down the cliff of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re freed from suffering, I say.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

That’s why you should practice meditation …”