Aṅguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
II. Sīhanāda Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
IX. The Book of the Nines
Chapter II: The Lion Roar
Sutta 12
Mahā-Koṭṭhita Suttaɱ
The Venerable Mahā-Koṭṭhita
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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[1][than][olds][upal] Thus have I heard:
Now the venerable Mahā-Koṭṭhita[1] visited the venerable Sāriputta;
and on arrival greeted him,
and after exchanging [255] the usual compliments,
sat down at one side.
And seated at one side,
he spoke thus to the venerable Sāriputta:
"How is it, reverend Sāriputta?
Does one live the godly life under the Exalted One in the hope:[2]
'May I experience in the future
just the same thing[3]
as I experience here now?'"
"No, indeed, reverend sir."
■
"Does one live the godly life under the Exalted One in the hope:
'May I experience in the future
not just the same thing
as I experience here now?'"[ed1]
"No, indeed, reverend sir."
■
"Is it in the hope of experiencing as pleasant,[4]
what is painful?"
"No, indeed, reverend sir."
■
"Is it in the hope of experiencing as painful,
what is pleasant?"
"No, indeed, reverend sir."
■
"Is it in the hope of avoiding the experience of deeds[5] that have ripened?"
"No, indeed, reverend sir."
■
"Is it in the hope of experiencing deeds not yet ripe?"
"No, indeed, reverend sir."
■
"Is it in the hope of experiencing as a trifle, what is serious?"
"No, indeed, reverend sir."
■
"Is it in the hope of experiencing as serious, what is a trifle?"
"No, indeed, reverend sir."
■
"Is it in the hope of avoiding the experience
of what must be experienced?"
"No, indeed, reverend sir."
■
"Is it in the hope of experiencing
of what is not to be experienced?"
"No, indeed, reverend sir."
§
"Reverend Sāriputta, when asked:[ed2]
'How is it, reverend Sāriputta?
Does one live the godly life under the Exalted One in the hope:
"May I experience in the future
just the same thing
as I experience here now?"'
'No, indeed, reverend sir.'
is what you have answered.
■
Reverend Sāriputta, when asked:
'Does one live the godly life under the Exalted One in the hope:
"May I experience in the future
not just the same thing
as I experience here now?"
'No, indeed, reverend sir.'
is what you have answered.
■
Reverend Sāriputta, when asked:
'Is it in the hope of experiencing as pleasant,
what is painful?'
'No, indeed, reverend sir.'
is what you have answered.
■
Reverend Sāriputta, when asked:
'Is it in the hope of experiencing as painful,
what is pleasant?'
'No, indeed, reverend sir.'
is what you have answered.
■
Reverend Sāriputta, when asked:
'Is it in the hope of avoiding the experience of deeds that have ripened?'
'No, indeed, reverend sir.'
is what you have answered.
■
Reverend Sāriputta, when asked:
'Is it in the hope of experiencing deeds not yet ripe?'
'No, indeed, reverend sir.'
is what you have answered.
■
Reverend Sāriputta, when asked:
'Is it in the hope of experiencing as a trifle, what is serious?'
'No, indeed, reverend sir.'
is what you have answered.
■
"Reverend Sāriputta, when asked:
'Is it in the hope of experiencing as serious, what is a trifle?'
'No, indeed, reverend sir.'
is what you have answered.
■
Reverend Sāriputta, when asked:
'Is it in the hope of avoiding the experience
of what must be experienced?'
'No, indeed, reverend sir.'
is what you have answered.
■
Reverend Sāriputta, when asked:
'Is it in the hope of experiencing
of what is not to be experienced?'
'No, indeed, reverend sir.'
is what you have answered.
What then is the reason
that the godly life is lived under the Exalted One?"
§
[256] "Reverend sir, what is not known,
seen,
attained,
realized or
mastered —
for the knowledge of that,
for the sight of that,
for the attainment of that,
for the realization of that,
for the mastery of that,
is the godly life lived under the Exalted One.
■
But what, reverend sir, is not known,
seen,
attained,
realized or
mastered —
for the knowledge of which,
for the sight of which,
for the attainment of which,
for the realization of which,
for the mastery of which,
the godly life is lived under the Exalted One?
■
'This is ill' — this is not known,
seen,
attained,
realized or
mastered —
it is for the knowledge of that,
it is for the sight of that,
it is for the attainment of that,
it is for the realization of that,
it is for the mastery of that,
the godly life is lived under the Exalted One.
■
'This is the origin of ill' — this is not known,
seen,
attained,
realized or
mastered —
it is for the knowledge of that,
it is for the sight of that,
it is for the attainment of that,
it is for the realization of that,
it is for the mastery of that,
the godly life is lived under the Exalted One.
■
'This is the ending of ill' — this is not known,
seen,
attained,
realized or
mastered —
it is for the knowledge of that,
it is for the sight of that,
it is for the attainment of that,
it is for the realization of that,
it is for the mastery of that,
the godly life is lived under the Exalted One.
■
'This is the practice leading to the ending of ill' — this is not known,
seen,
attained,
realized or
mastered —
it is for the knowledge of that,
it is for the sight of that,
it is for the attainment of that,
it is for the realization of that,
it is for the mastery of that,
the godly life is lived under the Exalted One.
■
'This, reverend sir, is what is not known,
seen,
attained,
realized or
mastered —
it is for the knowledge of this,
it is for the sight of this,
it is for the attainment of this,
it is for the realization of this,
it is for the mastery of this,
the godly life is lived under the Exalted One."
■
[1] At A. i, 24 he is called the chief of the analysts; for his life see A.A. i, 286; cf. F. Dial. i, 207; K.S. ii, 79; iii, 143, 147; Mrs Rhys Davids' Gotama.
[2] Attha. At M. ii, 220, the Buddha tells the monks how he questioned the Jains on the feasibility of these ten propositions. They held it was not possible to convert or delay karmic action.
[3] Samparāyavedaniyaṅ Comy. dutiye attabhāve vipaccanakammaṅ
[4] Kamma
[5] Sukhavedaniyaṅ Comy. sukavedanājanakakammaṅ.
[ed1] Hare abridges several of these questions with the statement: "It it then the converse?" Here we exdpand using his vocabulary.
[ed2] Hare abridges this entire section with the statement: "Reverend Sāriputta, to each of the foregoing questins, you have replied "No, indeed, reverend sir." Here we expand using his vocabulary.
