Majjhima Nikāya
III. Upari Paṇṇāsa
4. Vibhaṇga Vagga

The Middle Length Sayings
III. The Final Fifty Discourses
4. The Division on Analysis

Sutta 134

Lomasakaṇgiya-Bhadd'Eka-Ratta Suttaṃ

Lomasakaṇgiya's
Discourse on the Auspicious

Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner, O.B.E., M.A.
Associate of Newham College, Cambridge
First Published in 1954

[1][chlm][upal] THUS HAVE I HEARD:

Now at that time the venerable Lomasakaṇgiyai^[1]
was staying among the Sakyans
near Kapilavatthu
in Nigrodha's park.

Then, when the night was far spent,
the deva^[2] Candana,
illumining with his radiant beauty
the whole of Nigrodha's park,
approached the venerable Lomasakaṇgiyai;
and having approached,
he stood at one side.

As he was standing at one side
the deva Candana spoke thus
to the venerable Lomasakaṇgiyai:

"Do you, monk, remember
the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious?"

"I, friend, do not remember
the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious.

But do you, friend, remember
the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious?"

"I too, monk, do not remember
either the exposition
or the analysis
of the Auspicious.

But do you, monk, remember
the verses of the Auspicious?"

"I, friend, do not remember
the verses of the Auspicious.

But do you, friend, remember
the verses of the Auspicious?"

"I, monk, remember the verses of the Auspicious."

"But how is it^[3] that you, friend, remember
the verses of the Auspicious?"

[246] "At this one time, monk,
the Lord was staying among the devas of the Thirty-Three
at the root of the Coral Tree
on the ornamental stone.^[4]

While he was there
the Lord spoke the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious
to the devas of the Thirty-Three:

"The past should not be followed after, the future not desired.
What is past is got rid of and the future has not come.
But whoever has eye now here, now there, of a present thing,
Knowing that it is immovable, unshakable, let him cultivate it.
Swelter at the task this very day. Who knows whether he will die tomorrow?
There is no bargaining with the great hosts of Death.
Thus abiding ardently, unwearied day and night,
He indeed is 'Auspicious' called, described as a sage at peace."

Thus it is that I, monk, remember
the verses of the Auspicious.

Do you, monk, learn^[5] the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious;
do you, monk, master^[6]
the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious;
do you, monk, remember^[7]
the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious.

The exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious, monk,
are connected with the goal,
they are fundamental to the Brahma-faring."

Thus spoke the deva Candana;
having said this,
he disappeared then and there.

Then the venerable Lomasakaṇgiyai
towards the end of that night,
having packed away his lodging,
set out on tour for Sāvatthī,
taking his bowl and robe.

Walking on tour,
he gradually approached Sāvatthī,
the Jeta Grove,
Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery
and the Lord;
having approached and greeted the Lord,
he sat down at a respectful distance.

As he was sitting down at a [247] respectful distance
the venerable Lomasakaṇgiyai spoke thus to the Lord:

"At this one time, revered sir,
I was staying among the Sakyans
near Kapilavatthu
in Nigrodha's park.

Then, revered sir,
when the night was far spent
a certain deva,
illumining with his radiant beauty
the whole of Nigrodha's park,
approached me
and having approached,
he stood at one side.

As he was standing at one side
bespoke thus:

"Do you, monk, remember
the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious?"

"I, friend, do not remember
the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious.

But do you, friend, remember
the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious?"

"I too, monk, do not remember
either the exposition
or the analysis
of the Auspicious.

But do you, monk, remember
the verses of the Auspicious?"

"I, friend, do not remember
the verses of the Auspicious.

But do you, friend, remember
the verses of the Auspicious?"

"I, monk, remember the verses of the Auspicious."

"But how is it that you, friend, remember
the verses of the Auspicious?"

"At this one time, monk,
the Lord was staying among the devas of the Thirty-Three
at the root of the Coral Tree
on the ornamental stone.

While he was there
the Lord spoke the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious
to the devas of the Thirty-Three:

Thus it is that I, monk, remember
the verses of the Auspicious.

Do you, monk, learn the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious;
do you, monk, master
the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious;
do you, monk, remember
the exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious.

The exposition
and the analysis
of the Auspicious, monk,
are connected with the goal,
they are fundamental to the Brahma-faring."

Thus spoke the deva;
having said this,
he disappeared then and there.

It were good, revered sir,
if the Lord were to teach me
the exposition
and the analysis of the Auspicious."

"But do you, monk, know this deva?"

"I, revered sir, do not know that deva."

"This deva, monk, is called Candana.

The deva Candana, monk,
having applied himself,
having attended,
and having concentrated all his mind,
listened to Dhamma with ready ears.^[8]

Well then, do you, monk,
listen,
attend carefully
and I will speak."

"Yes, revered sir,"
the venerable Lomasakaṇgiyai answered the Lord in assent.

The Lord spoke thus:

"The past should not be followed after, the future not desired.
What is past is got rid of and the future has not come.
But whoever has vision now here, now there, of a present thing,
Knowing that it is immovable, unshakable, let him cultivate it.
Swelter at the task this very day. Who knows whether he will die tomorrow?
There is no bargaining with the great hosts of Death.
Thus abiding ardently, unwearied day and night,
He indeed is 'Auspicious' called, described as a sage at peace."

And how, monk, does one follow after the past?

He thinks: 'Such was my material shape in the distant past'
and finds delight therein.
He thinks: 'Such was my feeling in the distant past'
and finds delight therein.
He thinks: 'Such was my my perception in the distant past'
and finds delight therein.
He thinks: 'Such were my habitual tendencies in the distant past'
and finds delight therein.
He thinks: 'Such was my consciousness in the distant past'
and finds delight therein.

Even so, monk, does one follow after the past.

And how, monk, does one not follow after the past?

He thinks: 'Such was my material shape in the distant past'
but does not find delight therein.
He thinks: 'Such was my feeling in the distant past'
but does not find delight therein.
He thinks: 'Such was my perception in the distant past'
but does not find delight therein.
He thinks: 'Such were my habitual tendencies in the distant past'
but does not find delight therein.
He thinks: 'Such was my consciousness in the distant past'
but does not find delight therein.

Even so, monk, does one not follow after the past.

And how, monk, does one desire the future?

He thinks: 'May my material shape be thus in the distant future'
and finds delight therein.
He thinks: 'May my feeling be thus in the distant future'
and finds delight therein.
He thinks: 'May my perception be thus in the distant future'
and finds delight therein.
He thinks: 'May my habitual tendencies be thus in the distant future'
and finds delight therein.
He thinks: 'May my consciousness be thus in the distant future'
and finds delight therein.

Even so, monk, does one desire the future.

And how, monk, does one not desire the future?

He thinks: 'May my material shape be thus in the distant future'
but does not find delight therein.
He thinks: 'May my feeling be thus in the distant future'
but does not find delight therein.
He thinks: 'May my perception be thus in the distant future'
but does not find delight therein.
He thinks: 'May my habitual tendencies be thus in the distant future'
but does not find delight therein.
He thinks: 'May my consciousness be thus in the distant future'
but does not find delight therein.

Even so, monk, does one not desire the future.

And how, monk, is one drawn away among present things?

As to this, monks, an uninstructed ordinary person,
taking no count of the pure ones,
unskilled in the Dhamma of the pure ones,
untrained in the Dhamma of the pure ones,
taking no count of the true men,
unskilled in the Dhamma of the true men,
untrained in the Dhamma of the true men,
regards material shape as self
or self as having material shape
or material shape as in self
or self as in material shape;

or he regards feeling as self
or self as having feeling
or feeling as in self
or self as in feeling;

or he regards perception as self
or self as having perception
or perception as in self
or self as in perception;

or he regards the habitual tendencies as self
or self as having habitual tendencies
or habitual tendencies as in self
or self as in habitual tendencies;

or he regards consciousness [189] as self
or self as having consciousness
or consciousness as in self
or self as in consciousness.

Even so, monk, is one drawn away among present things.

And how, monk, is one not drawn away among present things?

As to this, monk, an instructed disciple of the pure ones,
taking count of the pure ones,
skilled in the dhamma of the pure ones,
trained in the dhamma of the pure ones,
taking count of the true men,
skilled in the dhamma of the true men,
trained in the dhamma of the true men,
does not regard material shape as self
or self as having material shape
or material shape as in self
or self as in material shape;

and he does not regard feeling as self
or self as having feeling
or feeling as in self
or self as in feeling;

and he does not regard perception as self
or self as having perception
or perception as in self
or self as in perception;

and he does not regard the habitual tendencies as self
or self as having the habitual tendencies
or the habitual tendencies as in self
or self as in the habitual tendencies;

and he does not regard consciousness as self
or self as having consciousness
or consciousness as in self
or self as in consciousness.

Even so, monk, is one not drawn away among present things.

[248] "The past should not be followed after, the future not desired.
What is past is got rid of and the future has not come.
But whoever has vision now here, now there, of a present thing,
Knowing that it is immovable, unshakable, let him cultivate it.
Swelter at the task this very day. Who knows whether he will die tomorrow?
There is no bargaining with the great hosts of Death.
Thus abiding ardently, unwearied day and night,
He indeed is 'Auspicious' called, described as a sage at peace."

Thus spoke the Lord.

Delighted the venerable Lomasakaṇgiyai rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Lomasakaṇgiyai's Discourse on the Auspicious:
The Fourth

^[1] MA. v. 6 says this Elder's name was Aṇga, but as he had only a little down on his body he was known as Lomasakaṇgiyai. His verse is at Thag. 27, and the story of how in a former life he wanted to recite the Bhadd'Eka-Ratta occurs at ThagA. i. 89 f. See Ap. ii. 504 f., where the story, both of the past and the present, differs in various details.

^[2] devaputta. As such he was known by the same name, Candana, as he had had as a rich upasaka in the time of the Buddha Kassapa, MA. v. 7. See M.L.S. i. 183.

^[3] yathākathaṃ dhāresi. This might also be translated as "do you remember according to what had been said," i.e. do you remember the verses on the Auspicious according to how they were spoken? It would, indeed, be important to know the verses exactly as they had been spoken for, as the sequel states, they are connected with the goal. The above rendering may be justified however since the following sentences appear to be an answer to a question in such a form. Cf. yathākathaṃ sandassesi, etc., at M. iii. 190 above.

^[4] paṇḍukambalasīla, usually the name of Sakka's throne. Paṇḍukambala is a light red woollen blanket, in this case the colour of a heap of jayasumara (Victory's joy) flowers. According to MA. v. 7 the Buddha went to the abode of the Thirty-Three seven years after the Enlightenment and after he had performed the twin miracle, and stayed there for a year.

^[5] Sitting down in silence while hearing it means "he learns," MA. v. 8.

^[6] Rehearsing it out loud means "he masters it."

^[7] Speaking it to others means "he remembers it."

^[8] As at M. 1. 326, which see for further references.

Majjhima Nikāya III. Upari Paṇṇāsa 4. Vibhaṇga Vagga

The Middle Length Sayings III. The Final Fifty Discourses 4. The Division on Analysis

Sutta 134

Lomasakaṇgiya-Bhadd'Eka-Ratta Suttaṃ

Lomasakaṇgiya's Discourse on the Auspicious

Majjhima Nikāya
III. Upari Paṇṇāsa
4. Vibhaṇga Vagga

The Middle Length Sayings
III. The Final Fifty Discourses
4. The Division on Analysis

Lomasakaṇgiya's
Discourse on the Auspicious