Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
12. Nidāna Saṃyutta
4. Kaḷara-Khattiya Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
Part II. The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga
Containing Kindred sayings on Cause
and Other Subjects
12. The Kindred Sayings on Cause
4. Kaḷāra the Nobleman
Sutta 32
Kaḷāra Suttaṃ
Kaḷāra
Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by F. L. Woodward
Originally Published by
The Pali Text Society
Public Domain
The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī.
Now the brother Kaḷāra of the nobles[1]
went into the presence of the venerable Sāriputta,
and exchanging with him greetings
and the compliments of friendship and courtesy,
sat down at one side.
So seated he said this:
"Moliya-Phagguna,[2] friend Sāriputta,
has renounced the training
and turned to lower things."
"Then that venerable brother
will not have found comfort
in this Norm and Discipline."
"I gather that the venerable Sāriputta
has found comfort
in this Norm and Discipline."
"I have no doubt about it, friend."
"But as to the future, friend?"
"I am not worried about it, friend."
Then the venerable Kaḷāra the noble rose from his seat,
went into the presence of the Exalted One,
and saluting him
sat down at one side.
So seated he said:
"I know, lord, that the venerable Sāriputta
has declared [he has won saving] knowledge,
that birth is [for him] destroyed,
that the divine life has been lived,
that what was to do is done,
that there is nothing further of these conditions."[3]
Then the Exalted One addressed a certain brother:
"Come thou, brother, tell my word to Sāriputta:
'The Master, friend Sāriputta, is speaking to you.'"
"Even so, lord,"
responded that brother,
and he went and told the venerable Sāriputta:
"The Master, friend Sāriputta, is speaking to you."
"Even so, friend,"
responded Sāriputta,
and he came into the presence of the Exalted One,
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
[39] To him so seated the Exalted One said:
"Is it true, Sāriputta, that you have declared
[you have won saving] knowledge:
'Birth is destroyed,
the divine life lived,
done that which was to do,
and that there is for you
nothing further of these conditions'?"
"Not in these words, lord,
not in this form
did I speak of the matter."
"In whatever way, Sāriputta,
a clansman declares [the winning of saving] knowledge,
the declaration must be considered as such."
"But did I not say, lord,
that I did not speak of the matter
in those words,
in that form?"
§
"If they were to ask you, Sāriputta:
'How do you know, friend Sāriputta,
how do you see
that you have won saving knowledge:
"Birth is destroyed,
the divine life lived,
that done what was to do,
and that there is for you
nothing further of these conditions?"'
what would you answer?"
"If they were to ask me, lord:
'How do you know, friend Sāriputta,
how do you see
that you have won saving knowledge:
"Birth is destroyed,
the divine life lived,
that done what was to do,
and that there is for you
nothing further of these conditions?"'
Thus should I make answer:
'It is because, friend,
in [the word] "destroyed"
I have discerned
that the basis of birth is destroyed -
through this I know
that saving knowledge is won:
"Birth is destroyed,
the divine life lived,
that done what was to do,
and that there is for you
nothing further of these conditions?"'
If they were to ask me thus, lord,
I should thus make answer."
■
"But if, Sāriputta, they should ask you:
'But birth, friend Sāriputta,
on what is it based,
whence is its uprising,
by what is it produced,
what is its cause?'
how would you make answer?"
"If they were to ask me thus, lord:
'But birth, friend Sāriputta,
on what is it based,
whence is its uprising,
by what is it produced,
what is its cause?'
I should thus make answer:
'Becoming, friend, is the base of birth,[ed1]
becoming is whence it uprises,
by becoming it is produced,
becoming is its cause.'
If they were to ask me thus, lord,
I should thus make answer."
■
"But if, Sāriputta, they should ask you:
'But becoming, friend Sāriputta,
on what is it based,
whence is its uprising,
by what is it produced,
what is its cause?'
how would you make answer?"
"If they were to ask me thus, lord:
'But becoming, friend Sāriputta,
on what is it based,
whence is its uprising,
by what is it produced,
what is its cause?'
I should thus make answer:
'Grasping, friend, is the base of becoming,
grasping is whence it uprises,
by grasping it is produced,
grasping is its cause.'
If they were to ask me thus, lord,
I should thus make answer."
■
"But if, Sāriputta, they should ask you:
'But grasping, friend Sāriputta,
on what is it based,
whence is its uprising,
by what is it produced,
what is its cause?'
how would you make answer?"
"If they were to ask me thus, lord:
'But grasping, friend Sāriputta,
on what is it based,
whence is its uprising,
by what is it produced,
what is its cause?'
I should thus make answer:
'Craving, friend, is the base of grasping,
craving is whence it uprises,
by craving it is produced,
craving is its cause.'
[40] If they were to ask me thus, lord,
I should thus make answer."
■
"But if, Sāriputta, they should ask you:
'But craving, friend Sāriputta,
on what is it based,
whence is its uprising,
by what is it produced,
what is its cause?'
how would you make answer?"
"If they were to ask me thus, lord:
'But craving, friend Sāriputta,
on what is it based,
whence is its uprising,
by what is it produced,
what is its cause?'
I should thus make answer:
'Feeling, friend, is the base of craving,
feeling is whence it uprises,
by feeling it is produced,
feeling is its cause.'
If they were to ask me thus, lord,
I should thus make answer."
■
"But if, Sāriputta, they should ask you:
'But craving, friend Sāriputta,
on what is it based,
whence is its uprising,
by what is it produced,
what is its cause?'
how would you make answer?"
"If they were to ask me thus, lord:
'But craving, friend Sāriputta,
on what is it based,
whence is its uprising,
by what is it produced,
what is its cause?'
I should thus make answer:
'Feeling, friend, is the base of craving,
feeling is whence it uprises,
by feeling it is produced,
feeling is its cause.'
If they were to ask me thus, lord,
I should thus make answer."
■
"But if, Sāriputta, they should ask you:
'How is it, friend Sāriputta,
that when you know,
when you see,
blissful[4] feeling is not present with you?'
how would you make answer?"
"If they were to ask me thus, lord:
'How is it, friend Sāriputta,
that when you know,
when you see,
blissful feeling is not present with you?'
I should thus make answer:
'There are these three [modes of] feeling, friend.
Which three?
Pleasant,
painful,
neutral feeling.
Now these three modes are impermanent.
And when it is discerned
that that which is impermanent is painful,
blissful feeling is not present.
Thus asked, thus, lord, should I make answer."
"Well done, Sāriputta,
well done!
Moreover the way to answer just this in brief is:
'Whatever is felt is concerned with pain.'
■
But if, Sāriputta, they should ask you:
'But by what deliverance is it, friend Sāriputta,
that you have confessed that saving knowledge:
"Birth is destroyed,[ed2]
the divine life lived,
that what was to do is done,
and that there is for you
nothing further of these conditions?"'
how would you make answer?"
"If they were to ask me thus, lord:
'But by what deliverance is it, friend Sāriputta,
that you have confessed that saving knowledge:
"Birth is destroyed,
the divine life lived,
that what was to do is done,
and that there is for you
nothing further of these conditions?"'
I should thus make answer:
'By self-deliverance,[5] friend,
by the destruction of all grasping
I live with such a clear mind
that the intoxicants flow no more
and I admit no [immutable] Soul.[6]
Thus asked thus should I make answer."
■
"Well done, well done, Sāriputta!
This verily is the way
to answer just this matter in brief:
'That which the recluse calls intoxicants -
concerning these I have no doubts;
they are cleaned out;
I am not worried about them.'"
Saying this the Exalted One rose from his seat
and entered his cell.
Thereupon, not long after the Exalted One had gone away,
the venerable Sāriputta addressed the brethren:
"When, friends, the Exalted One asked me the first question
of which I had had no previous experience,
I was slow-witted.
But as soon as he graciously accepted my [answer to the] first question,
then I thought thus:
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for a day,
I would make answer to him
for a day,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for a night,
I would make answer to him
for a night,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for a day and a night,
I would make answer to him
for a day and a night,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for two days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for two days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for three days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for three days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for four days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for four days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for five days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for five days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for six days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for six days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for seven days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for seven days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form."
§
Then Kaḷāra the noble rose from his seat,
and going into the presence of the Exalted One,
saluted him,
sat down at one side,
and said:
"Venerable Sāriputta, lord has uttered a 'lion's roar' concerning the Exalted One's questioning and the answering, saying:
'When, friends, the Exalted One asked me the first question
of which I had had no previous experience,
I was slow-witted.
But as soon as he graciously accepted my [answer to the] first question,
then I thought thus:
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for a day,
I would make answer to him
for a day,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for a night,
I would make answer to him
for a night,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for a day and a night,
I would make answer to him
for a day and a night,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for two days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for two days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for three days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for three days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for four days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for four days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for five days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for five days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for six days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for six days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
If the Exalted One were to ask me
concerning this matter
varying the words and the form
for seven days and nights,
I would make answer to him
for seven days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.'"
§
"Well has Sāriputta, brother, penetrated the causal nature of things!
And because he has so well penetrated it,
I might ask him concerning that matter
varying words and form
for a day,
and he would be able to make answer
for a day,
the while varying the words and the form.
I might ask him concerning that matter
varying words and form
for a night,
and he would be able to make answer
for a night,
the while varying the words and the form.
I might ask him concerning that matter
varying words and form
for a day and a night,
and he would be able to make answer
for a day and a night,
the while varying the words and the form.
I might ask him concerning that matter
varying words and form
for two days and nights,
and he would be able to make answer
for two days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
I might ask him concerning that matter
varying words and form
for three days and nights,
and he would be able to make answer
for three days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
I might ask him concerning that matter
varying words and form
for four days and nights,
and he would be able to make answer
for four days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
I might ask him concerning that matter
varying words and form
for five days and nights,
and he would be able to make answer
for five days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
I might ask him concerning that matter
varying words and form
for six days and nights,
and he would be able to make answer
for six days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form.
I might ask him concerning that matter
varying words and form
for seven days and nights,
and he would be able to make answer
for seven days and nights,
the while varying the words and the form."
[1] Probably a gens name. He is not met with elsewhere.
[2] See above, p. 9.
[3] One of the formulae of Arahantsbip as won. The word aññā is only used in this connection. See S. vi, Indexes, Preface; Buddhism, 1912, p. 216. 'Of these conditions' lit. 'of the suchness.'
[4] Sunandī.
[5] Ajjhattaṃ vimokkhā. By emancipation from within. Comy.
[6] Cf. the word-play in Vinaya Texts ii, 13: Thus, brethren, do men of worth make known their [winning saving] knowledge: they state the fact (attha) and do not bring in the Self (attā).
[ed1] Mrs. Rhys Davids has abridged much of this and has altered the order and missed items. It has been reconstructed accoding to the Pali, using her terms.
[ed2] Here Mrs. Rhys Davids has inserted different wording from that used above and which is unrelated to the Pali.
