| (derived from B. Sujato 2018/12) | |
Majjhima Nikāya 144 |
Middle Discourses 144 |
Channovādasutta |
Advice to Channa |
Evaṃ me sutaṃ— |
So I have heard. |
ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. |
At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. |
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo āyasmā ca channo gijjhakūṭe pabbate viharanti. |
Now at that time Venerables Sāriputta, Mahācunda, and Channa were staying on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. |
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā channo ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. |
Now at that time Venerable Channa was sick, suffering, gravely ill. |
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṃ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahācundo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṃ mahācundaṃ etadavoca: |
Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahācunda and said to him: |
“āyāmāvuso cunda, yenāyasmā channo tenupasaṅkamissāma gilānapucchakā”ti. |
“Come, Reverend Cunda, let’s go to see Venerable Channa and ask about his illness.” |
“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā mahācundo āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosi. |
“Yes, reverend,” replied Mahācunda. |
Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo yenāyasmā channo tenupasaṅkamiṃsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā channena saddhiṃ sammodiṃsu. |
And then Sāriputta and Mahācunda went to see Channa and exchanged greetings with him. |
Sammodanīyaṃ kathaṃ sāraṇīyaṃ vītisāretvā ekamantaṃ nisīdiṃsu. Ekamantaṃ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṃ channaṃ etadavoca: |
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side. Then Sāriputta said to Channa: |
“kacci te, āvuso channa, khamanīyaṃ, kacci yāpanīyaṃ? Kacci te dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti, no abhikkamanti; paṭikkamosānaṃ paññāyati, no abhikkamo”ti? |
“I hope you’re keeping well, Reverend Channa; I hope you’re alright. I hope that your pain is fading, not growing, that its fading is evident, not its growing.” |
“Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṃ na yāpanīyaṃ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṃ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo. |
“Reverend Sāriputta, I’m not keeping well, I’m not alright. The pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading. |
Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, balavā puriso tiṇhena sikharena muddhani abhimattheyya; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimattā vātā muddhani ūhananti. |
The winds piercing my head are so severe, it feels like a strong man drilling into my head with a sharp point. |
Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṃ na yāpanīyaṃ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṃ paññāyati no paṭikkamo. |
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Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, balavā puriso daḷhena varattakkhaṇḍena sīse sīsaveṭhaṃ dadeyya; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimattā sīse sīsavedanā. |
The pain in my head is so severe, it feels like a strong man tightening a tough leather strap around my head. |
Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṃ na yāpanīyaṃ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṃ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo. |
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Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, dakkho goghātako vā goghātakantevāsī vā tiṇhena govikantanena kucchiṃ parikanteyya; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimattā vātā kucchiṃ parikantanti. |
The winds piercing my belly are so severe, it feels like an expert butcher or their apprentice is slicing my belly open with a meat cleaver. |
Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṃ na yāpanīyaṃ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṃ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo. |
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Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, dve balavanto purisā dubbalataraṃ purisaṃ nānābāhāsu gahetvā aṅgārakāsuyā santāpeyyuṃ samparitāpeyyuṃ; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimatto kāyasmiṃ ḍāho. |
The burning in my body is so severe, it feels like two strong men grabbing a weaker man by the arms to burn and scorch him on a pit of glowing coals. |
Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṃ na yāpanīyaṃ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṃ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo. |
I’m not keeping well, I’m not alright. The pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading. |
Satthaṃ, āvuso sāriputta, āharissāmi, nāvakaṅkhāmi jīvitan”ti. |
Reverend Sāriputta, I will slit my wrists. I don’t wish to live.” |
“Māyasmā channo satthaṃ āharesi. |
“Please don’t slit your wrists! |
Yāpetāyasmā channo. Yāpentaṃ mayaṃ āyasmantaṃ channaṃ icchāma. |
Venerable Channa, keep going! We want you to keep going. |
Sace āyasmato channassa natthi sappāyāni bhojanāni, ahaṃ āyasmato channassa sappāyāni bhojanāni pariyesissāmi. |
If you don’t have any suitable food, we’ll find it for you. |
Sace āyasmato channassa natthi sappāyāni bhesajjāni, ahaṃ āyasmato channassa sappāyāni bhesajjāni pariyesissāmi. |
If you don’t have suitable medicine, we’ll find it for you. |
Sace āyasmato channassa natthi patirūpā upaṭṭhākā, ahaṃ āyasmantaṃ channaṃ upaṭṭhahissāmi. |
If you don’t have a capable carer, we’ll find one for you. |
Māyasmā channo satthaṃ āharesi. |
Please don’t slit your wrists! |
Yāpetāyasmā channo. Yāpentaṃ mayaṃ āyasmantaṃ channaṃ icchāmā”ti. |
Venerable Channa, keep going! We want you to keep going.” |
“Napi me, āvuso sāriputta, natthi sappāyāni bhojanāni; |
“Reverend Sāriputta, it’s not that I don’t have suitable food, |
napi me natthi sappāyāni bhesajjāni; |
or suitable medicine, |
napi me natthi patirūpā upaṭṭhākā; |
or a capable carer. |
api cāvuso sāriputta, pariciṇṇo me satthā dīgharattaṃ manāpeneva no amanāpena. |
Moreover, for a long time now I have served the Teacher with love, not without love. |
Etañhi, āvuso sāriputta, sāvakassa patirūpaṃ yaṃ satthāraṃ paricareyya manāpeneva no amanāpena. |
For it is proper for a disciple to serve the Teacher with love, not without love. |
‘Anupavajjaṃ channo bhikkhu satthaṃ āharissatī’ti evametaṃ, āvuso sāriputta, dhārehī”ti. |
You should remember this: ‘The monk Channa slit his wrists blamelessly.’” |
“Puccheyyāma mayaṃ āyasmantaṃ channaṃ kañcideva desaṃ, sace āyasmā channo okāsaṃ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti. |
“I’d like to ask you about a certain point, if you’d take the time to answer.” |
“Pucchāvuso sāriputta, sutvā vedissāmī”ti. |
“Ask, Reverend Sāriputta. When I’ve heard it I’ll know.” |
“Cakkhuṃ, āvuso channa, cakkhuviññāṇaṃ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassasi? |
“Reverend Channa, do you regard the eye, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness in this way: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’? |
Sotaṃ, āvuso channa, sotaviññāṇaṃ … pe … |
Do you regard the ear … |
ghānaṃ, āvuso channa, ghānaviññāṇaṃ … |
nose … |
jivhaṃ, āvuso channa, jivhāviññāṇaṃ … |
tongue … |
kāyaṃ, āvuso channa, kāyaviññāṇaṃ … |
body … |
manaṃ, āvuso channa, manoviññāṇaṃ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassasī”ti? |
mind, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness in this way: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?” |
“Cakkhuṃ, āvuso sāriputta, cakkhuviññāṇaṃ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmi. |
“Reverend Sāriputta, I regard the eye, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ |
Sotaṃ, āvuso sāriputta … pe … |
I regard the ear … |
ghānaṃ, āvuso sāriputta … |
nose … |
jivhaṃ, āvuso sāriputta … |
tongue … |
kāyaṃ, āvuso sāriputta … |
body … |
manaṃ, āvuso sāriputta, manoviññāṇaṃ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmī”ti. |
mind, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’.” |
“Cakkhusmiṃ, āvuso channa, cakkhuviññāṇe cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu kiṃ disvā kiṃ abhiññāya cakkhuṃ cakkhuviññāṇaṃ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassasi? |
“Reverend Channa, what have you seen, what have you directly known in these things that you regard them in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’?” |
Sotasmiṃ, āvuso channa, sotaviññāṇe … |
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ghānasmiṃ, āvuso channa, ghānaviññāṇe … |
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jivhāya, āvuso channa, jivhāviññāṇe … |
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kāyasmiṃ, āvuso channa, kāyaviññāṇe … |
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manasmiṃ, āvuso channa, manoviññāṇe manoviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu kiṃ disvā kiṃ abhiññāya manaṃ manoviññāṇaṃ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassasī”ti? |
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“Cakkhusmiṃ, āvuso sāriputta, cakkhuviññāṇe cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu nirodhaṃ disvā nirodhaṃ abhiññāya cakkhuṃ cakkhuviññāṇaṃ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmi. |
“Reverend Sāriputta, after seeing cessation, after directly knowing cessation in these things I regard them in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’.” |
Sotasmiṃ, āvuso sāriputta, sotaviññāṇe … |
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ghānasmiṃ, āvuso sāriputta, ghānaviññāṇe … |
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jivhāya, āvuso sāriputta, jivhāviññāṇe … |
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kāyasmiṃ, āvuso sāriputta, kāyaviññāṇe … |
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manasmiṃ, āvuso sāriputta, manoviññāṇe manoviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu nirodhaṃ disvā nirodhaṃ abhiññāya manaṃ manoviññāṇaṃ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmī”ti. |
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Evaṃ vutte, āyasmā mahācundo āyasmantaṃ channaṃ etadavoca: |
When he said this, Venerable Mahācunda said to Venerable Channa: |
“tasmātiha, āvuso channa, idampi tassa bhagavato sāsanaṃ, niccakappaṃ manasi kātabbaṃ: |
“So, Reverend Channa, you should pay close attention to this instruction of the Buddha whenever you can: |
‘nissitassa calitaṃ, anissitassa calitaṃ natthi. |
‘For the dependent there is agitation. For the independent there’s no agitation. |
Calite asati passaddhi, |
When there’s no agitation there is pacification. |
passaddhiyā sati nati na hoti. |
When there is pacification there’s no inclination. |
Natiyā asati āgatigati na hoti. |
When there’s no inclination there’s no coming and going. |
Āgatigatiyā asati cutūpapāto na hoti. |
When there’s no coming and coming there’s no passing away and reappearing. |
Cutūpapāte asati nevidha na huraṃ na ubhayamantarena. |
When there’s no passing away and reappearing there’s no this world or world beyond or in-between the two. |
Esevanto dukkhassā’”ti. |
Just this is the end of suffering.’” |
Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo āyasmantaṃ channaṃ iminā ovādena ovaditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṃsu. |
And when Venerables Sāriputta and Mahācunda had given Venerable Channa this advice they got up from their seat and left. |
Atha kho āyasmā channo acirapakkante āyasmante ca sāriputte āyasmante ca mahācunde satthaṃ āharesi. |
Not long after those venerables had left, Venerable Channa slit his wrists. |
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. Ekamantaṃ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṃ etadavoca: |
Then Sāriputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: |
“āyasmatā, bhante, channena satthaṃ āharitaṃ. |
“Sir, Venerable Channa has slit his wrists. |
Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti? |
Where has he been reborn in his next life?” |
“Nanu te, sāriputta, channena bhikkhunā sammukhāyeva anupavajjatā byākatā”ti? |
“Sāriputta, didn’t the monk Channa declare his blamelessness to you personally?” |
“Atthi, bhante, pubbajiraṃ nāma vajjigāmo. |
“Sir, there is a Vajjian village named Pubbavijjhana, |
Tatthāyasmato channassa mittakulāni suhajjakulāni upavajjakulānī”ti. |
where Channa had families with whom he was friendly, intimate, and familiar.” |
“Honti hete, sāriputta, channassa bhikkhuno mittakulāni suhajjakulāni upavajjakulāni. |
“The monk Channa did indeed have such families. |
Nāhaṃ, sāriputta, ettāvatā ‘saupavajjo’ti vadāmi. |
But this is not enough for me to call someone ‘blameworthy’. |
Yo kho, sāriputta, imañca kāyaṃ nikkhipati aññañca kāyaṃ upādiyati tamahaṃ ‘saupavajjo’ti vadāmi. |
When someone lays down this body and takes up another body, I call them ‘blameworthy’. |
Taṃ channassa bhikkhuno natthi. |
But the monk Channa did no such thing. |
‘Anupavajjo channo bhikkhu satthaṃ āharesī’ti evametaṃ, sāriputta, dhārehī”ti. |
You should remember this: ‘The monk Channa slit his wrists blamelessly.’” |
Idamavoca bhagavā. |
That is what the Buddha said. |
Attamano āyasmā sāriputto bhagavato bhāsitaṃ abhinandīti. |
Satisfied, Venerable Sāriputta was happy with what the Buddha said. |