100. To Sangārava (MN100)

Thus I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering in the Kosalan country with a large Sangha of bhikkhus.

Now on that occasion Dhanañjānī of the divine caste was staying at Caṇḍalakappa. She had complete confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha.

It so happened that she stumbled, and on recovering her balance she uttered an exclamation three times: “Honour to the Blessed One, Arahant and Fully Enlightened! Honour to the Blessed One, Arahant and Fully Enlightened! Honour to the Blessed One, Arahant and Full Enlightened!”

On that occasion, however, there was also a student divine called Sangārava staying at Caṇḍalakappa. An expert in the Three Vedas, he knew the text and the context of the Histories, the fifth of the divines’ authorities, with their invocations, liturgy and word-analysis, and he was fully versed in Natural Science and that of the Marks of the Great Man. He heard Dhanañjānī of the divine caste utter those words, and he said: “Dhanañjānī of the divine caste seems disgraced and degraded when she praises that monkish shaveling with divines actually present.”

“But bless you, my dear, you know nothing about that Blessed One’s virtue or his understanding. If you did you would never think of despising and abusing him.”

“Then, madam, tell me when the monk Gotama comes to Caṇḍalakappa.”

“So I shall, my dear, bless you,” she replied.

Now after wandering by stages in the Kosalan country, the Blessed One at length arrived at Caṇḍalakappa. There he lived in Caṇḍalakappa in the Mango Grove belonging to the Todeyya divines.

Dhanañjānī of the divine caste heard about it so she went to the student divine Sangārava and told him, adding: “It is time now, bless you my dear, to do as you think fit.”

“Yes, madam,” he replied. Then he went to the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him, and when the courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down at one said. When he had done so, he said:

“Master Gotama sir, there are some monks and divines who lay claim to teach the principles of the life divine after having reached here and now the consummation, the perfection, of direct knowledge. Is Master Gotama one of these?”

“Bhāradvāja, I say that there is diversity among those monks and divines who lay claim to teach the principles of the life divine after having reached here and now the consummation, the perfection, of direct knowledge.

“There are some monks and divines who, being satisfied with oral tradition and having reached here and now the consummation, the perfection, of direct knowledge in oral tradition alone, lay claim to teach the principles of the life divine. Such are the divines who are masters of the Three Vedas.

“There are some monks and divines who having reached here and now the consummation, the perfection, of direct knowledge by mere faith alone, lay claim to teach the principles of the life divine. Such are the Rationalist Sceptics.

“There are some monks and divines who having reached here and now the consummation, the perfection, of direct knowledge through directly knowing by themselves alone the Dhamma about dhammas not heard before, lay claim to teach the principles of the life divine.

“I belong to the last of these, Bhāradvāja. How that is so should be understood in this way.

“Here Bhāradvāja, before my Enlightenment, while I was still only an unenlightened Bodhisatta, I thought: ‘House life is crowded and dirty. Life gone forth is wide open. It is not possible living in a household, to lead a life divine as utterly perfect and pure as a polished shell. Suppose I shaved off my hair and beard, put on the yellow cloth and went forth from the home life into homelessness?’

“Later, while still a boy, a black-haired youth endowed with the blessing of youth, in the first phase of life, I shaved off my hair and beard—though my mother and father wished otherwise and grieved with tearful faces—I put on the yellow cloth and went forth from the house life into homelessness.

“Having gone forth in search of what is profitable, seeking the supreme state of sublime peace, I went to Ālāra Kālāma and I said to him: ‘Friend Kalama, I want to lead the life divine in this Dhamma and Discipline.’

“When this was said, Ālāra Kālāma replied: ‘The venerable one may stay here. This Dhamma is such that in no long time a wise man can enter upon and abide in it, himself realizing through direct knowledge his own teacher’s doctrine.’

“I soon learnt the Dhamma. I claimed that as far as mere lip-reciting and rehearsal of his teachings went I could speak with knowledge and assurance, and that I knew and saw—and there were others that did likewise.

“I considered: ‘It is not through mere faith alone the Ālāra Kālāma declares his Dhamma; he does so because he enters upon and abides in it, himself realizing it through direct knowledge. Certainly Ālāra Kālāma abides in this Dhamma knowing and seeing.’

“Then I went to Ālāra Kālāma, and I said to him. ‘Friend Kalama, in what way do you declare to have entered upon this Dhamma, yourself realizing it through direct knowledge?’

“When this was said, he declared the base consisting of nothingness.

“I considered: ‘Not only Ālāra Kālāma has faith; I too have faith. Not only Ālāra Kālāma has energy; I too have energy. Not only Ālāra Kālāma has mindfulness; I too have mindfulness. Not only Ālāra Kālāma has concentration; I too have concentration, Not only Ālāra Kālāma has understanding; I too have understanding. Suppose I exercise control in order to realize the Dhamma that he declares to have entered upon, himself realizing it through direct knowledge?’

“I soon entered upon and abode in that Dhamma, myself realizing it through direct knowledge. Then I went to Ālāra Kālāma, and I said to him: ‘Friend Kalama, is it in this way that you declare to have entered upon this Dhamma, yourself realizing it through direct knowledge?’

“‘It is in this way, friend, that I declare to have entered upon this Dhamma, myself realizing it through direct knowledge.’

“‘Friend, I too in this way enter upon and abide in this Dhamma, myself realizing it through direct knowledge.’

“‘It is gain for us, friend, it is great gain for us that we have such a venerable one as our companion in the life divine. So the Dhamma that I declare to have entered upon, myself realizing it through direct knowledge, that Dhamma you enter upon and abide in, yourself realizing it through direct knowledge. And the Dhamma that you enter upon and abide in, yourself realizing it through direct knowledge, that Dhamma I declare to have entered upon, myself realizing it through direct knowledge. So you know the Dhamma that I know;.I know the Dhamma that you know. As I am, So you are; as you are, so am I. Come, friend, let us now lead this community together.’

“Thus Ālāra Kālāma, my Teacher, placed me, his pupil, on an equal footing with himself, and awarded me the highest honour.

“I considered: ‘This Dhamma does not lead to dispassion, to fading of lust, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna, but only to the base consisting of nothingness.’

“I was not satisfied with that Dhamma. I left it and went away.

“Still in search of what is profitable, seeking the supreme state of sublime peace, I went to Uddaka Rāmaputta, and I said to him: ‘Friend, I went to lead the life divine in this Dhamma and Discipline.’

“When this was said, Uddaka Rāmaputta replied: ‘The venerable one may stay here. This Dhamma is such that in no long time a wise man can enter upon and abide in it, himself realizing through direct knowledge his own teacher’s doctrine.’

“I soon learned the Dhamma. I claimed that as far as mere lip-reciting and rehearsal of his teaching went I could speak with knowledge and assurance, and that I knew and saw—and there were others who did likewise.

“I considered: ‘It is not through mere faith alone that Rama declares his Dhamma, but he does so because he enters upon and abides in it, himself realizing it through direct knowledge. Certainly Rama abides in this Dhamma knowing and seeing.’

“Then I went to Uddaka Rāmaputta, and I said to him: ‘Friend Rama, in what way do you declare to have entered upon this Dhamma, yourself realizing it through direct knowledge?’

“When this was said, he declared the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.

“I considered: ‘Not only Rama has faith; I too have faith. Not only Rama has energy; I too have energy. Not only Rama has mindfulness; I too have mindfulness. Not only Rama has concentration; I too have concentration. Not only Rama has understanding; I too have understanding. Suppose I exercise control in order to realize the Dhamma that he declares to have entered upon, himself realizing it through direct knowledge?’

“I soon entered upon and abode in that Dhamma, myself realizing it through direct knowledge. Then I went to Uddaka Rāmaputta and I said to him: ‘Friend Rama, is it in this way that you declare to have entered upon the Dhamma, yourself realizing it through direct knowledge?’

“‘It is in this way, friend, that Rama declares to have entered upon the Dhamma, himself realizing it through direct knowledge.’

“‘Friend, I too in this way enter upon and abide in this Dhamma, myself realizing it through direct knowledge.’

“‘It is gain for us, friend, it is great gain for us, that we have such a venerable one for our companion in the life divine. So the Dhamma that Rama declares to have entered upon, himself realizing it through direct knowledge, that Dhamma you enter upon and abide in, yourself realizing it through direct knowledge. And the Dhamma that you enter upon and abide in, yourself realizing it through direct knowledge, that Dhamma Rama declares to have entered upon, himself realizing it through direct knowledge. So you know that Dhamma that Rama knows; Rama knows the Dhamma that you know. As Rama is, so you are; as you are, so Rama is. Come, friend, do you now lead this community.’.

“Thus Uddaka Rāmaputta, my companion in the life divine, placed me in the Teacher’s place and accorded me the highest honour.

“I considered: ‘This Dhamma does not lead to dispassion, to fading of lust, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna; but only to the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.’

“I was not satisfied with that Dhamma. I left it and went away.

“Still in search of what is profitable, seeking the supreme state of sublime peace, I wandered by stages through the Magadhan country, till at length I arrived at Senānigama near Uruvelā. There I saw an agreeable piece of ground, a delightful grove, a clear-flowing river with pleasant smooth banks, and nearby a village as alms resort. I considered: ‘There is this agreeable piece of ground, this delightful grove, this clear-flowing river with pleasant smooth banks, and nearby a village for alms resort. This will serve for the endeavour of a clansman who seeks endeavour.’ And I sat down there thinking: ‘This will serve for endeavour.’

“Now these three similes occurred to me spontaneously, never heard before.

“Suppose there were a wet, sappy piece of wood lying in water, and a man came with an upper fire-stick, thinking: ‘I shall light a fire, I shall produce heat’; how do you conceive this, Bhāradvāja, would the man light a fire and produce heat by taking the upper fire-stick and rubbing with it the wet, sappy piece of wood lying in water?”

“No, Master Gotama. Why not? Because it is a wet, sappy piece of wood, and besides, it is lying in water. So the man would reap weariness and disappointment.”

“So, Bhāradvāja, while a monk or divine lives still bodily and mentally not withdrawn from sensual desires, and while his lust, affection, passion, thirst and fever for sensual desires are not quite abandoned and quieted within him, then, even if the good monk or divine feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to striving, he is incapable of knowledge and vision and the supreme enlightenment, and even if the good monk or divine does not feel painful, racking, piercing feelings due to striving, he is incapable of knowledge and vision and the supreme enlightenment. This was the first simile that occurred to me spontaneously, never heard before.

“Again, suppose there were a wet, sappy piece of wood lying on dry land far from water, and a man came with an upper fire-stick, thinking: ‘I shall light a fire, I shall produce heat’; how do you conceive this, Bhāradvāja, would the man light a fire and produce heat by taking the upper fire-stick and rubbing with it the wet, sappy piece of wood lying on dry land far from water?”

“No, Master Gotama. Why not? Because it is a wet, sappy piece of wood, though it is lying on dry land far from water. So the man would reap weariness and disappointment.”

“So, Bhāradvāja, while a monk or divine lives still only bodily withdrawn from sensual desires, and while his lust, affection, passion, thirst and fever, for sensual desires are not quite abandoned and quieted within him, then even if the good monk or divine feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to striving, he is incapable of knowledge and vision and the supreme enlightenment. And even if the good monk or divine does not feel painful, racking, piercing feelings due to striving, he is incapable of knowledge and vision and the supreme enlightenment. This was the second simile that occurred to me spontaneously, never heard before.

“Again, suppose there were a dry sapless piece of wood lying on dry land far from water, and man came with an upper fire-stick, thinking: ‘I shall light a fire, I shall produce heat’; how do you conceive this, Bhāradvāja, would the man light a fire and produce heat by rubbing with it the dry, sapless piece of wood lying on dry land far from water?”

“Yes, Master Gotama. Why so? Because it is a dry, sapless piece of wood, and besides, it is lying on dry land far from water!”

“So, Bhāradvāja, while a monk or divine lives both bodily and mentally withdrawn from sense-desires, and while his lust, affection, passion, thirst and fever, for sensual desires are quite abandoned and quieted within him, then, even if the good monk or divine feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to striving, he is capable of knowledge and vision and the supreme enlightenment, and even if the good monk or divine does not feel painful, racking, piercing feelings due to striving, he is capable of knowledge and vision and the supreme enlightenment. This was the third simile that occurred to me spontaneously, never heard before.

“I thought: ‘Suppose, with my teeth clenched and my tongue pressed against the roof of my mouth, I beat down, constrain and crush mind with mind?’ So, with my teeth clenched and my tongue pressed against the roof of my mouth, I beat down, constrained and crushed mind with mind. While I did so, sweat ran from my armpits. Just as a strong man might seize a weaker by the head or shoulders and beat him down, constrain and crush him, so too, while with my teeth clenched and my tongue pressed against the roof of my mouth, I beat down, constrained and crushed mind with mind, sweat ran from my armpits. But although tireless energy was aroused in me and unremitting mindfulness was established, yet my body was overwrought and uncalm because I was exhausted by the painful endeavour. But such painful feeling as arose in me did not invade my mind and remain.

“I thought: ‘Suppose I practise the meditation without breathing?’ So I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my mouth and nose. While I did so, there was a loud sound of winds coming from my earholes, just as there is a loud sound when a smith’s bellows are blown, so too, while I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my nose and ears, there was a loud sound of winds coming from my earholes.

“But although tireless energy was aroused in me… painful feeling… did not invade my mind and remain.

“I thought: ‘Suppose I practise further the meditation without breathing?’ So I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my mouth, nose and ears. While I did so, violent winds harried my head. Just as if a strong man were splitting my head open with a sharp sword, so too, while I stopped the in-breaths and the out-breaths in my mouth, nose and ears, violent winds harried my head.

“But although tireless energy was aroused in me… painful feeling… did not invade my mind and remain.

“I thought: ‘Suppose I practise further the meditation without breathing?’ So I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my mouth, nose and ears. While I did so, there were violent pains in my head. Just as if a strong man were tightening a tough leather strap round my head as a headband, so too, while I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my mouth, nose and ears, there were violent pains in my head.

“But although tireless energy was aroused in me… painful feeling… did not invade my mind and remain.

“I thought: ‘Suppose I practise further the meditation without breathing?’ So I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my mouth, nose and ears. While I did so, violent winds carved up my belly. Just as a clever butcher or his apprentice carves up an ox’s belly with a sharp knife, so too, while I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my mouth, nose and ears, violent winds carved up my belly.

“But although tireless energy was aroused in me… painful feeling… did not invade my mind and remain.

“I thought: ‘Suppose I practise further the meditation without breathing?’ So I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my mouth, nose and ears. While I did so, there was violent burning in my body. Just as if two strong men had seized a weaker by both arms and were roasting him over a pit of, hot coals, so too, while I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my mouth, nose and ears, there was a violent burning in my body.

“But although tireless energy was aroused in me… painful feeling… did not invade my mind and remain.

“Now when gods saw me, they said: ‘The monk Gotama is dead.’ Other gods said: ‘The monk Gotama is not dead, he is dying.’ Other gods said: ‘The monk Gotama is neither dead nor dying; he is an Arahant, for such is the way of Arahants.’

“I thought: ‘Suppose I entirely cut off food?’ Then gods came to me and said: ‘Good sir, do not entirely cut off food. If you do so, we shall inject heavenly food into your pores and you will live on that.’ I thought: ‘If I claim to be completely fasting and these gods inject heavenly food into my pores and I live on that, then I shall be lying.’ I dismissed those gods, saying: ‘There is no need.’

“I thought: ‘Suppose I take very little food, say, a handful each time, whether it is bean soup or lentil soup or vetch soup or pea soup?’ While I did so, my body reached a state of extreme emaciation. Because of eating so little my limbs became like the jointed segments of vine stems or bamboo stems. Because of eating so little my backside became like a camel’s hoof. Because of eating so little the projections on my spine stood forth like corded beads. Because of eating so little my ribs jutted out as gaunt as the crazy rafters of an old roofless barn. Because of eating so little the gleam of my eyes sunk far down in their sockets looked like the gleam of water sunk far down in a deep well. Because of eating so little my scalp shrivelled and withered as a green gourd shrivels and withers in the wind and sun. Because of eating so little, if I touched my belly skin, I encountered my backbone too; if I touched my backbone I encountered my belly skin too. Because of eating so little, if I made water or evacuated my bowels, I fell over on my face there. Because of eating so little, if I tried to ease my body by rubbing my limbs with my hands, the hair, rotted at its roots, fell away from my body as I rubbed.

“Now when human beings saw me, they said: ‘The monk Gotama is a black man.’ Other human beings said: ‘The monk Gotama is not a black man, he is a brown man.’ Other human beings said: ‘The monk Gotama is neither a black nor a brown man, he is a fair-skinned man.’ So much had the clear, bright colour of my skin deteriorated through eating so little.

“I thought: ‘Whenever a monk or divine in the past has felt painful, racking, piercing feeling due to striving, it can equal this but not exceed it. And whenever a monk or divine in the future will feel painful, racking, piercing feeling due to striving, it can equal this but not exceed it. And whenever a monk or divine at present feels painful, racking, piercing feeling due to striving, it can equal this but not exceed it. But by this gruelling penance I have attained no distinction higher than the human state worthy of a Noble One’s knowledge and vision. Might there be another way to enlightenment?’

“I thought: ‘While my Sakyan father was busy, while I was sitting in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree quite secluded from sensual desires, secluded from unprofitable dhammas, I had direct knowledge of entering upon and abiding in the first jhāna which is accompanied by initial and sustained application with happiness and bodily pleasure born of seclusion. Might that be the way to Enlightenment?’ Then, following on that memory, came the recognition: ‘This is the way to enlightenment.’

“I thought: ‘Why am I afraid of that pleasure? It is pleasure that has nothing to do with sensual desires and unprofitable dhammas.’

“I thought: ‘I am not afraid of that pleasure, since it has nothing to do with sensual desires and unprofitable dhammas.’

“I thought: ‘It is not possible to attain that pleasure with a body so excessively emaciated. Suppose I ate some solid food—some boiled rice and bread?’ And I ate some solid food—some boiled rice and bread. But at that time five bhikkhus were waiting upon me, thinking: ‘If the monk Gotama achieves something he will tell us.’ As soon as I ate the boiled rice and bread the five bhikkhus were disgusted and left me thinking: ‘The monk Gotama has turned self-indulgent, he has given up the endeavour and reverted to luxury.’

“Now when I had eaten solid food and had regained strength, quite secluded from sensual desires, secluded from unprofitable dhammas, I entered upon and abode in the first jhāna which is accompanied by initial and sustained application with happiness and bodily pleasure born of seclusion.

“With the stilling of initial and sustained application, I entered upon and abode in the second jhāna, which has self-confidence and singleness of mind, without initial application and without sustained application, with happiness and pleasure born of concentration.

“With the fading as well of happiness I abode in equanimity, mindful and fully aware, still feeling pleasure with the body, I entered upon and abode in the third jhāna, on which account Noble Ones announce: ‘He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and is mindful.’

“With the abandoning of bodily pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of mental joy and grief, I entered upon and abode in the fourth jhāna, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and has purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.

“When the concentrated mind was thus quite purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, I directed, I inclined the mind to knowledge of the recollection of past lives.

“I recollected my manifold past lives, that is to say, one birth, two births… five births, ten births… fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many aeons of world contraction, many aeons of world expansion, many aeons of world contraction and expansion: ‘There I was so named, of such a race, with such qualities of appearance, such was my nutriment, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-term; and passing away from there, I appeared elsewhere; and there too I was so named, of such a race, with such qualities of appearance, such was my nutriment, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-term; and passing away from there I appeared here.’ Thus with details and particulars I recollected my manifold past lives.

“This was the first True Knowledge attained by me in the first watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and True Knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens in one who abides diligent, ardent and self-controlled.

“When the concentrated mind was thus quite purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady and attained to imperturbability, I directed, I inclined the mind to knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings.

“With the heavenly eyesight which is purified and surpasses the human, I saw beings passing away and reappearing inferior and superior, fair and ugly, well-behaved and ill-behaved; I understood how beings pass on according to their kammas (actions), thus: ‘These worthy beings who are ill-conducted in body, speech and mind, revilers of Noble Ones, wrong in their views, giving effect to wrong view in their kammas (actions), have, on the dissolution of the body, after death, appeared in a state of deprivation, in a bad destination in perdition, even in hell; but these worthy beings, who are well-conducted in body, speech and mind, not revilers of Noble Ones, right in their views, giving effect to right view in their kammas (actions), have, on the dissolution of the body, after death, appeared in a good destination, even in the heavenly world’, thus with heavenly eyesight which is purified and surpasses the human, I saw beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, well-behaved and ill-behaved; I understood how beings pass on according to their kammas.

“This was the second True Knowledge attained by me in the second watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and True Knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose as happens in one who abides diligent ardent and self-controlled.

“When the concentrated mind was thus purified and bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, and become malleable, wieldy, steady and attained to unperturbability, I directed, I inclined the mind to knowledge of exhaustion of taints.

“I had direct knowledge thus: ‘This is suffering’; I had direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the origin of suffering’; I had direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the cessation of suffering’; I had direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’ I had direct knowledge thus: ‘These are taints’; I had direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the origin of taints’; I had direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the cessation of taints’; I had direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of taints.’

“When I knew and saw thus, the mind was liberated from the taints of sensual desire, from the taints of being and from the taints of ignorance. When liberated there came the knowledge: ‘It is liberated’. I had direct knowledge thus: ‘Birth is exhausted, the life divine has been lived out, what can be done is done, there is no more of this in the beyond.’

“This was the third True Knowledge attained by me in the third watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and True Knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose as happens in one who abides diligent, ardent and self-controlled.”

When this was said, the student divine Sangārava said: “Sir, Master Gotama’s endeavour was no ordinary one; Sir, Master Gotama’s endeavour was a heroic one, as happens in one who is Arahant and Fully Enlightened. But, Master Gotama, are there gods?”

“It is known to me, Bhāradvāja, as reasonable that there are gods.”

“How is this, Master Gotama? When you are asked: ‘Are there gods?’ you say: ‘It is known to me as reasonable that there are gods!’ If that is so, is it not empty and false what you say?”

“Bhāradvāja, on being asked: ‘Are there gods?’, whether one says: ‘There are gods’ or whether one says: ‘It is known to me as reasonable that there are gods’ the conclusion can be drawn here without reserve by any wise man that there are gods.”

“Then why did Master Gotama answer me only in the first way?”

“Bhāradvāja, it is widely accepted in the world that there are gods.”

When this was said, the student divine Sangārava said: “Magnificent, Master Gotama!… as one who has gone to him for refuge for life.”

This is an excerpt from A Treasury of the Buddha's Words, a collection of suttas from the Majjhima Nikāya translated by Ven. Nyanamoli Thera and edited by Khantipalo Bhikkhu in 1977.

It was printed in Thailand by Mahāmakut Rājavidyālaya Press for free distribution.