145. Advice to Puṇṇa (MN145)

Thus I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then the venerable Puṇṇa rose from meditation in the evening and went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. When he had done so, he said:

“Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One would briefly instruct me, so that having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One I may dwell alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent and self-controlled.”

“Then, Puṇṇa, listen and heed well what I shall say.”

“Even so, venerable sir,” the venerable Puṇṇa replied. The Blessed One said this:

“Puṇṇa, there are forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. If a bhikkhu relishes, affirms and accepts them, relishing arises in him as he does so. With the arising of relishing, Puṇṇa, there is the arising of suffering, I say.

“There are sounds cognizable by the ear…

“There are odours cognizable by the nose…

“There are flavours cognizable by the tongue…

“There are tangibles cognizable by the body…

“There are dhammas cognizable by the mind that are wished for, desired, agreeable and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. If a bhikkhu relishes, affirms and accepts them, relishing arises in him as he does so. With the arising of relishing there is the arising of suffering, I say.

“Puṇṇa, there are forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. If a bhikkhu does not relish, affirm or accept them, relishing ceases in him as he does so. With the ceasing of relishing there is the ceasing of suffering, I say.

“There are sounds cognizable by the ear…

“There are odours cognizable by the nose…

“There are flavours cognizable by the tongue…

“There are tangibles cognizable by the body…

“There are dhammas cognizable by the mind… With the ceasing of relishing, Puṇṇa there is the ceasing of suffering, I say.

“Now that I have given you this brief instruction, Puṇṇa, what country are you going to dwell in?”

“Venerable sir, now that the Blessed One has given me this brief instruction, I am going to dwell in the country called Sunāparanta.”

“Puṇṇa, the people of Sunāparanta are fierce, they are rough. If they abuse and threaten you, what will you think then?”

“Venerable sir, if the people of Sunāparanta abuse and threaten me, then I shall think: These people of Sunāparanta are admirable, truly admirable, in that they did not give me a blow with the fist. Then I shall think thus, Blessed One; then I shall think thus, Sublime One.”

“But, Puṇṇa, if the people of Sunāparanta do give you a blow with the fist, what will you think then?”

“Venerable sir, if the people of Sunāparanta do give me a blow with the fist, then I shall think: These people of Sunāparanta are admirable, truly admirable, in that they did not give me a blow with a clod. Then I shall think thus, Blessed One; then I shall think thus, Sublime One.”

“But, Puṇṇa, if the people of Sunāparanta do give you a blow with a clod, what will you think then?”

“Venerable sir, if the people of Sunāparanta do give me a blow with a clod, then I shall think: These people of Sunāparanta are admirable, truly admirable, in that they did not give me blow with a stick. Then I shall think thus, Blessed One; I shall think thus, Sublime One.”

“But, Puṇṇa, if the people of Sunāparanta do give you a blow with a stick, what will you think then?”

“Venerable sir, if the people of Sunāparanta do give me a blow with a stick, then I shall think: These people of Sunāparanta are admirable, truly admirable, in that they did not give me a blow with a knife. Then I shall think thus, Blessed One; I shall think thus, Sublime One.”

“But, Puṇṇa, if the people of Sunāparanta do give you a blow with a knife, what will you think then?”

“Venerable sir, if the people of Sunāparanta do give me a blow with a knife, then I shall think: These people of Sunāparanta are admirable, truly admirable in that they have not taken my life with a sharp knife. Then I shall think thus, Blessed One; I shall think thus, Sublime One.”

“But, Puṇṇa, if the people of Sunāparanta do take your life with a sharp knife, what will you think then?”

“Venerable sir, if the people of Sunāparanta do take my life with a sharp knife, then I shall think thus: There have been disciples of the Blessed One, who being humiliated and disgusted by the body and by life, had recourse to the knife, but I have found it without seeking it. Then I shall think thus, Blessed One; I shall think thus, Sublime One.”

“Good, good, Puṇṇa. You will be able to live in the Sunāparanta country possessing such control. Now, Puṇṇa, it is time to do as you think fit” Then delighting at the Blessed One’s words and agreeing, the venerable Puṇṇa rose from his seat, and after paying homage to the Blessed One, he departed, keeping him on his right.

He set his resting place in order and then he took his outer robe and bowl and set out by stages to the Sunāparanta country. Wandering by stages, he eventually arrived in the Sunāparanta country. There, in fact, the venerable Puṇṇa lived in the Sunāparanta country. Then, before the end of that same year he set as many as five hundred men followers and as many as five hundred women followers on their way and he himself realized the three true knowledges. Then the venerable Puṇṇa attained Nibbāna later on.

Then a number of bhikkhus went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him they sat down at one side. When they had done so, they said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, the clansman called Puṇṇa to whom the Blessed One gave advice in brief is dead. What is his destination, what is his future course?”

“Bhikkhus, the clansman Puṇṇa was wise; he entered into the way of Dhamma, and he did not trouble me in the interpretation of the Dhamma. The clansman Puṇṇa has attained Nibbāna.”

This is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

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.