51. To Kandaraka (MN51)

Thus I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Campā on the banks of the Gaggarā Lake with a large Sangha of bhikkhus. Then Pessa, the elephant driver’s son, and Kandaraka the wanderer went to the Blessed One, and Pessa after paying homage to him, sat down at one side, while Kandaraka exchanged greetings with the Blessed One, and when this courteous and amiable talk was finished he stood at one side. When he had done so he surveyed the silent Sangha of bhikkhus, and he said to the Blessed One:

“It is wonderful, Master Gotama, it is marvellous, how the Sangha of bhikkhus has been led to practise the right way by Master Gotama. Even those Blessed Ones, Arahant and Fully Enlightened, who were in the past, did at most only lead the Sangha of bhikkhus to practise the right way as is done by Master Gotama now. Even those Blessed Ones, Arahant and Fully Enlightened, who will be in the future, will at most only lead the Sangha of bhikkhus to practise the right way as is done by Master Gotama now.”

“So it is, Kandaraka, so it is. Even those Blessed Ones, Arahant and Fully Enlightened, who were in the past, did at most only lead the Sangha of bhikkhus to practise the right way as is done by me now. Even those Blessed Ones, Arahant and Fully Enlightened, who will be in the future, will at most only lead the Sangha of bhikkhus to practise the right way as is done by me now.

“Kandaraka, in this Sangha there are bhikkhus who are Arahants with taints exhausted, who have lived the life, done what was to be done, laid down the burden, reached the highest goal, destroyed the fetters of being, who, through knowing rightly, are liberated.

“In this Sangha there are those in the higher training of constant virtue, living a life of constant virtue, of constant sagacity, living a life of constant sagacity. They abide with the mind well established in the four foundations of mindfulness. Here, Kandaraka, a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body, ardent, fully aware and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world. He abides contemplating feelings as feelings… He abides contemplating mind as mind… He abides contemplating dhammas as dhammas, ardent, fully aware and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world.”

When this was said, Pessa, the elephant driver’s son, said: “It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous how well the four foundations of mindfulness have been made known by the Blessed One for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the subsiding of pain and grief, for the attaining of the true way, for the realizing of Nibbāna. From time to time, venerable sir, we white-clothed laity too abide with mind well established on these four foundations of mindfulness. Here, venerable sir, we abide contemplating the body as a body… feelings as feelings… mind as mind… dhammas as dhammas, ardent, fully aware and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world. It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous, how amid man’s tangle, amid man’s vices, amid man’s deceptions, the Blessed One knows what is beings’ welfare and what is not. For mankind is a tangle but the animal is plain enough. Venerable sir, I can drive an elephant to be trained in as short an interval as it takes to make a trip from here to the city gate and back in Campā, every kind of fraud and duplicity, crookedness and deception will be manifested in that elephant. As for men while for us in one way they are acting with their bodies as slaves, messengers or servants, in another way they are acting in speech and their mind is yet another. It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous how amid man’s tangle… the Blessed One knows what is beings’ welfare and what is not. For mankind is a tangle but the animal is plain enough.”

“So it is, Pessa, so it is. Mankind is a tangle but the animal is plain enough.

“Pessa, there are four kinds of persons to be found existing in the world. What four?

“Here a certain kind of person torments himself, being interested in self-torture.

“Here a certain kind of person torments others, being interested in torturing others.

“Here a certain kind of person torments himself, being interested in self-torture, and torments others, being interested in torturing others

“Here a certain kind of person does not torment himself, not being interested in self-torture, nor does he torment others, not being interested in torturing others; since he torments neither himself nor others he is here and now unparched, extinguished, cooled, he abides experiencing pleasure as one become divine in himself.

“Which of these four kinds of persons commends itself to your mind, Pessa?”

“The first three do not commend themselves to my mind, venerable sir, but the last one does so.”

“But, Pessa, why do these three kinds of persons not commend themselves to your mind?”

“Venerable sir, the kind of person who torments himself, being interested in self-torture, torments and tortures his own self which desires pleasure and recoils from pain; that is why that kind of person does not commend itself to my mind. And the kind of person who torments others, being interested in torturing others, torments and tortures another who desires pleasure and recoils from pain; that is why that kind of person does not commend itself to my mind. And the kind of person who torments himself, being interested in self-torture, and torments others, being interested in torturing others, torments and tortures his own self and another, both of them desiring pleasure and recoiling from pain; that is why that kind of person does not commend itself to my mind. But the kind of person who does not torment himself, not being interested in self-torture, and does not torment others, not being interested in torturing others, since he torments neither himself nor others, he is here and now unparched, extinguished, cooled, and having become divine in himself he abides experiencing pleasure. That is why that kind of person commends itself to my mind. And now, venerable sir, we depart; we are busy and have much to do.”

“It is time now, Pessa, to do as you think fit.”

Then Pessa, the elephant driver’s son, being satisfied and delighting in the Blessed One’s words, got up from his seat, and after paying homage to the Blessed One, he departed keeping him on him right.

Soon after he had gone, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus:

“Bhikkhus, Pessa, the elephant driver’s son, is wise, he has great understanding. If he had sat a while longer till I had expounded for him in detail these four kinds of persons he would have greatly benefited. Still he has already greatly benefited even as it is.”

“This is the time, Blessed One, this is the time, Sublime One, for the Blessed One to expound in detail these four kinds of persons. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will bear it in mind.”

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

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

“Bhikkhus, what kind of person torments himself, being interested in self-torture? Here a certain person goes naked, rejecting conventions, licking his hands, not coming when asked, not stopping when asked; he does not accept a thing brought or a thing specially made or an invitation; he receives nothing from out of a pot, from out of a bowl, across a threshold, across a stick, across a pestle, from two eating together, from a woman with child, from a woman giving suck, from where a woman was lying with a man, from where food was advertized to be distributed, from where a dog was waiting, from where flies were buzzing; he accepts no fish or meat, he drinks no liquor, wine or besotting drink; he keeps to one house, to one morsel: he keeps to two houses, to two morsels… he keeps to seven houses, to seven morsels. He lives on one saucerful, on two saucerfuls… on seven saucerfuls, a day; he takes food once a day, once each two days… once each seven days, and so, up to once each fortnight. He dwells pursuing the practice of taking food at stated intervals. He is an eater of greens, or millet, or wild rice, or hide-parings, or moss, or ricebran, or rinsings, or sesamum flour, or grass, or cowdung; he lives on forest roots and on fruits as a feeder on windfalls. He clothes himself in hemp, in hemp mixed cloth, in shrouds, in refuse rags, in tree bark, in antelope hide, in kusa-grass fabric, in bark fabric, in wood shavings fabric, in head-hair wool, in animal wool, in owls’ wings. He is one who pulls out hair and beard, pursuing the practice of pulling out hair and beard. He is one who stands continuously, rejecting seats. He is one who squats continuously, devoted to maintaining the squatting position. He is one who uses a mattress of spikes; he makes a mattress of spikes his bed. He dwells pursuing the practice of bathing in water for the third time by nightfall. In fact he dwells pursuing the practice of torment and torture of the body in its main aspects. This is called the kind of person who torments himself, being interested in self-torture.

“What kind of person torments others, being interested in torturing others? Here a certain person is a butcher of sheep, a butcher of pigs, a fowler, a trapper of wild beasts, a hunter, a fisher, an executioner of felons, a prison warder, or follows any other such bloody occupation. This is called the kind of person who torments others, being interested in torturing others.

“What is the kind of person who torments himself, being interested in self-torture, and torments others, being interested in torturing others? Here some person is a head-anointed warrior noble, king, or a divine of great property. He has a new sacrificial temple made to the east of the city, and having shaved off his hair and beard, dressed himself in rough hide and greased his body with ghee and oil, scratching his back with a deer’s horn, he enters the sacrificial temple together with his chief queen and his high priest of the divine caste. There he lies down on the bare ground with the grass on it. The king uses any milk there is in the first teat of a cow with a calf of the same colour while the chief queen uses any milk in the second teat, and the divine high priest uses any milk in the third teat, and milk in the fourth teat they pour onto the fire: the calf uses what is left. He says thus: ‘Let so many bulls be slaughtered for sacrifice, let so many bullocks be slaughtered for sacrifice, let so many heifers be slaughtered for sacrifice, let so many goats be slaughtered for sacrifice, let so many sheep be slaughtered for sacrifice, let so many trees be felled for the sacrificial posts, let so much grass be cut for the sacrificial grass.’ And then his slaves and messengers and servants make preparations with tearful faces and weeping, being spurred on by threats of punishment and by fear. This is called the kind of person who torments himself, being interested in self-torture, and torments others, being interested in torturing others.

“What kind of person does not torment himself, not being interested in self-torture, and does not torment others, not being interested in torturing others, who since he torments neither himself nor others, is here and now unparched, extinguished, cooled and abides experiencing pleasure having become divine in himself?

“Here, bhikkhus, a Tathāgata appears in the world, Arahant and Fully Enlightened, perfect in true knowledge and conduct, sublime, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of men to be tamed, teacher of gods and men, enlightened, blessed.

“He declares this world with its gods, its Māras and its Brahmā Divinities, this generation with its monks and divines, with its kings and men, which he has himself realized by direct knowledge.

“He teaches Dhamma good in the beginning, good in the middle and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, and he announces a life divine that is utterly perfect and pure.

“A householder or householder’s son or one born in some clan hears that Dhamma. On hearing the Dhamma he acquires faith in the Tathāgata. Possessing that faith, he considers thus: ‘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 hair and beard, put on the yellow cloth, and went forth from the home life into homelessness?’

“And on another occasion, abandoning perhaps a small, perhaps a large fortune, abandoning perhaps a small, perhaps a large circle of relatives, he shaves off hair and beard, puts on the yellow cloth, and goes forth from the home life into homelessness.

“Being thus gone forth and possessing the bhikkhus’ training and way of life, abandoning killing living beings, he becomes one who abstains from killing living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, he abides compassionate to all beings.

“Abandoning taking what is not given, he becomes one who abstains from taking what is not given: taking only what is given, expecting only what is given, he abides pure in himself by not stealing.

“Abandoning what is not the life divine, he becomes one who lives the life divine, who lives apart, abstaining from vulgar lechery.

“Abandoning false speech, he becomes one who abstains from false speech, he speaks truth, cleaves to truth, is trust-worthy, reliable and undeceiving of the world.

“Abandoning malicious speech, he becomes one who abstains from malicious speech: as one who is neither a repeater elsewhere of what is heard here for the purpose of causing division from these, nor a repeater to these of what is heard elsewhere for the purpose of causing division from those, who is thus a reuniter of the divided, a promoter of friendships, and enjoying concord, rejoicing in concord, delighting in concord, he becomes a speaker of words that promote concord.

“Abandoning harsh speech, he becomes one who abstains from harsh speech; he becomes a speaker of such words as are innocent, pleasing to the ear and lovable, as go to the heart, are civil, desired of many and dear to many.

“Abandoning gossip, he becomes one who abstains from gossip: as one who tells in season what is true and beneficial and the Dhamma and Discipline, he becomes a speaker of timely words, worth recalling, reasoned, measured and connected with good.

“He becomes one who abstains from injuring seeds and plants.

“He becomes one who eats in only one part of the day, refusing food at night and late meals.

“He becomes one who abstains from dancing, singing, music and theatrical shows.

“He becomes one who abstains from wearing of garlands, smartening with scent and embellishment with unguents.

“He becomes one who abstains from high and large couches.

“He becomes one who abstains from accepting gold and silver.

“He becomes one who abstains from accepting raw corn.

“He becomes one who abstains from accepting raw meat.

“He becomes one who abstains from accepting women and girls.

“He becomes one who abstains from accepting bondswomen and bondsmen.

“He becomes one who abstains from accepting sheep and goats.

“He becomes one who abstains from accepting, elephants, cattle, horses and mares.

“He becomes one who abstains from accepting fields and lands.

“He becomes one who abstains from going on errands.

“He becomes one who abstains from buying and selling.

“He becomes one who abstains from false weights, false metal and false measures.

“He becomes one who abstains from cheating, deceiving, defrauding and trickery.

“He becomes one who abstains from wounding, murdering, binding, brigandage, plunder and violence.

“He becomes one who is content with robes to keep the body, with alms-food to keep the belly: wherever he goes he takes all with him. Just as wherever a winged bird flies it flies using its own wings, so too he becomes one who is content with robes to keep the body, with alms-food to keep the belly: wherever he goes he takes all with him..

“Possessing this store of Noble Ones’ virtue, he feels in himself pleasure that is blameless.

“He becomes one who, on seeing a visible form with the eye, apprehends no signs and features through which, if he left the eye faculty unguarded, evil unprofitable dhammas of covetousness and grief might invade him. He practises the way of restraint, he guards the eye faculty, undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty. On hearing a sound with the ear… On smelling an odour with the nose… On tasting a flavour with the tongue… On touching a tangible with the body… On cognizing a dhamma with the mind… undertakes the restraint of the mind faculty.

“Possessing this Noble Ones’ faculty restraint, he feels in himself pleasure that is blameless.

“He becomes one who acts in full awareness when moving forward and moving backward, who acts in full awareness when looking towards and looking away, who acts in full awareness when flexing and extending, who acts in full awareness when wearing the patched cloak, robes and bowl, who acts in full awareness when eating, drinking, chewing and tasting, who acts in full awareness when evacuating the bowels and making water, who acts in full awareness when walking, standing, sitting, waking up, talking and keeping silent.

“Possessing this store of the Noble Ones’ virtue, and possessing this Noble Ones’ faculty restraint, and possessing this Noble Ones’ mindfulness and full awareness, he resorts to a secluded resting-place—to the forest, a tree-root, a rock, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a woodland solitude, an open space, a heap of straw.

“On return from his alms-round after the meal, he sits down, folding his legs crosswise, setting his body erect, establishing mindfulness before him.

“Abandoning covetousness for the world, he abides with a mind free from covetousness; he purifies mind from covetousness. Abandoning ill-will and hatred; he abides without a mind of ill-will, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings; he purifies mind from ill-will and hatred. Abandoning lethargy and drowsiness, he abides with a mind free from lethargy and drowsiness, percipient of light, mindful and fully aware; he purifies mind from lethargy and drowsiness. Abandoning agitation and worry, he abides unagitated with a mind stilled in himself; he purifies mind from agitation and worry. Abandoning uncertainty, he abides with a mind crossed beyond uncertainty, unquestioning about profitable dhammas; he purifies mind from uncertainty.

“Having abandoned these five hindrances, defilements of the mind that weaken understanding, quite secluded from sensual desires, secluded from unprofitable dhammas, he enters upon and abides in the first jhāna which is accompanied by initial application and sustained application, with happiness and bodily pleasure born of seclusion.

“… second jhāna…

“… third jhāna…

“… fourth jhāna…

“When his concentrated mind is thus purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs, he inclines the mind to knowledge of the recollection of past life, 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 he was so-named, of such a race, with such qualities of appearance, such was his nutriment, such his experience of pleasure and pain, such his life-term; and passing away from there, he appeared elsewhere; and there too he was so-named, of such a race, with such qualities of appearance, such was his nutriment, such his experience of pleasure and pain, such his life-term; and passing away from there he appeared here. Thus with details and particulars he recollects his manifold past life.

“When his concentrated mind is thus purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs, he inclines the mind to knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings.

“With the heavenly eyesight which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, well-behaved and ill-behaved; he understands how beings pass on according to their kammas, 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 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, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, well-behaved and ill-behaved. He understands how beings pass on according to their kamma.

“When his concentrated mind is thus purified and bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, and become malleable, wieldy, steady and attained to imperturbability, he directs, he inclines the mind to knowledge of exhaustion of taints.

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

“When he knows and sees thus, the mind is liberated from the taints of sensual desire, from the taints of being and from the taints of ignorance. When liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It is liberated’. He has 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 to come.’

“This is called the kind of person who does not torment himself, not being interested in self torture, and does not torment others, not being interested in torturing others, who since he torments neither himself nor others, is here and now unparched, extinguished, cooled, who, become divine in himself, abides experiencing pleasure.”

That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied, and they 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.