鞞摩肅經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Bhagavā was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in the grove of Prince Jeta, in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time Vekhanassa, a follower of another doctrine, after midday came strolling to the place where the World-Honored One was, and having arrived, he addressed the World-Honored One, saying:

"Venerable Gotama, form is truly subtle and supreme."

"Kaccāna, in what way is form subtle?"

"Gotama, this is subtle form, utterly subtle, there is no subtlety more supreme than it. It is the most subtle, the most beautiful; that form is the most subtle, that form is the most supreme, the most beautiful."

"Kaccāna, it is just as if a man should speak thus: 'That woman is truly beautiful, I desire to have sexual union with her.' Someone might then ask him: 'You say this woman is the most beautiful of all people; well then, what is her name, what is her clan, what is her appearance, is she tall or short, or of middle height, comely or not comely, fair or dark, is she the daughter of a Khattiya, a Brāhmaṇa, a householder, or the daughter of a craftsman? Does she come from the East, the South, the West, or the North?' Having been asked thus, he is unable to answer. You do not know, you do not see, yet you say that woman is the most beautiful of all people; she comes from the North, and then you say, 'I desire to have sexual union with her.'

"Kaccāna, you have said, 'That form is the most subtle, that form is the most supreme, there is nothing that can surpass that form,' yet when asked about that form, you cannot know it."

"Gotama, it is just as Jambonada gold, which a skilled craftsman has labored to polish and burnish, making it clean and then setting a white jewel within it, so that its form is exceedingly beautiful and its color shines forth. Therefore, Gotama, I say: that form is the most subtle, that form is the most supreme; that form is the most supreme, that form is unsurpassed, that form is the most exalted."

"Therefore, Kaccāna, I shall ask you in turn, and you may answer me according to your thought. Kaccāna, what do you think? This Jambonada gold, which a skilled craftsman has labored to polish and burnish, making it clean and then setting a white jewel within it, so that its form shines forth—now the light of a firefly when the sky is dark, compared with the shining form of Jambonada gold: which light is the most supreme, the most exalted, the most subtle, the most excellent?"

"Gotama, the light of a firefly compared with the light of Jambonada gold—the latter is the more radiant, the most exalted, the most excellent, the most subtle."

"Kaccāna, what do you think? The light of a firefly in the dark night, together with the light of an oil lamp in the dark night: which light is the most supreme, the most exalted, the most subtle, the most excellent?"

"Gotama, the light of the oil lamp compared with the light of the firefly—that light is the most supreme, the most exalted, the most subtle, the most excellent."

"Kaccāna, what do you think? The light of an oil lamp shining in the dark night, compared with a great torch shining in the dark night: which light is the most supreme, the most subtle and excellent, the most exalted?"

"Gotama, the light of the great torch compared with the light of the oil lamp—the former is the most supreme, the most exalted, the more subtle and excellent."

"Kaccāna, what do you think? The light of a great torch shining in the dark night, compared with the light of a brilliant star in the clear sky with no clouds covering it past midnight: which light is the most supreme, exceedingly subtle and excellent?"

"Gotama, the light of the star compared with the light of the torch—the former is the more radiant, the most supreme, exceedingly subtle and excellent."

"Kaccāna, what do you think? The light of the star past midnight in the sky when there are no clouds covering it, compared with the light of the moon in the sky with no clouds covering it past midnight: which light is the most supreme, exceedingly subtle and excellent?"

"Gotama, the light of the moon compared with the light of the star—the light of the moon is the most supreme, exceedingly subtle and excellent."

"Kaccāna, what do you think? The light of the moon at midnight when the sky is utterly clear, with no clouds covering it, compared with the light of the sun at midday in the summer season: which light is the most supreme, infinitely subtle and excellent?"

"Gotama, the light of the sun compared with the light of the moon—the former is the most supreme, infinitely subtle and excellent."

"Kaccāna, there are very many heavens possessed of such majestic power, having light beyond measure to which nothing can compare. I have formerly dwelt among them; dwelling among them, I have spoken. I do not say, 'This light is the most supreme, this light is the most exalted, this light is the most subtle.' Kaccāna, the light of a firefly is very small, beyond comparison. Yet you say, 'The most exalted, the most supreme, the most subtle'; why is it that when asked about light you cannot know it?"

Then Vekhanassa, having been rebuked to his very face by the World-Honored One, stood silent, having no words of defense; his body and his face were ashamed; he said nothing, and stood in silence.

At that time, the World-Honored One, having rebuked Vekhanassa to his very face, again said to Vekhanassa:

"Furthermore, Kaccāna, there are five kinds of sensual desire, loved and craved, longed for with affection, close to lust, defiling and clinging. They are: form seen by the eye, sound known by the ear, scent known by the nose, taste known by the tongue, and pleasant touch known by the body.

"Kaccāna, there may be one who loves a form, or there may be one who does not love a form. That is, there may be a person who is greatly delighted with regard to a form, his thoughts of delight being likewise complete; while toward this form or toward that form he has no wish, no thought, no hope of attaining, no seeking—that is the most subtle, the most supreme form.

"Kaccāna, there may be one who loves sound, scent, taste, the smooth and delicate; or there may be one who does not love the smooth and delicate; or there may be a person who is greatly delighted with regard to a smooth and delicate thing, the object of his thought of delight being likewise complete; while toward that smooth and delicate thing or another smooth and delicate thing he has no wish, no thought, no desire to attain, no hope—that smooth and delicate thing is the most supreme, the most subtle."

Then Vekhanassa, joining his palms toward the World-Honored One, addressed the World-Honored One:

"It is truly marvelous, Gotama! The recluse Gotama has, by countless skillful means, spoken to me of sensual pleasure, of the seeking of sensual pleasure. Just as, Gotama, grasses and trees burn by means of fire, and fire, on account of grasses and trees, blazes up—even so my recluse Gotama, by countless skillful means, speaks of lust, speaks of the ceasing of sensual pleasure, of the seeking of sensual pleasure."

"Kaccāna, because you have done what is unwholesome, therefore with regard to that matter you long persist in holding another view, another acceptance, another desire, another seeking. What I have said I have bestowed impartially; impartially I have understood that meaning.

"Kaccāna, the bhikkhus who are my disciples rise early in the morning and, when evening comes, are constantly without lying down to sleep; they constantly expound and discourse in order to perfect the venerated path, complete in discernment: 'Birth is already ended, the holy life is already accomplished, what was to be done has already been done, I have known as it truly is regarding name and form.' What I have said I have bestowed impartially; impartially I have understood that meaning."

Then Vekhanassa, exceedingly angry toward the World-Honored One, resentful in his heart, displeased, spoke to the World-Honored One, reviled the World-Honored One, abused and cursed the World-Honored One:

"In this way, recluse Gotama—this is not abuse."

Having spoken thus, he addressed the World-Honored One:

"Gotama, there may be a recluse or a brāhmaṇa who does not know the past, who does not know the time to come, the measureless lifetimes in the world, yet who still says: 'The life of the Noble One is already ended, the holy life is already accomplished, what was to be done has already been done, I have known as it truly is regarding name and form.'"

Then the World-Honored One thought thus: "Vekhanassa is exceedingly angry toward me, exceedingly resentful in his heart, displeased; he reviles me, he abuses me: 'Recluse Gotama, I have cursed you,' and then he addresses me: 'Gotama, there may be a recluse or a brāhmaṇa who does not know the past... up to knowing as it truly is.'" The World-Honored One, having known thus, said to Vekhanassa:

"Kaccāna, there may be a recluse or a brāhmaṇa who does not know the past... up to knowing as it truly is. At such a time one should say thus: 'Let the past be; let the time to come be; one need not think of a single lifetime.'

"Furthermore, Kaccāna, I say thus: 'Let the past be; let the time to come be; one need not think of a single lifetime.' The bhikkhus who are my disciples are without flattery, and also are not as illusion; their conduct is upright. I teach and instruct them, I expound the Dharma to them, and as has been set forth they are all able to learn, drawing near to the Dharma, knowing that this is wholesome. Just as, Kaccāna, there is a young boy whose hands and feet have been bound by his father and mother.

At that time, if he has wisdom, his father and mother will release the bonds from his hands and feet. He recalls only the releasing of the bonds; he does not think of the binding. In this way, Kaccāna, I say thus: 'Let the past be... up to knowing that there is the wholesome.' Kaccāna, just as a lamp burns by reason of oil and a wick.

There may be a person who does not pour in oil and also does not replace the wick; the oil of the existing wick is already exhausted, and nothing is afterward added—before long that lamp will be extinguished at once. In this way, Kaccāna, I say thus: 'Let the past be... up to knowing that there is the wholesome.'

"Kaccāna, just as there are ten pieces of timber gathered together, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty pieces of timber gathered together, set ablaze with fire—one should know there is a great mass of fire. There may be a person who does not use firewood, does not use grass, does not use ox dung, does not use chaff, does not use straw to cast into the heap of fire; then before long it will die out, no longer fit for use, swiftly destroyed.

"In this way, Kaccāna, I have said: 'Let the past be... up to knowing that there is the wholesome.'"

When the Buddha had spoken thus, then Vekhanassa, separated from the dust and defilement, gave rise to the Dharma-eye among the dharmas. Then Vekhanassa saw the Dharma, attained the Dharma, fully awakened to the Dharma, became pure with regard to the Dharma, departed far from the wrong, ended doubt, and no longer revered the gods nor placed faith in others; departing from all hesitation, he was established in the fruit of realization, attaining the Dharma of fearlessness with regard to the realm of the World-Honored One. He rose from his seat, bowed his head and face at the feet of the World-Honored One, and addressed the World-Honored One:

"May I be permitted to learn the path under the World-Honored One, to receive the full ordination, to become a bhikkhu, and to follow the World-Honored One in order to practice the holy life?"

"Bhikkhu, practice the holy life."

Vekhanassa learned the path under the World-Honored One, received the full ordination, and became a bhikkhu.

The Venerable Vekhanassa learned the path (under the World-Honored One), received the full ordination, upheld the Dharma... up to attaining Arahantship.

When the Buddha had spoken thus, Vekhanassa, hearing the words taught by the World-Honored One, was delighted and rejoiced.

THE BUDDHA SPEAKS THE SUTRA OF VEKHANASSA