• Numbered Discourses 4.257 Aį¹…guttara Nikāya 4.257

26. Insight 26. AbhiƱƱāvagga

With Māluį¹…kyaputta Mālukyaputtasutta

Then Venerable Māluį¹…kyaputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: Atha kho āyasmā mālukyaputto yena bhagavā tenupasaį¹…kami; upasaį¹…kamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisÄ«di. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mālukyaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

ā€œSir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.ā€ ā€œSādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saį¹…khittena dhammaṁ desetu, yamahaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ sutvā eko vÅ«pakaį¹­į¹­ho appamatto ātāpÄ« pahitatto vihareyyanā€ti.

ā€œWell now, Māluį¹…kyaputta, what are we to say to the young monks, ā€œEttha idāni, mālukyaputta, kiṁ dahare bhikkhÅ« vakkhāma; when even an old man like you, elderly and senior, asks the Realized One for brief advice?ā€ yatra hi nāma tvaṁ jiṇṇo vuddho mahallako tathāgatassa saį¹…khittena ovādaṁ yācasÄ«ā€ti.

ā€œSir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief! May the Holy One teach me the Dhamma in brief! Hopefully I can understand the meaning of what the Buddha says! Hopefully I can be an heir of the Buddha’s teaching!ā€ ā€œDesetu me, bhante, bhagavā saį¹…khittena dhammaṁ; desetu sugato saį¹…khittena dhammaṁ. Appeva nāmāhaṁ bhagavato bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājāneyyaṁ; appeva nāmāhaṁ bhagavato bhāsitassa dāyādo assanā€ti.

ā€œMāluį¹…kyaputta, there are four things that give rise to craving in a mendicant. ā€œCattārome, mālukyaputta, taṇhuppādā yattha bhikkhuno taṇhā uppajjamānā uppajjati. What four? Katame cattāro? For the sake of robes, CÄ«varahetu vā, mālukyaputta, bhikkhuno taṇhā uppajjamānā uppajjati. almsfood, Piį¹‡įøapātahetu vā, mālukyaputta, bhikkhuno taṇhā uppajjamānā uppajjati. lodgings, Senāsanahetu vā, mālukyaputta, bhikkhuno taṇhā uppajjamānā uppajjati. or rebirth in this or that state. Itibhavābhavahetu vā, mālukyaputta, bhikkhuno taṇhā uppajjamānā uppajjati. These are the four things that give rise to craving in a mendicant. Ime kho, mālukyaputta, cattāro taṇhuppādā yattha bhikkhuno taṇhā uppajjamānā uppajjati. That craving is given up by a mendicant, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future. Then they’re called a mendicant who has cut off craving, cast off the fetters, and by rightly comprehending conceit has made an end of suffering.ā€ Yato kho, mālukyaputta, bhikkhuno taṇhā pahÄ«nā hoti ucchinnamÅ«lā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaį¹…katā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā, ayaṁ vuccati, mālukyaputta, ā€˜bhikkhu acchecchi taṇhaṁ, vivattayi saṁyojanaṁ, sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassÄā€™ā€ti.

When Māluį¹…kyaputta had been given this advice by the Buddha, he rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving. Atha kho āyasmā mālukyaputto bhagavatā iminā ovādena ovadito uį¹­į¹­hāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Then Māluį¹…kyaputta, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. Atha kho āyasmā mālukyaputto eko vÅ«pakaį¹­į¹­ho appamatto ātāpÄ« pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diį¹­į¹­heva dhamme sayaṁ abhiƱƱā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

He understood: ā€œRebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.ā€ ā€œKhīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyÄā€ti abbhaƱƱāsi. And Venerable Māluį¹…kyaputta became one of the perfected. AƱƱataro ca panāyasmā mālukyaputto arahataṁ ahosÄ«ti.