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Mv I 14
PTS: Mv I 1.23 | CS: vin.mv.01.14
Sāriputtamoggallāna-pabbajjākathā
"line by line"
The Discussion of Sāriputta and Moggallāna’s Going-forth
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: Ven. Thanissaro | reading layout
(Mv.I.23.1) [64] tena kho pana samayena sañjayo paribbājako rājagahe paṭivasati mahatiyā paribbājakaparisāya saddhiṁ aḍḍhateyyehi paribbājakasatehi.

Now at that time Sañjaya the wanderer was staying in Rājagaha with a large assembly of wanderers — 250 in all.

tena kho pana samayena sārīputtamoggallānā sañjaye paribbājake brahmacariyaṁ caranti.

And at that time Sāriputta and Moggallāna were living the holy life under Sañjaya.

tehi katikā katā hoti yo paṭhamaṁ amataṁ adhigacchati so itarassa ārocetūti.

They had made this agreement: “May whoever attains the Deathless first inform the other.”

(Mv.I.23.2) athakho āyasmā assaji pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi pāsādikena abhikkantena paṭikkantena ālokitena vilokitena sammiñjitena pasāritena okkhittacakkhu iriyāpathasampanno.

Then, early in the morning, Ven. Assaji adjusted his under robe and — carrying his bowl & robes, entered Rājagaha for alms: gracious in the way he approached and departed, looked forward and behind, drew in and stretched out (his arm); his eyes downcast, his every movement consummate.

addasā kho sārīputto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ assajiṁ rājagahe piṇḍāya carantaṁ pāsādikena abhikkantena paṭikkantena ālokitena vilokitena sammiñjitena pasāritena okkhittacakkhuṁ iriyāpathasampannaṁ

Sāriputta the wanderer saw Ven. Assaji going for alms in Rājagaha: gracious in the way he approached and departed, looked forward and behind, drew in and stretched out (his arm); his eyes downcast, his every movement consummate.

disvānassa etadahosi ye vata loke arahanto vā arahattamaggaṁ vā samāpannā ayaṁ tesaṁ bhikkhu aññataro

On seeing him, the thought occurred to him: “Surely, of those monks in this world who are arahants or have entered the path to arahantship, this is one.

yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ upasaṅkamitvā puccheyyaṁ

“What if I were to go to him and question him:

kaṁsi tvaṁ āvuso uddissa pabbajito ko vā te satthā kassa vā tvaṁ dhammaṁ rocesīti.

“‘Friend, on whose account have you gone forth? Or who is your teacher? Or in whose Dhamma do you delight?’”

(Mv.I.23.3) athakho sārīputtassa paribbājakassa etadahosi akālo kho imaṁ bhikkhuṁ pucchituṁ antaragharaṁ paviṭṭho piṇḍāya carati

But then the thought occurred to Sāriputta the wanderer: “This is the wrong time to question him. Having entered among houses, he is going for alms.

yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandheyyaṁ atthikehi upaññātaṁ magganti.

“What if I were to follow behind this monk? The path is found by those who seek it.”

atthikehi upaññātaṁ magganti etaṁ anubandhanassa kāraṇavacanaṁ; idañhi vuttaṁ hoti — “yaṁnūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandheyyaṁ, kasmā? yasmā idaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandhanaṁ nāma atthikehi upaññātaṁ maggaṁ ñāto ceva upagato ca maggo”ti attho. atha vā atthikehi amhehi “maraṇe sati amatenāpi bhavitabban”ti evaṁ kevalaṁ atthīti upaññātaṁ nibbānaṁ nāma, taṁ magganto pariyesantoti evampettha attho daṭṭhabbo.

“The path (is) found by those who seek it”: This is an adverb modifying following-behind. Here it is said, “What if I were to follow behind this monk? Why? Because of this following-behind, the path is discovered by those who seek it; the path is known and reached.” That’s the meaning. Or “By us, who are seeking, (thinking) ‘Because death exists, there must be the Deathless,’ thus ‘It really exists.’ Unbinding has been found: I have been going after it, searching for it.” Here this meaning may also be seen.

Atthikehi upaññātanti ‘‘maraṇe sati amatenapi bhavitabban’ti evaṃ anumānañāṇena ‘‘atthī’ti upagataṃ nibbānaṃ nāma, taṃ magganto pariyesanto yannūnāhaṃ imaṃ bhikkhuṃ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandheyyanti sambandho.

“Found by those who seek it”: “Because death exists, there must be the Deathless”: In connection with this inference, “’It exists’: Unbinding has been reached. What if I, going after it, searching for it, were to follow behind this monk?”

athakho āyasmā assaji rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā piṇḍapātaṁ ādāya paṭikkami.

Then Ven. Assaji, having gone for alms in Rājagaha, took his almsfood and left.

athakho sārīputto paribbājako yenāyasmā assaji tenupasaṅkami upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā assajinā saddhiṁ sammodi sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sārāṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.

Then Sāriputta the wanderer went to Ven. Assaji and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies he stood to one side.

ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho sārīputto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ assajiṁ etadavoca vippasannāni kho te āvuso indriyāni parisuddho chavivaṇṇo pariyodāto

As he was standing there, Sāriputta the wanderer said to Ven. Assaji, “Clear, my friend, are your faculties — pure your complexion, and bright.

kaṁsi tvaṁ āvuso uddissa pabbajito ko vā te satthā kassa vā tvaṁ dhammaṁ rocesīti.

“Friend, on whose account have you gone forth? Or who is your teacher? Or in whose Dhamma do you delight?”

(Mv.I.23.4) atthāvuso mahāsamaṇo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito tāhaṁ bhagavantaṁ uddissa pabbajito so ca me bhagavā satthā tassa cāhaṁ bhagavā dhammaṁ rocemīti.

“There is a great contemplative — a son of the Sakyans, gone forth from the Sakyan clan — I have gone forth on account of that Blessed One. That Blessed One is my teacher, and I delight in his Dhamma.

kiṁvādī panāyasmato satthā kimakkhāyīti.

“What is your teacher’s doctrine? What is his teaching?”

ahaṁ kho āvuso navo acirapabbajito adhunāgato imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ na tāhaṁ sakkomi vitthārena dhammaṁ desetuṁ apica te saṅkhittena atthaṁ vakkhāmīti.

“I am new, friend, not long gone-forth, and have just recently come to this Dhamma and Discipline. I can’t teach the Dhamma in detail, but I will tell you the essence of it in brief.”

ME inserts: atha kho sāriputto paribbājako āyasmantaṁ assajiṁ etadavoca “hotu, āvuso

Then Sāriputta the wanderer said to Ven. Assaji, “May it be so, friend —

appaṁ vā bahuṁ vā bhāsassu

atthaṁyeva me brūhi

“Speak a little or a lot,

but tell me just the gist.

attheneva me attho

kiṁ kāhasi byañjanaṁ bahunti.

The gist is what I want.

What use is a lot of verbosity?”

(Mv.I.23.5) [65] athakho āyasmā assaji sārīputtassa paribbājakassa imaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ abhāsi

So Ven. Assaji spoke this Dhamma-explanation to Sāriputta the wanderer:

ye dhammā hetuppabhavā

tesaṁ hetuṁ tathāgato (āha)

tesañca yo nirodho

evaṁvādī mahāsamaṇoti.

“Whatever phenomena arise from cause:

their cause

& their cessation.

Such is the teaching of the Tathāgata,

the Great Contemplative.”

[66] athakho sārīputtassa paribbājakassa imaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ sutvā virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi yaṅkiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbantaṁ nirodhadhammanti.

Then, when he had heard this Dhamma-explanation, the dustless, stainless eye of Dhamma arose for Sāriputta the wanderer — “Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.”

eseva dhammo yadi tāvadeva

paccabyathā [ME: paccabyattha] padamasokaṁ

adiṭṭhaṁ abbhatītaṁ

bahukehi kappanahutehīti.

[Narrator addressing Sāriputta the wanderer:]

“Just this Dhamma,

even if just this much,

and you experienced

the sorrowless state —

unseen, neglected,

for many ten-thousands of eons.”

eseva dhammo yadi tāvadevāti sacepi ito uttari natthi, ettakameva idaṃ sotāpattiphalamattameva pattabbaṃ, tathāpi eso eva dhammoti attho. paccabyattha padamasokanti yaṁ mayaṁ pariyesamānā vicarāma, taṁ padamasokaṁ paṭividdhāttha tumhe; pattaṁ taṁ tumhehīti attho.

“Just this Dhamma, even if just this much,” The meaning is: “Even if there is nothing higher than this, there is just this much, this measure of the fruit of stream-entry to be attained, still this is the Dhamma.” “You experienced the sorrowless state,” The meaning is: “That which we are searching for, wandering after: You penetrated that sorrowless state. It has been attained by you.”

(Mv.I.23.6) [67] athakho sārīputto paribbājako yena moggallāno paribbājako tenupasaṅkami.

Then Sāriputta the wanderer went to Moggallāna the wanderer.

addasā kho moggallāno paribbājako sārīputtaṁ paribbājakaṁ dūrato va āgacchantaṁ disvāna sārīputtaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavoca

Moggallāna the wanderer saw Sāriputta the wanderer coming in the distance, and said to him,

vippasannāni kho te āvuso indriyāni parisuddho chavivaṇṇo pariyodāto

“Clear, my friend, are your faculties — pure your complexion, and bright.

kacci nu tvaṁ āvuso amatamadhigatoti.

“Have you attained the Deathless, friend?”

āma āvuso amatamadhigatoti.

“Yes, friend, I have attained the Deathless.”

yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ āvuso amatamadhigatoti.

“But, friend, how did you attain the Deathless?”

(Mv.I.23.7) idhāhaṁ āvuso addasaṁ assajiṁ bhikkhuṁ rājagahe piṇḍāya carantaṁ pāsādikena abhikkantena paṭikkantena ālokitena vilokitena sammiñjitena pasāritena okkhittacakkhuṁ iriyāpathasampannaṁ

“Just now, friend, I saw the monk Assaji entering Rājagaha for alms: gracious in the way he approached and departed, looked forward and behind, drew in and stretched out (his arm); his eyes downcast, his every movement consummate.

disvāna me etadahosi ye vata loke arahanto vā arahattamaggaṁ vā samāpannā ayaṁ tesaṁ bhikkhu aññataro

“On seeing him, the thought occurred to me: ‘Surely, of those monks in this world who are arahants or have entered the path to arahantship, this is one.

yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ upasaṅkamitvā puccheyyaṁ kaṁsi tvaṁ āvuso uddissa pabbajito ko vā te satthā kassa vā tvaṁ dhammaṁ rocesīti

“‘What if I were to go to him and question him: “Friend, on whose account have you gone forth? Or who is your teacher? Or in whose Dhamma do you delight?”’

(Mv.I.23.8) tassa mayhaṁ āvuso etadahosi akālo kho imaṁ bhikkhuṁ pucchituṁ antaragharaṁ paviṭṭho piṇḍāya carati yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandheyyaṁ atthikehi upaññātaṁ magganti

“But then the thought occurred to me: ‘This is the wrong time to question him. Having entered among houses, he is going for alms. What if I were to follow behind this monk? The path is found by those who seek it.’

athakho āvuso assaji bhikkhu rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā piṇḍapātaṁ ādāya paṭikkami

“Then the monk Assaji, having gone for alms in Rājagaha, took his almsfood and left.

athakhvāhaṁ āvuso yena assaji bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamiṁ upasaṅkamitvā assajinā bhikkhunā saddhiṁ sammodiṁ sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sārāṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsiṁ

“I went to the monk Assaji and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies I stood to one side.

ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho ahaṁ āvuso assajiṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ vippasannāni kho te āvuso indriyāni parisuddho chavivaṇṇo pariyodāto

“As I was standing there, I said to the monk Assaji, ‘Clear, my friend, are your faculties — pure your complexion, and bright.

kaṁsi tvaṁ āvuso uddissa pabbajito ko vā te satthā kassa vā tvaṁ dhammaṁ rocesīti

“‘On whose account have you gone forth? Who is your teacher? In whose Dhamma do you delight?”

(Mv.I.23.9) atthāvuso mahāsamaṇo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito tāhaṁ bhagavantaṁ uddissa pabbajito so ca me bhagavā satthā tassa cāhaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ rocemīti

“‘There is a great contemplative — a son of the Sakyans, gone forth from the Sakyan clan — I have gone forth on account of that Blessed One. That Blessed One is my teacher, and I delight in his Dhamma.’

kiṁvādī panāyasmato satthā kimakkhāyīti

“‘What is your teacher’s doctrine? What is his teaching?’

ahaṁ kho āvuso navo acirapabbajito adhunāgato imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ na tāhaṁ sakkomi vitthārena dhammaṁ desetuṁ apica te saṅkhittena atthaṁ vakkhāmīti

“‘I am new, friend, not long gone-forth, and have just recently come to this Dhamma and Discipline. I can’t teach the Dhamma in detail, but I can tell you the essence of it in brief.’

[ME: atha khvāhaṁ, āvuso, assajiṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ “hotu, āvuso,]

“Then I said to the monk Assaji, ‘May it be so, friend —

appaṁ vā bahuṁ vā bhāsassu

atthaṁyeva me brūhi

attheneva me attho

kiṁ kāhasi byañjanaṁ bahunti.

“‘Speak a little or a lot,

but tell me just the gist.

The gist is what I want.

What use is a lot of verbosity?’

(Mv.I.23.10) [68] athakho āvuso assaji bhikkhu imaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ abhāsi

“So the monk Assaji spoke this Dhamma-explanation:

ye dhammā hetuppabhavā

tesaṁ hetuṁ tathāgato (āha)

tesañca yo nirodho

evaṁvādī mahāsamaṇoti.

“‘Whatever phenomena arise from cause:

their cause

& their cessation.

Such is the teaching of the Tathāgata,

the Great Contemplative.’”

[69] athakho moggallānassa paribbājakassa imaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ sutvā virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi yaṅkiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbantaṁ nirodhadhammanti.

Having heard this Dhamma-explanation, the dustless, stainless eye of Dhamma arose for Moggallāna the wanderer — “Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.”

eseva dhammo yadi tāvadeva

paccabyathā [ME: paccabyattha] padamasokaṁ

adiṭṭhaṁ abbhatītaṁ

bahukehi kappanahutehīti.

[Narrator addressing Moggallāna the wanderer:]

Just this Dhamma,

even if just this much,

and you experienced

the sorrowless state —

unseen, neglected,

for many ten-thousands of eons.

(Mv.I.24.1) [70] athakho moggallāno paribbājako sārīputtaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavoca gacchāma mayaṁ āvuso bhagavato santike so no bhagavā satthāti.

Then Moggallāna the wanderer said to Sāriputta the wanderer, “Let’s go to the Blessed One’s presence. the Blessed One is our teacher.”

imāni kho āvuso aḍḍhateyyāni paribbājakasatāni amhe nissāya amhe sampassantā idha viharanti tepi tāva apalokema

[Sāriputta:] “There are these 250 wanderers who live here in dependence on us and look up to us. Let’s inform them of this.

yathā te maññissanti tathā karissantīti.

“They will do whatever they think (is appropriate).”

athakho sārīputtamoggallānā yena te paribbājakā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu upasaṅkamitvā te paribbājake etadavocuṁ gacchāma mayaṁ āvuso bhagavato santike so no bhagavā satthāti.

So Sāriputta and Moggallāna went to the wanderers and, on arrival, said to them, “Friends, we are going to the Blessed One’s presence. The Blessed One is our teacher.”

mayaṁ āyasmante nissāya āyasmante sampassantā idha viharāma sace āyasmantā mahāsamaṇe brahmacariyaṁ carissanti sabbe va mayaṁ mahāsamaṇe brahmacariyaṁ carissāmāti.

“We are living here in dependence on the venerables and look up to the venerables. If the venerables are going to live the holy life under the great contemplative, then we will all live the holy life under the great contemplative.”

(Mv.I.24.2) athakho sārīputtamoggallānā yena sañjayo paribbājako tenupasaṅkamiṁsu upasaṅkamitvā sañjayaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavocuṁ gacchāma mayaṁ āvuso bhagavato santike so no bhagavā satthāti.

Then Sāriputta and Moggallāna went to Sañjaya the wanderer and, on arrival, said to him, “Friend, we are going to the Blessed One’s presence. The Blessed One is our teacher.”

alaṁ āvuso mā gamittha sabbe va tayo imaṁ gaṇaṁ pariharissāmāti.

“Enough, friends. Don’t go. Let all three of us look after this group.”

dutiyampi kho .pe.

A second time …

tatiyampi kho sārīputtamoggallānā sañjayaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavocuṁ gacchāma mayaṁ āvuso bhagavato santike so no bhagavā satthāti.

A third time Sāriputta and Moggallāna said to Sañjaya the wanderer, “Friend, we are going to the Blessed One’s presence. The Blessed One is our teacher.”

alaṁ āvuso mā gamittha sabbe va tayo imaṁ gaṇaṁ pariharissāmāti.

“Enough, friends. Don’t go. Let all three of us look after this group.”

(Mv.I.24.3) athakho sārīputtamoggallānā tāni aḍḍhateyyāni paribbājakasatāni ādāya yena veḷuvanaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu.

Then Sāriputta and Moggallāna, taking along the 250 wanderers, went to the Bamboo Grove.

sañjayassa pana paribbājakassa tattheva uṇhaṁ lohitaṁ mukhato uggacchi

But Sañjaya the wanderer coughed up hot blood from his mouth right there.

[71] addasā kho bhagavā sārīputtamoggallāne dūrato va āgacchante disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi

The Blessed One saw Sāriputta and Moggallāna coming in the distance, and on seeing them addressed the monks,

ete bhikkhave dve sahāyā āgacchanti kolito upatisso ca etaṁ me sāvakayugaṁ bhavissati aggaṁ bhaddayuganti.

“Monks, these two friends who are approaching, Kolita and Upatissa: They will by my highest, most auspicious pair of disciples.

gambhīre ñāṇavisaye

anuttare upadhisaṅkhaye

Deep their range of knowledge,

unsurpassed in the destruction of acquisitions,

vimutte appatte veḷuvanaṁ

atha ne satthā byākāsi

released, they’ve arrived at the Bamboo Grove.

Then the Teacher said of them:

ete dve sahāyā

āgacchanti kolito upatisso ca.

“These two friends are who approaching,

Kolita and Upatissa:

etaṁ me sāvakayugaṁ

bhavissati aggaṁ bhaddayuganti.

They will by my highest,

most auspicious pair of disciples.”

(Mv.I.24.4) [72] athakho sārīputtamoggallānā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ labheyyāma mayaṁ bhante bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ labheyyāma upasampadanti.

Then Sāriputta and Moggallāna went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, put their heads at the Blessed One’s feet and said, “May we receive the Going-forth in the Blessed One’s presence? May we receive the Acceptance?"

etha bhikkhavoti bhagavā avoca svākkhāto dhammo caratha brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāyāti.

“Come, monks.” Said the Blessed One. “The Dhamma is well-taught. Live the holy life for the right ending of stress.”

sā va tesaṁ āyasmantānaṁ upasampadā ahosi.

Such was the venerable ones’ Acceptance.

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