1. A Question on Nibbāna
1On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling in Magadha at Nālakagāma. Then the wanderer Jambukhādaka270 Spk: He was Sāriputta’s nephew. The name means “Rose-apple-eater.”
approached the Venerable Sāriputta and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Venerable Sāriputta:
2“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘Nibbāna, Nibbāna.’ What now is Nibbāna?”
3“The destruction of lust, the destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion: this, friend, is called Nibbāna.”271 Spk argues against the idea that Nibbāna is the mere destruction of the defilements (kilesakkhayamattaṁ nibb̄nạ), holding that Nibbāna is called the destruction of lust, etc., in the sense that lust, etc., are destroyed contingent upon Nibbāna (yạ ̄gamma rāgādayo khı̄yanti, taṁ nibb̄nạ). For a fuller version of the argument, see Vism 507–9 (Ppn 16:67–74). The key point in the commentarial position is that Nibbāna is the unconditioned element apprehended with the attainment of the supramundane path. Because this experience of the unconditioned effects the destruction of the defilements, Nibbāna comes to be called the destruction of lust, hatred, and delusion, but it is not reducible to their mere destruction.
4“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the realization of this Nibbāna?”
5“There is a path, friend, there is a way for the realization of this Nibbāna.” [252]
6“And what, friend, is that path, what is that way for the realization of this Nibbāna?”
7“It is, friend, this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the path, friend, this is the way for the realization of this Nibbāna.”
8“Excellent is the path, friend, excellent is the way for the realization of this Nibbāna. And it is enough, friend Sāriputta, for diligence.”
2. Arahantship
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘arahantship, arahantship.’ What now is arahantship?”
2“The destruction of lust, the destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion: this, friend, is called arahantship.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the realization of this arahantship?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way for the realization of this arahantship.”
5“And what, friend, is that path, what is that way for the realization of this arahantship?”
6“It is, friend, this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view … right concentration. This is the path, friend, this is the way for the realization of this arahantship.”
7“Excellent is the path, friend, excellent is the way for the realization of this arahantship. And it is enough, friend Sāriputta, for diligence.”
3. Proponents of Dhamma
1“Friend Sāriputta, who are the proponents of Dhamma in the world? Who are practising well in the world? Who are the fortunate ones in the world?”
2“Those, friend, who teach the Dhamma for the abandonment of lust, [253] for the abandonment of hatred, for the abandonment of delusion: they are the proponents of Dhamma in the world. Those who are practising for the abandonment of lust, for the abandonment of hatred, for the abandonment of delusion: they are practising well in the world. Those for whom lust, hatred, and delusion have been abandoned, cut off at the root, made like palm stumps, obliterated so that they are no more subject to future arising: they are the fortunate ones in the world.”272 Cp. AN I 217–19. Sugata is usually an epithet of the Buddha but here, in the plural, it denotes all arahants.
“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the abandonment of this lust, hatred, and delusion?”
3“There is a path, friend, there is a way for the abandonment of this lust, hatred, and delusion.”
4“And what, friend, is that path…?”
5“It is, friend, this Noble Eightfold Path….”
6“Excellent is the path, friend, excellent is the way for the abandonment of this lust, hatred, and delusion. And it is enough, friend Sāriputta, for diligence.”
4. For What Purpose?
1“For what purpose, friend Sāriputta, is the holy life lived under the ascetic Gotama?”
2“It is, friend, for the full understanding of suffering that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the full understanding of this suffering?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way ... [254] this Noble Eightfold Path….”
5. Conslation
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘one who has attained consolation, one who has attained consolation.’ In what way, friend, has one attained consolation?”273 Assāsapatta. The answer is a coded formula for the sekha. The next sutta, on paramassāsapatta, concerns the arahant.
2“When, friend, a bhikkhu understands as it really is the origin and the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of the six bases for contact, in this way he has attained consolation.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the realization of this consolation?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way ... this Noble Eightfold Path….”
6. Supreme Conslation
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘one who has attained supreme consolation, one who has attained supreme consolation.’ In what way, friend, has one attained supreme consolation?”
2“When, friend, [255] having understood as it really is the origin and the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of the six bases for contact, a bhikkhu is liberated by nonclinging, in this way he has attained supreme consolation.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the realization of this supreme consolation?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way ... this Noble Eightfold Path….”
7. Feeling
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘feeling, feeling.’ What now is feeling?”
2“There are, friend, these three feelings: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. These are the three feelings.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the full understanding of these three feelings?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way ... this Noble Eightfold Path….” [256]
8. Taints
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘taint, taint.’ What now is a taint?”
2“There are, friend, these three taints: the taint of sensuality, the taint of existence, the taint of ignorance. These are the three taints.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the abandonment of these three taints?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way ... this Noble Eightfold Path….”
9. Ignorance
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘ignorance, ignorance.’ What now is ignorance?”
2“Not knowing suffering, not knowing the origin of suffering, not knowing the cessation of suffering, not knowing the way leading to the cessation of suffering. This is called ignorance.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the abandonment of this ignorance?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way ... this Noble Eightfold Path….” [257]
10. Craving
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘craving, craving.’ What now is craving?”
2“There are, friend, these three kinds of craving: craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination. These are the three kinds of craving.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the abandonment of this craving?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way … this Noble Eightfold Path….”
11. Floods
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘flood, flood.’ What now is a flood?”
2“There are, friend, these four floods: the flood of sensuality, the flood of existence, the flood of views, the flood of ignorance. These are the four floods.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the abandonment of these four floods?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way … this Noble Eightfold Path….” [258]
12. Clinging
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘clinging, clinging.’ What now is clinging?”
2“There are, friend, these four kinds of clinging: clinging to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, clinging to rules and vows, clinging to a doctrine of self. These are the four kinds of clinging.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the abandonment of these four kinds of clinging?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way … this Noble Eightfold Path….”
13. Existence
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘existence, existence.’ What now is existence?”
2“There are, friend, these three kinds of existence: sense-sphere existence, form-sphere existence, formless-sphere existence. These are the three kinds of existence.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the full understanding of these three kinds of existence?” [259]
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way ... this Noble Eightfold Path….”
14. Suffering
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘suffering, suffering.’ What now is suffering?”
2“There are, friend, these three kinds of suffering: the suffering due to pain, the suffering due to formations, the suffering due to change. These are the three kinds of suffering.”274 The three types are explained at Vism 499,14–21 (Ppn 16:34–35). Briefly, suffering due to pain (dukkhadukkhatā ) is painful bodily and mental feeling; suffering due to the formations (saṅkhāradukkhatā) is all conditioned phenomena of the three planes, because they are oppressed by rise and fall; and suffering due to change (viparināmadukkhtā) is pleasant feeling, which brings suffering when it comes to an end.
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the full understanding of these three kinds of suffering?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way ... this Noble Eightfold Path….”
15. Identity
1“Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘identity, identity.’ What now is identity?”
2“These five aggregates subject to clinging, friend, have been called identity by the Blessed One; that is, the form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the volitional formations aggregate subject to clinging, [260] the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging. These five aggregates subject to clinging have been called identity by the Blessed One.”
3“But, friend, is there a path, is there a way for the full understanding of this identity?”
4“There is a path, friend, there is a way for the full understanding of this identity.”
5“And what, friend, is that path, what is that way for the full understanding of this identity.”
6“It is, friend, this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view ... right concentration. This is the path, friend, this is the way for the full understanding of this identity.”
7“Excellent is the path, friend, excellent is the way for the full understanding of this identity. And it is enough, friend Sāriputta, for diligence.”
16. Difficult to Do
1“Friend Sāriputta, what is difficult to do in this Dhamma and Discipline?”
2“Going forth, friend, is difficult to do in this Dhamma and Discipline.”
3“What, friend, is difficult to do by one who has gone forth?”
4“To find delight, friend, is difficult to do by one who has gone forth.”
5“What, friend, is difficult to do by one who has found delight?”
6“Practice in accordance with the Dhamma, friend, is difficult to do by one who has found delight.”
7“But, friend, if a bhikkhu is practising in accordance with the Dhamma, would it take him long to become an arahant?”
8“Not long, friend.”275 Spk quotes MN II 96,19–20: “Instructed in the evening, by the morning he will attain distinction (enlightenment); instructed in the morning, by the evening he will attain distinction.”
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