Channovādasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 144

Middle Discourses 144

Channovādasutta

Advice to Channa

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo āyasmā ca channo gijjhakūṭe pabbate viharanti.

Now at that time the venerables Sāriputta, Mahācunda, and Channa were staying on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā channo ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.

Now at that time Venerable Channa was sick, suffering, gravely ill.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahācundo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahācundaṁ etadavoca:

Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahācunda and said to him,

“āyāmāvuso cunda, yenāyasmā channo tenupasaṅkamissāma gilānapucchakā”ti.

“Come, Reverend Cunda, let’s go to see Venerable Channa and ask about his illness.”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā mahācundo āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosi.

“Yes, reverend,” replied Mahācunda.

Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo yenāyasmā channo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā channena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu.

And then Sāriputta and Mahācunda went to see Channa and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ channaṁ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side. Then Sāriputta said to Channa,

“kacci te, āvuso channa, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ? Kacci te dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti, no abhikkamanti; paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no abhikkamo”ti?

“I hope you’re keeping well, Reverend Channa, I hope you’re all right. I hope your pain is fading, not growing; that its fading is evident, not its growing.”

“Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo.

“Reverend Sāriputta, I’m not keeping well, I’m not getting by. My pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, balavā puriso tiṇhena sikharena muddhani abhimattheyya; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimattā vātā muddhani ūhananti.

The winds piercing my head are so severe, it feels like a strong man drilling into my head with a sharp point.

Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati no paṭikkamo.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, balavā puriso daḷhena varattakkhaṇḍena sīse sīsaveṭhaṁ dadeyya; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimattā sīse sīsavedanā.

The pain in my head is so severe, it feels like a strong man tightening a strong leather strap around my head.

Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, dakkho goghātako vā goghātakantevāsī vā tiṇhena govikantanena kucchiṁ parikanteyya; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimattā vātā kucchiṁ parikantanti.

The winds slicing my belly are so severe, like a deft butcher or their apprentice were slicing open a cow’s belly with a sharp meat cleaver.

Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso sāriputta, dve balavanto purisā dubbalataraṁ purisaṁ nānābāhāsu gahetvā aṅgārakāsuyā santāpeyyuṁ samparitāpeyyuṁ; evameva kho me, āvuso sāriputta, adhimatto kāyasmiṁ ḍāho.

The burning in my body is so severe, it feels like two strong men grabbing a weaker man by the arms to burn and scorch him on a pit of glowing coals.

Na me, āvuso sāriputta, khamanīyaṁ na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo.

I’m not keeping well, I’m not getting by. My pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading.

Satthaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, āharissāmi, nāvakaṅkhāmi jīvitan”ti.

Reverend Sāriputta, I shall commit suicide. I don’t wish to live.”

“Māyasmā channo satthaṁ āharesi.

“Please don’t commit suicide!

Yāpetāyasmā channo. Yāpentaṁ mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ icchāma.

Venerable Channa, keep going! We want you to keep going.

Sace āyasmato channassa natthi sappāyāni bhojanāni, ahaṁ āyasmato channassa sappāyāni bhojanāni pariyesissāmi.

If you don’t have any suitable food, we’ll find it for you.

Sace āyasmato channassa natthi sappāyāni bhesajjāni, ahaṁ āyasmato channassa sappāyāni bhesajjāni pariyesissāmi.

If you don’t have suitable medicine, we’ll find it for you.

Sace āyasmato channassa natthi patirūpā upaṭṭhākā, ahaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ upaṭṭhahissāmi.

If you don’t have a capable carer, we’ll find one for you.

Māyasmā channo satthaṁ āharesi.

Please don’t commit suicide!

Yāpetāyasmā channo. Yāpentaṁ mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ icchāmā”ti.

Venerable Channa, keep going! We want you to keep going.”

“Napi me, āvuso sāriputta, natthi sappāyāni bhojanāni;

“Reverend Sāriputta, it’s not that I don’t have suitable food,

napi me natthi sappāyāni bhesajjāni;

or suitable medicine,

napi me natthi patirūpā upaṭṭhākā;

or a capable carer.

api cāvuso sāriputta, pariciṇṇo me satthā dīgharattaṁ manāpeneva no amanāpena.

Moreover, for a long time now I have served the Teacher with love, not without love.

Etañhi, āvuso sāriputta, sāvakassa patirūpaṁ yaṁ satthāraṁ paricareyya manāpeneva no amanāpena.

For it is proper for a disciple to serve the Teacher with love, not without love.

‘Anupavajjaṁ channo bhikkhu satthaṁ āharissatī’ti evametaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, dhārehī”ti.

You should remember this: ‘The mendicant Channa will commit suicide blamelessly.’”

“Puccheyyāma mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ channaṁ kañcideva desaṁ, sace āyasmā channo okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti.

“I’d like to ask Venerable Channa about a certain point, if you’d take the time to answer.”

“Pucchāvuso sāriputta, sutvā vedissāmī”ti.

“Ask, Reverend Sāriputta. When I’ve heard it I’ll know.”

“Cakkhuṁ, āvuso channa, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassasi?

“Reverend Channa, do you regard the eye, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness in this way: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?

Sotaṁ, āvuso channa, sotaviññāṇaṁ …pe…

Do you regard the ear …

ghānaṁ, āvuso channa, ghānaviññāṇaṁ …

nose …

jivhaṁ, āvuso channa, jivhāviññāṇaṁ …

tongue …

kāyaṁ, āvuso channa, kāyaviññāṇaṁ …

body …

manaṁ, āvuso channa, manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassasī”ti?

mind, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness in this way: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

“Cakkhuṁ, āvuso sāriputta, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmi.

“Reverend Sāriputta, I regard the eye, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Sotaṁ, āvuso sāriputta …pe…

I regard the ear …

ghānaṁ, āvuso sāriputta …

nose …

jivhaṁ, āvuso sāriputta …

tongue …

kāyaṁ, āvuso sāriputta …

body …

manaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmī”ti.

mind, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’.”

“Cakkhusmiṁ, āvuso channa, cakkhuviññāṇe cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu kiṁ disvā kiṁ abhiññāya cakkhuṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassasi?

“Reverend Channa, what have you seen, what have you directly known in these things that you regard them in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’?”

Sotasmiṁ, āvuso channa, sotaviññāṇe …

ghānasmiṁ, āvuso channa, ghānaviññāṇe …

jivhāya, āvuso channa, jivhāviññāṇe …

kāyasmiṁ, āvuso channa, kāyaviññāṇe …

manasmiṁ, āvuso channa, manoviññāṇe manoviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu kiṁ disvā kiṁ abhiññāya manaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassasī”ti?

“Cakkhusmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, cakkhuviññāṇe cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu nirodhaṁ disvā nirodhaṁ abhiññāya cakkhuṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmi.

“Reverend Sāriputta, after seeing cessation, after directly knowing cessation in these things I regard them in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self’.”

Sotasmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, sotaviññāṇe …

ghānasmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, ghānaviññāṇe …

jivhāya, āvuso sāriputta, jivhāviññāṇe …

kāyasmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, kāyaviññāṇe …

manasmiṁ, āvuso sāriputta, manoviññāṇe manoviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu nirodhaṁ disvā nirodhaṁ abhiññāya manaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ manoviññāṇaviññātabbe dhamme ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti samanupassāmī”ti.

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā mahācundo āyasmantaṁ channaṁ etadavoca:

When he said this, Venerable Mahācunda said to Venerable Channa:

“tasmātiha, āvuso channa, idampi tassa bhagavato sāsanaṁ, niccakappaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ:

“So, Reverend Channa, you should regularly apply your mind to this instruction of the Buddha:

‘nissitassa calitaṁ, anissitassa calitaṁ natthi.

‘For the dependent there is quivering. For the independent there’s no quivering.

Calite asati passaddhi,

When there’s no quivering, there is tranquility.

passaddhiyā sati nati na hoti.

When there is tranquility, there’s no inclination.

Natiyā asati āgatigati na hoti.

When there’s no inclination, there’s no coming and going.

Āgatigatiyā asati cutūpapāto na hoti.

When there’s no coming and going, there’s no passing away and reappearing.

Cutūpapāte asati nevidha na huraṁ na ubhayamantarena.

When there’s no passing away and reappearing, there’s no this life or the next or between the two.

Esevanto dukkhassā’”ti.

Just this is the end of suffering.’”

Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahācundo āyasmantaṁ channaṁ iminā ovādena ovaditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu.

And when the venerables Sāriputta and Mahācunda had given Venerable Channa this advice they rose from their seats and left.

Atha kho āyasmā channo acirapakkante āyasmante ca sāriputte āyasmante ca mahācunde satthaṁ āharesi.

Not long after those venerables had left, Venerable Channa committed suicide.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Sāriputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

“āyasmatā, bhante, channena satthaṁ āharitaṁ.

“Sir, Venerable Channa has committed suicide.

Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti?

Where has he been reborn in his next life?”

“Nanu te, sāriputta, channena bhikkhunā sammukhāyeva anupavajjatā byākatā”ti?

“Sāriputta, didn’t the mendicant Channa declare his blamelessness to you personally?”

“Atthi, bhante, pubbajiraṁ nāma vajjigāmo.

“Sir, there is a Vajjian village named Pubbajira.

Tatthāyasmato channassa mittakulāni suhajjakulāni upavajjakulānī”ti.

There Channa had families who were friendly, intimate, and hospitable.”

“Honti hete, sāriputta, channassa bhikkhuno mittakulāni suhajjakulāni upavajjakulāni.

“The mendicant Channa did indeed have such families.

Nāhaṁ, sāriputta, ettāvatā ‘saupavajjo’ti vadāmi.

But, Sāriputta, this is not enough for me to call someone ‘blameworthy’.

Yo kho, sāriputta, imañca kāyaṁ nikkhipati aññañca kāyaṁ upādiyati tamahaṁ ‘saupavajjo’ti vadāmi.

When someone lays down this body and takes up another body, I call them ‘blameworthy’.

Taṁ channassa bhikkhuno natthi.

But the mendicant Channa did no such thing.

‘Anupavajjo channo bhikkhu satthaṁ āharesī’ti evametaṁ, sāriputta, dhārehī”ti.

You should remember this: ‘The mendicant Channa committed suicide blamelessly.’”

Idamavoca bhagavā.

That is what the Buddha said.

Attamano āyasmā sāriputto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.

Satisfied, Venerable Sāriputta approved what the Buddha said.

Channovādasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.