Paṭhamakāmabhūsutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 41.5

Linked Discourses 41.5

1. Cittavagga

1. With Citta

Paṭhamakāmabhūsutta

With Kāmabhū (1st)

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā kāmabhū macchikāsaṇḍe viharati ambāṭakavane.

At one time Venerable Kāmabhū was staying near Macchikāsaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove.

Atha kho citto gahapati yenāyasmā kāmabhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho cittaṁ gahapatiṁ āyasmā kāmabhū etadavoca:

Then Citta the householder went up to Venerable Kāmabhū, bowed, and sat down to one side. Kāmabhū said to him,

“Vuttamidaṁ, gahapati:

“Householder, there is this saying:

‘Nelaṅgo setapacchādo,

‘With faultless parts and white canopy,

ekāro vattatī ratho;

the one-spoked chariot rolls on.

Anīghaṁ passa āyantaṁ,

See it come, untroubled,

chinnasotaṁ abandhanan’ti.

with stream cut, unbound.’

Imassa nu kho, gahapati, saṅkhittena bhāsitassa kathaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?

How should we see the detailed meaning of this brief statement?”

“Kiṁ nu kho etaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā bhāsitan”ti?

“Sir, was this spoken by the Buddha?”

“Evaṁ, gahapatī”ti.

“Yes, householder.”

“Tena hi, bhante, muhuttaṁ āgamehi yāvassa atthaṁ pekkhāmī”ti.

“Well then, sir, please wait a while as I consider the meaning of this.”

Atha kho citto gahapati muhuttaṁ tuṇhī hutvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ etadavoca:

Then after staying silent for a while, Citta said to Kāmabhū:

“‘Nelaṅgan’ti kho, bhante, sīlānametaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

“Sir, ‘faultless parts’ is a term for ethics.

‘Setapacchādo’ti kho, bhante, vimuttiyā etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘White canopy’ is a term for freedom.

‘Ekāro’ti kho, bhante, satiyā etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘One spoke’ is a term for mindfulness.

‘Vattatī’ti kho, bhante, abhikkamapaṭikkamassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Rolls on’ is a term for going forward and coming back.

‘Ratho’ti kho, bhante, imassetaṁ cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa adhivacanaṁ mātāpettikasambhavassa odanakummāsūpacayassa aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammassa.

‘Chariot’ is a term for this body made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction.

Rāgo kho, bhante, nīgho, doso nīgho, moho nīgho.

Greed, hate, and delusion are troubles.

Te khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.

A mendicant who has ended the defilements has given these up, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, and obliterated them, so they are unable to arise in the future.

Tasmā khīṇāsavo bhikkhu ‘anīgho’ti vuccati.

That’s why a mendicant who has ended the defilements is called ‘untroubled’.

‘Āyantan’ti kho, bhante, arahato etaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘The one who comes’ is a term for the perfected one.

‘Soto’ti kho, bhante, taṇhāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Stream’ is a term for craving.

Sā khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.

A mendicant who has ended the defilements has given this up, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, and obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.

Tasmā khīṇāsavo bhikkhu ‘chinnasoto’ti vuccati.

That’s why a mendicant who has ended the defilements is said to have ‘cut the stream’.

Rāgo kho, bhante, bandhanaṁ, doso bandhanaṁ, moho bandhanaṁ.

Greed, hate, and delusion are bonds.

Te khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā.

A mendicant who has ended the defilements has given these up, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, and obliterated them, so they are unable to arise in the future.

Tasmā khīṇāsavo bhikkhu ‘abandhano’ti vuccati.

That’s why a mendicant who has ended the defilements is called ‘unbound’.

Iti kho, bhante, yaṁ taṁ bhagavatā vuttaṁ:

So, sir, that’s how I understand the detailed meaning of what the Buddha said in brief:

‘Nelaṅgo setapacchādo,

‘With faultless parts and white canopy,

ekāro vattatī ratho;

the one-spoked chariot rolls on.

Anīghaṁ passa āyantaṁ,

See it come, untroubled,

chinnasotaṁ abandhanan’ti.

with stream cut, unbound.’”

Imassa kho, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“Lābhā te, gahapati, suladdhaṁ te, gahapati.

“You’re fortunate, householder, so very fortunate,

Yassa te gambhīre buddhavacane paññācakkhu kamatī”ti.

to traverse the Buddha’s deep teachings with the eye of wisdom.”

Pañcamaṁ.