AN · an3.58
With Tikaṇṇa
0.1Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.58
The Numerical Discourses 3.58
0.26. Brāhmaṇavagga
6. The Brahmin Chapter
0.3Tikaṇṇasutta
With Tikaṇṇa
1.1Atha kho tikaṇṇo brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ …pe…
Then the brahmin Tikaṇṇa went to where the Bhagavā was; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Bhagavā …
1.2ekamantaṁ nisinno kho tikaṇṇo brāhmaṇo bhagavato sammukhā tevijjānaṁ sudaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati:
Seated to one side, the brahmin Tikaṇṇa praised the brahmins of the three knowledges in the presence of the Bhagavā:
1.3“evampi tevijjā brāhmaṇā, itipi tevijjā brāhmaṇā”ti.
"Such are the brahmins of the three knowledges; so too are the brahmins of the three knowledges."
2.1“Yathā kathaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ tevijjaṁ paññāpentī”ti?
"But how, brahmin, do brahmins designate a brahmin as one of the three knowledges?"
2.2“Idha, bho gotama, brāhmaṇo ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā, akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena, ajjhāyako, mantadharo, tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū sanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ sākkharappabhedānaṁ itihāsapañcamānaṁ, padako, veyyākaraṇo, lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayoti.
"Here, Master Gotama, a brahmin is well-born on both sides — from his mother and his father — of pure lineage as far back as the seventh generation of grandfathers, beyond reproach in matters of birth; a scholar, a master of the hymns, one who has gone to the far shore of the three Vedas — with their glossaries and ritual formularies, their phonology and etymology, and the epics as a fifth — a linguist, a grammarian, proficient in cosmology and the marks of a great man.
2.3Evaṁ kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ tevijjaṁ paññāpentī”ti.
"It is in this way, Master Gotama, that brahmins designate a brahmin as one of the three knowledges."
3.1“Aññathā kho, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ tevijjaṁ paññāpenti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hotī”ti.
"In one way, brahmin, brahmins designate a brahmin as one of the three knowledges, but in another way does one become of the three knowledges in the noble vinaya."
3.2“Yathā kathaṁ pana, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hoti?
"But how, Master Gotama, does one become of the three knowledges in the noble vinaya?
3.3Sādhu me bhavaṁ gotamo tathā dhammaṁ desetu yathā ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hotī”ti.
Good, let Master Gotama teach me the dhamma in such a way that one becomes of the three knowledges in the noble vinaya."
3.4“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.
"Then, brahmin, listen and pay close attention; I will speak."
3.5“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho tikaṇṇo brāhmaṇo bhagavato paccassosi.
"Yes, sir," replied the brahmin Tikaṇṇa to the Bhagavā.
3.6Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Bhagavā said this:
4.1“Idha, brāhmaṇa, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
"Here, brahmin, a bhikkhu, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome dhammas, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which has thought [vitakka] and examination [vicāra], with pīti and sukha born of seclusion [viveka].
4.2Vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
With the stilling of thought [vitakka] and examination [vicāra], inwardly confident, with the unification of mind [ekodibhāvaṁ], he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which is without thought and without examination, with pīti and sukha born of samādhi.
4.3Pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno, sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
With the fading away of pīti, he dwells in equanimity [upekkhā], with sati and fully aware [sampajānā], and experiences sukha with the body — that which the noble ones describe as: 'one with equanimity [upekkhā], with sati, dwells in sukha' — he enters and dwells in the third jhāna.
4.4Sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā, pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
With the abandoning of sukha and dukkha, and with the earlier disappearance of joy and grief, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is neither painful nor pleasant, with the purity of equanimity [upekkhā] and sati.
5.1So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti.
With his mind [citta] thus endowed with samādhi, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs it toward the knowledge of recollection of past lives.
5.2So anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṁsampi jātiyo cattārīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jātisatasahassampi, anekepi saṁvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe: ‘amutrāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādiṁ. Tatrāpāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhūpapanno’ti. Iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati.
He recollects many past lives in their various modes: one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many aeons of world-contraction, many aeons of world-expansion, many aeons of world-contraction and expansion: 'There I was of such a name, such a clan, such an appearance, such food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, of such a lifespan; passing away from there, I arose elsewhere. There too I was of such a name, such a clan, such an appearance, such food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, of such a lifespan; passing away from there, I arose here.' Thus he recollects many past lives in their various modes and details.
5.3Ayamassa paṭhamā vijjā adhigatā hoti;
This is his first knowledge attained;
5.4avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato, āloko uppanno yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.
blindness [avijjā] is dispelled, knowledge has arisen; darkness is dispelled, light has arisen — as is fitting for one who dwells diligent, ardent, and resolute.
6.1So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte sattānaṁ cutūpapātañāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti.
With his mind [citta] thus endowed with samādhi, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs it toward the knowledge of the passing away and arising of beings.
6.2So dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti: ‘ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā …pe… manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā. Ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā, vacīsucaritena samannāgatā, manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannā’ti. Iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti.
With the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human, he sees beings passing away and arising, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands beings as they pass on according to their kamma: 'These beings, venerable ones, who were endowed with misconduct of body … endowed with misconduct of mind, who spoke ill of the noble ones, held wrong view, undertook actions based on wrong view — at the breaking up of the body, after death, they have been reborn in states of deprivation, in a bad destination, in ruin, in hell. But these beings, venerable ones, who were endowed with good conduct of body, good conduct of speech, good conduct of mind, who did not speak ill of the noble ones, held right view, undertook actions based on right view — at the breaking up of the body, after death, they have been reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world.' Thus with the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human, he sees beings passing away and arising, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understands beings as they pass on according to their kamma.
6.3Ayamassa dutiyā vijjā adhigatā hoti;
This is his second knowledge attained;
6.4avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato, āloko uppanno yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.
blindness [avijjā] is dispelled, knowledge has arisen; darkness is dispelled, light has arisen — as is fitting for one who dwells diligent, ardent, and resolute.
7.1So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte āsavānaṁ khayañāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmeti.
With his mind [citta] thus endowed with samādhi, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs it toward the knowledge of the destruction of the āsavas.
7.2So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti;
He understands as it truly is: 'This is dukkha'; he understands as it truly is: 'This is the arising of dukkha'; he understands as it truly is: 'This is the cessation of dukkha'; he understands as it truly is: 'This is the path leading to the cessation of dukkha';
7.3‘ime āsavā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ āsavasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ āsavanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ āsavanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.
he understands as it truly is: 'These are the āsavas'; he understands as it truly is: 'This is the arising of the āsavas'; he understands as it truly is: 'This is the cessation of the āsavas'; he understands as it truly is: 'This is the path leading to the cessation of the āsavas'.
7.4Tassa evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, bhavāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, avijjāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati;
Knowing thus, seeing thus, his mind [citta] is liberated from the āsava of sensual desire, his mind [citta] is liberated from the āsava of bhava, his mind [citta] is liberated from the āsava of blindness [avijjā];
7.5vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.
when liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.'
7.6‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.
He understands: 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no further return to this state.'
7.7Ayamassa tatiyā vijjā adhigatā hoti;
This is his third knowledge attained;
7.8avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato, āloko uppanno yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharatoti.
blindness [avijjā] is dispelled, knowledge has arisen; darkness is dispelled, light has arisen — as is fitting for one who dwells diligent, ardent, and resolute.
8.1Anuccāvacasīlassa,
Of irreproachable virtue,
8.2nipakassa ca jhāyino;
and of the prudent meditator;
8.3Cittaṁ yassa vasībhūtaṁ,
Whose mind [citta] has come under mastery,
8.4ekaggaṁ susamāhitaṁ.
gathered, well endowed with samādhi.
9.1Taṁ ve tamonudaṁ dhīraṁ,
That wise one, truly a dispeller of darkness,
9.2tevijjaṁ maccuhāyinaṁ;
one of the three knowledges, a transcender of death;
9.3Hitaṁ devamanussānaṁ,
A benefit to gods and humans,
9.4āhu sabbappahāyinaṁ.
they call one who has abandoned all.
10.1Tīhi vijjāhi sampannaṁ,
Accomplished in the three knowledges,
10.2asammūḷhavihārinaṁ;
dwelling without confusion;
10.3Buddhaṁ antimadehinaṁ,
the Awakened One bearing the last body,
10.4taṁ namassanti gotamaṁ.
they pay homage to Gotama.
11.1Pubbenivāsaṁ yo vedī,
One who knows past lives,
11.2saggāpāyañca passati;
who sees heaven and the realms of loss;
11.3Atho jātikkhayaṁ patto,
and who has reached the destruction of birth,
11.4abhiññāvosito muni.
a sage perfected through direct knowledge.
12.1Etāhi tīhi vijjāhi,
By these three knowledges,
12.2tevijjo hoti brāhmaṇo;
a brahmin becomes one of the three knowledges;
12.3Tamahaṁ vadāmi tevijjaṁ,
That one I call one of the three knowledges,
12.4nāññaṁ lapitalāpananti.
not another who is a mere prattler.
13.1Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hotī”ti.
"In this way, brahmin, one becomes of the three knowledges in the noble vinaya."
13.2“Aññathā, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ tevijjo, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hoti.
"The three knowledges of the brahmins are one thing, Master Gotama, and the three knowledges in the noble vinaya are another.
13.3Imassa ca pana, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye tevijjassa brāhmaṇānaṁ tevijjo kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasiṁ.
The three knowledges of the brahmins are not worth a sixteenth part of the three knowledges in the noble vinaya.
14.1Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…
"Magnificent, Master Gotama …
14.2upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
May Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge from today onwards, for as long as life lasts."
14.3Aṭṭhamaṁ.
The eighth.