There’s No Meaning in Giving

Natthidinnasutta

There’s No Meaning in Giving

Natthidinnasutta

EN
At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, when what exists, because of grasping what and insisting on what, does the view arise: ‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no such thing as mother and father, or beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.
PL
Sāvatthinidānaṁ. “Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ, natthi hutaṁ, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko; natthi ayaṁ loko, natthi paro loko, natthi mātā, natthi pitā, natthi sattā opapātikā; natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammāpaṭipannā ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedenti.
EN
This person is made up of the four principal states. When they die, the earth in their body progresses and proceeds to the substance of earth. The water in their body progresses and proceeds to the substance of water. The fire in their body progresses and proceeds to the substance of fire. The air in their body progresses and proceeds to the substance of air. The faculties are transferred to space. Four men with a bier carry away the corpse. Their footprints show the way to the cremation ground.
PL
Cātumahābhūtiko ayaṁ puriso yadā kālaṁ karoti pathavī pathavīkāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati, āpo āpokāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati, tejo tejokāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati, vāyo vāyokāyaṁ anupeti anupagacchati. Ākāsaṁ indriyāni saṅkamanti. Āsandipañcamā purisā mataṁ ādāya gacchanti. Yāva āḷāhanā padāni paññāyanti.
EN
The bones become bleached. Offerings dedicated to the gods end in ashes. Giving is a doctrine of morons. When anyone affirms a positive teaching it’s just baseless, false nonsense.
PL
Kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni bhavanti. Bhassantā āhutiyo. Dattupaññattaṁ yadidaṁ dānaṁ. Tesaṁ tucchaṁ musā vilāpo ye keci atthikavādaṁ vadanti.
EN
Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and don’t exist after death’?” “Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …” “When form exists, because of grasping form and insisting on form, the view arises: ‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. …
PL
Bāle ca paṇḍite ca kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti? “Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe… “Rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati, rūpaṁ upādāya, rūpaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…
EN
Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and don’t exist after death.’ When feeling … perception … choices …
PL
kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’ti. Vedanāya sati …pe… saññāya sati … saṅkhāresu sati …
EN
consciousness exists, because of grasping consciousness and insisting on consciousness, the view arises: ‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. … Both the foolish and the astute are annihilated and destroyed when their body breaks up, and don’t exist after death.’ What do you think, mendicants?
PL
viññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe… kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’ti. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
EN
Is form permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, sir.” …
PL
rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti? “Aniccaṁ, bhante …pe… api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya: ‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe…
EN
“Is feeling … perception …
PL
kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti? “No hetaṁ, bhante”. “Vedanā … saññā …
EN
choices … consciousness permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, sir.” …
PL
saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti? “Aniccaṁ, bhante …pe… api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:
EN
“That which is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, and explored by the mind: is that permanent or impermanent?”
PL
‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe… kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti? “No hetaṁ, bhante”. “Yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
EN
“Impermanent, sir.” … “But by not grasping what’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, would such a view arise?”
PL
“Aniccaṁ, bhante …pe… api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya: ‘natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ …pe… ye keci atthikavādaṁ vadanti;
EN
“No, sir.” “When a noble disciple has given up doubt regarding these six grounds, and has given up doubt in suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation, they’re called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.”
PL
bāle ca paṇḍite ca kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti na honti paraṁ maraṇā’”ti? “No hetaṁ, bhante”. “Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imesu ca ṭhānesu kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti, dukkhepissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāyapissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti— ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano”ti.
PL
Pañcamaṁ.

Pāli root text and English translation by Bhikkhu Sujato from SuttaCentral (https://suttacentral.net), CC0.

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