Kūṭāgārasutta — Reader

A Bungalow

Kūṭāgārasutta

“Mendicants, suppose someone were to say: ‘Without truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ That is not possible. It’s as if someone were to say:

“Yo hi, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti— netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya:

‘Before the lower story of a bungalow is built, I will hoist up the upper story.’ That is not possible. In the same way, suppose someone were to say: ‘Without truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’

‘ahaṁ kūṭāgārassa heṭṭhimaṁ gharaṁ akaritvā uparimaṁ gharaṁ āropessāmī’ti— netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati; evameva kho, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti—

That is not possible. But suppose someone were to say: ‘After truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ That is possible.

netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Yo ca kho, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti— ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

It’s as if someone were to say: ‘After the lower story of a bungalow is built, I will hoist up the upper story.’ That is possible. In the same way, suppose someone were to say:

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘ahaṁ kūṭāgārassa heṭṭhimaṁ gharaṁ karitvā uparimaṁ gharaṁ āropessāmī’ti— ṭhānametaṁ vijjati; evameva kho, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya:

‘After truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ That is possible. That’s why you should practice meditation …”

‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti— ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

Catutthaṁ.

A Bungalow

Kūṭāgārasutta

It’s as if someone were to say: ‘After the lower story of a bungalow is built, I will hoist up the upper story.’ That is possible. In the same way, suppose someone were to say:

Catutthaṁ.