Ānandabhaddekarattasutta — Reader

Ānanda and One Fine Night

Ānandabhaddekarattasutta

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time Venerable Ānanda was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk on the topic of the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night. Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat, went to the assembly hall, where he sat down on the seat spread out,

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ānando upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca bhāsati. Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenupaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.

and addressed the mendicants: “Who was inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night?” “It was Venerable Ānanda, sir.”

Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “ko nu kho, bhikkhave, upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti? “Āyasmā, bhante, ānando upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti.

Then the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda, “But in what way were you inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night?” “I was doing so in this way, sir,” replied Ānanda.

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi: “yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsī”ti? “Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesiṁ samādapesiṁ samuttejesiṁ sampahaṁsesiṁ, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsiṁ—

“Don’t run back to the past, don’t anticipate the future. What’s past is left behind, the future has not arrived;

Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya, nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ; Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ, appattañca anāgataṁ.

and any present phenomenon you clearly discern in every case. The unfaltering, the unshakable: having known that, foster it.

Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ, tattha tattha vipassati; Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ, taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.

Today’s the day to keenly work— who knows, tomorrow may bring death! For there is no bargain to be struck with Death and his mighty horde.

Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ, ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve; Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena, mahāsenena maccunā.

One who keenly meditates like this, tireless all night and day: that’s who has one fine night— so declares the peaceful sage.

Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ, ahorattamatanditaṁ; Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti, santo ācikkhate muni.

And how do you run back to the past? …

‘Kathañca, āvuso, atītaṁ anvāgameti? Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—

And how do you not run back to the past? …

evaṁ kho, āvuso, atītaṁ anvāgameti. Kathañca, āvuso, atītaṁ nānvāgameti? Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—

And how do you anticipate the future? …

evaṁ kho, āvuso, atītaṁ nānvāgameti. Kathañca, āvuso, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati? Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe… evaṁsañño siyaṁ …

And how do you not anticipate the future? …

evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti— evaṁ kho, āvuso, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati. Kathañca, āvuso, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati?

Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe… evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—

And how do you falter amid presently arisen phenomena? …

evaṁ kho, āvuso, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati. Kathañca, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati? Idha, āvuso, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;

vedanaṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—

And how do you not falter amid presently arisen phenomena? …

evaṁ kho, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati. Kathañca, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati? Idha, āvuso, sutavā ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;

na vedanaṁ … na saññaṁ … na saṅkhāre … na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—

That’s how you don’t falter amid presently arisen phenomena. ‘Don’t run back to the past, don’t anticipate the future. …

evaṁ kho, āvuso, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati. Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya, nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ; Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,

appattañca anāgataṁ. Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ, tattha tattha vipassati; Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,

taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye. Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ, ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve; Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,

that’s who has one fine night—

mahāsenena maccunā. Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ, ahorattamatanditaṁ; Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,

so declares the peaceful sage.’ That’s how I was inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.” “Good, good, Ānanda. It’s good that you were inspiring the mendicants with a talk on the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.”

santo ācikkhate munī’ti. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesiṁ samādapesiṁ samuttejesiṁ sampahaṁsesiṁ, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsin”ti. “Sādhu sādhu, ānanda. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi, bhaddekarattassa uddesañca vibhaṅgañca abhāsi:

‘Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya, …pe… Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti, santo ācikkhate munī’ti.

And the Buddha repeated the verses and analysis once more.

Kathañca, ānanda, atītaṁ anvāgameti …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, atītaṁ anvāgameti. Kathañca, ānanda, atītaṁ nānvāgameti …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.

Kathañca, ānanda, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati. Kathañca, ānanda, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.

Kathañca, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati. Kathañca, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati …pe… evaṁ kho, ānanda, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.

‘Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya, …pe… Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti, santo ācikkhate munī’”ti.

That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Ānanda approved what the Buddha said.

Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano āyasmā ānando bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti. Ānandabhaddekarattasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.