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Sutta NipÄta 4.13 Sutta NipÄta 4.13Anthology of Discourses 4.13
MahÄbyÅ«hasutta The Great ArrayThe Longer Discourse on Arrayed for Battle
āYe kecime diį¹į¹hiparibbasÄnÄ, āThose who, dwelling on views,āRegarding those who maintain their own view,
Idameva saccanti vivÄdayanti; dispute, saying, āOnly this is trueā:disputing that, āThis is the only truthā:
Sabbeva te nindamanvÄnayanti, Do they all incur blame,are all of them subject only to criticism,
Atho pasaį¹sampi labhanti tatthaā. or also earn praise there?āor do some also win praise for that?ā
āAppaƱhi etaį¹ na alaį¹ samÄya, ā[The praise:] Itās such a small thing, not at all appeasing.Or: Not enough to appease (the defilements, says Nd I).āThat is a small thing, insufficient for peace,
Duve vivÄdassa phalÄni brÅ«mi; I speak of two fruits of dispute;these two fruits of dispute, I say.
Etampi disvÄ na vivÄdayetha, and seeing this, you shouldnāt disputeāSeeing this, one ought not dispute,
KhemÄbhipassaį¹ avivÄdabhÅ«miį¹ā. seeing the state where thereās no dispute as secure.ālooking for sanctuary in the land of no dispute. If we render khema as āsecurityā and bhÅ«mi as āstageā then we miss the metaphor. Abhi-āpas is found at AN 3.39:11.4 and AN 5.57:15.4 where it has a similar sense of ālooking forward toā.
āYÄ kÄcimÄ sammutiyo puthujjÄ, āOne who knows doesnāt enter intoOne who knows does not get involved
SabbÄva etÄ na upeti vidvÄ; any conventions born of the run-of-the mill at all.with any of the many different conventions.
AnÅ«payo so upayaį¹ kimeyya, One whoās uninvolved: when heās forming no predilectionWhy would the uninvolved get involved,
Diį¹į¹he sute khantimakubbamÄnoā. for whatās seen, for whatās heard, why would he get involved?āA Sanskrit version of this verse is quoted by Asaį¹
ga in the Bodhisattvabhūmi (48.24).since they do not believe based on the seen or the heard?
āSÄ«luttamÄ saƱƱamenÄhu suddhiį¹, āThose for whom habits are ultimate say that purityās a matter of self-restraint.Those for whom ethics are the highest speak of purity through self-control;
Vataį¹ samÄdÄya upaį¹į¹hitÄse; Undertaking a practice, they devote themselves to it:having undertaken a vow, they stick to it:
Idheva sikkhema athassa suddhiį¹, āLetās train just in this, and then there would be purity.āāLet us train right here, then we will be pure.ā
BhavÅ«panÄ«tÄ kusalÄvadÄnÄ. Those who say they are skilled are [thus] led on to becoming.Professing to be experts, they are led on to future lives.
Sace cuto sīlavatato hoti, But if one of them falls from his habits or practice,If they fall away from their precepts and vows,
PavedhatÄ« kamma virÄdhayitvÄ; he trembles, having failed in his actions.they tremble, having failed in their task.
PajappatÄ« patthayatÄ« ca suddhiį¹, He hopes for, longs for, purity,They pray and long for purity,
SatthÄva hÄ«no pavasaį¹ gharamhÄ. like a caravan leader lost far from home.like one who has lost their caravan while journeying far from home.
SÄ«labbataį¹ vÄpi pahÄya sabbaį¹, But one whoās abandoned habits & practices āallāNd I: Abandoning habits & practices in the sense of no longer believing that purity is measured in terms of them, the view discussed in the preceding verse. See MN 79.But having given up all precepts and vows,
KammaƱca sÄvajjanavajjametaį¹; things that are blamable, blameless,Nd I: āBlamable, blamelessā = black and white kamma (see AN 4:232, 234, 237ā238, quoted in The Wings to Awakening, section I/B.and these deeds blameworthy or blameless;
Suddhiį¹ asuddhinti apatthayÄno, not hoping for āpureā or āimpure,āNd I: Having abandoned impure mental qualities, and having fully attained the goal, the arahant has no need to hope for anything at all.not longing for āpurityā or āimpurityā,
Virato care santimanuggahÄya. would live in kindness & peace, without taking up peace, detached.āIn kindness & peace, without taking up peaceāāa pun on the word, santimanuggahaya.live detached, fostering peace. The Niddesaās explanation of santi as āviewā is not plausible. I follow Norman.
TamÅ«panissÄya jigucchitaį¹ vÄ, Dependent on taboos, austerities,Relying on mortification in disgust of sin, Reading tapÅ«panissÄya; see Bodhiās note 1961. Since in prose tapojigucchÄ usually occur together, I treat them as such here.
Atha vÄpi diį¹į¹haį¹ va sutaį¹ mutaį¹ vÄ; or whatās seen, heard, or sensed,or else on what is seen, heard, or thought,
Uddhaį¹sarÄ suddhimanutthunanti, they speak of purity through wandering further on through becoming & not-,they moan that purification comes through heading upstream, MN 102:11.3 shows that uddhaį¹sarÄ is a term used of those who look to salvation āupstreamā in a future life. Anutthunati rather consistently means ābemoansā, and here I think it is used in a disparaging way of those who, suffering under self-inflicted mortification, moan that purity is just around the corner.
AvÄ«tataį¹hÄse bhavÄbhavesu. their craving not gone for becoming & not-.The word bhavabhavesuāāthrough/for becoming & not-becomingāāfunctions here as a lamp.not rid of craving for life after life.
PatthayamÄnassa hi jappitÄni, For one who aspires has longingsFor one who longs there are muttered prayers,
Pavedhitaį¹ vÄpi pakappitesu; & trembling with regard to theorizings.and trembling too over ideas they have formed.
CutÅ«papÄto idha yassa natthi, But one who here has no passing away & arising:But one here for whom there is no passing away or reappearing:
Sa kena vedheyya kuhiį¹ va jappeā. Why would he tremble? For what would he long?āwhy would they tremble? For what would they pray?ā
āYamÄhu dhammaį¹ paramanti eke, āThe teaching some say is āsupreme,āāThe very same teaching that some say is āultimateā,
Tameva hÄ«nanti panÄhu aƱƱe; is the very one others call ālowly.āothers say is inferior.
Sacco nu vÄdo katamo imesaį¹, Which statement is trueWhich of these statements is true,
Sabbeva hÄ«me kusalÄvadÄnÄā. when all of these claim to be skilled?āfor all of them profess to be experts?ā
āSakaƱhi dhammaį¹ paripuį¹į¹amÄhu, āThey say their own teaching is perfectāThey say their own teaching is perfect,
AƱƱassa dhammaį¹ pana hÄ«namÄhu; while the doctrine of others is lowly.while the teaching of others is inferior.
Evampi viggayha vivÄdayanti, Thus quarreling, they dispute,So arguing, they dispute,
Sakaį¹ sakaį¹ sammutimÄhu saccaį¹. each saying his agreed-on opinion is true.each saying their own conventions are the truth.
Parassa ce vambhayitena hÄ«no, If something, because of an opponentās say-so, were lowly,If someone elseās disparagement makes you inferior,
Na koci dhammesu visesi assa; then none among teachings would be superlative,no one in any teaching would be distinguished.
PuthÅ« hi aƱƱassa vadanti dhammaį¹, for many say that anotherās teachingās inferiorFor each of them says the otherās teaching is lacking,
NihÄ«nato samhi daįø·haį¹ vadÄnÄ. when firmly asserting their own.while forcefully advocating their own.
SaddhammapÅ«jÄpi nesaį¹ tatheva, If their worship of their teaching were true,But if they honor their own teachings Here I follow ĆÄį¹adÄ«pa, who takes the whole verse as a conditional argument, whereas Bodhi and Norman treat each couplet separately. I think the verse is making the argument that each ascetic bases their teaching on their own experience, and so if their teachings were equally valid, then purity would be attained by many (mutually exclusive) means.
YathÄ pasaį¹santi sakÄyanÄni; in line with the way they praise their own path,just as they praise their own journeys,
Sabbeva vÄdÄ tathiyÄ bhaveyyuį¹, then all doctrines would be trueāthen all doctrines would be equally valid,
SuddhÄ« hi nesaį¹ paccattameva. for purityās theirs, according to each.and purity would be specific to them. Cp. Dhp 165:5, where an apparently similar idea (suddhÄ« asuddhi paccattaį¹) is Buddhist. There, the emphasis is on the personal realization of the teachings, here on different, contradictory, realizations.
Na brÄhmaį¹assa paraneyyamatthi, The brahman has nothing led by another,After judging among the teachings, a brahmin has adopted nothing
Dhammesu niccheyya samuggahÄ«taį¹; when considering whatās grasped among doctrines.that requires interpretation by another.
TasmÄ vivÄdÄni upÄtivatto, Thus he has gone beyond disputes,Thatās why theyāve gotten over disputes,
Na hi seį¹į¹hato passati dhammamaƱƱaį¹. for he doesnāt regard as best the knowledge of a doctrine, any other doctrine.āThe knowledge of a doctrine, any other doctrineāāa pun on the word, dhammamaƱƱam. Nd I favors the second interpretation, saying that the brahman does not see as best any doctrine aside from the Wings to Awakening: the establishings of mindfulness, the exertions, the bases of power, the faculties, the strengths, the factors for awakening, and the noble eightfold path. This reading seems unlikely, though, as these doctrines are not mentioned anywhere in this poem. The first reading is more in line with the Buddhaās statement in Sn 4:9 that the highest state is not defined in terms of knowledge, and is well-illustrated in action in AN 10:93.for they see no other doctrine as best.
JÄnÄmi passÄmi tatheva etaį¹, āI know. I see. Thatās just how it is!āāSaying, āI know, I see, thatās how it isā, This signifies that we are speaking of ascetics who are, in Jayatillekeās terms, āexperientialistsā, relying on their meditation experiences to justify their views. The same phrase describes the Buddha at AN 4.24:9.3.
Diį¹į¹hiyÄ eke paccenti suddhiį¹; Some believe purityās in terms of view.some believe that purity stems from view.
Addakkhi ce kiƱhi tumassa tena, But even if a person has seen, what good does it do him?But if theyāve really seen, what use is that view to them?
AtisitvÄ aƱƱena vadanti suddhiį¹. Having slipped past, they speak of purity in connection with something or somebody else.Overlooking what matters, they say purity comes from another. AtisitvÄ is normally used in the sense of someone who āoverlooksā the Buddha to seek answers elsewhere. In AN 3.39:4.1 itās used in the sense of āoverlooking oneselfā, which ĆÄį¹adÄ«pa takes as the relevant sense here.
Passaį¹ naro dakkhati nÄmarÅ«paį¹, A person, in seeing, sees name-&-form.When a person sees, they see name and form,
DisvÄna vÄ Ć±assati tÄnimeva; Having seen, heāll know only these things.and having seen, they will know just these things.
KÄmaį¹ bahuį¹ passatu appakaį¹ vÄ, No matter if heās seen little, a lot,Gladly let them see much or little,
Na hi tena suddhiį¹ kusalÄ vadanti. the skilled donāt say purityās in connection with that.for those who are skilled say this is no way to purity.
NivissavÄdÄ« na hi subbinÄyo, A person entrenched in his teachings,Itās not easy to educate someone who is dogmatic,
Pakappitaį¹ diį¹į¹hi purakkharÄno; preferring a theorized view, isnāt easy to discipline.promoting a view they have formulated.
Yaį¹ nissito tattha subhaį¹ vadÄno, Whatever he depends on he describes it as lovely,Speaking of the beauty in that on which they depend, Here the ascetic appears to refer to their meditative attainment. Compare the use of nissita at Snp 5.7.
Suddhiį¹ vado tattha tathaddasÄ so. says that itās purity, that there he saw truth.they talk of purity in accord with what they saw there.
Na brÄhmaį¹o kappamupeti saį¹
khÄ, The brahman, evaluating, doesnāt enter into a theory,The brahmin does not get involved with formulating and calculating;
Na diį¹į¹hisÄrÄ« napi ƱÄį¹abandhu; doesnāt follow views, isnāt tied even to knowledge.According to Nd I, this compoundāƱÄį¹a-bandhuāshould be translated as ātied by means of knowledge,ā in that the arahant doesnāt use the knowledge that comes with the mastery of concentration, the five mundane forms of psychic power (abhiƱƱa), or any wrong knowledge to create the bonds of craving or views. However, the compound may also refer to the fact that the arahant isnāt tied even to the knowledge that forms part of the path to arahantship (see MN 117).theyāre not followers of views, nor kinsmen of notions. To render ƱÄį¹a here as knowledge would be a mistake.
ĆatvÄ ca so sammutiyo puthujjÄ, And on knowing whateverās conventional, commonplace,Having understood the many different conventions,
UpekkhatÄ« uggahaį¹anti maƱƱe. he remains equanimous: āThatās what others hold onto.āthey look on when others grasp.
Vissajja ganthÄni munÄ«dha loke, Having untied the knots here in the world,Having untied the knots here in the world,
VivÄdajÄtesu na vaggasÄrÄ«; the sage here in the world doesnāt follow a faction when disputes have arisen.āIn the worldā functions as a lamp here.the sage takes no side among disputes.
Santo asantesu upekkhako so, At peace among those not at peace, heās equanimous,Peaceful among the peaceless, equanimous,
Anuggaho uggahaį¹anti maƱƱe. doesnāt hold on: āThatās what others hold onto.āthey donāt grasp when others grasp.
PubbÄsave hitvÄ nave akubbaį¹, Giving up old effluents, not forming new,Having given up former defilements and not making new ones,
Na chandagÅ« nopi nivissavÄdÄ«; neither pursuing desire, nor entrenched in his teachings,not swayed by preference, nor a proponent of dogma, Here, as at Snp 4.3:2.2, chanda is better read as āpreferenceā than ādesireā.
Sa vippamutto diį¹į¹higatehi dhÄ«ro, heās totally released from viewpoints, enlightened.that attentive one is released from views,
Na lippati loke anattagarahÄ«. He doesnāt adhere to the world, is without self-rebuke;not clinging to the world, nor reproaching themselves.
Sa sabbadhammesu visenibhūto, is enemy-free with regard to all thingsSee Sn 4:4, note 9.They are remote from all things
Yaį¹ kiƱci diį¹į¹haį¹ va sutaį¹ mutaį¹ vÄ; seen, heard, or sensed.seen, heard, or thought.
Sa pannabhÄro muni vippamutto, His burden laid down, the sage totally releasedWith burden put down, the sage is released:
Na kappiyo nÅ«parato na patthiyoāti. is improper :: is theory-free hasnāt stopped :: isnāt impassioned isnāt worth wanting :: doesnāt desire,ā the Blessed One said.āIs improper :: is free from theories, hasnāt stopped :: isnāt impassioned, isnāt worth wanting :: doesnāt desireāāa series of punsāna kappiyo, nuparato, na patthiyoāeach with a strongly positive and a strongly negative meaning, probably meant for their shock value. For a similar set of puns, see Dhp 97.not formulating, not abstaining, not longing.ā
MahÄbyÅ«hasuttaį¹ terasamaį¹. The Great Array, the thirteenth.vv. 895ā914. See also: MN 24; AN 4:24.