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Saį¹yutta NikÄya 12.15 Linked Discourses 12.15
2. ÄhÄravagga 2. Fuel
KaccÄnagottasutta KaccÄnagotta KaccÄnagottaThe KaccÄyana.
SÄvatthiyaį¹ viharati. At SÄvatthÄ«. This discourse was quoted by Änanda to Channa at SN 22.90:9.1. It was cited by name in NÄgÄrjunaās MÅ«lamadhyamakakÄrikÄ 15.7: āIn the Advice to KÄtyÄyana, both āexistsā and ādoes not existā are denied by the Buddha, expert in being and non-being.ā NÄgÄrjunaās text, an important Buddhist philosophical treatise, is studied extensively to this day.At SaĢvatthıĢ.While the Exalted One was at Savatthi
Atha kho ÄyasmÄ kaccÄnagotto yena bhagavÄ tenupasaį¹
kami; upasaį¹
kamitvÄ bhagavantaį¹ abhivÄdetvÄ ekamantaį¹ nisÄ«di. Ekamantaį¹ nisinno kho ÄyasmÄ kaccÄnagotto bhagavantaį¹ etadavoca: Then Venerable KaccÄnagotta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: Called Sandha KÄtyÄyana in Sanskrit.Then the Venerable KaccÄnagotta approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:the venerable KaccÄyana of that clan came to visit him, and saluting him sat down at one side. So seated he asked the Exalted One, saying:ā
āāsammÄdiį¹į¹hi sammÄdiį¹į¹hÄ«āti, bhante, vuccati. āSir, they speak of this thing called āright viewā. āVenerable sir, it is said, āright view, right view.āLord, we hear the phrase 'right view, right view.'
KittÄvatÄ nu kho, bhante, sammÄdiį¹į¹hi hotÄ«āti? How is right view defined?ā Right view is normally defined as understanding the four noble truths (DN 22:21.4, MN 141:24.1, SN 45.8:3.1).In what way, venerable sir, is there right view?āNow how far is there a 'right view'?
āDvayanissito khvÄyaį¹, kaccÄna, loko yebhuyyenaāatthitaƱceva natthitaƱca. āKaccÄna, this world mostly relies on the duality of existence and non-existence. The Buddha is referring to a widely held belief, which can be traced to the saying: āThis is twofold, there is no third: truth and falsehood. The gods are truth, humans are falsehood.ā (Dvayaį¹ vÄ idaį¹ na tį¹tÄ«yamasti: satyaį¹ caivÄnį¹taį¹ ca. Satyameva devÄ anį¹tam manuį¹£yÄ; Åatapatha BrÄhmaį¹a 1.1.1.4, 3.3.2.2, 3.9.4.1). The word for ātruthā here is satya (Pali sacca), which like atthitÄ (āexistenceā) is an abstract noun from the root as (āexistā). The word for āfalsehoodā is anį¹ta. Pali prefers the simple negative, but satya and anį¹ta are a standard pair in pre-Buddhist Sanskrit, harking back to Rig Veda 7.49.3. The gods are truly real because they are immortal, whereas transient humans are not truly real. Consider also the hymn of creation at Arthava Veda 10.2.14: āWho placed truth in him, who falsehood, who mortality, who immortality?ā This confirms the interpretation of both NÄgÄrjuna and the TheravÄda tradition that existence/non-existence refers to eternalism and annihilationism. See also the discussion of ādualityā at SN 35.92:2.2.āThis world, KaccÄna, for the most part depends upon a dualityāupon the notion of existence and the notion of nonexistence.This world, KaccÄyana, usually bases [its view] on two things: on existence and on non-existence.
Lokasamudayaį¹ kho, kaccÄna, yathÄbhÅ«taį¹ sammappaƱƱÄya passato yÄ loke natthitÄ sÄ na hoti. But for one who truly sees the origin of the world with right understanding, the concept of non-existence regarding the world does not occur. To paraphrase, when a person sees that their current actions are generating future lives, it is no longer possible to think that this life is all there is. | The āorigin of the worldā is the origination sequence of dependent origination (SN 35.107; see too SN 2.26:5.2).But for one who sees the origin of the world as it really is with correct wisdom, there is no notion of nonexistence in regard to the world.Now he, who with right insight sees the uprising of the world as it really is, does not hold with the non-existence of the world.
Lokanirodhaį¹ kho, kaccÄna, yathÄbhÅ«taį¹ sammappaƱƱÄya passato yÄ loke atthitÄ sÄ na hoti. And for one who truly sees the cessation of the world with right understanding, the concept of existence regarding the world does not occur. To paraphrase, when a person sees the cessation of the craving and kamma that generate future lives, they realize there is no such thing as an eternal soul.And for one who sees the cessation of the world as it really is with correct wisdom, there is no notion of existence in regard to the world.But he, who with right insight sees the passing away of the world as it really is, does not hold with the existence of the world.
UpayupÄdÄnÄbhinivesavinibandho khvÄyaį¹, kaccÄna, loko yebhuyyena. This world is for the most part shackled by getting involved, grasping, and insisting. The three factors here express a gradual process by which one is āshackledā (vinibaddha): attracted, one gets involved (upaya), then one takes up (upÄdÄna), and finally one insists on keeping (abhinivesa). The latter term especially refers to dogmatic insistence on a view, alluding to the BrÄhmaį¹a text we cited earlier: āThis is twofold, there is no third.ā In the next sentence, the three factors are expanded with the addition of āmental fixationā (cetaso adhiį¹į¹hÄna) and āunderlying tendencyā (anusaya). The latter implies that the defilement has become so ingrained that it is no longer conscious, but āunderliesā choices conscious or not.This world, KaccÄna, is for the most part shackled by engagement, clinging, and adherence.Grasping after systems, imprisoned by dogmas is this world, KaccÄyana, for the most part.
TaƱcÄyaį¹ upayupÄdÄnaį¹ cetaso adhiį¹į¹hÄnaį¹ abhinivesÄnusayaį¹ na upeti na upÄdiyati nÄdhiį¹į¹hÄti: āattÄ meāti. But if, when it comes to this getting involved & grasping, mental fixation, and insistence & underlying tendency, they are not attracted, do not grasp, and do not fixate on the thought, āmy selfā, This sentence is grammatically tricky. For taƱcÄyaį¹ read taį¹ ce ayaį¹ following the Sanskrit etÄni ced. Taį¹ refers to the several defilements listed (hence the Sanskrit is plural), while ayaį¹ is āthis (person)ā, namely the practitioner. Read together with the similar passage at SN 22.85:28.1, taking both as āaccusative of relationā. I think the sense is that, despite the fact that these defilements are still present, the wise do not fall under their sway.But this one [with right view] does not become engaged and cling through that engagement and clinging, mental standpoint, adherence, underlying tendency; he does not take a stand about āmy self.āAnd the man who does not go after that system-grasping, that mental standpoint, that dogmatic bias, who does not grasp at it, does not take up his stand upon it, [does not think]:ā'It is my soul!'
āDukkhameva uppajjamÄnaį¹ uppajjati, dukkhaį¹ nirujjhamÄnaį¹ nirujjhatÄ«āti na kaį¹
khati na vicikicchati aparapaccayÄ Ć±Äį¹amevassa ettha hoti. theyāll have no doubt or uncertainty that what arises is just suffering arising, and what ceases is just suffering ceasing. Their knowledge of this is independent of others. The final sentence, as well as the absence of doubt, indicates that they have become a stream-enterer, at which stage they have confirmed right view.He has no perplexity or doubt that what arises is only suffering arising, what ceases is only suffering ceasing. His knowledge about this is independent of others.who thinks: 'that which arises is just Ill, that which passes away is Ill'āthis man is not in doubt, is not perplexed. Knowledge herein is his that is not merely another's.
EttÄvatÄ kho, kaccÄna, sammÄdiį¹į¹hi hoti. This is how right view is defined. It is in this way, KaccÄna, that there is right view.Thus far, KaccÄyana, he has right view.
āSabbamatthÄ«āti kho, kaccÄna, ayameko anto. āAll existsā: this is one extreme. Also at SN 12.47:2.2, and said to be the āoldest cosmologyā at SN 12.48:2.2.āAll existsā: KaccÄna, this is one extreme.Everything exists:āthis is one extreme.
āSabbaį¹ natthÄ«āti ayaį¹ dutiyo anto. āAll does not existā: this is the second extreme. āAll does not existā: this is the second extreme.Nothing exists:āthis is the other extreme.
Ete te, kaccÄna, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathÄgato dhammaį¹ deseti: Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way: This āteaching by the middle wayā (majjhena dhammadesanÄ) is the philosophical counterpart of the āmiddle way of practiceā (majjhimÄ paį¹ipadÄ, SN 56.11:2.4).Without veering towards either of these extremes, the TathaĢgata teaches the Dhamma by the middle:Not approaching either extreme the Tathagata teaches you a doctrine by the middle [way]:ā
āavijjÄpaccayÄ saį¹
khÄrÄ; āIgnorance is a requirement for choices. āWith ignorance as condition, volitional formations [come to be];Conditioned by ignorance activities come to pass,
saį¹
khÄrapaccayÄ viƱƱÄį¹aį¹ ā¦peā¦ Choices are a requirement for consciousness. ā¦ with volitional formations as condition, consciousnessā¦.conditioned by activities consciousness; thus conditioned [arises] name-and-shape; and sense arises, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming, birth, decay-and-death, grief, suffering, ...
evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.even such is the uprising of this entire mass of ill.
AvijjÄya tveva asesavirÄganirodhÄ saį¹
khÄranirodho; When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, choices cease. But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations;But from the utter fading away and ceasing of ignorance [arises] ceasing of activities,
saį¹
khÄranirodhÄ viƱƱÄį¹anirodho ā¦peā¦ When choices cease, consciousness ceases. ā¦ with the cessation of volitional formations, cessation of consciousnessā¦.and thus comes ceasing
evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotÄ«āāti. That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.āā Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.āā of this entire mass of ill.
PaƱcamaį¹.