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Saį¹yutta NikÄya 12.47 Linked Discourses 12.47
5. Gahapativagga 5. Householders
JÄį¹ussoį¹isutta JÄnussoį¹i
SÄvatthiyaį¹ viharati. At SÄvatthÄ«.
Atha kho jÄį¹ussoį¹i brÄhmaį¹o yena bhagavÄ tenupasaį¹
kami; upasaį¹
kamitvÄ bhagavatÄ saddhiį¹ ā¦peā¦ ekamantaį¹ nisinno kho jÄį¹ussoį¹i brÄhmaį¹o bhagavantaį¹ etadavoca: Then the brahmin JÄnussoį¹i went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. Seated to one side he said to the Buddha: We meet JÄnussoį¹i many times in the Suttas as a prominent brahmin who converses with the Buddha on a number of topics, with a special interest in the afterlife. His name appears in Sanskrit as JÄnaÅruti or JÄnaÅruteya, which are patronymics of JanaÅruti, āfamed among the peopleā. The Pali commentary says it is a title awarded the family priest (purohita) of Kosala, which would make him one of the most powerful brahmins alive. However, I can find no confirmation of such a title, whereas the use of JÄnaÅruti as a patronymic by the descendants of JanaÅruti is well attested. One such, perhaps the same individual we meet in the Suttas, features in ChÄndogya Upaniį¹£ad 4.1ā3 as a generous seeker of the truth.
āKiį¹ nu kho, bho gotama, sabbamatthÄ«āti? āWorthy Gotama, does all exist?ā
āāSabbamatthÄ«āti kho, brÄhmaį¹a, ayameko antoā. āāAll existsā: this is one extreme, brahmin.ā
āKiį¹ pana, bho gotama, sabbaį¹ natthÄ«āti? āThen does all not exist?ā
āāSabbaį¹ natthÄ«āti kho, brÄhmaį¹a, ayaį¹ dutiyo anto. āāAll does not existā: this is the second extreme.
Ete te, brÄhmaį¹a, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathÄgato dhammaį¹ deseti: Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:
āavijjÄpaccayÄ saį¹
khÄrÄ; āIgnorance is a requirement for choices.
saį¹
khÄrapaccayÄ viƱƱÄį¹aį¹ ā¦peā¦ Choices are a requirement for consciousness. ā¦
evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.
AvijjÄya tveva asesavirÄganirodhÄ saį¹
khÄranirodho; When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, choices cease.
saį¹
khÄranirodhÄ viƱƱÄį¹anirodho ā¦peā¦ When choices cease, consciousness ceases. ā¦
evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotÄ«āāti. That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.āā
Evaį¹ vutte, jÄį¹ussoį¹i brÄhmaį¹o bhagavantaį¹ etadavoca: When he said this, the brahmin JÄnussoį¹i said to the Buddha,
āabhikkantaį¹, bho gotama ā¦peā¦ āExcellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! ā¦
pÄį¹upetaį¹ saraį¹aį¹ gatanāti. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.ā JÄnussoį¹i goes for refuge so often in the suttas that it is almost a genre unto itself (MN 4, MN 27, AN 2.17:3.1, AN 3.55, AN 3.59, AN 4.184, AN 6.52, AN 7.47, AN 10.119, AN 10.167, AN 10.177). Such narrative accounts of conversion or enlightenment at the end of discourses are not very reliable, as they are not the Buddhaās words but were added by editors at some point.
Sattamaį¹.