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Saį¹yutta NikÄya 12.48 Linked Discourses 12.48
5. Gahapativagga 5. Householders
LokÄyatikasutta A Cosmologist
SÄvatthiyaį¹ viharati. At SÄvatthÄ«.
Atha kho lokÄyatiko brÄhmaį¹o yena bhagavÄ ā¦peā¦ Then a brahmin cosmologist went up to the Buddha ā¦ āCosmologyā (lokÄyata) was a branch of Vedic study concerned with the nature and extent of the world and how this may be known (AN 9.38, SN 12.48; cf. Bį¹hadÄraį¹yaka Upaniį¹£ad 3.3.1). Vedic metaphysics posited āexistenceā as a primordial āonenessā from which the diversity of the world spread out.
ekamantaį¹ nisinno kho lokÄyatiko brÄhmaį¹o bhagavantaį¹ etadavoca: Seated to one side he said to the Buddha:
āKiį¹ nu kho, bho gotama, sabbamatthÄ«āti? āWorthy Gotama, does all exist?ā
āāSabbamatthÄ«āti kho, brÄhmaį¹a, jeį¹į¹hametaį¹ lokÄyataį¹ā. āāAll existsā: this is the oldest cosmology, brahmin.ā The āoldest cosmologyā is quite literal. The oldest Indian cosmology is found in a few late Rig Vedic hymns, especially the NÄsadÄ«ya SÅ«kta, which begins: āThe nonexistent did not exist, nor did the existent exist at that timeā (Rig Veda 10.129.1, Jamison/Brereton translation). RV 10.72.2 says that for the oldest gods, āwhat exists was born from what does not existā.
āKiį¹ pana, bho gotama, sabbaį¹ natthÄ«āti? āThen does all not exist?ā
āāSabbaį¹ natthÄ«āti kho, brÄhmaį¹a, dutiyametaį¹ lokÄyataį¹ā. āāAll does not existā: this is the second cosmology.ā
āKiį¹ nu kho, bho gotama, sabbamekattanāti? āWell, is all oneness?ā
āāSabbamekattanāti kho, brÄhmaį¹a, tatiyametaį¹ lokÄyataį¹ā. āāAll is onenessā: this is the third cosmology.ā After discussing existence for six lines, the seventh line of the NÄsadÄ«ya SÅ«kta begins, āThat One breathed without wind by its independent will. There existed nothing else beyond that.ā Then, āthat One was born by the power of heatā. Thus the one is the immortal Divinity, confirming the commentaryās identification of this with eternalism (and the following with annihilationism). Similarly, RV 10.121 speaks of the anonymous Creator who āexisted aloneā.
āKiį¹ pana, bho gotama, sabbaį¹ puthuttanāti? āThen is all expansiveness?ā Puthutta is used elsewhere of a āspreadingā poison, but only here in a philosophical sense. Throughout the Rig Veda, pį¹thu is the broad expanse of earth or waters, spread out by Indra (eg. RV 10.113.4) and burned over by Agni (RV 10.156.3). It has sexual connotations, too: an ample womb (RV 10.99.2) or a fat ass (RV 10.86.8; Åatapatha BrÄhmaį¹a 1.2.5.16, 3.5.1.11). Thus while āonenessā suggests the Divinity that underlies all, āexpansivenessā suggests the broad, pregnant world in which humans live. Thus the sacrificial cake should be spread expansively, but not too expansively, for that would make it human and therefore mortal (ÅB 1.2.2.9). In the NÄsadÄ«ya SÅ«kta instead of pį¹thu we find tiraÅcÄ«na (āstretched acrossā; the two terms are synonymous at ÅB 6.3.3.19) describing the searching minds of the sage-poets: āTheir cord was stretched across: Did something exist below it? Did something exist above?ā (RV 10.129.5). Moreover, Pali puthu stands for both Sanskrit pį¹thu (ābroad, wide, expansiveā) and pį¹thak (āseparate, individualā). Both senses apply here, and indeed, they are not separate even in the Rig Veda, for things that proceed separately (pį¹thak, rays of the sun, rivers, cows) spread out (pį¹thu) across the broad earth (pį¹thivÄ«).
āāSabbaį¹ puthuttanāti kho, brÄhmaį¹a, catutthametaį¹ lokÄyataį¹. āāAll is expansivenessā: this is the fourth cosmology.
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 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, lokÄyatiko brÄhmaį¹o bhagavantaį¹ etadavoca: When he said this, the brahmin cosmologist said to the Buddha,
āabhikkantaį¹, bho gotama ā¦peā¦ āExcellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! ā¦
ajjatagge 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
Aį¹į¹hamaį¹.