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Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.88 Linked Discourses 35.88
9. Channavagga 9. With Channa
Puṇṇasutta With Puṇṇa
Atha kho āyasmā puṇṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā puṇṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: And then Venerable Puṇṇa went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: This sutta recurs at MN 145, with slight differences in the opening and closing. In addition to two discourse parallels in Chinese, the popularity of this narrative is attested by its appearance in later texts such as the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and the Divyāvadāna, as well as in artworks (see Anālayo, Comparative Study, vol. ii, p. 828). | This Puṇṇa is to be distinguished from the Koliyan ascetic of MN 57 and the son of Mantāṇī of MN 23. His only other appearance is his Theragāthā verse at Thag 1.70.
“sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena dhammaṁ desetu, yamahaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ sutvā eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihareyyan”ti. “Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.”
“Santi kho, puṇṇa, cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. “Puṇṇa, there are sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.
Tañce bhikkhu abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati. If a mendicant approves, welcomes, and keeps clinging to them,
Tassa taṁ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato uppajjati nandī. this gives rise to relishing.
‘Nandisamudayā dukkhasamudayo, puṇṇā’ti vadāmi …pe… Relishing is the origin of suffering, I say.
santi kho, puṇṇa, jivhāviññeyyā rasā …pe… There are sounds … smells … tastes … touches …
santi kho, puṇṇa, manoviññeyyā dhammā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. There are ideas known by the mind, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.
Tañce bhikkhu abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati. If a mendicant approves, welcomes, and keeps clinging to them,
Tassa taṁ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato uppajjati nandī. this gives rise to relishing.
‘Nandisamudayā dukkhasamudayo, puṇṇā’ti vadāmi. Relishing is the origin of suffering, I say.
Santi kho, puṇṇa, cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. There are sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.
Tañce bhikkhu nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati, tassa taṁ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato nirujjhati nandī. If a mendicant doesn’t approve, welcome, and keep clinging to them, relishing ceases.
‘Nandinirodhā dukkhanirodho, puṇṇā’ti vadāmi …pe… When relishing ceases, suffering ceases, I say. …
santi kho, puṇṇa, manoviññeyyā dhammā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. There are ideas known by the mind, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.
Tañce bhikkhu nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati, tassa taṁ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato nirujjhati nandī. If a mendicant doesn’t approve, welcome, and keep clinging to them, relishing ceases.
‘Nandinirodhā dukkhanirodho, puṇṇā’ti vadāmi. When relishing ceases, suffering ceases, I say.
Iminā tvaṁ, puṇṇa, mayā saṅkhittena ovādena ovadito katamasmiṁ janapade viharissasī”ti? Puṇṇa, now that I’ve given you this brief advice, what country will you live in?”
“Atthi, bhante, sunāparanto nāma janapado, tatthāhaṁ viharissāmī”ti. “Sir, there’s a country named Sunāparanta; I will live there.” The commentary says that Puṇṇa was in fact born in Sunāparanta, specifically the trading port of Suppāraka, which is modern Nallasopara north of Mumbai on India’s west coast. Sunāparanta is otherwise known as Aparanta (“Far West”, Bv 29:17.2). Puṇṇa’s choice was far-sighted, as from the time of Ashoka, Suppāraka became a major trading center with ports in India and lands west as far as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Eastern Africa, and Rome. A fabulous tale of such trading voyages is told in Ja 463.
“Caṇḍā kho, puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā; “The people of Sunāparanta are wild and rough, Puṇṇa.
pharusā kho, puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā.
Sace taṁ, puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā akkosissanti paribhāsissanti, tatra te, puṇṇa, kinti bhavissatī”ti? If they abuse and insult you, what will you think of them?”
“Sace maṁ, bhante, sunāparantakā manussā akkosissanti paribhāsissanti, tatra me evaṁ bhavissati: “If they abuse and insult me, I will think:
‘bhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, subhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, yaṁ me nayime pāṇinā pahāraṁ dentī’ti. ‘These people of Sunāparanta are gracious, truly gracious, since they don’t hit me with their fists.’
Evamettha, bhagavā, bhavissati; That’s what I’ll think, Blessed One.
evamettha, sugata, bhavissatī”ti. That’s what I’ll think, Holy One.”
“Sace pana te, puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā pāṇinā pahāraṁ dassanti, tatra pana te, puṇṇa, kinti bhavissatī”ti? “But if they do hit you with their fists, what will you think of them then?”
“Sace me, bhante, sunāparantakā manussā pāṇinā pahāraṁ dassanti, tatra me evaṁ bhavissati: “If they hit me with their fists, I’ll think:
‘bhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, subhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, yaṁ me nayime leḍḍunā pahāraṁ dentī’ti. ‘These people of Sunāparanta are gracious, truly gracious, since they don’t throw stones at me.’
Evamettha, bhagavā, bhavissati; That’s what I’ll think, Blessed One.
evamettha, sugata, bhavissatī”ti. That’s what I’ll think, Holy One.”
“Sace pana te, puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā leḍḍunā pahāraṁ dassanti, tatra pana te, puṇṇa, kinti bhavissatī”ti? “But if they do throw stones at you, what will you think of them then?”
“Sace me, bhante, sunāparantakā manussā leḍḍunā pahāraṁ dassanti, tatra me evaṁ bhavissati: “If they throw stones at me, I’ll think:
‘bhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, subhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, yaṁ me nayime daṇḍena pahāraṁ dentī’ti. ‘These people of Sunāparanta are gracious, truly gracious, since they don’t beat me with a club.’
Evamettha, bhagavā, bhavissati; That’s what I’ll think, Blessed One.
evamettha, sugata, bhavissatī”ti. That’s what I’ll think, Holy One.”
“Sace pana puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā daṇḍena pahāraṁ dassanti, tatra pana te, puṇṇa, kinti bhavissatī”ti? “But if they do beat you with a club, what will you think of them then?”
“Sace me, bhante, sunāparantakā manussā daṇḍena pahāraṁ dassanti, tatra me evaṁ bhavissati: “If they beat me with a club, I’ll think:
‘bhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, subhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, yaṁ me nayime satthena pahāraṁ dentī’ti. ‘These people of Sunāparanta are gracious, truly gracious, since they don’t stab me with a knife.’
Evamettha, bhagavā, bhavissati; That’s what I’ll think, Blessed One.
evamettha, sugata, bhavissatī”ti. That’s what I’ll think, Holy One.”
“Sace pana te, puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā satthena pahāraṁ dassanti, tatra pana te, puṇṇa, kinti bhavissatī”ti? “But if they do stab you with a knife, what will you think of them then?”
“Sace me, bhante, sunāparantakā manussā satthena pahāraṁ dassanti, tatra me evaṁ bhavissati: “If they stab me with a knife, I’ll think:
‘bhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, subhaddakā vatime sunāparantakā manussā, yaṁ maṁ nayime tiṇhena satthena jīvitā voropentī’ti. ‘These people of Sunāparanta are gracious, truly gracious, since they don’t take my life with a sharp knife.’
Evamettha, bhagavā, bhavissati; That’s what I’ll think, Blessed One.
evamettha, sugata, bhavissatī”ti. That’s what I’ll think, Holy One.”
“Sace pana taṁ, puṇṇa, sunāparantakā manussā tiṇhena satthena jīvitā voropessanti, tatra pana te, puṇṇa, kinti bhavissatī”ti? “But if they do take your life with a sharp knife, what will you think of them then?”
“Sace maṁ, bhante, sunāparantakā manussā tiṇhena satthena jīvitā voropessanti, tatra me evaṁ bhavissati: “If they take my life with a sharp knife, I’ll think:
‘santi kho tassa bhagavato sāvakā kāyena ca jīvitena ca aṭṭīyamānā harāyamānā jigucchamānā satthahārakaṁ pariyesanti, taṁ me idaṁ apariyiṭṭhaññeva satthahārakaṁ laddhan’ti. ‘There are disciples of the Buddha who looked for a suicide weapon because they were horrified, repelled, and disgusted with the body and with life. And I have found this without looking!’ This is in reference to the notorious story of Migalaṇḍika in Bu Pj 3, told more briefly in SN 54.9. Several monks, meditating improperly on the unattractiveness of the body, sought death as the way out. In response, the Buddha taught mindfulness of breathing, which is “peaceful and sublime, a deliciously pleasant meditation”. | The idiomatic phrase satthahāraka is difficult. The obvious reading is to take sattha as “knife”, the meaning it has in the preceding sentence. However, that yields the sense “knife-bringer”, “assassin”, whereas the use of idaṁ in MN 145:5.32 shows it must be neuter, i.e. it is a thing not a person. Richard Gombrich suggests we read sattha here as equivalent to Sanskrit śvasita, “breathing, life” (see Brahmali’s note on Bu Pj 3:2.49.1), yielding the sense “life-taker”, “breath-stealer”, “deadly weapon”. This agrees with the Vinaya commentary, which explains, “What does it take? Life.” (Kiṁ harati? Jīvitaṁ). Since this idiom is only used in the context of suicide, I call it “suicide weapon”, and the verbal form “commit suicide”.
Evamettha, bhagavā, bhavissati; That’s what I’ll think, Blessed One.
evamettha, sugata, bhavissatī”ti. That’s what I’ll think, Holy One.”
“Sādhu sādhu, puṇṇa. “Good, good Puṇṇa!
Sakkhissasi kho tvaṁ, puṇṇa, iminā damūpasamena samannāgato sunāparantasmiṁ janapade vatthuṁ. Having such self-control and peacefulness, you will be quite capable of living in Sunāparanta.
Yassadāni tvaṁ, puṇṇa, kālaṁ maññasī”ti. Now, Puṇṇa, go at your convenience.”
Atha kho āyasmā puṇṇo bhagavato vacanaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena sunāparanto janapado tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi. And then Puṇṇa welcomed and agreed with the Buddha’s words. He got up from his seat, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right. Then he set his lodgings in order and, taking his bowl and robe, set out for Sunāparanta.
Anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena sunāparanto janapado tadavasari. Traveling stage by stage, he arrived at Sunāparanta,
Tatra sudaṁ āyasmā puṇṇo sunāparantasmiṁ janapade viharati. and stayed there.
Atha kho āyasmā puṇṇo tenevantaravassena pañcamattāni upāsakasatāni paṭivedesi. Within that rainy season he confirmed around five hundred male and five hundred female lay followers. And within that same rainy season he realized the three knowledges.
Tenevantaravassena pañcamattāni upāsikāsatāni paṭivedesi.
Tenevantaravassena tisso vijjā sacchākāsi.
Tenevantaravassena parinibbāyi. And within that same rainy season he became fully extinguished.
Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha … and asked him,
“yo so, bhante, puṇṇo nāma kulaputto bhagavatā saṅkhittena ovādena ovadito, so kālaṅkato. “Sir, the gentleman named Puṇṇa, who was advised in brief by the Buddha, has passed away.
Tassa kā gati ko abhisamparāyo”ti? Where has he been reborn in his next life?”
“Paṇḍito, bhikkhave, puṇṇo kulaputto, paccapādi dhammassānudhammaṁ, na ca maṁ dhammādhikaraṇaṁ vihesesi. “Mendicants, Puṇṇa was astute. He practiced in line with the teaching, and did not trouble me about the teachings.
Parinibbuto, bhikkhave, puṇṇo kulaputto”ti. Puṇṇa has become completely quenched.”
Pañcamaṁ.