The Discourse Concerning Malunkyaputta

Then venerable Màluïkyaputta approached the Gracious One, and after approaching and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down on one side. While sitting on one side the venerable Màluïkyaputta said this to the Gracious One:

ßPlease, reverend Sir, may the Gracious One preach the Dhamma to me in brief, then I, having heard the Gracious One's Dhamma, may dwell solitary, secluded, heedful, ardent, and resolute.û

ßNow what shall we say to the young monks, Màluïkyaputta, if you, who are an old monk, elderly, of great age, far gone, advanced in years, ask for advice in brief?û ⁰¹

The commentary says the Buddha speaks like this both to reproach Màluïkyaputta, and to encourage him, for while on the one hand he had been heedless during his youth, here he was in his old age dwelling in the wilderness and asking for a meditation subject.

ßAlthough I, reverend Sir, am old, elderly, of great age, far gone, advanced in years, let the Gracious One preach the Dhamma to me in brief, reverend Sir, let the Fortunate One preach the Dhamma to me in brief, I will surely understand the meaning of what is spoken by the Gracious One, I will surely be an heir to what is spoken by the Gracious One.û

ßThen what do you think, Màluïkyaputta, those forms cognizable by the eye, which have not been seen - which formerly have not been seen, (which) you are not seeing, and which you do not expect to see - can there be desire or passion or love relating to them?û

ßThose sounds cognizable by the ear, which have not been heard - which formerly have not been heard, (which) you are not hearing, and which you do not expect to hear - can there be desire or passion or love relating to them?û

ßThose smells cognizable by the nose, which have not been smelt - which formerly have not been smelt, (which) you are not smelling, and which you do not expect to smell - can there be desire or passion or love relating to them?û

ßThose tastes cognizable by the tongue, which have not been tasted - which formerly have not been tasted, (which) you are not tasting, and which you do not expect to taste - can there be desire or passion or love relating to them?û

ßThose tangibles cognizable by the body, which have not been touched - which formerly have not been touched, (which) you are not touching, and which you do not expect to touch - can there be desire or passion or love relating to them?û

ßThose thoughts cognizable by the mind, which have not been cognized - which formerly have not been cognized, (which) you are not cognizing, and which you do not expect to cognize - can there be desire or passion or love relating to them?û

The instruction given here is identical to that given to Bahiya in the Udàna (Ud 1. 10). The latter, who immediately understood the teaching, and put it into practice, attained to Arahantship then and there. Note that some of the notes given here are drawn from the Udàna commentary.

ßNow here for you, Màluïkyaputta, in regard to things that are seen, heard, sensed, or cognized,

in what is seen there must be only what is seen,
in what is heard there must be only what is heard,
in what is sensed there must be only what is sensed,
in what is cognized there must be only what is cognized. ⁰³

And since for you, Màluïkyaputta, in regard to things that are seen, heard, sensed, or cognized,

in what is seen there will be only what is seen,
in what is heard there will be only what is heard,
in what is sensed there will be only what is sensed,
in what is cognized there will be only what is cognized,

therefore, Màluïkyaputta, you will not be with that,
and since, Màluïkyaputta, you will not be with that,
therefore, Màluïkyaputta, you will not be in that,
and since, Màluïkyaputta, you will not be in that, ⁰⁴

therefore, Màluïkyaputta, you will not be here or hereafter or in between the two - just this is the end of suffering.û ⁰⁵

The commentary to the Udàna is at pains to point out that in the Abhidhamma (and the tradition it embodies) there is no intermediate becoming `between the two', but that what is meant here is either `you will not be here or hereafter or in both' - which seems a bit strained - or, `you will not be here or hereafter, and nor is there anywhere in between the two.'

These 12 verses are also found as Màluïkyaputta's verses in Theragàthàpàëi 794-817 (with minor variations). The metre is Vatta, but the 2nd line of the first 6 verses is in Tuññhubha metre (with a short 8th syllable). These verses nicely illustrate some of the changes that can occur in words and word forms because of the need to meet the requirements of the metre.

The first is that unusual forms sometimes appear (examples draw upon the commentary to Theragàthà): ghàtvà = ghayitvà, phusssa = phusitvà. Secondly, cognate forms occasionally occur: ÿatvà = vijànitvà, where ÿatvà, absolutive to jànàti, with the normal meaning of `having known', is being used in place of vijànitvà, which has the meaning `having cognized'. Thirdly, an altogether different word may be introduced: bhotvà = sayitvà, where the absolutive from bhuÿjati (to eat, to enjoy), itself an unusual form, is being made equivalent to sayitvà, `having tasted'. Needless to say, great care must be taken when translating verse to take these factors into consideration.

ßOf this, reverend Sir, that was spoken in brief by the Gracious One thus do I understand the meaning in detail:

Having seen a form and forgotten mindfulness,
Applying the mind to an object held dear,
He feels (it) with an excited mind, and persists in indulging it:
So for him increase various feelings that originate with form,
And by covetousness and by violence is his mind destroyed -
For one heaping up suffering like this nibbàna is said to be far away. ⁰⁷

Having heard a sound and forgotten mindfulness,
Applying the mind to an object held dear,
He feels (it) with an excited mind, and persists in indulging it:
So for him increase various feelings that originate with sound,
And by covetousness and by violence is his mind destroyed -
For one heaping up suffering like this nibbàna is said to be far away.

Having smelt a smell and forgotten mindfulness,
Applying the mind to an object held dear,
He feels (it) with an excited mind, and persists in indulging it:
So for him increase various feelings that originate with smells,
And by covetousness and by violence is his mind destroyed -
For one heaping up suffering like this nibbàna is said to be far away.

Having savoured a taste and forgotten mindfulness,
Applying the mind to an object held dear,
He feels (it) with an excited mind, and persists in indulging it:
So for him increase various feelings that originate with tastes,
And by covetousness and by violence is his mind destroyed -
For one heaping up suffering like this nibbàna is said to be far away.

Having touched a tangible and forgotten mindfulness,
Applying the mind to an object held dear,
He feels (it) with an excited mind, and persists in indulging it:
So for him increase various feelings that originate with tangibles,
And by covetousness and by violence is his mind destroyed -
For one heaping up suffering like this nibbàna is said to be far away.

Having cognized a thought and forgotten mindfulness,
Applying the mind to an object held dear,
He feels (it) with an excited mind, and persists in indulging it:
So for him increase various feelings that originate with thoughts,
And by covetousness and by violence is his mind destroyed -
For one heaping up suffering like this nibbàna is said to be far away.

Not being excited by forms, having seen a form he is mindful,
He feels (it) with an unexcited mind, and does not persist in indulging it:
For he who sees a form and experiences the feeling in this way,
(Corruptions) are destroyed, not heaped up, he thus lives mindfully -
For one reducing suffering like this nibbàna is said to be near. ⁰⁸

Not being excited by sounds, having heard a sound he is mindful,
He feels (it) with an unexcited mind, and does not persist in indulging it:
For he who hears a sound and experiences the feeling in this way,
(Corruptions) are destroyed, not heaped up, he thus lives mindfully -
For one reducing suffering like this nibbàna is said to be near.

Not being excited by smells, having smelt a smell he is mindful,
He feels (it) with an unexcited mind, and does not persist in indulging it:
For he who smells a smell and experiences the feeling in this way,
(Corruptions) are destroyed, not heaped up, he thus lives mindfully -
For one reducing suffering like this nibbàna is said to be near.

Not being excited by tastes, having savoured a taste he is mindful,
He feels (it) with an unexcited mind, and does not persist in indulging it:
For he who savours a taste and experiences the feeling in this way,
(Corruptions) are destroyed, not heaped up, he thus lives mindfully -
For one reducing suffering like this nibbàna is said to be near.

Not being excited by tangibles, having touched a tangible he is mindful,
He feels (it) with an unexcited mind, and does not persist in indulging it:
For he who touches a tangible and experiences the feeling in this way,
(Corruptions) are destroyed, not heaped up, he thus lives mindfully -
For one reducing suffering like this nibbàna is said to be near.

Not being excited by thoughts, having cognized a thought he is mindful,
He feels (it) with an unexcited mind, and does not persist in indulging it:
For he who cognizes a thought and experiences the feeling in this way,
(Corruptions) are destroyed, not heaped up, he thus lives mindfully -
For one reducing suffering like this nibbàna is said to be near.

Of this, reverend Sir, that was spoken in brief by the Gracious One so do I understand the meaning in detail.û

ßGood, good, Màluïkyaputta, it is good, Màluïkyaputta, of what was spoken in brief by me so do you understand the meaning in detail:

(The Buddha here repeats all 12 verses that were spoken by venerable Màluïkyaputta, and then adds:)

Of this, Màluïkyaputta, that was spoken in brief by me so should you understand the meaning in detail.û

Then venerable Màluïkyaputta having rejoiced in and been gladdened by the Gracious One's speech, having risen from his seat and worshipped the Gracious One, after circumambulating (him) departed.

Then venerable Màluïkyaputta while dwelling solitary, secluded, heedful, ardent, and resolute, after no long time (attained) that good for which young gentlemen rightly go forth from the house to the houseless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, and dwelt having known, experienced, and attained (it) himself in this very life.