SN 39.1–15 · With Sāmaṇḍaka on Extinguishment
SN 39.1–15 · Sāmaṇḍakasutta
At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying in the land of the Vajjis near Ukkacelā on the bank of the Ganges River. Then the wanderer Sāmaṇḍaka went up to Venerable Sāriputta and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta:
Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto vajjīsu viharati ukkacelāyaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre. Atha kho sāmaṇḍako paribbājako yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho sāmaṇḍako paribbājako āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:
“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘extinguishment’. What is extinguishment?”
“‘Nibbānaṁ, nibbānan’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati. Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, nibbānan”ti?
“Reverend, the ending of greed, hate, and delusion is called extinguishment.”
“Yo kho, āvuso, rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo— idaṁ vuccati nibbānan”ti.
“But, reverend, is there a path and a practice for realizing this extinguishment?”
“Atthi panāvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā, etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti?
“There is, reverend.”
“Atthi kho, āvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā, etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.
“Well, what is it?”
“Katamo panāvuso, maggo katamā paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti?
“It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is the path, the practice, for realizing this extinguishment.”
“Ayameva kho, āvuso, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, seyyathidaṁ— sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā, etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.
“Reverend, this is a fine path, a fine practice, for realizing this extinguishment. Just this much is enough for diligence.”
“Bhaddako, āvuso, maggo bhaddikā paṭipadā, etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya. Alañca panāvuso sāriputta, appamādāyā”ti.
Paṭhamaṁ.
(Tell in full as the Linked Discourses with Jambukhādaka.)
(Yathā jambukhādakasaṁyuttaṁ, tathā vitthāretabbaṁ.)
SN 39.16 · Hard to Do
SN 39.16 · Dukkarasutta
“Reverend Sāriputta, in this teaching and training, what is hard to do?”
“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye dukkaran”ti?
“Going forth, reverend, is hard to do in this teaching and training.”
“Pabbajjā kho, āvuso, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye dukkarā”ti.
“But what’s hard to do for someone who has gone forth?”
“Pabbajitena panāvuso, kiṁ dukkaran”ti?
“When you’ve gone forth it’s hard to be satisfied.”
“Pabbajitena kho, āvuso, abhirati dukkarā”ti.
“But what’s hard to do for someone who is satisfied?”
“Abhiratena panāvuso, kiṁ dukkaran”ti?
“When you’re satisfied, it’s hard to practice in line with the teaching.”
“Abhiratena kho, āvuso, dhammānudhammappaṭipatti dukkarā”ti.
“But if a mendicant practices in line with the teaching, will it take them long to become a perfected one?”
“Kīvaciraṁ panāvuso, dhammānudhammappaṭipanno bhikkhu arahaṁ assā”ti?
“Not long, reverend.”
“Naciraṁ, āvuso”ti.
Soḷasamaṁ.
(Purimakasadisaṁ uddānaṁ.)
The Linked Discourses with Sāmaṇḍaka are complete.
Sāmaṇḍakasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.