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By Root 6306 0

he prevaricated, led the talk aside, and showed anger, hate, and bitterness. But when Master Gotama is spoken to offensively again and again, assailed by discourteous courses of speech, the colour of his skin brightens and the colour of his face clears, as is to be expected of one who is accomplished and fully enlightened. And now, Master Gotama, we depart. We are busy and have much to do.” “Now is the time, Aggivessana, to do as you think fit.”

Then Saccaka the Nigaṇṭha’s son, having delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words, got up from his seat and departed.394

Cūḷataṇhāsankhaya Sutta

The Shorter Discourse on the

Destruction of Craving

1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in the Eastern Park, in the Palace of Migāra’s Mother.

2. Then Sakka, ruler of gods, went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he stood at one side and asked: “Venerable sir, how in brief is a bhikkhu liberated in the destruction of craving, one who has reached the ultimate end, the ultimate security from bondage, the ultimate holy life, the ultimate goal, one who is foremost among gods and humans?”395

3. “Here, ruler of gods, a bhikkhu has heard that nothing is worth adhering to. When a bhikkhu has heard that nothing is worth adhering to, he directly knows everything; having directly known everything, he fully understands everything; having fully understood everything, whatever feeling he feels, whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, he abides contemplating impermanence in those feelings, contemplating fading away, contemplating cessation, contemplating relinquishment. Contemplating thus, he does not cling to anything in the world. When he does not cling, he is not agitated. When he is not agitated, he personally attains Nibbāna.396 [252] He understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.’ Briefly, it is in this way, ruler of gods, that a bhikkhu is liberated in the destruction of craving, one who has reached the ultimate end, the ultimate security from bondage, the ultimate holy life, the ultimate goal, one who is foremost among gods and humans.”

4. Then Sakka, ruler of gods, delighting and rejoicing in the Blessed One’s words, paid homage to the Blessed One, and keeping him on his right, he vanished at once.

5. Now on that occasion the venerable Mahā Moggallāna was sitting not far from the Blessed One. Then he considered: “Did that spirit penetrate to the meaning of the Blessed One’s words when he rejoiced, or did he not? Suppose I found out whether he did or not.”

6. Then, just as quickly as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm, the venerable Mahā Moggallāna vanished from the Palace of Migāra’s Mother in the Eastern Park and appeared among the gods of the Thirty-three.

7. Now on that occasion Sakka, ruler of gods, was furnished and endowed a hundredfold with the five kinds of heavenly music, and he was enjoying it in the Pleasure Park of the Single Lotus. When he saw the venerable Mahā Moggallāna coming in the distance, he dismissed the music, went to the venerable Mahā Moggallāna, and said to him: “Come, good sir Moggallāna! Welcome, good sir Moggallāna! It is long, good sir Moggallāna, since you found an opportunity to come here. Sit down, good sir Moggallāna; this seat is ready.”

The venerable Mahā Moggallāna sat down on the seat made ready, and Sakka took a low seat and sat down at one side. The venerable Mahā Moggallāna then asked him:

8. “Kosiya,397 how did the Blessed One state to you in brief deliverance in the destruction of craving? It would be good if we might also get to hear that statement.”

“Good sir Moggallāna, we are so busy, we have so much to do, not only with our own business, but also with the business of the gods of the Thirty-three. Besides, good sir Moggallāna, what is well heard, well learned, [253] well attended to, well remembered, suddenly vanishes from us. Good sir