Majjhima Nikaya - Ghotamukha Sutta

94. Ghotamukha Sutta- English(1)MAJJHIMA NIKAYA II
II. 10. 4. Goñamukhasuttaü
(94) To the Brahmin Gotamukha

I heard thus. At one time venerable Udena was dwelling in Khemiya's mango
orchard in Benares. At that time the Brahmin Ghotamukha had arrived in Benares
for some purpose. While walking and wandering for exercise came to the mango
orchard of Khemiya and saw venerable Udena walking mindfully in the mango
orchard and approached him. The Brahmin Ghotamukha exchanged friendly greetings
with venerable Udena and while walking beside him said `Good recluse, I think
there is no rightful going forth, a one with a vision for ending, `being', or a
teaching like that.û
When this was said, venerable Udena, stepped out of the chankamana went to his
dwelling and sat on the arranged seat. The Brahmin too stopped his exercises,
followed venerable Udena, entered his dwelling and stood on a side. Brahmin,
there are seats, if you wish, sit.û
ßUntil venerable Udena took a seat, we would not sit, not that I thought, I will
not take a seat without being offered?û
The Brahmin Goñamukha took a low seat and sat on a side and said, `Good recluse,
I think there is no rightful going forth, a one with a vision for ending
`being', or a teaching like that.û
ßBrahmin, if you give me permission to rebuke you, when rebuke is necessary and
when anything is not clear, if you question me further. We will have a
conversation on this.û
ßGood Udena, I grant permission to rebuke me when rebuke is necessary and when
anything is not clear I will question, venerable Udena what is the meaning of
this. There will be a conversation between us on this.û
ßBrahmin, four kinds of persons are evident in the world. What are the four? A
certain person tortures his self yoked to it. Another tortures others yoked to
it. Another tortures his self and others yoked to it. Another does not torture
his self or others, is satisfied, extinguished, cooled and abides in
pleasantness like Brahmà. Brahmin, of these four which one pleases you?û
ßGood Udena, I'm not pleased with him who tortures his self yoked to it, nor
with him who tortures others yoked to it. I'm not pleased with him who tortures
his self and others yoked to it. I'm pleased with the person who does not
torture his self or others, is satisfied, extinguished, cooled and abides in
pleasantness like Brahmà.û
ßBrahmin, why are you not pleased with these three persons?û
ßGood Udena, this person who tortures his self, is yoked to torturing his self,
which desires pleasantness and loathes unpleasantness. Therefore I'm not pleased
with this person. This person who tortures others, is yoked to torturing others,
who desire pleasantness and loathe unpleasantness. Therefore I'm not pleased
with this person. This person who tortures his self and others, is yoked to
torturing his self and others that desire pleasantness and loathe
unpleasantness. Therefore I'm not pleased with this person. The person who does
not torture his self and others, is unyoked, satisfied, extinguished, cooled and
abides in pleasantness like Brahmà. Therefore I'm pleased with this person.û
ßBrahmin, there are two gatherings. What are the two? One gathering is attached
to jewels, ear -rings, sons wives, slaves male and female, fields, wealth and
gold and are in search of them. The other gathering is not attached to jewels,
ear- rings, sons, wives, slaves male and female, fields, wealth and gold. Giving
up these, they go forth, homeless. Brahmin, this person does not torture his
self and others, is unyoked, satisfied, extinguished, cooled and abides in
pleasantness like Brahmà, here and now. In which kind of gathering do you see
this person much? Is it in the gathering that is attached to, and is in search
of, jewels, ear rings sons wives slaves male and female, fields, wealth and
gold. Or else in the gathering that is not attached to jewels, ear rings, sons
wives, slaves, male and female, fields, wealth and gold, has given up these and
has gone forth?û
ßGood Udena, this person who does not torture his self and others, is unyoked,
satisfied, extinguished, cooled and abides in pleasantness like Brahmà, I see in
the gathering not attached to jewels, ear rings, sons, wives, slaves male and
female, fields, wealth and gold has given up these and gone forth.û
ßBrahmin, we know you saying these words,' Good recluse, I think there is no
rightful going forth, a one with a vision for ending, `being', or a teaching
like that.û
ßGood Udena, indeed those words were spoken carelessly. It now occurs to me,
there is a rightful going forth. I believe good Udena is one of them. May those
four persons mentioned in short be explained to me in detail.û
ßBrahmin, listen I will explain,' He replied `Yes good Udena.û
Then venerable Udena said. `Brahmin, a certain one tortures himself, yoked to
it. He goes naked, without manners licks the hand, does not accept a greeting or
a tarrying. Does not accept what is brought or specially prepared. Does not
endure an invitation. Does not accept, from the rim of a pot, when a goat is
about the place, across a stick or broom. Does not accept from, two partaking
food, a woman bearing child, a woman giving suck, one gone with a man, a defiled
woman. Does not accept fish, meat, intoxicating drinks and brewed drinks.
Partakes one morsel from one house, two morsels from two houses, up to seven
morsels from seven houses. Is supported on food given by, one woman, two women,
up to seven women. Is supported on food given by, one man, two men up to seven
men. Is fed in turns like this, for half a month. Eats vegetables and millets,
raw rice, Dadulla rice, water plants, husked rice powder, rice foam, flour of
oil seeds, grass, cow dung, forest roots and fruits, or is supported on what
falls on the way. Wears hemp clothes, coarse clothes, miserable garments, rag
clothes, bark clothes, skin clothes, strips of skin, grass clothes, bark
clothes, clothes made of planks and of hair, tails and the wings of owls. Is
yoked to pulling out hairs of head and beard. Is yoked to standing, rejecting
seats Is yoked to sitting or lying on a bed of thorns. Is yoked to descending
into water, up to three times by night. Thus he practises various kinds of
torture for the body. Bhikkhus, this person tortures himself yoked to it. *1).
Bhikkhus, which person tortures others yoked to it? Bhikkhus, here a certain
person is a killer of pigs, goats, birds, a hunter of wild animals, a fisherman,
a robber, a highway robber, one who keeps a prison, or engaged in any other
vicious activity. This person tortures others yoked to it.
Bhikkhus, who tortures his self and others, yoked to it?A certain king or the
head anointed king of warrior, or brahmin or householder clan, builds a new
assembly hall. Shaving head and beard, and putting on a rough garment, smears
his body with ghee and oil. Pricking the horn of a deer on his rear parts and
enters the assembly hall, with the queen consort and the brahmin adviser. Within
the enclosure, on some greenery he lies down. From a certain young cow, milk is
drawn from one nipple to support the king, from the second to support the queen,
from the third to support the adviser with the milk from the fourth nipple the
sacrificial cake is cooked. With the remaining milk the calf is fed. Then he
orders, the people kill so many bulls for the sacrifice, so many cows, so many
goats, so many sheep. He orders cut so many trees for the sacrificial post, and
clear so much space for the sacrifice. The slaves, servants, and messengers are
frightened with a stick and made to do the necessary work. Bhikkhus, this one
torments himself, and others yoked to it.
Bhikkhus, who does not torture his self or others, is unyoked? Bhikkhus, the
Thus Gone One is born in the world, perfect, rightfully enlightened, endowed
with knowledge and conduct, well gone, knower of the worlds, the incomparable
tamer of those to be tamed, teacher of gods and men, enlightened and blessed. He
proclaims to this world of gods and men, together with its Màras, Brahmàs, the
community of recluses, brahmins, gods and men, that Teaching. Which is good at
the beginning, in the middle and the end, full of meanings even in the letters
declaring the complete and pure holy life. A householder, or the son of a
householder or one born into some clan hears the Teaching and gains faith in the
Thus Gone One. With that gain of faith he reflects. The household life is full
of difficulties. It is a path of defilements. Going forth, homeless, is like
open space. Living in a household it is not easy to lead a holy life complete
and pure without being defiled. Shaving head and beard, putting on yellow
clothes, why shouldn't I go forth as a homeless? At some suitable time he gives
up a little wealth or a large mass of wealth, either leaving behind a small
circle of friends, or a large circle of friends shaving head and beard and
donning yellow clothes, goes forth as a homeless.
Gone forth he becomes a trainer in the life of a bhikkhu. He gives up hurting
living things, throwing away stick and weapon ashamed he abides arousing
compassion for all beings. Abstaining from taking what is not given, desires the
given, making his mind pure, without theft he abides. Abstains from low sexual
intercourse leads the holy life. Abstaining from telling lies becomes reliable
and trustworthy and abides without a dispute with the world. Gives up
slandering. Hearing it here does not say it elsewhere, to split these. Hearing
elsewhere does not say it here to split those, Thus he unites the split,
promotes unity. Fond of unity talks words to unite. Gives up rough talk, saying
words pleasing to the ears. Words that go straight to the heart of all. Abstains
from frivolous talk saying appropriate, truthful and meaningful words, in
accordance with the Teaching and Discipline, words that could be treasured.
Abstains from destroying seed groups and vegetable groups. Partaking one meal a
day, abstains from food at night and at untimely hours. Abstains from dance,
singing, music, decorations, flowers and scents, ointments and adornments.
Abstains from high and stately beds. Abstains from accepting gold and silver,
uncooked rice and uncooked flesh, Abstains from accepting women and girls,
slaves, men or women. Abstains from accepting goats and cows, fowl and pigs,
elephants, cattle, horses and mares.
Abstains from accepting fields and wealth, and doing the work of a messenger.
Abstains from buying and selling and unfair ways of weighing and measuring.
Abstains from cutting severing, destroying and highway robbery, and wrong ways
of gaining food.
Satisfied, covering the body with robes, and feeding the belly with morsel food,
goes with all the belongings wherever he goes. Like the birds small and large
that go with the weight of their wings. Likewise satisfied covering the body
with robes and feeding the belly with morsels goes with all the belongings
wherever he goes. Endowed with this mass of virtues, he experiences the pleasure
of blamelessness internally.
Seeing a form with the eye, does not take the sign or the elements . To one
abiding with the mental faculty of the eye uncontrolled, demerit of covetousness
and displeasure may trickle. He abides protecting the mental faculty of the eye.
Hearing a sound with the ear, Cognizing a smell with the nose, Tasting tastes,
Cognizing touches with the body, Cognizing an idea with the mind, does not take
the sign or the element. To him abiding with the mental faculty of the mind not
controlled, demerit of covetousness and displeasure may trickle. He abides
protecting the mental faculty of the mind. Endowed with the noble ones' control
of the mental faculties, he experiences the untouched pleasure of the mental
faculties. Going forward or returning he is aware. Looking on, or looking aside
is aware. Bending or stretching is aware. Bearing the bowl and three robes is
aware. Tasting, drinking, eating and enjoying is aware. Going, standing,
sitting, lying, if awake, and keeping silence he is aware.
Endowed, with the mass of virtues, the control of the mental faculties,
rightmindfulness of the noble ones, he abides in a secluded dwelling, such as a
forest, the root of a tree, a mountain grotto a cave, a charnel ground, a jungle
forest, an open space, or a heap of straw. After the meal and returning from the
alms round, he sits legs crossed, the body placed straight and mindfulness
established in front.
Dispelling covetousness for the world he abides freeing the mind. Dispelling
anger he abides with a mind free of anger, compassionate to all born. Dispelling
sloth and torpor he abides, aware of a perception of light, mindful of cleaning
sloth and torpor. Dispelling restlessness and worry he abides with a mind
internally appeased, cleaning the mind of restlessness and worry. Abides with
doubts dispelled of merit that should be, and should not be done.
The bhikkhu dispelling the five hindrances of the mind, and wisely making the
minor defilements weak, secludes the mind from sensual thoughts and demerit.
With thoughts and thought processes and with joy and pleasantness, born of
seclusion he abides in the first jhàna.
Again the bhikkhu overcoming thoughts and thought processes, the mind internally
appeased, in a single point, with joy and pleasantness born of concentration
abides in the second jhàna.
Again, the bhikkhu with equanimity to joy and detachment and aware of
experiencing pleasantness, with the body too, abides in the third jhàna. The
noble ones say this is abiding in pleasanatness, mindful of equanimity.
Again, the bhikkhu, dispelling pleasantness and unpleasantness and earlier
having dispelled pleasure and displeasure, with mindfulness purified with
equanimity abides in the fourth jhàna.
When the mind is concentrated, pure, free from minor defilements, malleable
workable not disturbed, he directs the mind for the knowledge of previous
births. Recollects the manifold previous births, one birth, two births, three,
four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred births, a thousand
births, a hundred thousand births, innumerable forward cycles of births,
innumerable backward cycles of births, innumerable forward and backward cycles
of births. There I was born of such name, clan, disposition, supports,
experiencing such pleasant and unpleasant feelings, with such a life span.
Disappearing from there was born there with such name, clan, arrangements,
supports, experiencing such pleasant and unpleasant feelings, in such a life
span. Disappearing from there, is born here. Thus with all modes and all details
manifold previous births are recollected.
When the mind is concentrated, pure, free from minor defilements malleable
workable not disturbed, he directs the mind for knowledge of the disappearing
and appearing of beings. With the heavenly eye purified beyond human, he sees
beings. Disappearing and appearing un -exalted and exalted, beautiful and ugly,
arising in good and bad states according to their actions. These good beings
misbehaving by body, speech and mind, blamed noble ones, had the wrong view of
actions, after death are born in loss, in decrease, in hell. As for these good
beings, well behaved in body speech and mind not blaming noble ones, with the
right view of actions after death are born in heaven. Thus with the heavenly eye
purified beyond human he sees beings disappearing and appearing.
When the mind is concentrated, pure, free from minor defilements, malleable
workable not disturbed, he directs the mind for the destruction of desires. He
knows this is unpleasant, this its arising, this its cessation, and this is the
path to the cessation
of unpleasantness as it really is. Knows these are desires, this, their rising,
this, their cessation and this, the path to their cessation as it really is. His
mind that knows and sees thus, is released from sensual desires, from desires
`to be' and from ignorant desires. When released, he knows, I'm released, birth
is destroyed, the holy life is lived, what should be done is done. There's
nothing more to wish.
Bhikkhus, this person doesn't torture his self or others is unyoked, is appeased
here and now, extinguished, cooled, and he abides pleasantly like Brahma.
Then the Brahmin Goñamukha said. `Good sir, Udena, now I understand, it is like
something overturned is reinstalled. Something covered is made manifest. It is
like the path was shown to someone who had lost his way and it is like lighting
a lamp for the darkness for those who have the sight to see forms. In various
ways good Udena explained the Teaching. Now I take refuge in good sir Udena, in
the Teaching and the Community of bhikkhus.û
ßDo not take refuge in me. Take refuge in the Blessed One, as I have doneû
ßGood Udena, where does good Gotama, perfect and rightfully enlightened live at
present?û
ßBrahmin, the Blessed One, perfect and rightfully enlightened has attained final
extinction now.û
ßGood Udena, if I know that good Gotama, perfect and rightfully enlightened
lives seven miles from here I go to see him. If I know that he lives seventy
miles, even one hundred forty miles, even two hundred and ten miles, even two
hundred eighty miles, even three hundred and fifty miles, even seven hundred
miles from here, I go to see him. Since he has finally passed away I take refuge
in that good Gotama, in the Teaching and the Community of bhikkhus. May I be
remembered as a lay disciple from today until my life lasts. The king of Anga
offers me two packets of food daily, I offer one to good Udena.û
ßBrahmin, does the king of Anga offer you two packets of food daily?û
ßGood Udena, he offers me five hundred gold coins.û
ßBrahmin, it is not suitable that we should accept sterling gold and coins.û
ßIf it is not suitable, we will get a dwelling made for good Udena.û
ßBrahmin, if you desire to get a dwelling made for me, instead get an assembly
hall done for the bhikkhus of Pàtalãputtaû
ßI'm very much pleased with these words of good Udena, on account of that I will
provide morsels for the bhikkhus daily and will also get the assembly hall
done.û
Then the Brahmin Ghotamukha for the provision of morsel food for the present and
the future, made an assembly hall in Pàtalãputta. Now it is known as Ghotamukha.