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MN 131PTS MN 3.1873 min read

One Fine Night

Bhaddekarattasutta

This discourse opens with a short but powerful set of verses extolling the benefits of insight into the here and now, followed by an explanation.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Majjhima Nikāya 131Middle Discourses 131

0.2BhaddekarattasuttaOne Fine Night

1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.11.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.1.3Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,1.4“bhikkhavo”ti.“Mendicants!”

1.5“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.“Venerable sir,” they replied.1.6Bhagavā etadavoca:The Buddha said this:

2.1“bhaddekarattassa vo, bhikkhave, uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desessāmi.“I shall teach you the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.2.2Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

2.3“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.“Yes, sir,” they replied.2.4Bhagavā etadavoca:The Buddha said this:

3.1“Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,“Don’t run back to the past,3.2nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;don’t anticipate the future.23.3Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,What’s past is left behind,3.4appattañca anāgataṁ.the future has not arrived;

3.5Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,and any present phenomenon33.6Tattha tattha vipassati;you clearly discern in every case.43.7Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,The unfaltering, the unshakable:53.8Taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.having known that, foster it.

3.9Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,Today’s the day to keenly work—3.10ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;who knows, tomorrow may bring death!3.11Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,For there is no bargain to be struck3.12mahāsenena maccunā.with Death and his mighty horde.

3.13Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,One who keenly meditates like this,3.14ahorattamatanditaṁ;tireless all night and day:3.15Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,that’s who has one fine night—3.16santo ācikkhate muni.so declares the peaceful sage.6

4.1PTS 3.188Kathañca, bhikkhave, atītaṁ anvāgameti?And how do you run back to the past?4.2‘Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—You muster delight there, thinking: ‘I had such form in the past.’ … ‘I had such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the past.’74.3evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atītaṁ anvāgameti.That’s how you run back to the past.

5.1Kathañca, bhikkhave, atītaṁ nānvāgameti?And how do you not run back to the past?5.2‘Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—You don’t muster delight there, thinking: ‘I had such form in the past.’ … ‘I had such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the past.’5.3evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.That’s how you don’t run back to the past.

6.1Kathañca, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati?And how do you anticipate the future?6.2‘Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe… evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti—You muster delight there, thinking: ‘May I have such form in the future.’ … ‘May I have such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the future.’6.3evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati.That’s how you anticipate the future.

7.1Kathañca, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati?And how do you not anticipate the future?7.2‘Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ … evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … ‘evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti—You don’t muster delight there, thinking: ‘May I have such form in the future.’ … ‘May I have such feeling … perception … choice … consciousness in the future.’7.3evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.That’s how you don’t anticipate the future.

8.1PTS 3.189Kathañca, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati?And how do you falter amid presently arisen phenomena?88.2Idha, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinītoIt’s when an unlearned ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons.8.3rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.8.4vedanaṁ …pe…They regard feeling …8.5saññaṁ …perception …8.6saṅkhāre …choices …8.7viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.8.8evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati.That’s how you falter amid presently arisen phenomena.

9.1Kathañca, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati?And how do you not falter amid presently arisen phenomena?9.2Idha, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinītoIt’s when a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons.9.3na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ;They don’t regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.9.4na vedanaṁ …They don’t regard feeling …9.5na saññaṁ …perception …9.6na saṅkhāre …choices …9.7na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ—consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.9.8evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.That’s how you don’t falter amid presently arisen phenomena.

10.1Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya,‘Don’t run back to the past,10.2nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ;don’t anticipate the future.10.3Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ,What’s past is left behind,10.4appattañca anāgataṁ.the future has not arrived;

10.5Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ,and any present phenomenon10.6tattha tattha vipassati;you clearly discern in every case.10.7Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,The unfaltering, the unshakable:10.8taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.having known that, foster it.

10.9Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ,Today’s the day to keenly work—10.10ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve;who knows, tomorrow may bring death!10.11Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,For there is no bargain to be struck10.12mahāsenena maccunā.with Death and his mighty horde.

10.13Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,One who keenly meditates like this,10.14ahorattamatanditaṁ;tireless all night and day:10.15Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,that’s who has one fine night—10.16santo ācikkhate munīti.so declares the peaceful sage.’

11.1‘Bhaddekarattassa vo, bhikkhave, uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desessāmī’ti—And that’s what I meant when I said: ‘I shall teach you the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.’”11.2iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti.

11.3Idamavoca bhagavā.That is what the Buddha said.11.4Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

11.5Bhaddekarattasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. A favorite of meditators, this discourse takes a distinctive set of verses as a template for explaining the aspect of meditation called vipassanā, commonly rendered “insight”; for why I use “discernment” see DN 14:1.37.5 and note. The next three discourses explain the same verses on different occasions, with MN 133 offering a complementary explanation.

    ↩ mn131:1.1
  2. To “anticipate” (paṭikaṅkhe) is not always bad. A mendicant ought to “anticipate” dangers (pāṭikaṅkhitabba, AN 4.122:1.1 = MN 67:14.2); Nālaka “anticipates” the arrival of the Buddha (patikkhaṁ, Snp 3.11:19.4); and an arahant “awaits their time” (kālaṁ kaṅkhati, SN 2.29:15.4). The verse here has a specific application in meditation, which is explained below.

    ↩ mn131:3.2
  3. Here “phenomenon” (dhamma) means anything that is directly knowable (see MN 133:17.9).

    The two verses run on here, as indicated by the ca linking this line with the previous.

    ↩ mn131:3.5
  4. For tattha tattha as “in every case” see eg. DN 30:2.1.3, and compare tato tattha vipassati at Snp 5.15:4.4.

    ↩ mn131:3.6
  5. At Thag 14.1:5.1, this phrase refers to the mind developed in meditation on love and compassion, while at Snp 5.19:19.1 it refers to Nibbāna. In both cases, as here, it is the object of the verb, not an adverb.

    ↩ mn131:3.7
  6. The “peaceful sage” is the Buddha.

    ↩ mn131:3.16
  7. Samanvāneti is unique in early Pali, but the similar samānayi is found at DN 30:1.33.4 and Thig 12.1:10.2 in the sense of “reunite, bring together”. “Muster” means both to bring together and to arouse.

    SN 22.79 makes it clear that “in the past” means “in a past life”.

    ↩ mn131:4.2
  8. Dhammesu (“phenomena”) is plural here, whereas in the verse it is singular. Sanskrit fragments, however, have plural in the verse as well.

    ↩ mn131:8.1