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MN 58PTS MN 1.3924 min read

With Prince Abhaya

Abhayarājakumārasutta

The leader of the Jains, Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, gives his disciple Prince Abhaya a dilemma to pose to the Buddha, supposing that this will show his weakness. Things don’t go quite as planned.

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

  • 0.1Majjhima Nikāya 58Middle Discourses 58

0.2AbhayarājakumārasuttaWith Prince Abhaya

1.1PTS 1.393Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.1

2.1Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro yena nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho abhayaṁ rājakumāraṁ nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto etadavoca:Then Prince Abhaya went up to the Jain ascetic of the Ñātika clan, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Jain Ñātika said to him,23.1“ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, samaṇassa gotamassa vādaṁ āropehi.“Come, prince, refute the ascetic Gotama’s doctrine.3.2Evaṁ te kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchissati:Then you will get a good reputation:3.3‘abhayena rājakumārena samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādo āropito’”ti.‘Prince Abhaya refuted the doctrine of the ascetic Gotama, so mighty and powerful!’”

3.4“Yathā kathaṁ panāhaṁ, bhante, samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādaṁ āropessāmī”ti?“But sir, how am I to do this?”

3.5“Ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ vadehi:“Here, prince, go to the ascetic Gotama and say to him:3.6‘bhāseyya nu kho, bhante, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā’ti?‘Sir, may the Realized One utter speech that is disliked by others?’33.7Sace te samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti:When he’s asked this, if he answers:3.8‘bhāseyya, rājakumāra, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā’ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi:‘He may, prince,’ say this to him,3.9‘atha kiñcarahi te, bhante, puthujjanena nānākaraṇaṁ?‘So what then, sir, is the difference between you and an ordinary person?43.10Puthujjanopi hi taṁ vācaṁ bhāseyya yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā’ti.For even an ordinary person may utter speech that is disliked by others.’3.11Sace pana te samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti:But if he answers,3.12‘na, rājakumāra, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ bhāseyya yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā’ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi:‘He may not, prince,’ say this to him:3.13‘atha kiñcarahi te, bhante, devadatto byākato:‘So why then, sir, did you declare of Devadatta:3.14“āpāyiko devadatto, nerayiko devadatto, kappaṭṭho devadatto, atekiccho devadatto”ti?“Devadatta is going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable”?53.15Tāya ca pana te vācāya devadatto kupito ahosi anattamano’ti.Devadatta was angry and upset with what you said.’

3.16Imaṁ kho te, rājakumāra, samaṇo gotamo ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno neva sakkhiti uggilituṁ na sakkhiti ogilituṁ.When you put this dilemma to him, the Buddha won’t be able to either spit it out or swallow it down.3.17Seyyathāpi nāma purisassa ayosiṅghāṭakaṁ kaṇṭhe vilaggaṁ, so neva sakkuṇeyya uggilituṁ na sakkuṇeyya ogilituṁ;He’ll be like a man with an iron cross stuck in his throat, unable to either spit it out or swallow it down.”3.18evameva kho te, rājakumāra, samaṇo gotamo imaṁ ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno neva sakkhiti uggilituṁ na sakkhiti ogilitun”ti.

4.1“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho abhayo rājakumāro nigaṇṭhassa nāṭaputtassa paṭissutvā uṭṭhāyāsanā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.“Yes, sir,” replied Abhaya. He rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Jain Ñātika, keeping him on his right. Then he went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side.

4.2Ekamantaṁ nisinnassa kho abhayassa rājakumārassa sūriyaṁ ulloketvā etadahosi:Then he looked up at the sun and thought,4.3“akālo kho ajja bhagavato vādaṁ āropetuṁ.“It’s too late to refute the Buddha’s doctrine today.4.4Sve dānāhaṁ sake nivesane bhagavato vādaṁ āropessāmī”ti bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:I shall refute his doctrine in my own home tomorrow.” He said to the Buddha,4.5“adhivāsetu me, bhante, bhagavā svātanāya attacatuttho bhattan”ti.“Sir, would the Buddha, together with three other monks, please accept tomorrow’s meal from me?”4.6Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.The Buddha consented with silence.

5.1Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavato adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.Then, knowing that the Buddha had consented, Abhaya rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

5.2Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena abhayassa rājakumārassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.Then when the night had passed, the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to Abhaya’s home, and sat down on the seat spread out.5.3Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi.Then Abhaya served and satisfied the Buddha with his own hands with delicious fresh and cooked foods.

5.4Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ bhuttāviṁ onītapattapāṇiṁ aññataraṁ nīcaṁ āsanaṁ gahetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.When the Buddha had eaten and washed his hand and bowl, Abhaya took a low seat, sat to one side,6.1PTS 1.394Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:and said to him,6.2“bhāseyya nu kho, bhante, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā”ti?“Sir, may the Realized One utter speech that is disliked by others?”

6.3“Na khvettha, rājakumāra, ekaṁsenā”ti.“This matter is not categorical, prince.”6

6.4“Ettha, bhante, anassuṁ nigaṇṭhā”ti.“Then the Jains have lost in this, sir.”

6.5“Kiṁ pana tvaṁ, rājakumāra, evaṁ vadesi:“But prince, why do you say that6.6‘ettha, bhante, anassuṁ nigaṇṭhā’”ti?the Jains have lost in this?”

6.7“Idhāhaṁ, bhante, yena nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho maṁ, bhante, nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto etadavoca:Then Abhaya told the Buddha all that had happened.6.8‘ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, samaṇassa gotamassa vādaṁ āropehi.6.9Evaṁ te kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchissati—6.10abhayena rājakumārena samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādo āropito’ti.6.11Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ etadavocaṁ:6.12‘yathā kathaṁ panāhaṁ, bhante, samaṇassa gotamassa evaṁ mahiddhikassa evaṁ mahānubhāvassa vādaṁ āropessāmī’ti?6.13‘Ehi tvaṁ, rājakumāra, yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ vadehi:6.14“bhāseyya nu kho, bhante, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā”ti?6.15Sace te samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti:6.16“bhāseyya, rājakumāra, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā”ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi:6.17“atha kiñcarahi te, bhante, puthujjanena nānākaraṇaṁ?6.18Puthujjanopi hi taṁ vācaṁ bhāseyya yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā”ti.6.19Sace pana te samaṇo gotamo evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākaroti:6.20“na, rājakumāra, tathāgato taṁ vācaṁ bhāseyya yā sā vācā paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā”ti, tamenaṁ tvaṁ evaṁ vadeyyāsi—6.21atha kiñcarahi te, bhante, devadatto byākato:6.22“āpāyiko devadatto, nerayiko devadatto, kappaṭṭho devadatto, atekiccho devadatto”ti?6.23Tāya ca pana te vācāya devadatto kupito ahosi anattamano’ti.6.24Imaṁ kho te, rājakumāra, samaṇo gotamo ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno neva sakkhiti uggilituṁ na sakkhiti ogilituṁ.6.25Seyyathāpi nāma purisassa ayosiṅghāṭakaṁ kaṇṭhe vilaggaṁ, so neva sakkuṇeyya uggilituṁ na sakkuṇeyya ogilituṁ;6.26evameva kho te, rājakumāra, samaṇo gotamo imaṁ ubhatokoṭikaṁ pañhaṁ puṭṭho samāno neva sakkhiti uggilituṁ na sakkhiti ogilitun”ti.

7.1PTS 1.395Tena kho pana samayena daharo kumāro mando uttānaseyyako abhayassa rājakumārassa aṅke nisinno hoti.Now at that time a little baby boy was sitting in Prince Abhaya’s lap.7.2Atha kho bhagavā abhayaṁ rājakumāraṁ etadavoca:Then the Buddha said to Abhaya,7.3“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra,“What do you think, prince?7.4sacāyaṁ kumāro tuyhaṁ vā pamādamanvāya dhātiyā vā pamādamanvāya kaṭṭhaṁ vā kaṭhalaṁ vā mukhe āhareyya, kinti naṁ kareyyāsī”ti?If—because of your negligence or his nursemaid’s negligence—your boy were to put a stick or stone in his mouth, what would you do to him?”

7.5“Āhareyyassāhaṁ, bhante.“I’d try to take it out, sir.7.6Sace, bhante, na sakkuṇeyyaṁ ādikeneva āhattuṁ, vāmena hatthena sīsaṁ pariggahetvā dakkhiṇena hatthena vaṅkaṅguliṁ karitvā salohitampi āhareyyaṁ.If that didn’t work, I’d cradle his head with my left hand and take it out using a hooked finger of my right hand, even if it drew blood.7.7Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?7.8Atthi me, bhante, kumāre anukampā”ti.Because I have sympathy for the boy, sir.”

8.1“Evameva kho, rājakumāra, yaṁ tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti abhūtaṁ atacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā, na taṁ tathāgato vācaṁ bhāsati.“In the same way, prince, the Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be untrue, false, and pointless, and which is disliked by others.8.2Yampi tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā, tampi tathāgato vācaṁ na bhāsati.The Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be true and correct, but which is harmful and disliked by others.8.3Yañca kho tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ atthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ appiyā amanāpā, tatra kālaññū tathāgato hoti tassā vācāya veyyākaraṇāya.The Realized One knows the right time to speak so as to explain what he knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, but which is disliked by others.78.4Yaṁ tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti abhūtaṁ atacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ piyā manāpā, na taṁ tathāgato vācaṁ bhāsati.The Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be untrue, false, and pointless, but which is liked by others.8.5Yampi tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ piyā manāpā tampi tathāgato vācaṁ na bhāsati.The Realized One does not utter speech that he knows to be true and correct, but which is harmful, even if it is liked by others.8.6Yañca tathāgato vācaṁ jānāti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ atthasaṁhitaṁ sā ca paresaṁ piyā manāpā, tatra kālaññū tathāgato hoti tassā vācāya veyyākaraṇāya.The Realized One knows the right time to speak so as to explain what he knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, and which is liked by others.8.7Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?8.8Atthi, rājakumāra, tathāgatassa sattesu anukampā”ti.Because the Realized One has sympathy for sentient beings.”8

9.1“Yeme, bhante, khattiyapaṇḍitāpi brāhmaṇapaṇḍitāpi gahapatipaṇḍitāpi samaṇapaṇḍitāpi pañhaṁ abhisaṅkharitvā tathāgataṁ upasaṅkamitvā pucchanti,“Sir, there are astute aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics who come to see you with a question already planned.9.2pubbeva nu kho, etaṁ, bhante, bhagavato cetaso parivitakkitaṁ hoti ‘ye maṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ pucchissanti tesāhaṁ evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākarissāmī’ti, udāhu ṭhānasovetaṁ tathāgataṁ paṭibhātī”ti?Do you think beforehand that if they ask you like this, you’ll answer like that, or does the answer just strike you on the spot?”

10.1“Tena hi, rājakumāra, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi, yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.“Well then, prince, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.10.2Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra,What do you think, prince?10.3kusalo tvaṁ rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgānan”ti?Are you skilled in the various parts of a chariot?”

10.4“Evaṁ, bhante, kusalo ahaṁ rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgānan”ti.“I am, sir.”

10.5PTS 1.396“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rājakumāra,“What do you think, prince?10.6ye taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ:When they come to you and ask:10.7‘kiṁ nāmidaṁ rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgan’ti?‘What’s the name of this chariot part?’10.8Pubbeva nu kho te etaṁ cetaso parivitakkitaṁ assa ‘ye maṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ pucchissanti tesāhaṁ evaṁ puṭṭho evaṁ byākarissāmī’ti, udāhu ṭhānasovetaṁ paṭibhāseyyā”ti?Do you think beforehand that if they ask you like this, you’ll answer like that, or does the answer appear to you on the spot?”

10.9“Ahañhi, bhante, rathiko saññāto kusalo rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgānaṁ.“Sir, I’m well-known as a charioteer skilled in a chariot’s parts.10.10Sabbāni me rathassa aṅgapaccaṅgāni suviditāni.All the major and minor parts are well-known to me.10.11Ṭhānasovetaṁ maṁ paṭibhāseyyā”ti.The answer just appears to me on the spot.”

11.1“Evameva kho, rājakumāra, ye te khattiyapaṇḍitāpi brāhmaṇapaṇḍitāpi gahapatipaṇḍitāpi samaṇapaṇḍitāpi pañhaṁ abhisaṅkharitvā tathāgataṁ upasaṅkamitvā pucchanti, ṭhānasovetaṁ tathāgataṁ paṭibhāti.“In the same way, when astute aristocrats, brahmins, householders, or ascetics come to see me with a question already planned, the answer just strikes me on the spot.11.2Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?11.3Sā hi, rājakumāra, tathāgatassa dhammadhātu suppaṭividdhā yassā dhammadhātuyā suppaṭividdhattā ṭhānasovetaṁ tathāgataṁ paṭibhātī”ti.Because the Realized One has clearly penetrated the principle of the teachings, so that the answer just strikes him on the spot.”

12.1Evaṁ vutte, abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When he had spoken, Prince Abhaya said to the Buddha,12.2“abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante …pe…“Excellent, sir! Excellent! …12.3ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

12.4Abhayarājakumārasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This sutta is framed as a response to a challenge by Mahāvīra, the Jain leader. It shows the Buddha’s characteristic dry humor to undermine religious pretensions (see eg. MN 76:21.4, DN 11:82.7). The dialogue slyly shows the Buddha defeating Mahāvīra by using one of Mahāvīra’s key methods against him.

    ↩ mn58:1.2

  2. Prince Abhaya (“fearless”) raised Jīvaka after discovering him abandoned Kd 8:1.4.5. In this sutta he appears as an acolyte of Mahāvīra, while in SN 46.56 he asks the Buddha about Pūraṇa Kassapa. Apart from these details he is unknown in the early texts. Commentaries say he was the son of King Bimbisāra by one of his queens, Padumavatī of Ujjenī, making him half-brother to Ajātasattu. They also say that following Bimbisāra’s death, Abhaya went forth and spoke the verse at Thag 1.26.

    Not to be confused with Abhaya the Licchavī of AN 3.74 and AN 4.196; nor with the author of Thag 1.98; nor is Thig 2.8 addressed to his mother, but that of the nun Abhayā (Thig 2.9).

    ↩ mn58:2.1

  3. The Jain doctrine anekantavāda (“doctrine of many-sidedness”, “non-categorical doctrine”) posits that in metaphysical propositions, one must conditionally affirm multiple possibilities so as to illuminate the complex, multifacted nature of reality. An aspect of anekantavāda is the syadvada, which frames all statements with syā, “it may be”. This uses the optative tense to conditionally affirm or deny without making absolute statements. The same tense is employed here by Mahāvīra in order to trap the Buddha on the horns of a dilemma (ubhatokoṭika). Needless to say, this is not how he is presented in Jain texts.

    ↩ mn58:3.6

  4. When springing the trap, the voice shifts from the respectful third person to the familiar second person.

    ↩ mn58:3.9

  5. Mahāvīra is quoting from the Buddha at AN 8.7:1.7 = Kd 17:4.7.1. This dates this sutta to the last years of the Buddha’s life, after the rebellion of Devadatta and the ascension of Ajātasattu, and shortly before Mahāvīra’s passing.

    ↩ mn58:3.14

  6. The Buddha solves the dilemma by avoiding a categorical statement, thus beating the Jains at their own game. Unlike the Jains, the Buddha did not advocate giving non-categorical answers as a general principle; different questions require different approaches when answering (AN 3.67, MN 136:5.3). Cf. AN 3.78 and AN 3.21:9.1.

    ↩ mn58:6.3

  7. For the phrase “speak so as to explain” (vācāya veyyākaraṇāya) I follow the commentary.

    ↩ mn58:8.3

  8. Here the optatives are gone and the Buddha states his views directly, showing that just because a question is not “categorical” does not mean that it cannot be given a definitive answer. However, it cannot be answered all-at-once or “categorically”, but must be broken into parts by “analysis” before answering.

    ↩ mn58:8.8