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MN 74PTS MN 1.4975 min read

With Dīghanakha

Dīghanakhasutta

Deftly outmaneuvering an extreme skeptic, the Buddha discusses the outcomes of belief and disbelief. Rather than getting stuck in abstractions, he encourages staying close to the feelings one experiences.

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

  • 0.1Majjhima Nikāya 74Middle Discourses 74

0.2DīghanakhasuttaWith Dīghanakha

1.1PTS 1.498Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.11.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate sūkarakhatāyaṁ.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain in the Boar’s Cave.

2.1Atha kho dīghanakho paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.Then the wanderer Dīghanakha went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.22.2Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho dīghanakho paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side and said to the Buddha,2.3“ahañhi, bho gotama, evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi:“Worthy Gotama, this is my doctrine and view:2.4‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’”ti.‘Nothing is acceptable to me.’”3

2.5“Yāpi kho te esā, aggivessana, diṭṭhi:“This view of yours, Aggivessana—42.6‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti, esāpi te diṭṭhi nakkhamatī”ti?is that acceptable to you?”5

2.7“Esā ce me, bho gotama, diṭṭhi khameyya, taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā”ti.“If I were to accept this view, worthy Gotama, it would make no difference, it would make no difference!”

3.1“Ato kho te, aggivessana, bahū hi bahutarā lokasmiṁ ye evamāhaṁsu:“Well, Aggivessana, there are many more in the world who say,3.2‘taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā’ti.‘It would make no difference! It would make no difference!’3.3Te tañceva diṭṭhiṁ nappajahanti aññañca diṭṭhiṁ upādiyanti.But they don’t give up that view, and they grasp another view.3.4Ato kho te, aggivessana, tanū hi tanutarā lokasmiṁ ye evamāhaṁsu:And there are a scant few in the world who say,3.5‘taṁpassa tādisameva, taṁpassa tādisamevā’ti.‘It would make no difference! It would make no difference!’3.6Te tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahanti aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyanti.And they give up that view by not grasping another view.

4.1Santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:4.2‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’ti;‘Everything is acceptable to me.’4.3santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:4.4‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti;‘Nothing is acceptable to me.’4.5santaggivessana, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:4.6‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti.‘Some things are acceptable to me and some things are not.’4.7Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’tiRegarding this, the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom everything is acceptable4.8tesamayaṁ diṭṭhi sārāgāya santike, saññogāya santike, abhinandanāya santike, ajjhosānāya santike, upādānāya santike;is close to greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.4.9tatraggivessana ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’tiThe view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom nothing is acceptable4.10tesamayaṁ diṭṭhi asārāgāya santike, asaññogāya santike, anabhinandanāya santike, anajjhosānāya santike, anupādānāya santike”ti.is far from greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.”

5.1Evaṁ vutte, dīghanakho paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When he said this, the wanderer Dīghanakha said to the Buddha,5.2“ukkaṁseti me bhavaṁ gotamo diṭṭhigataṁ, samukkaṁseti me bhavaṁ gotamo diṭṭhigatan”ti.“Worthy Gotama commends my conviction! He recommends my conviction!”

5.3PTS 1.499“Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:“Now, regarding the ascetics and brahmins to whom5.4‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’ti.some things are acceptable and some things are not.5.5Yā hi tesaṁ khamati sāyaṁ diṭṭhi sārāgāya santike, saññogāya santike, abhinandanāya santike, ajjhosānāya santike, upādānāya santike;Their view of what is acceptable is close to greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.5.6yā hi tesaṁ nakkhamati sāyaṁ diṭṭhi asārāgāya santike, asaññogāya santike, anabhinandanāya santike, anajjhosānāya santike, anupādānāya santike.Their view of what is not acceptable is far from greed, bondage, approving, attachment, and grasping.

6.1Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom6.2‘sabbaṁ me khamatī’tieverything is acceptable,6.3tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati:a sensible person reflects like this:6.4‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi—‘I have the view that6.5sabbaṁ me khamatīti,everything is acceptable.6.6imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ—Suppose I were to obstinately stick to this view and insist,6.7idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti;“This is the only truth, anything else is futile.”6.8dvīhi me assa viggaho—Then I’d argue with two individuals—6.9yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti,an ascetic or brahmin to whom nothing is acceptable,6.10yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti—and an ascetic or brahmin to whom some things are acceptable and some things are not.6.11imehi assa dvīhi viggaho.6.12Iti viggahe sati vivādo, vivāde sati vighāto, vighāte sati vihesā’.And when there’s arguing, there’s dispute; when there’s dispute there’s distress; and when there’s distress there’s harm.’6.13Iti so viggahañca vivādañca vighātañca vihesañca attani sampassamāno tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahati aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyati.So, considering in themselves the potential for argument, dispute, distress, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view.6.14Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.That’s how those views are given up and let go.

7.1Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom7.2‘sabbaṁ me nakkhamatī’tinothing is acceptable,7.3tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati:a sensible person reflects like this:7.4‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi—‘I have the view that7.5sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti,nothing is acceptable.7.6imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ—Suppose I were to obstinately stick to this view and insist,7.7idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti;“This is the only truth, anything else is futile.”7.8dvīhi me assa viggaho—Then I’d argue with two individuals—7.9yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me khamatīti,an ascetic or brahmin to whom everything is acceptable,7.10yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—ekaccaṁ me khamati ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti—and an ascetic or brahmin to whom some things are acceptable and some things are not.7.11imehi assa dvīhi viggaho.7.12Iti viggahe sati vivādo, vivāde sati vighāto, vighāte sati vihesā’.And when there’s arguing, there’s dispute; when there’s dispute there’s distress; and when there’s distress there’s harm.’7.13Iti so viggahañca vivādañca vighātañca vihesañca attani sampassamāno tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahati aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyati.So, considering in themselves the potential for argument, dispute, distress, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view.7.14Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.That’s how those views are given up and let go.

8.1Tatraggivessana, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:When it comes to the view of the ascetics and brahmins to whom8.2‘ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatī’tisome things are acceptable and some things are not,8.3tattha viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati:a sensible person reflects like this:8.4‘yā kho me ayaṁ diṭṭhi—‘I have the view that8.5ekaccaṁ me khamati, ekaccaṁ me nakkhamatīti,some things are acceptable and some things are not.8.6imañce ahaṁ diṭṭhiṁ thāmasā parāmāsā abhinivissa vohareyyaṁ—Suppose I were to obstinately stick to this view and insist,8.7idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti;“This is the only truth, anything else is futile.”8.8dvīhi me assa viggaho—Then I’d argue with two individuals—8.9yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me khamatīti,an ascetic or brahmin to whom everything is acceptable,8.10yo cāyaṁ samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁvādī evaṁdiṭṭhi—sabbaṁ me nakkhamatīti—and an ascetic or brahmin to whom nothing is acceptable.8.11imehi assa dvīhi viggaho.8.12Iti viggahe sati vivādo, vivāde sati vighāto, vighāte sati vihesā’.And when there’s arguing, there’s dispute; when there’s dispute there’s distress; and when there’s distress there’s harm.’8.13Iti so viggahañca vivādañca vighātañca vihesañca attani sampassamāno tañceva diṭṭhiṁ pajahati aññañca diṭṭhiṁ na upādiyati.So, considering in themselves the potential for argument, dispute, distress, and harm, they give up that view by not grasping another view.8.14Evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ diṭṭhīnaṁ paṭinissaggo hoti.That’s how those views are given up and let go.

9.1PTS 1.500Ayaṁ kho panaggivessana, kāyo rūpī cātumahābhūtiko mātāpettikasambhavo odanakummāsūpacayo aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo, aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassitabbo.Aggivessana, this body is formed. It’s made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction. You should see it as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as a boil, as a dart, as gloom, as an affliction, as alien, as breaking apart, as empty, as not-self.9.2Tassimaṁ kāyaṁ aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassato yo kāyasmiṁ kāyachando kāyasneho kāyanvayatā sā pahīyati.Doing so, you’ll give up desire, affection, and subservience to the body.6

10.1Tisso kho imā, aggivessana, vedanā—There are these three feelings:10.2sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā.pleasant, painful, and neutral.10.3Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti;At a time when you feel a pleasant feeling, you don’t feel a painful or neutral feeling;10.4sukhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti.you only feel a pleasant feeling.10.5Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti;At a time when you feel a painful feeling, you don’t feel a pleasant or neutral feeling;10.6dukkhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti.you only feel a painful feeling.10.7Yasmiṁ, aggivessana, samaye adukkhamasukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, neva tasmiṁ samaye sukhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti, na dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ vedeti;At a time when you feel a neutral feeling, you don’t feel a pleasant or painful feeling;10.8adukkhamasukhaṁyeva tasmiṁ samaye vedanaṁ vedeti.you only feel a neutral feeling.

11.1Sukhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā;Pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings are impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated, liable to end, vanish, fade away, and cease.11.2dukkhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā;11.3adukkhamasukhāpi kho, aggivessana, vedanā aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.

12.1Evaṁ passaṁ, aggivessana, sutavā ariyasāvako sukhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati, dukkhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati, adukkhamasukhāyapi vedanāya nibbindati;Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with pleasant, painful, and neutral feelings.12.2nibbindaṁ virajjati, virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ, vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

12.3‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’

13.1Evaṁ vimuttacitto kho, aggivessana, bhikkhu na kenaci saṁvadati, na kenaci vivadati, yañca loke vuttaṁ tena voharati, aparāmasan”ti.A mendicant whose mind is freed like this doesn’t side with anyone or dispute with anyone. They use the language of the world to communicate without getting stuck on it.”7

14.1PTS 1.501Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto bhagavato piṭṭhito ṭhito hoti bhagavantaṁ bījayamāno.Now at that time Venerable Sāriputta was standing behind the Buddha fanning him.14.2Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi:Then he thought,14.3“tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no bhagavā dhammānaṁ abhiññā pahānamāha, tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no sugato dhammānaṁ abhiññā paṭinissaggamāhā”ti.“It seems the Buddha speaks of giving up and letting go of all these things through direct knowledge.”14.4Iti hidaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa paṭisañcikkhato anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucci.Reflecting like this, Venerable Sāriputta’s mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping.8

15.1Dīghanakhassa pana paribbājakassa virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi:And the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in the wanderer Dīghanakha:15.2“yaṁ kiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbaṁ taṁ nirodhadhamman”ti.“Everything that is liable to arise is liable to cease.”15.3Atha kho dīghanakho paribbājako diṭṭhadhammo pattadhammo viditadhammo pariyogāḷhadhammo tiṇṇavicikiccho vigatakathaṅkatho vesārajjappatto aparappaccayo satthusāsane bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Then Dīghanakha saw, attained, understood, and fathomed the Dhamma. He went beyond doubt, got rid of indecision, and became self-assured and independent of others regarding the Teacher’s instructions. He said to the Buddha:

16.1“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama.“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent!16.2Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evameva kho bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways.16.3Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.16.4Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”9

16.5Dīghanakhasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ catutthaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This sutta records the occasion of the full enlightenment of the Buddha’s greatest disciple, Sāriputta, as well as the conversion of Dīghanakha. The commentary says this became the occasion for a unique four-factored gathering: it is the full moon in the month of Māgha; 1,250 mendicants spontaneously assemble; all were arahants with the six high knowledges; all were ordained by the “come, mendicant” formula. Today this is celebrated in the Makha Puja festival in Thailand.

    ↩ mn74:1.1

  2. Dīghanakha means “Long-nails”; it must have been a nickname. Long nails are forbidden in the Vinaya (Kd 15:27.1.21) and also to the one performing a Brahmanical consecration (dīkṣā, Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 3.1.2). Further, EA 34.4 says that long nails (爪長), uncut hair, and unwashed robes were disgraceful characteristics of ascetics. Ācārāṅgasūtra 2.8.5 speaks of the ascetic practice of abandoning the care of the hair of the head, beard, and nails.

    Dīghanakha was Sāriputta’s nephew according to the Pali commentaries (not here, but in MN 111, SN 11.2, etc.) and northern texts such as Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa-śāstra, Mahāvibhāṣā, and Avadānaśataka.

    ↩ mn74:2.1

  3. Dīghanakha’s view “nothing is acceptable to me” (sabbaṁ me nakkhamati) is obscure, which seems to be the point. Sanskrit and Tibetan parallels to this passage are identical to the Pali, so when some Chinese translations say “no view” or “no teaching” is acceptable, this is probably because the translators felt the need to clarify, echoing the common expression, “the acceptance of a view after consideration” (diṭṭhinijjhānakkhanti). This reading fits the text, but the sense may be broader than that. The closest phrasing in Pali is at DN 25:10.11, where “this is not acceptable to me” (idaṁ me nakkhamati) refers to food that a picky monk rejects. Views about acceptable food are recorded in detail in Jain texts, and we may presume that other orders had similar systems. Strictness in such matters is seen as a sign of virtue, escalating ultimately to the refusal of all food.

    ↩ mn74:2.4

  4. Aggivessana is his Brahmanical clan name.

    ↩ mn74:2.5

  5. While this displays the Buddha’s ready wit, like much good humor it plays on a deeper anxiety. For it is easy to say that one believes in nothing, but the state of unknowing is psychologically unstable, as minds seek answers. When someone claims to hold no views, their skepticism is how they hide their views from themselves.

    ↩ mn74:2.6

  6. For kāyanvayatā (“subservience to the body”) see MN 36:4.4. The inclusion of this rare phrase here suggests that Jain-like practices such as starvation may be indicated.

    ↩ mn74:9.2

  7. See DN 9:53.5.

    ↩ mn74:13.1

  8. Sāriputta became a stream-enterer on hearing a short teaching from the monk Assaji (Kd 1:23.5.6), whereupon he told his friend Moggallāna. They both promptly left their former teacher Sañjaya, a traumatic loss to Sañjaya and his community. AN 4.172:2.1 says that Sāriputta became enlightened a fortnight after he ordained, a detail confirmed in multiple parallels to this passage; MN 111:2.8 details the practice he undertook in that fortnight. This means that the current discussion must have taken place only a fortnight after leaving Sañjaya. Now, Sañjaya’s philosophy was to systematically avoid taking any position (DN 2:32.2), which is similar to Dīghanakha’s doctrine. It seems likely, then, that Dīghanakha was a disciple of Sañjaya. This supposition finds support in several parallels, which say Dīghanakha was annoyed to learn that Sāriputta had rejected other teachers and gone over to the Buddha (eg. Avadānaśataka, Vaidya 1958a 256: sarve tīrthakarā nigṛhītāḥ; also in Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa-śāstra and Mahāvibhāṣā). These sources do not specify Sañjaya, but who else could it be?

    ↩ mn74:14.4

  9. The Pali is alone in saying Dīghanakha became a lay follower, as all parallels report that he ordained and became an arahant. As with Vacchagotta at MN 72:22.2, it is unlikely that a wanderer would become a lay follower and the Pali is probably in error.

    The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa-śāstra, Tibetan Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya, and Avadānaśataka say that, having cut his long nails before ordination, he was known by his actual name, Koṣṭhila, that is, the monk known in Pali as Mahākoṭṭhita. This contradicts the Pali tradition, but as Anālayo shows, there are several inconsistencies in the Pali accounts, so the northern tradition is credible (Comparative Study, vol. 1, p. 406, note 88).

    ↩ mn74:16.4