SN 12.17PTS SN 2.183 min read

With Kassapa, the Naked Ascetic

Acelakassapasutta

A naked ascetic named Kassapa approaches the Buddha while he is on alms round and asks whether suffering is created by oneself, by another, by both, or by chance. Explaining why he rejects all these options, the Buddha asserts that suffering arises due to conditions.

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

0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.17Linked Discourses 12.17
0.22. Āhāravagga2. Fuel

0.3AcelakassapasuttaWith Kassapa, the Naked Ascetic

1.1PTS 2.19Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.¹1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

1.3Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms.1.4Addasā kho acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.The naked ascetic Kassapa saw the Buddha coming off in the distance.²1.5Disvāna yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.He went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

1.6Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side and said to the Buddha,

1.7“puccheyyāma mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ kañcideva desaṁ, sace no bhavaṁ gotamo okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti.“I’d like to ask the worthy Gotama about a certain point, if you’d take the time to answer.”

1.8“Akālo kho tāva, kassapa, pañhassa;“Kassapa, it’s the wrong time for questions.1.9antaragharaṁ paviṭṭhamhā”ti.We’ve entered an inhabited area.”

2.1Dutiyampi kho acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:A second time,2.2“puccheyyāma mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ kañcideva desaṁ, sace no bhavaṁ gotamo okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti.2.3“Akālo kho tāva, kassapa, pañhassa;2.4antaragharaṁ paviṭṭhamhā”ti.2.5Tatiyampi kho acelo kassapo …pe…and a third time, Kassapa spoke to the Buddha and the Buddha replied.2.6antaragharaṁ paviṭṭhamhāti.2.7Evaṁ vutte, acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When this was said, Kassapa said to the Buddha,

2.8“na kho pana mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ bahudeva pucchitukāmā”ti.“I don’t want to ask much.”³

2.9“Puccha, kassapa, yadākaṅkhasī”ti.“Ask what you wish, Kassapa.”⁴

3.1PTS 2.20“Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘sayaṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti?“Well, worthy Gotama, is suffering made by oneself?”⁵

3.2‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca.“Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha.

3.3‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, paraṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti?“Then is suffering made by another?”⁶

3.4‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca.“Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha.

3.5‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca dukkhan’ti?“Well, is suffering made by both oneself and another?”⁷

3.6‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca.“Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha.

3.7‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ dukkhan’ti?“Then does suffering arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?”⁸

3.8‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca.“Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha.

3.9‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, natthi dukkhan’ti?“Well, is there no such thing as suffering?”

3.10‘Na kho, kassapa, natthi dukkhaṁ.“It’s not that there’s no such thing as suffering.3.11Atthi kho, kassapa, dukkhan’ti.Suffering is real.”

3.12‘Tena hi bhavaṁ gotamo dukkhaṁ na jānāti, na passatī’ti.“Then does the worthy Gotama not know or see suffering?”⁹

3.13‘Na khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ na jānāmi, na passāmi.“It’s not that I don’t know or see suffering.3.14Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ;I do know suffering,3.15passāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhan’”ti.I do see suffering.”

4.1“Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘sayaṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi.“Worthy Gotama, when asked these questions, you say ‘not so’.4.2‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, paraṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi.4.3‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi.4.4‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi.4.5‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, natthi dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na kho, kassapa, natthi dukkhaṁ, atthi kho, kassapa, dukkhan’ti vadesi.Yet you say that there is such a thing as suffering.4.6‘Tena hi bhavaṁ gotamo dukkhaṁ na jānāti na passatī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ na jānāmi na passāmi.4.7Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ;And you say that you do know suffering,4.8passāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhan’ti vadesi.and you do see suffering.4.9Ācikkhatu ca me, bhante, bhagavā dukkhaṁ.Sir, let the Blessed One explain suffering to me!¹⁰4.10Desetu ca me, bhante, bhagavā dukkhan”ti.Let the Blessed One teach me about suffering!”

5.1PTS 2.21“‘So karoti so paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, kassapa, ādito sato ‘sayaṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti vadaṁ sassataṁ etaṁ pareti.“Suppose that he who does the deed and he who experiences the result are one and the same. Then for one who has existed since the beginning, suffering is made by oneself. In speaking like this, one implies this is eternal.¹¹5.2‘Añño karoti añño paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, kassapa, vedanābhitunnassa sato ‘paraṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti vadaṁ ucchedaṁ etaṁ pareti.Suppose that he who does the deed is one, and he who experiences the result is another. Then for one stricken by feeling, suffering is made by another. In speaking like this, one implies this is annihilated.¹²5.3Ete te, kassapa, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:¹³5.4‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;‘Ignorance is a requirement for choices.

5.5saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…Choices are a requirement for consciousness. …5.6evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.5.7Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, choices cease.5.8saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe…When choices cease, consciousness ceases. …5.9evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’”ti.That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.’”

6.1Evaṁ vutte, acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When this was said, Kassapa said to the Buddha,6.2“abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante.“Excellent, sir! Excellent!6.3Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya …pe… ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhagavatā 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, the Buddha has made the teaching clear in many ways.6.4Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.6.5Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”

7.1“Yo kho, kassapa, aññatitthiyapubbo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ākaṅkhati pabbajjaṁ, ākaṅkhati upasampadaṁ, so cattāro māse parivasati. Catunnaṁ māsānaṁ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājenti upasampādenti bhikkhubhāvāya.“Kassapa, if someone formerly ordained in another sect wishes to take the going forth, the ordination in this teaching and training, they must spend four months on probation. When four months have passed, if the mendicants are satisfied, they’ll give the going forth, the ordination into monkhood.¹⁴7.2Api ca mayā puggalavemattatā viditā”ti.However, I have recognized individual differences.”¹⁵

8.1“Sace, bhante, aññatitthiyapubbo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ākaṅkhati pabbajjaṁ, ākaṅkhati upasampadaṁ, cattāro māse parivasati. Catunnaṁ māsānaṁ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājenti upasampādenti bhikkhubhāvāya. Ahaṁ cattāri vassāni parivasissāmi, catunnaṁ vassānaṁ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājentu upasampādentu bhikkhubhāvāyā”ti.“Sir, if four months probation are required in such a case, I’ll spend four years on probation. When four years have passed, if the mendicants are satisfied, let them give me the going forth, the ordination into monkhood.”

9.1PTS 2.22Alattha kho acelo kassapo bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ.And the naked ascetic Kassapa received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence.9.2Acirūpasampanno ca panāyasmā kassapo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.Not long after his ordination, Venerable Kassapa, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

9.3“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi.He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.”9.4Aññataro ca panāyasmā kassapo arahataṁ ahosīti.And Venerable Kassapa became one of the perfected.

9.5Sattamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

The things that are “made by oneself” and “made by another” are here said to be “suffering” (as at SN 12.24, SN 12.26). Since suffering comes with its opposite, sometimes it is said to be “pleasure and pain” (AN 6.95, SN 12.18, SN 12.25). Since pleasure and pain characterize the world, to that is sometimes added “the self and the cosmos” (DN 29:34.13, Ud 6.5, Ud 6.6). To emphasize universality, it can also be all factors of dependent origination (SN 12.67). While these discourses reject the notion since it assumes a metaphysical self, from a conventional point of view it may still be said that good deeds “done by oneself” are a friend in the hereafter (SN 1.53:2.5), or that a thief is punished for what they themselves have done (Mil 5.3.11:3.7), “like a spider caught in the web she wove” (Dhp 347). Later canonical texts, on the other hand, deny that merit is “made by oneself or given by gods” (Ja 524:28.2, Vv 84:22.2, Pv 37:22.2).
↩ sn12.17:1.1
Naked ascetics are still found in India today. Digambara Jains went naked, but if he were a Jain he would have been introduced as such. Kassapa is an ancient clan name of the brahmins, and we meet four naked ascetics named Kassapa in the canon (here, DN 8, SN 41.9, and MN 124). They cannot be the same person, for at the end of each account it is said they went forth and attained arahantship.
↩ sn12.17:1.4
When someone says to me, “Just a small question”, it’s usually followed by, “So, what is consciousness really? And how does it relate to Nibbāna?”
↩ sn12.17:2.8
The following set of questions appear several times as views held or debated among the non-Buddhists who believe in kamma. The popularity of such discussions shows kamma was a hot topic of the day, with many different ideas about what it was, how it worked, or if indeed it was real. And it also shows that dependent origination was the Buddha’s answer to the vexed question of kamma, personal identity, and responsibility.
↩ sn12.17:2.9
This draws on the Vedic notion that the act of creation is a kind of self-emptying, as the creator deity forms the world by and of themselves. Thus the sacrificer offers to Prajāpati as the sun with the words, “You are self-made” (svāṁkṛta, Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 4.1.1.22, 4.1.2.21). In another context, Atharva Veda 8.5.9c refers to magic spells performed by oneself or prepared by another.
↩ sn12.17:3.1
For Pali paraṅkata we find Sanskrit anyakṛta: “Let me not suffer for what was done by another, o king” (Rig Veda 2.28, cf. 6.51.7). Malicious dealings, violence, curses, and maleficent spirits were potent sources of suffering.
↩ sn12.17:3.3
When suffering arises on a personal level, particular instances of suffering might be attributed solely to either oneself or the other. Sometimes it may be both, for example, when someone who acts in compliance with an evil regime is subsequently punished. But if we speak of suffering in general, then suffering that is purely one’s own fault might occur if all things are determined by one’s own past deeds. And suffering that is purely another’s fault might arise from the will of a malevolent deity. Suffering that is both might occur in a world where certain beings determine their own future and others do not.
↩ sn12.17:3.5
Adhicca is usually translated in this context as “chance”. The root meaning refers to something that has been “lifted out”, making it a “special exception” or “anomaly”. It isn’t used in Sanskrit for a philosophical theory of chance, for which we find instead yadṛcchā (“arbitrariness”, Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.2). The theory proposed here is not that the universe in general operates by chance, but that the happenstance of creation is an “anomaly” in the general scheme of things. At SN 12.24:3.4 and SN 12.25:2.4 we learn that some philosophers who believed in the doctrine of kamma nonetheless argued that suffering arose anomalously.
↩ sn12.17:3.7
The Pali is not explicitly phrased as a question, but SN 12.17:4.6 below confirms that that is the intent.
↩ sn12.17:3.12
The change of address shows that he has acquired faith.
↩ sn12.17:4.9
The person who performs the deed in this life is identical to the person who experiences the result in future lives. The syntax employs repeated demonstrative pronouns (so … so) to assert emphatic identity, as in the phrases, “the self and the cosmos are one and the same” (SN 22.81:10.7) or “the soul and the body are one and the same” (SN 12.35:5.2). Hence this is identified as eternalism.
Pareti normally means “to depart”, literally “go to the other”, and its use here is apparently unique. I take it in the sense “convey the meaning”, “imply” (cf. Sanskrit pārayati, “convey”).
See Bodhi’s discussion of ādito sato in Connected Discourses, notes 39 and 40.
↩ sn12.17:5.1
A person does a deed in this life, and a completely different person experiences the result in a future life. Thus the one who did the deed has been annihilated.
↩ sn12.17:5.2
The Buddha does not discuss the final two terms of the tetralemma. For the view that suffering is made by both oneself and another, compare the doctrines of “partial eternalism”, i.e. that some beings are eternal, others not (DN 1:2.1.1). For the view that suffering arose by chance, see the doctrines of origination by chance (DN 1:2.30.1).
↩ sn12.17:5.3
In the early period, there was no distinction between “going forth” (pabbajjā) and “ordination” (upasampadā). They are two sides of the same coin: leaving the home life and entering the ascetic life. Ordination was originally granted by the Buddha with the simple call, “Come mendicant!” (Kd 1:6.32.1). As the community grew, the Buddha authorized the Saṅgha to perform the “going forth and ordination” (Kd 1:12.1.1). Later still, the novice (sāmaṇaera) platform was introduced for teenagers and became known as “going forth” (Kd 1:54.3.2). Finally, the novice ordination was standardized for all ordinands, even if it was merely preliminary to the “full ordination”.
↩ sn12.17:7.1
In addition to individual exceptions, there are general exceptions for dreadlocked fire-worshipping ascetics, since they believe in kamma, and for the Buddha’s relatives (Kd 1:38.11.3).
↩ sn12.17:7.2