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SN 12.46PTS SN 2.751 min read

A Certain Brahmin

Aññatarabrāhmaṇasutta

A brahmin asks whether the person who acts is the same or different to the person who receives the result. The Buddha rejects both views as extreme.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.46Linked Discourses 12.46
  • 0.25. Gahapativagga5. Householders

0.3AññatarabrāhmaṇasuttaA Certain Brahmin

1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Atha kho aññataro brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.Then a certain brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.1.3Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

2.1“Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, so karoti so paṭisaṁvedayatī”ti?“Worthy Gotama, are he who does the deed and he who experiences the result one and the same?”1

2.2“‘So karoti so paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, brāhmaṇa, ayameko anto”.“‘He who does the deed and he who experiences the result are one and the same’: this is one extreme, brahmin.”

3.1PTS 2.76“Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, añño karoti, añño paṭisaṁvedayatī”ti?“Then is he who does the deed one and he who experiences the result another?”

3.2“‘Añño karoti, añño paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, brāhmaṇa, ayaṁ dutiyo anto.“‘He who does the deed is one and he who experiences the result is another’: this is the second extreme.

3.3Ete te, brāhmaṇa, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:3.4‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;‘Ignorance is a requirement for choices.

3.5saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…Choices are a requirement for consciousness. …3.6evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.3.7Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;When ignorance fades away and ceases no residue left behind, choices cease.3.8saṅkhāranirodhā …pe…When choices cease …3.9evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’”ti.That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.’”

4.1Evaṁ vutte, so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When he said this, the brahmin said to the Buddha,4.2“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! …4.3upāsakaṁ 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.”

4.4Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. See comment at SN 12.17:5.1.

    ↩ sn12.46:2.1