1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.At one time several senior mendicants were staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana.

1.2Atha kho āyasmā channo sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito avāpuraṇaṁ ādāya vihārena vihāraṁ upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū etadavoca:Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Channa came out of retreat. Taking a latchkey, he went from dwelling to dwelling, going up to the senior mendicants and saying,¹1.3“ovadantu maṁ āyasmanto therā, anusāsantu maṁ āyasmanto therā, karontu me āyasmanto therā dhammiṁ kathaṁ, yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyan”ti.“May the venerable senior mendicants advise me and instruct me! May they give me a Dhamma talk so that I can see the teaching!”²

2.1Evaṁ vutte, therā bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ channaṁ etadavocuṁ:When he said this, the senior mendicants said to Venerable Channa:

2.2“rūpaṁ kho, āvuso channa, aniccaṁ;“Reverend Channa, form,2.3vedanā aniccā;feeling,2.4saññā aniccā;perception,2.5saṅkhārā aniccā;choices,2.6viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ.and consciousness are impermanent.2.7Rūpaṁ anattā;Form,2.8vedanā …feeling,2.9saññā …perception,2.10saṅkhārā …choices,2.11viññāṇaṁ anattā.and consciousness are not-self.2.12Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā;All conditions are impermanent.2.13sabbe dhammā anattā”ti.All things are not-self.”³

3.1PTS 3.133Atha kho āyasmato channassa etadahosi:Then Venerable Channa thought,3.2“mayhampi kho etaṁ evaṁ hoti:“I too think in this way. …3.3‘rūpaṁ aniccaṁ, vedanā …3.4saññā …3.5saṅkhārā …3.6viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ;3.7rūpaṁ anattā, vedanā …3.8saññā …3.9saṅkhārā …3.10viññāṇaṁ anattā.3.11Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā, sabbe dhammā anattā’ti.3.12Atha ca pana me sabbasaṅkhārasamathe sabbūpadhipaṭinissagge taṇhākkhaye virāge nirodhe nibbāne cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati nādhimuccati.And yet my mind does not leap forth, gain confidence, settle down, and become decided about the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.3.13Paritassanā upādānaṁ uppajjati;Because of anxiety, grasping arises3.14paccudāvattati mānasaṁ:and keeps turning back to the thought:⁴3.15‘atha ko carahi me attā’ti?‘So who then is my self?’⁵3.16Na kho panevaṁ dhammaṁ passato hoti.But that doesn’t happen for someone who sees the teaching.3.17Ko nu kho me tathā dhammaṁ deseyya yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyan”ti.Who can teach me the Dhamma so that I can see the teaching?”

4.1Atha kho āyasmato channassa etadahosi:Then Venerable Channa thought,4.2“ayaṁ kho āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme satthu ceva saṁvaṇṇito sambhāvito ca viññūnaṁ sabrahmacārīnaṁ, pahoti ca me āyasmā ānando tathā dhammaṁ desetuṁ yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyaṁ;“Venerable Ānanda is staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery. He’s praised by the Buddha and esteemed by his sensible spiritual companions. He’s quite capable of teaching me the Dhamma so that I can see the teaching.4.3atthi ca me āyasmante ānande tāvatikā vissaṭṭhi.Since I have so much trust in Venerable Ānanda,4.4Yannūnāhaṁ yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.why don’t I go to see him?”

4.5Atha kho āyasmā channo senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena kosambī ghositārāmo yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā channo āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:Then Channa set his lodgings in order and, taking his bowl and robe, set out for Kosambī. He went to see Ānanda in Ghosita’s monastery, exchanged greetings with him, and told him what had happened. Then he said,

5.1“Ekamidāhaṁ, āvuso ānanda, samayaṁ bārāṇasiyaṁ viharāmi isipatane migadāye.5.2Atha khvāhaṁ, āvuso, sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito avāpuraṇaṁ ādāya vihārena vihāraṁ upasaṅkamiṁ;5.3upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū etadavocaṁ:5.4‘ovadantu maṁ āyasmanto therā, anusāsantu maṁ āyasmanto therā, karontu me āyasmanto therā dhammiṁ kathaṁ yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyan’ti.5.5Evaṁ vutte, maṁ, āvuso, therā bhikkhū etadavocuṁ:5.6‘rūpaṁ kho, āvuso channa, aniccaṁ;5.7vedanā …5.8saññā …5.9saṅkhārā …5.10viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ;5.11rūpaṁ anattā …pe…5.12viññāṇaṁ anattā.5.13Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā, sabbe dhammā anattā’ti.

6.1PTS 3.134Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi:6.2‘mayhampi kho etaṁ evaṁ hoti—6.3rūpaṁ aniccaṁ …pe…6.4viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ, rūpaṁ anattā, vedanā …6.5saññā …6.6saṅkhārā …6.7viññāṇaṁ anattā.6.8Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā, sabbe dhammā anattā’ti.6.9Atha ca pana me sabbasaṅkhārasamathe sabbūpadhipaṭinissagge taṇhākkhaye virāge nirodhe nibbāne cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati nādhimuccati.6.10Paritassanā upādānaṁ uppajjati;6.11paccudāvattati mānasaṁ:6.12‘atha ko carahi me attā’ti?6.13Na kho panevaṁ dhammaṁ passato hoti.6.14Ko nu kho me tathā dhammaṁ deseyya yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyanti.

7.1Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi:7.2‘ayaṁ kho āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme satthu ceva saṁvaṇṇito sambhāvito ca viññūnaṁ sabrahmacārīnaṁ, pahoti ca me āyasmā ānando tathā dhammaṁ desetuṁ yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyaṁ.7.3Atthi ca me āyasmante ānande tāvatikā vissaṭṭhi.7.4Yannūnāhaṁ yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkameyyan’ti.7.5Ovadatu maṁ, āyasmā ānando;“May Venerable Ānanda advise me and instruct me! May he give me a Dhamma talk so that I can see the teaching!”7.6anusāsatu maṁ, āyasmā ānando;7.7karotu me, āyasmā ānando dhammiṁ kathaṁ yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyan”ti.

8.1“Ettakenapi mayaṁ āyasmato channassa attamanā api nāma taṁ āyasmā channo āvi akāsi khīlaṁ chindi.“I’m already delighted with Venerable Channa. Hopefully you’ve opened yourself up and severed your hard-heartedness.⁶8.2Odahāvuso channa, sotaṁ;Listen well, Channa.8.3bhabbosi dhammaṁ viññātun”ti.You are capable of understanding the teaching.”

8.4Atha kho āyasmato channassa tāvatakeneva uḷāraṁ pītipāmojjaṁ uppajji:Then right away Channa was filled with lofty rapture and joy,8.5“bhabbo kirasmi dhammaṁ viññātun”ti.“It seems I’m capable of understanding the teaching!”

9.1PTS 3.135“Sammukhā metaṁ, āvuso channa, bhagavato sutaṁ, sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ kaccānagottaṁ bhikkhuṁ ovadantassa—“Reverend Channa, I heard and learned in the presence of the Buddha his advice to the mendicant Kaccānagotta:⁷

9.2dvayanissito khvāyaṁ, kaccāna, loko yebhuyyena atthitañceva natthitañca.‘Kaccāna, this world mostly relies on the duality of existence and non-existence.

9.3Lokasamudayaṁ kho, kaccāna, yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato yā loke natthitā, sā na hoti.But for one who truly sees the origin of the world with right understanding, the concept of non-existence regarding the world does not occur.9.4Lokanirodhaṁ kho, kaccāna, yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato yā loke atthitā, sā na hoti.And for one who truly sees the cessation of the world with right understanding, the concept of existence regarding the world does not occur.

9.5Upayupādānābhinivesavinibandho khvāyaṁ, kaccāna, loko yebhuyyenaThis world is for the most part shackled by getting involved, grasping, and insisting.

9.6taṁ cāyaṁ upayupādānaṁ cetaso adhiṭṭhānābhinivesānusayaṁ na upeti na upādiyati nādhiṭṭhāti ‘attā me’ti.But if—for all that getting involved and grasping, mental fixation, and insistence and underlying tendency—they do not get attracted, grasp, and fixate on the thought, ‘my self’,9.7Dukkhameva uppajjamānaṁ uppajjati, dukkhaṁ nirujjhamānaṁ nirujjhatīti na kaṅkhati na vicikicchati.they’ll have no doubt or uncertainty that what arises is just suffering arising, and what ceases is just suffering ceasing.⁸9.8Aparappaccayā ñāṇamevassa ettha hoti.Their knowledge of this is independent of others.

9.9Ettāvatā kho, kaccāna, sammādiṭṭhi hoti.This is how right view is defined.

9.10Sabbamatthīti kho, kaccāna, ayameko anto.“All exists”: this is one extreme.

9.11Sabbaṁ natthīti ayaṁ dutiyo anto.“All does not exist”: this is the second extreme.

9.12Ete te, kaccāna, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti—Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:

9.13avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;“Ignorance is a requirement for choices.9.14saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…Choices are a requirement for consciousness. …9.15evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

9.16Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho …pe…When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, choices cease. …9.17evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”’”

10.1“Evametaṁ, āvuso ānanda, hoti yesaṁ āyasmantānaṁ tādisā sabrahmacārayo anukampakā atthakāmā ovādakā anusāsakā.“Reverend Ānanda, this is how it is when you have such venerables as spiritual companions to advise and instruct you out of kindness and sympathy.10.2Idañca pana me āyasmato ānandassa dhammadesanaṁ sutvā dhammo abhisamito”ti.And now that I’ve heard this teaching from Venerable Ānanda, I’ve comprehended the teaching.”

10.3Aṭṭhamaṁ.