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SN 35.151PTS SN 4.1362 min read

A Resident Pupil

Antevāsikasutta

One with no “student” and no “teacher” dwells in happiness. Here the Buddha plays with the Pali words such that “student” means “one who dwells within” and “teacher” means “one who assails”.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.151Linked Discourses 35.151
  • 0.215. Navapurāṇavagga15. The Old and the New

0.3AntevāsikasuttaA Resident Pupil

1.1“Anantevāsikamidaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmacariyaṁ vussati anācariyakaṁ.“Mendicants, this spiritual life is lived without a resident pupil and without a teaching master.11.2Santevāsiko, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sācariyako dukkhaṁ na phāsu viharati.A mendicant who lives with a resident pupil and a teaching master lives in suffering and discomfort.1.3Anantevāsiko, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anācariyako sukhaṁ phāsu viharati.A mendicant who lives without a resident pupil and a teaching master lives in happiness and comfort.

1.4Kathañca, bhikkhu, santevāsiko sācariyako dukkhaṁ na phāsu viharati?And how does a mendicant who lives with a resident pupil and a teaching master live in suffering and discomfort?

1.5Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā dhammā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā.When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, bad, unskillful phenomena arise: memories and thoughts that tighten the fetters.1.6Tyāssa anto vasanti, antassa vasanti pāpakā akusalā dhammāti.Those qualities reside within. Since they have bad unskillful qualities residing within,21.7Tasmā santevāsikoti vuccati.they’re said to have a resident pupil.1.8Te naṁ samudācaranti, samudācaranti naṁ pāpakā akusalā dhammāti.Those qualities master them. Since they’re mastered by bad unskillful qualities,31.9Tasmā sācariyakoti vuccati …pe….they’re said to have a teaching master.

2.1Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā dhammā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā.Furthermore, when a mendicant hears … smells … tastes … touches …2.2Tyāssa anto vasanti, antassa vasanti pāpakā akusalā dhammāti.2.3Tasmā santevāsikoti vuccati.2.4Te naṁ samudācaranti, samudācaranti naṁ pāpakā akusalā dhammāti. Tasmā sācariyakoti vuccati …pe….3.1PTS 4.137Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno manasā dhammaṁ viññāya uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā dhammā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā.knows an idea with their mind, bad, unskillful phenomena arise: memories and thoughts that tighten the fetters.3.2Tyāssa anto vasanti, antassa vasanti pāpakā akusalā dhammāti.Those qualities reside within. Since they have bad unskillful qualities residing within,3.3Tasmā santevāsikoti vuccati.they’re said to have a resident pupil.3.4Te naṁ samudācaranti, samudācaranti naṁ pāpakā akusalā dhammāti.Those qualities master them. Since they’re mastered by bad unskillful qualities,3.5Tasmā sācariyakoti vuccati.they’re said to have a teaching master.3.6Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu santevāsiko sācariyako dukkhaṁ, na phāsu viharati.That’s how a mendicant who lives with a resident pupil and a teaching master lives in suffering and discomfort.

4.1Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anantevāsiko anācariyako sukhaṁ phāsu viharati?And how does a mendicant who lives without a resident pupil and a teaching master live in happiness and comfort?

4.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā dhammā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā.When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, bad, unskillful phenomena don’t arise: memories and thoughts that tighten the fetters.4.3Tyāssa na anto vasanti, nāssa anto vasanti pāpakā akusalā dhammāti.Those qualities don’t reside within. Since they don’t have bad unskillful qualities residing within,4.4Tasmā anantevāsikoti vuccati.they’re said to not have a resident pupil.4.5Te naṁ na samudācaranti, na samudācaranti naṁ pāpakā akusalā dhammāti.Those qualities don’t master them. Since they’re not mastered by bad unskillful qualities,4.6Tasmā anācariyakoti vuccati …pe….they’re said to not have a teaching master.

5.1Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā na uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā dhammā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā.Furthermore, when a mendicant hears … smells … tastes … touches …5.2Tyāssa na anto vasanti, nāssa anto vasanti pāpakā akusalā dhammāti.5.3Tasmā anantevāsikoti vuccati.5.4Te naṁ na samudācaranti, na samudācaranti naṁ pāpakā akusalā dhammāti. Tasmā anācariyakoti vuccati …pe….6.1PTS 4.138Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā dhammā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā.knows an idea with their mind, bad, unskillful phenomena don’t arise: memories and thoughts that tighten the fetters.6.2Tyāssa na anto vasanti, nāssa anto vasanti pāpakā akusalā dhammāti.Those qualities don’t reside within. Since they don’t have bad unskillful qualities residing within,6.3Tasmā anantevāsikoti vuccati.they’re said to not have a resident pupil.6.4Te naṁ na samudācaranti, na samudācaranti naṁ pāpakā akusalā dhammāti.Those qualities don’t master them. Since they’re not mastered by bad unskillful qualities,6.5Tasmā anācariyakoti vuccati.they’re said to not have a teaching master.

6.6Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anantevāsiko anācariyako sukhaṁ phāsu viharati.That’s how a mendicant who lives without a resident pupil and a teaching master lives in happiness and comfort.

6.7Anantevāsikamidaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmacariyaṁ vussati.This spiritual life is lived without a resident pupil and without a teaching master.6.8Anācariyakaṁ santevāsiko, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sācariyako dukkhaṁ, na phāsu viharati.A mendicant who lives with a resident pupil and a teaching master lives in suffering and discomfort.6.9Anantevāsiko, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anācariyako sukhaṁ phāsu viharatī”ti.A mendicant who lives without a resident pupil and a teaching master lives in happiness and comfort.”

6.10Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. The Vinaya establishes that a newly ordained monastic should live in dependence on a mentor (uppajjhāya) and/or a “tutor” (ācariya) for at least the first five years. If they considered qualified at that point they may be released from dependence. Here the Buddha plays with this idea, inverting the standard meaning.

    ↩ sn35.151:1.1

  2. The Buddha reveals the pun: the defilements “reside within” (anto vasanti) as a “resident pupil” (antevāsi) lives with the teacher.

    ↩ sn35.151:1.6

  3. The defilements “master” (samudācaranti) them like a “teaching master” (ācariya).

    ↩ sn35.151:1.8