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SN 35.63PTS SN 4.352 min read

With Migajāla (1st)

Paṭhamamigajālasutta

Venerable Migajāla asks how one lives alone, and how with a partner. The Buddha says that so long as one is bound by desire to the senses, one lives with a partner. A mendicant free of such desire dwells alone, even if they live in close association with worldly people.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.63Linked Discourses 35.63
  • 0.27. Migajālavagga7. With Migajāla

0.3PaṭhamamigajālasuttaWith Migajāla (1st)

1.1PTS 4.36Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Atha kho āyasmā migajālo yena bhagavā …pe…Then Venerable Migajāla went up to the Buddha …11.3ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā migajālo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:and said to him:

1.4“‘ekavihārī, ekavihārī’ti, bhante, vuccati.“Sir, they speak of one who lives alone.21.5Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, ekavihārī hoti, kittāvatā ca pana sadutiyavihārī hotī”ti?How is one who lives alone defined? And how is living with a partner defined?”3

2.1“Santi kho, migajāla, cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā.“Migajāla, there are sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.2.2Tañce bhikkhu abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati.If a mendicant approves, welcomes, and keeps clinging to them,2.3Tassa taṁ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato uppajjati nandī.this gives rise to relishing.2.4Nandiyā sati sārāgo hoti;When there’s relishing there’s lust.2.5sārāge sati saṁyogo hoti.When there’s lust there is yoking.2.6Nandisaṁyojanasaṁyutto kho, migajāla, bhikkhu sadutiyavihārīti vuccati.A mendicant who is fettered by relishing is said to live with a partner.

2.7…pe…There are sounds … smells … tastes … touches …

2.8Santi kho, migajāla, jivhāviññeyyā rasā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā.There are ideas known by the mind, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.42.9Tañce bhikkhu abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati.If a mendicant approves, welcomes, and keeps clinging to them,2.10Tassa taṁ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato uppajjati nandī.this gives rise to relishing.2.11Nandiyā sati sārāgo hoti;When there’s relishing there’s lust.2.12sārāge sati saṁyogo hoti.When there’s lust there is yoking.2.13Nandisaṁyojanasaṁyutto kho, migajāla, bhikkhu sadutiyavihārīti vuccati.A mendicant who is fettered by relishing is said to live with a partner.

2.14Evaṁvihārī ca, migajāla, bhikkhu kiñcāpi araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevati appasaddāni appanigghosāni vijanavātāni manussarāhasseyyakāni paṭisallānasāruppāni;A mendicant who lives like this is said to live with a partner, even if they frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest that are quiet and still, far from the madding crowd, remote from human settlements, and fit for retreat.2.15atha kho sadutiyavihārīti vuccati.2.16Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?2.17Taṇhā hissa dutiyā, sāssa appahīnā.For craving is their partner, and they haven’t given it up.2.18Tasmā ‘sadutiyavihārī’ti vuccati.That’s why they’re said to live with a partner.

3.1PTS 4.37Santi ca kho, migajāla, cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā.There are sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.3.2Tañce bhikkhu nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati.If a mendicant doesn’t approve, welcome, and keep clinging to them,3.3Tassa taṁ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato nandī nirujjhati.relishing ceases.3.4Nandiyā asati sārāgo na hoti;When there’s no relishing there’s no lust.3.5sārāge asati saṁyogo na hoti.When there’s no lust there’s no yoking.3.6Nandisaṁyojanavisaṁyutto kho, migajāla, bhikkhu ekavihārīti vuccati …pe…A mendicant who is not fettered by relishing is said to live alone.

3.7santi ca kho, migajāla, jivhāviññeyyā rasā …pe…There are sounds … smells … tastes … touches …

3.8santi ca kho, migajāla, manoviññeyyā dhammā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā.There are ideas known by the mind, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing.3.9Tañce bhikkhu nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati.If a mendicant doesn’t approve, welcome, and keep clinging to them,3.10Tassa taṁ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato nandī nirujjhati.relishing ceases.3.11Nandiyā asati sārāgo na hoti;When there’s no relishing there’s no lust.3.12sārāge asati saṁyogo na hoti.When there’s no lust there’s no yoking.

3.13Nandisaṁyojanavippayutto kho, migajāla, bhikkhu ekavihārīti vuccati.A mendicant who is not fettered by relishing is said to live alone.3.14Evaṁvihārī ca, migajāla, bhikkhu kiñcāpi gāmante viharati ākiṇṇo bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi.A mendicant who lives like this is said to live alone, even if they live within a village crowded by monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen; by rulers and their chief ministers, and monastics of other religions and their disciples.3.15Atha kho ekavihārīti vuccati.3.16Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?3.17Taṇhā hissa dutiyā, sāssa pahīnā.For craving is their partner, and they have given it up.3.18Tasmā ‘ekavihārī’ti vuccatī”ti.That’s why they’re said to live alone.”

3.19Paṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. Migajāla’s verses are at Thag 6.8.

    ↩ sn35.63:1.2
  2. “One who lives alone” (ekavihārī) is also mentioned at SN 21.10:1.5 and Thag 10.2.

    ↩ sn35.63:1.4
  3. “Partner” is dutiya (“second”), a companion or spouse.

    ↩ sn35.63:1.5
  4. MS omits mano here in error. It is included in the following round in this Sutta, and in both rounds of the next Sutta. Mano is found in the PTS and BJT editions, which I follow here.

    ↩ sn35.63:2.8