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SN 4.23PTS (1st ed) SN 1.1202 min read

With Godhika

Godhikasutta

Venerable Godhika finds himself repeatedly falling away from his meditation attainments due to severe illness. Eventually he considers suicide, and Māra tries to get the Buddha to deter him. But the Buddha says Godhika has already attained awakening and has died blamelessly.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 4.23Linked Discourses 4.23
  • 0.23. Tatiyavagga3. Māra

0.3GodhikasuttaWith Godhika

1.1Evaṁ 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.

1.3Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā godhiko isigilipasse viharati kāḷasilāyaṁ.Now at that time Venerable Godhika was staying on the slopes of Isigili at the Black Rock.21.4Atha kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto sāmayikaṁ cetovimuttiṁ phusi.Then Venerable Godhika, meditating diligent, keen, and resolute, experienced temporary freedom of heart.31.5Atha kho āyasmā godhiko tamhā sāmayikāya cetovimuttiyā parihāyi.But then he fell away from that temporary freedom of heart.41.6Dutiyampi kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto sāmayikaṁ cetovimuttiṁ phusi.For a second …1.7Dutiyampi kho āyasmā godhiko tamhā sāmayikāya cetovimuttiyā parihāyi.1.8Tatiyampi kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto sāmayikaṁ cetovimuttiṁ phusi.third …1.9Tatiyampi kho āyasmā godhiko tamhā …pe… parihāyi.1.10Catutthampi kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto …pe… vimuttiṁ phusi.fourth …1.11Catutthampi kho āyasmā godhiko tamhā …pe… parihāyi.1.12Pañcamampi kho āyasmā godhiko …pe… cetovimuttiṁ phusi.fifth …1.13Pañcamampi kho āyasmā …pe… vimuttiyā parihāyi.1.14Chaṭṭhampi kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto sāmayikaṁ cetovimuttiṁ phusi.sixth time Godhika experienced temporary freedom of heart.1.15Chaṭṭhampi kho āyasmā godhiko tamhā sāmayikāya cetovimuttiyā parihāyi.But for a sixth time he fell away from it.1.16Sattamampi kho āyasmā godhiko appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto sāmayikaṁ cetovimuttiṁ phusi.For a seventh time Godhika, meditating diligent, keen, and resolute, experienced temporary freedom of heart.

2.1Atha kho āyasmato godhikassa etadahosi:Then he thought,2.2“yāva chaṭṭhaṁ khvāhaṁ sāmayikāya cetovimuttiyā parihīno.“I’ve fallen away from this temporary freedom of heart no less than six times.2.3Yannūnāhaṁ satthaṁ āhareyyan”ti.Why don’t I commit suicide?”5

2.4Atha kho māro pāpimā āyasmato godhikassa cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:And then Māra the Wicked, knowing Godhika’s train of thought, went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:

3.1“Mahāvīra mahāpañña,“O great hero, O greatly wise!63.2iddhiyā yasasā jala;Shining with power and glory.3.3Sabbaverabhayātīta,You’ve gone beyond all enmities and fears,3.4pāde vandāmi cakkhuma.I bow to your feet, O Clear-eyed One!

4.1Sāvako te mahāvīra,Great hero, master of death,4.2maraṇaṁ maraṇābhibhū;your disciple longs for death,4.3Ākaṅkhati cetayati,he’s planning for it.4.4taṁ nisedha jutindhara.Stop him, O light-bringer!7

5.1Kathañhi bhagavā tuyhaṁ,For Blessed One, renowned among men,5.2Sāvako sāsane rato;your disciple who loves your teaching,5.3Appattamānaso sekkho,a trainee who hasn’t achieved their heart’s desire—5.4Kālaṁ kayirā janesutā”ti.how can they kill themselves?”

6.1Tena kho pana samayena āyasmatā godhikena satthaṁ āharitaṁ hoti.Now at that time Venerable Godhika had already committed suicide.

6.2Atha kho bhagavā “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:Then the Buddha, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, addressed him in verse:

7.1“Evañhi dhīrā kubbanti,“This is how the attentive act,7.2nāvakaṅkhanti jīvitaṁ;for they don’t long for life.7.3Samūlaṁ taṇhamabbuyha,Having plucked out craving, root and all,7.4godhiko parinibbuto”ti.Godhika is quenched.”8

8.1Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:Then the Buddha said to the mendicants,8.2“āyāma, bhikkhave, yena isigilipassaṁ kāḷasilā tenupasaṅkamissāma yattha godhikena kulaputtena satthaṁ āharitan”ti.“Come, mendicants, let’s go to the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili where Godhika, who came from a good family, committed suicide.”

8.3“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.“Yes, sir,” they replied.

9.1Atha kho bhagavā sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ yena isigilipassaṁ kāḷasilā tenupasaṅkami.Then the Buddha together with several mendicants went to the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili.9.2Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ godhikaṁ dūratova mañcake vivattakkhandhaṁ semānaṁ.The Buddha saw Godhika off in the distance on his cot, lying with aggregates cast off.9

9.3Tena kho pana samayena dhūmāyitattaṁ timirāyitattaṁ gacchateva purimaṁ disaṁ, gacchati pacchimaṁ disaṁ, gacchati uttaraṁ disaṁ, gacchati dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ, gacchati uddhaṁ, gacchati adho, gacchati anudisaṁ.Now at that time a cloud of black smoke was moving east, west, north, south, above, below, and in-between.

10.1Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:Then the Buddha said to the mendicants,

10.2“passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etaṁ dhūmāyitattaṁ timirāyitattaṁ gacchateva purimaṁ disaṁ, gacchati pacchimaṁ disaṁ, gacchati uttaraṁ disaṁ, gacchati dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ, gacchati uddhaṁ, gacchati adho, gacchati anudisan”ti?“Mendicants, do you see that cloud of black smoke moving east, west, north, south, above, below, and in-between?”

10.3“Evaṁ, bhante”.“Yes, sir.”

10.4“Eso kho, bhikkhave, māro pāpimā godhikassa kulaputtassa viññāṇaṁ samanvesati:“That’s Māra the Wicked searching for Godhika’s consciousness, wondering:10.5‘kattha godhikassa kulaputtassa viññāṇaṁ patiṭṭhitan’ti?‘Where is Godhika’s consciousness established?’10.6Appatiṭṭhitena ca, bhikkhave, viññāṇena godhiko kulaputto parinibbuto”ti.But since his consciousness is not established, Godhika is quenched.”

10.7Atha kho māro pāpimā beluvapaṇḍuvīṇaṁ ādāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:Then Māra, carrying his arched harp made from the pale timber of wood-apple, went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:10

11.1“Uddhaṁ adho ca tiriyaṁ,“Above, below, all round,11.2disā anudisā svahaṁ;in the four quarters and in-between,11.3Anvesaṁ nādhigacchāmi,I’ve been searching without success:11.4godhiko so kuhiṁ gato”ti.where has that Godhika got to?”

12.1“Yo dhīro dhitisampanno,“He was an attentive and steadfast sage,12.2jhāyī jhānarato sadā;a meditator who loved absorption.12.3Ahorattaṁ anuyuñjaṁ,By day and by night he applied himself,12.4jīvitaṁ anikāmayaṁ.without concern for his life.

13.1Jetvāna maccuno senaṁ,He defeated the army of death,13.2anāgantvā punabbhavaṁ;and won’t return for any future life.13.3Samūlaṁ taṇhamabbuyha,Having plucked out craving, root and all13.4godhiko parinibbuto”ti.Godhika is quenched.”

14.1Tassa sokaparetassa,So stricken with sorrow1114.2vīṇā kacchā abhassatha;that his harp dropped from his armpit,14.3Tato so dummano yakkho,that spirit, downcast,1214.4tatthevantaradhāyathāti.vanished right there.

Translator’s notes

  1. Compare the stories of Channa (MN 144, SN 35.87), Vakkali (SN 22.87), and the suicidal Saṅgha (SN 54.9, Bu Pj 3).

    ↩ sn4.23:1.1

  2. Godhika’s verse is at Thag 1.51.

    ↩ sn4.23:1.3

  3. “Temporary” (sāmayikaṁ) liberation is mentioned at MN 122:4.1, where it contrasts with the “irreversible” liberation of the perfected one. It also appears in AN 6.44 and AN 10.75, and is defined in the Paṭisambhidāmagga as the four absorptions and four formless attainments (Ps 1.5:26.2).

    ↩ sn4.23:1.4

  4. The commentary explains that he was chronically ill, so could not progress in meditation despite strenuous efforts over a long time.

    ↩ sn4.23:1.5

  5. The idiomatic phrase satthahāraka (its verbal form here satthaṁ āhareyyaṁ is reflexive optative first singular) is difficult. The obvious reading is to take sattha as “knife”. However, that yields the sense “knife-bringer”, “assassin”, whereas the use of idaṁ in MN 145:5.32 shows it must be neuter, i.e. it is a thing not a person. Richard Gombrich suggests we read sattha here as equivalent to Sanskrit śvasita, “breathing, life” (see Brahmali’s note on Bu Pj 3:2.49.1), yielding the sense “life-taker”, “breath-stealer”, “deadly weapon”. This agrees with the Vinaya commentary, which explains, “What does it take? Life.” (Kiṁ harati? Jīvitaṁ). Since this idiom is only used in the context of suicide, I use the normal English term.

    ↩ sn4.23:2.3

  6. Māra uncharacteristically showers the Buddha with praise. It seems he is afraid that Godhika will slip beyond his grasp.

    ↩ sn4.23:3.1

  7. “Light-bringer” (jutindhara) is a curious epithet for Māra to use, not least because it is etymologically parallel to “Lucifer”.

    ↩ sn4.23:4.4

  8. The Buddha confirms that he had attained arahantship, or irreversible liberation, which must have been shortly before he died. The Buddhist tradition says that only an arahant is allowed to take their own life, and only then in cases of terminal illness. However, it is possible to read the scriptural passages the other way. Since an arahant is incapable of doing anything wrong, the fact that they killed themselves shows there is nothing wrong with voluntary euthanasia in cases of incurable and imminent terminal illness.

    ↩ sn4.23:7.4

  9. Vivatta (or vivaṭṭa) often means “cast off”, as in “the fetters” (vivattayi saṁyojanaṁ) or the “veil” (vivaṭṭacchada). Here it describes the dead monk’s body after attaining final Nibbāna.

    ↩ sn4.23:9.2

  10. For the “arched harp” (vīṇa), see SN 35.246 and notes. Pañcasikha’s harp is described in the same way (DN 21:1.2.4), and tradition says they were in fact the same instrument.

    ↩ sn4.23:10.7

  11. This verse, which must have been added by redactors, also occurs at Snp 3.2:25.1.

    ↩ sn4.23:14.1

  12. Māra is referred to as a yakkha.

    ↩ sn4.23:14.3