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SN 45.48PTS SN 5.291 min read

Extinguishment With No Fuel For Grasping

Anupādāparinibbānasutta

If others ask why you follow the spiritual path, say it’s for final extinguishment without anything left over.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.48Linked Discourses 45.48
  • 0.25. Aññatitthiyapeyyālavagga5. Abbreviated Texts on Followers of Other Religions

0.3AnupādāparinibbānasuttaExtinguishment With No Fuel For Grasping

1.1PTS 5.29Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Sace vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ:“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow another religion were to ask you:1.3‘kimatthiyaṁ, āvuso, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha:‘Reverends, what’s the goal of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?’ You should answer them like this:1.4‘anupādāparinibbānatthaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti.‘The goal of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is complete extinguishment with no fuel for grasping.’

1.5Sace pana vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ:If wanderers of other religions were to ask you:1.6‘atthi panāvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyā’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha:‘Is there a path and a practice for complete extinguishment with no fuel for grasping?’ You should answer them like this:1.7‘atthi kho, āvuso, maggo, atthi paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyā’ti.‘There is a path and a practice for complete extinguishment with no fuel for grasping.’

1.8Katamo ca, bhikkhave, maggo, katamā ca paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāya?And what is that path, what is that practice for complete extinguishment with no fuel for grasping?1.9Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ—It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:1.10sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.1.11Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, maggo, ayaṁ paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyāti.This is the path, this is the practice for complete extinguishment with no fuel for grasping.

1.12Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyāthā”ti.When questioned by wanderers of other religions, that’s how you should answer them.”

1.13Aṭṭhamaṁ.

1.14Aññatitthiyapeyyālaṁ.

2.0Tassuddānaṁ

2.1Virāgasaṁyojanaṁ anusayaṁ,2.2Addhānaṁ āsavā khayā;2.3Vijjāvimuttiñāṇañca,2.4Anupādāya aṭṭhamī.