The Great Questions (2nd)Dutiyamahāpañhāsutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Kajaṅgalā in a bamboo grove.Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kajaṅgalāyaṁ viharati veḷuvane. Then several lay followers of Kajaṅgalā went to the nun Kajaṅgalikā, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to her:Atha kho sambahulā kajaṅgalakā upāsakā yena kajaṅgalikā bhikkhunī tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā kajaṅgalikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho kajaṅgalakā upāsakā kajaṅgalikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ etadavocuṁ:

“Ma’am, this was said by the Buddha in ‘The Great Questions’:“Vuttamidaṁ, ayye, bhagavatā mahāpañhesu: ‘One thing: question, summary recital, and answer. Two … Three … Four … Five … Six … Seven … Eight … Nine … Ten things: question, summary recital, and answer.’‘eko pañho eko uddeso ekaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ, dve pañhā dve uddesā dve veyyākaraṇāni, tayo pañhā tayo uddesā tīṇi veyyākaraṇāni, cattāro pañhā cattāro uddesā cattāri veyyākaraṇāni, pañca pañhā pañcuddesā pañca veyyākaraṇāni, cha pañhā cha uddesā cha veyyākaraṇāni, satta pañhā sattuddesā satta veyyākaraṇāni, aṭṭha pañhā aṭṭhuddesā aṭṭha veyyākaraṇāni, nava pañhā navuddesā nava veyyākaraṇāni, dasa pañhā dasuddesā dasa veyyākaraṇānī’ti. How should we see the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement?”Imassa nu kho, ayye, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa kathaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?

“Respectable sirs, I haven’t heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha or from esteemed mendicants.“Na kho panetaṁ, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ, napi manobhāvanīyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ sammukhā sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ; But as to how it seems to me,api ca yathā mettha khāyati listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, ma’am,” replied the lay followers.“Evaṁ, ayye”ti, kho kajaṅgalakā upāsakā kajaṅgalikāya bhikkhuniyā paccassosuṁ. The nun Kajaṅgalikā said this:Kajaṅgalikā bhikkhunī etadavoca:

“‘One thing: question, summary recital, and answer.’ That’s what the Buddha said,“‘Eko pañho eko uddeso ekaṁ veyyākaraṇan’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. but why did he say it?Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Becoming completely disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding one thing, seeing its limits and fully comprehending its meaning, a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.Ekadhamme, āvuso, bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti. What one thing?Katamasmiṁ ekadhamme? ‘All sentient beings are sustained by food.’Sabbe sattā āhāraṭṭhitikā— Becoming completely disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding this one thing, seeing its limits and fully comprehending its meaning, a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.imasmiṁ kho, āvuso, ekadhamme bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti. ‘One thing: question, summary recital, and answer.’ That’s what the Buddha said, and this is why he said it.‘Eko pañho eko uddeso ekaṁ veyyākaraṇan’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘Ten things: question, summary recital, and answer.’ That’s what the Buddha said,‘Dasa pañhā dasuddesā dasa veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā. but why did he say it?Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Becoming well developed in ten things—seeing their limits and fully fathoming their meaning—a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.Dasasu, āvuso, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā subhāvitacitto sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti. What ten?Katamesu dasasu? The ten ways of performing skillful deeds.Dasasu kusalesu kammapathesu— With a mind well developed in these ten things—seeing their limits and fully fathoming their meaning—a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.imesu kho, āvuso, dasasu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā subhāvitacitto sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti. ‘Ten things: question, summary recital, and answer.’ That’s what the Buddha said, and this is why he said it.‘Dasa pañhā dasuddesā dasa veyyākaraṇānī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

That’s how I understand the detailed meaning of what the Buddha said in brief in ‘The Great Questions’.Iti kho, āvuso, yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitāsu mahāpañhāsu: If you wish, you may go to the Buddha and ask him about this.Ākaṅkhamānā ca pana tumhe, āvuso, bhagavantaññeva upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ paṭipuccheyyātha. You should remember it in line with the Buddha’s answer.”Yathā vo bhagavā byākaroti tathā naṁ dhāreyyāthā”ti.

“Yes, ma’am,” replied those lay followers, approving and agreeing with what the nun Kajaṅgalikā said. Then they rose from their seats, bowed, and respectfully circled her, keeping her on their right. Then they went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side,“Evaṁ, ayye”ti kho kajaṅgalakā upāsakā kajaṅgalikāya kho bhikkhuniyā bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā kajaṅgalikaṁ bhikkhuniṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. and informed the Buddha of all they had discussed.Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho kajaṅgalakā upāsakā yāvatako ahosi kajaṅgalikāya bhikkhuniyā saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo, taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesuṁ.

“Good, good, householders.“Sādhu sādhu, gahapatayo. The nun Kajaṅgalikā is astute, she has great wisdom.Paṇḍitā, gahapatayo, kajaṅgalikā bhikkhunī. Mahāpaññā, gahapatayo, kajaṅgalikā bhikkhunī. If you came to me and asked this question, I would answer it in exactly the same way as the nun Kajaṅgalikā.Mañcepi tumhe, gahapatayo, upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ paṭipuccheyyātha, ahampi cetaṁ evamevaṁ byākareyyaṁ yathā taṁ kajaṅgalikāya bhikkhuniyā byākataṁ. That is what it means, and that’s how you should remember it.”Eso ceva tassa attho. Evañca naṁ dhāreyyāthā”ti.