The Shorter Discourse With MāluṅkyaputtaCūḷamālukyasutta

So I have heard.Evaṁ me sutaṁ— At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Then as Venerable Māluṅkyaputta was in private retreat this thought came to his mind:Atha kho āyasmato mālukyaputtassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:

“There are several convictions that the Buddha has left undeclared; he has set them aside and turned them down.“yānimāni diṭṭhigatāni bhagavatā abyākatāni ṭhapitāni paṭikkhittāni: For example: the cosmos is eternal, or not eternal, or finite, or infinite; the soul and the body are one and the same, or the soul is one thing, the body another; after death, a realized one still exists, or no longer exists, or both still exists and no longer exists, or neither still exists nor no longer exists.‘sassato loko’tipi, ‘asassato loko’tipi, ‘antavā loko’tipi, ‘anantavā loko’tipi, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran’tipi, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran’tipi, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi, ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi, ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’tipi— The Buddha does not explain these points to me.tāni me bhagavā na byākaroti. I don’t endorse that, and do not accept it.Yāni me bhagavā na byākaroti taṁ me na ruccati, taṁ me nakkhamati. I’ll go to him and ask him about this.Sohaṁ bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ pucchissāmi. If he gives me a straight answer on any of these points,Sace me bhagavā byākarissati: I will lead the spiritual life under him.evāhaṁ bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ carissāmi; If he does not explain these points to me,no ce me bhagavā byākarissati: I shall resign the training and return to a lesser life.”evāhaṁ sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī”ti.

Then in the late afternoon, Māluṅkyaputta came out of retreat and went to the Buddha. He bowed, sat down to one side, and told the Buddha of his thoughts. He then continued:Atha kho āyasmā mālukyaputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mālukyaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“What, Māluṅkyaputta, did I ever say to you:“Kiṁ nu tāhaṁ, mālukyaputta, evaṁ avacaṁ: ‘Come, Māluṅkyaputta, lead the spiritual life under me, and I will declare these things to you’?”‘ehi tvaṁ, mālukyaputta, mayi brahmacariyaṁ cara, ahaṁ te byākarissāmi:

“No, sir.”“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Or did you ever say to me:“Tvaṁ vā pana maṁ evaṁ avaca: ‘Sir, I will lead the spiritual life under the Buddha, and the Buddha will declare these things to me’?”‘ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ carissāmi, bhagavā me byākarissati:

“No, sir.”“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“So it seems that I did not say to you:“Iti kira, mālukyaputta, nevāhaṁ taṁ vadāmi: ‘Come, Māluṅkyaputta, lead the spiritual life under me, and I will declare these things to you.’‘ehi tvaṁ, mālukyaputta, mayi brahmacariyaṁ cara, ahaṁ te byākarissāmi: And you never said to me:napi kira maṁ tvaṁ vadesi: ‘Sir, I will lead the spiritual life under the Buddha, and the Buddha will declare these things to me.’‘ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ carissāmi, bhagavā me byākarissati: In that case, you futile man, who are you and what do you disavow?Evaṁ sante, moghapurisa, ko santo kaṁ paccācikkhasi?

Suppose someone were to say this:Yo kho, mālukyaputta, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I will not lead the spiritual life under the Buddha until the Buddha declares to me‘na tāvāhaṁ bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ carissāmi yāva me bhagavā na byākarissati: that the cosmos is eternal, or that the cosmos is not eternal …“sassato loko”ti vā, “asassato loko”ti vā …pe… or that after death a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists.’“neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti vā’ti, That would still remain undeclared by the Realized One, and meanwhile that individual would die.abyākatameva taṁ, mālukyaputta, tathāgatena assa, atha so puggalo kālaṁ kareyya.

Suppose a man was struck by an arrow thickly smeared with poison.Seyyathāpi, mālukyaputta, puriso sallena viddho assa savisena gāḷhapalepanena. His friends and colleagues, relatives and kin would get a surgeon to treat him.Tassa mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā bhisakkaṁ sallakattaṁ upaṭṭhapeyyuṁ. But the man would say:So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I won’t extract this arrow as long as I don’t know whether the man who wounded me was an aristocrat, a brahmin, a peasant, or a menial.’‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ purisaṁ jānāmi yenamhi viddho, khattiyo vā brāhmaṇo vā vesso vā suddo vā’ti; He’d say:so evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I won’t extract this arrow as long as I don’t know the following things about the man who wounded me: his name and clan;‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ purisaṁ jānāmi yenamhi viddho, evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto iti vā’ti; whether he’s tall, short, or medium;‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ purisaṁ jānāmi yenamhi viddho, dīgho vā rasso vā majjhimo vā’ti; whether his skin is black, brown, or dingy;‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ purisaṁ jānāmi yenamhi viddho, kāḷo vā sāmo vā maṅguracchavī vā’ti; and whether he comes from such-and-such village, town, or city.‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ purisaṁ jānāmi yenamhi viddho, amukasmiṁ gāme vā nigame vā nagare vā’ti; I won’t extract this arrow as long as I don’t know whether the bow that wounded me was straight or recurved;‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ dhanuṁ jānāmi yenamhi viddho, yadi vā cāpo yadi vā kodaṇḍo’ti; whether the bow-string is made of swallow-wort fibre, sunn hemp fibre, sinew, sanseveria fibre, or spurge fibre;‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ jiyaṁ jānāmi yāyamhi viddho, yadi vā akkassa yadi vā saṇhassa yadi vā nhārussa yadi vā maruvāya yadi vā khīrapaṇṇino’ti; whether the shaft is made from a bush or a plantation tree;‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ kaṇḍaṁ jānāmi yenamhi viddho, yadi vā gacchaṁ yadi vā ropiman’ti; whether the shaft was fitted with feathers from a vulture, a heron, a hawk, a peacock, or a stork;‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ kaṇḍaṁ jānāmi yenamhi viddho, yassa pattehi vājitaṁ yadi vā gijjhassa yadi vā kaṅkassa yadi vā kulalassa yadi vā morassa yadi vā sithilahanuno’ti; whether the shaft was bound with sinews of a cow, a buffalo, a black lion, or an ape;‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ kaṇḍaṁ jānāmi yenamhi viddho, yassa nhārunā parikkhittaṁ yadi vā gavassa yadi vā mahiṁsassa yadi vā bheravassa yadi vā semhārassā’ti; and whether the arrowhead was spiked, razor-tipped, barbed, made of iron or a calf’s tooth, or lancet-shaped.’‘na tāvāhaṁ imaṁ sallaṁ āharissāmi yāva na taṁ sallaṁ jānāmi yenamhi viddho, yadi vā sallaṁ yadi vā khurappaṁ yadi vā vekaṇḍaṁ yadi vā nārācaṁ yadi vā vacchadantaṁ yadi vā karavīrapattan’ti— That man would still not have learned these things, and meanwhile they’d die.aññātameva taṁ, mālukyaputta, tena purisena assa, atha so puriso kālaṁ kareyya.

In the same way, suppose someone was to say:Evameva kho, mālukyaputta, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I will not lead the spiritual life under the Buddha until the Buddha declares to me‘na tāvāhaṁ bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ carissāmi yāva me bhagavā na byākarissati: that the cosmos is eternal, or that the cosmos is not eternal …“sassato loko”ti vā “asassato loko”ti vā …pe… or that after death a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists.’“neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti vā’ti— That would still remain undeclared by the Realized One, and meanwhile that individual would die.abyākatameva taṁ, mālukyaputta, tathāgatena assa, atha so puggalo kālaṁ kareyya.

It’s not true that if there were the view ‘the cosmos is eternal’ there would be the living of the spiritual life.‘Sassato loko’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evaṁ no. It’s not true that if there were the view ‘the cosmos is not eternal’ there would be the living of the spiritual life.‘Asassato loko’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evampi no. When there is the view that the cosmos is eternal or that the cosmos is not eternal, there is rebirth, there is old age, there is death, and there is sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.‘Sassato loko’ti vā, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati, ‘asassato loko’ti vā diṭṭhiyā sati attheva jāti, atthi jarā, atthi maraṇaṁ, santi sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā; And it is the defeat of these things in this very life that I advocate.yesāhaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme nighātaṁ paññapemi. It’s not true that if there were the view ‘the cosmos is finite’ …‘Antavā loko’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evaṁ no. ‘the cosmos is infinite’ …‘Anantavā loko’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evampi no. ‘the soul and the body are one and the same’ …‘Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evaṁ no. ‘the soul is one thing, the body another’ …‘Aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evampi no. ‘a realized one still exists after death’ …‘Hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evaṁ no. ‘a realized one no longer exists after death’ …‘Na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evampi no. ‘a realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death’ …‘Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evaṁ no. ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death’ there would be the living of the spiritual life.‘Neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso abhavissāti, evampi no. When there are any of these views there is rebirth, there is old age, there is death, and there is sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.‘Hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti, mālukyaputta, diṭṭhiyā sati, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā diṭṭhiyā sati attheva jāti …pe… And it is the defeat of these things in this very life that I advocate.yesāhaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme nighātaṁ paññapemi.

So, Māluṅkyaputta, you should remember what I have not declared as undeclared,Tasmātiha, mālukyaputta, abyākatañca me abyākatato dhāretha; and what I have declared as declared.byākatañca me byākatato dhāretha. And what have I not declared?Kiñca, mālukyaputta, mayā abyākataṁ? I have not declared the following: ‘the cosmos is eternal,’‘Sassato loko’ti mālukyaputta, mayā abyākataṁ; ‘the cosmos is not eternal,’‘asassato loko’ti— ‘the cosmos is finite,’‘antavā loko’ti— ‘the world is infinite,’‘anantavā loko’ti— ‘the soul and the body are one and the same,’‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran’ti— ‘the soul is one thing, the body another,’‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran’ti— ‘a realized one still exists after death,’‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti— ‘a realized one no longer exists after death,’‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti— ‘a realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death,’‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti— ‘a realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.’‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti—

And why haven’t I declared these things?Kasmā cetaṁ, mālukyaputta, mayā abyākataṁ? Because they aren’t beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They don’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.Na hetaṁ, mālukyaputta, atthasaṁhitaṁ na ādibrahmacariyakaṁ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati. That’s why I haven’t declared them.Tasmā taṁ mayā abyākataṁ.

And what have I declared?Kiñca, mālukyaputta, mayā byākataṁ? I have declared the following: ‘this is suffering,’‘Idaṁ dukkhan’ti, mālukyaputta, mayā byākataṁ; ‘this is the origin of suffering,’‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti— ‘this is the cessation of suffering,’‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti— ‘this is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti—

And why have I declared these things?Kasmā cetaṁ, mālukyaputta, mayā byākataṁ? Because they are beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.Etañhi, mālukyaputta, atthasaṁhitaṁ etaṁ ādibrahmacariyakaṁ nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati. That’s why I have declared them.Tasmā taṁ mayā byākataṁ. So, Māluṅkyaputta, you should remember what I have not declared as undeclared,Tasmātiha, mālukyaputta, abyākatañca me abyākatato dhāretha; and what I have declared as declared.”byākatañca me byākatato dhārethā”ti.

That is what the Buddha said.Idamavoca bhagavā. Satisfied, Venerable Māluṅkyaputta approved what the Buddha said.Attamano āyasmā mālukyaputto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.