With ChannaChannasutta

At one time several senior mendicants were staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana.Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.

Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Channa came out of retreat. Taking a latchkey, he went from dwelling to dwelling, going up to the senior mendicants and saying,Atha kho āyasmā channo sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito avāpuraṇaṁ ādāya vihārena vihāraṁ upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū etadavoca: “May the venerable senior mendicants advise me and instruct me! May they give me a Dhamma talk so that I can see the teaching!”“ovadantu maṁ āyasmanto therā, anusāsantu maṁ āyasmanto therā, karontu me āyasmanto therā dhammiṁ kathaṁ, yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyan”ti.

When he said this, the senior mendicants said to Venerable Channa:Evaṁ vutte, therā bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ channaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“Reverend Channa, form,“rūpaṁ kho, āvuso channa, aniccaṁ; feeling,vedanā aniccā; perception,saññā aniccā; choices,saṅkhārā aniccā; and consciousness are impermanent.viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ. Form,Rūpaṁ anattā; feeling,vedanā … perception,saññā … choices,saṅkhārā … and consciousness are not-self.viññāṇaṁ anattā. All conditions are impermanent.Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā; All things are not-self.”sabbe dhammā anattā”ti.

Then Venerable Channa thought,Atha kho āyasmato channassa etadahosi: “I too think in this way. …“mayhampi kho etaṁ evaṁ hoti: And yet my mind does not leap forth, gain confidence, settle down, and become decided about the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.Atha ca pana me sabbasaṅkhārasamathe sabbūpadhipaṭinissagge taṇhākkhaye virāge nirodhe nibbāne cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati nādhimuccati. Because of anxiety, grasping arisesParitassanā upādānaṁ uppajjati; and keeps turning back to the thought:paccudāvattati mānasaṁ: ‘So who then is my self?’‘atha ko carahi me attā’ti? But that doesn’t happen for someone who sees the teaching.Na kho panevaṁ dhammaṁ passato hoti. Who can teach me the Dhamma so that I can see the teaching?”Ko nu kho me tathā dhammaṁ deseyya yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyan”ti.

Then Venerable Channa thought,Atha kho āyasmato channassa etadahosi: “Venerable Ānanda is staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery. He’s praised by the Buddha and esteemed by his sensible spiritual companions. He’s quite capable of teaching me the Dhamma so that I can see the teaching.“ayaṁ kho āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme satthu ceva saṁvaṇṇito sambhāvito ca viññūnaṁ sabrahmacārīnaṁ, pahoti ca me āyasmā ānando tathā dhammaṁ desetuṁ yathāhaṁ dhammaṁ passeyyaṁ; Since I have so much trust in Venerable Ānanda,atthi ca me āyasmante ānande tāvatikā vissaṭṭhi. why don’t I go to see him?”Yannūnāhaṁ yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.

Then Channa set his lodgings in order and, taking his bowl and robe, set out for Kosambī. He went to see Ānanda in Ghosita’s monastery, exchanged greetings with him, and told him what had happened. Then he said,Atha kho āyasmā channo senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena kosambī ghositārāmo yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā channo āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:

“I’m already delighted with Venerable Channa. Hopefully you’ve opened yourself up and severed your hard-heartedness.“Ettakenapi mayaṁ āyasmato channassa attamanā api nāma taṁ āyasmā channo āvi akāsi khīlaṁ chindi. Listen well, Channa.Odahāvuso channa, sotaṁ; You are capable of understanding the teaching.”bhabbosi dhammaṁ viññātun”ti.

Then right away Channa was filled with lofty rapture and joy,Atha kho āyasmato channassa tāvatakeneva uḷāraṁ pītipāmojjaṁ uppajji: “It seems I’m capable of understanding the teaching!”“bhabbo kirasmi dhammaṁ viññātun”ti.

“Reverend Channa, I heard and learned in the presence of the Buddha his advice to the mendicant Kaccānagotta:“Sammukhā metaṁ, āvuso channa, bhagavato sutaṁ, sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ kaccānagottaṁ bhikkhuṁ ovadantassa—

‘Kaccāna, this world mostly relies on the duality of existence and non-existence.dvayanissito khvāyaṁ, kaccāna, loko yebhuyyena atthitañceva natthitañca.

But for one who truly sees the origin of the world with right understanding, the concept of non-existence regarding the world does not occur.Lokasamudayaṁ kho, kaccāna, yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato yā loke natthitā, sā na hoti. And for one who truly sees the cessation of the world with right understanding, the concept of existence regarding the world does not occur.Lokanirodhaṁ kho, kaccāna, yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato yā loke atthitā, sā na hoti.

This world is for the most part shackled by getting involved, grasping, and insisting.Upayupādānābhinivesavinibandho khvāyaṁ, kaccāna, loko yebhuyyena

But if—for all that getting involved and grasping, mental fixation, and insistence and underlying tendency—they do not get attracted, grasp, and fixate on the thought, ‘my self’,taṁ cāyaṁ upayupādānaṁ cetaso adhiṭṭhānābhinivesānusayaṁ na upeti na upādiyati nādhiṭṭhāti ‘attā me’ti. they’ll have no doubt or uncertainty that what arises is just suffering arising, and what ceases is just suffering ceasing.Dukkhameva uppajjamānaṁ uppajjati, dukkhaṁ nirujjhamānaṁ nirujjhatīti na kaṅkhati na vicikicchati. Their knowledge of this is independent of others.Aparappaccayā ñāṇamevassa ettha hoti.

This is how right view is defined.Ettāvatā kho, kaccāna, sammādiṭṭhi hoti.

“All exists”: this is one extreme.Sabbamatthīti kho, kaccāna, ayameko anto.

“All does not exist”: this is the second extreme.Sabbaṁ natthīti ayaṁ dutiyo anto.

Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:Ete te, kaccāna, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti—

“Ignorance is a requirement for choices.avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā; Choices are a requirement for consciousness. …saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe… That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, choices cease. …Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho …pe… That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”’”evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.

“Reverend Ānanda, this is how it is when you have such venerables as spiritual companions to advise and instruct you out of kindness and sympathy.“Evametaṁ, āvuso ānanda, hoti yesaṁ āyasmantānaṁ tādisā sabrahmacārayo anukampakā atthakāmā ovādakā anusāsakā. And now that I’ve heard this teaching from Venerable Ānanda, I’ve comprehended the teaching.”Idañca pana me āyasmato ānandassa dhammadesanaṁ sutvā dhammo abhisamito”ti.