A CliffPapātasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants,Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “Come, mendicants, let’s go to Inspiration Peak for the day’s meditation.”“āyāma, bhikkhave, yena paṭibhānakūṭo tenupasaṅkamissāma divāvihārāyā”ti.

“Yes, sir,” they replied.“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Then the Buddha together with several mendicants went to Inspiration Peak.Atha kho bhagavā sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ yena paṭibhānakūṭo tenupasaṅkami.

A certain mendicant saw the big cliff thereAddasā kho aññataro bhikkhu paṭibhānakūṭe mahantaṁ papātaṁ. and said to the Buddha,Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Sir, that big cliff is really big and scary.“mahā vatāyaṁ, bhante, papāto subhayānako, bhante, papāto. Is there any other cliff bigger and scarier than this one?”Atthi nu kho, bhante, imamhā papātā añño papāto mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti?

“There is, mendicant.”“Atthi kho, bhikkhu, imamhā papātā añño papāto mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti.

“But sir, what is it?”“Katamo pana, bhante, imamhā papātā añño papāto mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti?

“Mendicant, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, They take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti, jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti, maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti. Since they take pleasure in such choices, they continue to make them.Te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti, jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti, maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti. Having made choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, they fall down the cliff of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.Te jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā jātipapātampi papatanti, jarāpapātampi papatanti, maraṇapapātampi papatanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsapapātampi papatanti. They’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.Te na parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. They’re not freed from suffering, I say.‘Na parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

There are ascetics and brahmins who truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti …pe… They don’t take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti, jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti, maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti. Since they don’t take pleasure in such choices, they stop making them.Te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti, jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti, maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti. Having stopped making choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, they don’t fall down the cliff of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.Te jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, jātipapātampi nappapatanti, jarāpapātampi nappapatanti, maraṇapapātampi nappapatanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsapapātampi nappapatanti. They’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.Te parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. They’re freed from suffering, I say.‘Parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

That’s why you should practice meditation …”Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.