sn.35.95 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Maluṅkyaputta

Then the Venerable Maluṅkyaputta approached the Blessed One … and said to him: “Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that, having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I might dwell alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent, and resolute.”

“Here now, Maluṅkyaputta, what should I say to the young bhikkhus when a bhikkhu like you—old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, come to the last stage—asks me for an exhortation in brief?”

“Although, venerable sir, I am old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, come to the last stage, let the Blessed One teach me the Dhamma in brief, let the Fortunate One teach me the Dhamma in brief. Perhaps I may understand the meaning of the Blessed One’s statement, perhaps I may become an heir to the Blessed One’s statement.”

“What do you think, Maluṅkyaputta, do you have any desire, lust, or affection for those forms cognizable by the eye that you have not seen and never saw before, that you do not see and would not think might be seen?”

“No, venerable sir.”

“Do you have any desire, lust, or affection for those sounds cognizable by the ear … for those odours cognizable by the nose … for those tastes cognizable by the tongue … for those tactile objects cognizable by the body … for those mental phenomena cognizable by the mind that you have not cognized and never cognized before, that you do not cognize and would not think might be cognized?”

“No, venerable sir.”

“Here, Maluṅkyaputta, regarding things seen, heard, sensed, and cognized by you: in the seen there will be merely the seen; in the heard there will be merely the heard; in the sensed there will be merely the sensed; in the cognized there will be merely the cognized.

“When, Maluṅkyaputta, regarding things seen, heard, sensed, and cognized by you, in the seen there will be merely the seen, in the heard there will be merely the heard, in the sensed there will be merely the sensed, in the cognized there will be merely the cognized, then, Maluṅkyaputta, you will not be ‘by that.’ When, Maluṅkyaputta, you are not ‘by that,’ then you will not be ‘therein. ’ When, Maluṅkyaputta, you are not ‘therein,’ then you will be neither here nor beyond nor in between the two. This itself is the end of suffering.”

“I understand in detail, venerable sir, the meaning of what was stated by the Blessed One in brief:

“Having seen a form with mindfulness muddled,
Attending to the pleasing sign,
One experiences it with infatuated mind
And remains tightly holding to it.

“Many feelings flourish within,
Originating from the visible form,
Covetousness and annoyance as well
By which one’s mind becomes disturbed.
For one who accumulates suffering thus
Nibbāna is said to be far away.

“Having heard a sound with mindfulness muddled …

“Having smelt an odour with mindfulness muddled …

“Having enjoyed a taste with mindfulness muddled …

“Having felt a contact with mindfulness muddled …

“Having known an object with mindfulness muddled …
For one who accumulates suffering thus
Nibbāna is said to be far away.

“When, firmly mindful, one sees a form,
One is not inflamed by lust for forms;
One experiences it with dispassionate mind
And does not remain holding it tightly.

“One fares mindfully in such a way
That even as one sees the form,
And while one undergoes a feeling,
Suffering is exhausted, not built up.
For one dismantling suffering thus,
Nibbāna is said to be close by.

“When, firmly mindful, one hears a sound,
One is not inflamed by lust for sounds; …

“When, firmly mindful, one smells an odour,
One is not inflamed by lust for odours; …

“When, firmly mindful, one enjoys a taste,
One is not inflamed by lust for tastes; …

“When, firmly mindful, one feels a contact,
One is not inflamed by lust for contacts; …

“When, firmly mindful, one knows an object,
One is not inflamed by lust for objects; …
For one diminishing suffering thus
Nibbāna is said to be close by.

“It is in such a way, venerable sir, that I understand in detail the meaning of what was stated by the Blessed One in brief.”

“Good, good, Maluṅkyaputta! It is good that you understand in detail the meaning of what was stated by me in brief.

The Buddha here repeats the above verses in full.

“It is in such a way, Maluṅkyaputta, that the meaning of what was stated by me in brief should be understood in detail.”

Then the Venerable Maluṅkyaputta, having delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words, rose from his seat, and, after paying homage to the Blessed One, keeping him on his right, he departed.

Then, dwelling alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent, and resolute, the Venerable Maluṅkyaputta, by realizing it for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life entered and dwelt in that unsurpassed goal of the holy life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the household life into homelessness. He directly knew: “Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.” And the Venerable Maluṅkyaputta became one of the arahants.

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

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Māluṅkyaputta

Then Venerable Māluṅkyaputta went up to the Buddha … and asked him,
“Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.”
“Well now, Māluṅkyaputta, what are we to say to the young monks,
when even an old man like you, elderly and senior, advanced in years, having reached the final stage of life, asks for brief advice?”
“Sir, even though I’m an old man, elderly and senior,
may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief! May the Holy one please teach me in brief! Hopefully I can understand the meaning of what the Buddha says. Hopefully I can be an heir of the Buddha’s teaching!”
“What do you think, Māluṅkyaputta?
Do you have any desire or greed or fondness for sights known by the eye that you haven’t seen, you’ve never seen before, you don’t see, and you don’t think would be seen?”
“No, sir.”
“Do you have any desire or greed or affection for sounds known by the ear …
smells known by the nose …

tastes known by the tongue …

touches known by the body …

thoughts known by the mind that you haven’t known, you’ve never known before, you don’t know, and you don’t think would be known?”
“No, sir.”
“In that case, when it comes to things that are to be seen, heard, thought, and known: in the seen will be merely the seen; in the heard will be merely the heard; in the thought will be merely the thought; in the known will be merely the known.
When this is the case,
you won’t be ‘by that’.
When you’re not ‘by that’,
you won’t be ‘in that’.
When you’re not ‘in that’,
you won’t be in this world or the world beyond or in between the two.
Just this is the end of suffering.”
“This is how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement:
‘When you see a sight, mindfulness is lost
as attention latches on a pleasant feature.
Experiencing it with a mind full of desire,
you keep clinging to it.
Many feelings grow
arising from sights.
The mind is damaged
by covetousness and cruelty.
Heaping up suffering like this,
you’re said to be far from extinguishment.
When you hear a sound, mindfulness is lost
as attention latches on a pleasant feature.
Experiencing it with a mind full of desire,
you keep clinging to it.
Many feelings grow
arising from sounds.
The mind is damaged
by covetousness and cruelty.
Heaping up suffering like this,
you’re said to be far from extinguishment.
When you smell an odor, mindfulness is lost
as attention latches on a pleasant feature.
Experiencing it with a mind full of desire,
you keep clinging to it.
Many feelings grow
arising from smells.
The mind is damaged
by covetousness and cruelty.
Heaping up suffering like this,
you’re said to be far from extinguishment.
When you enjoy a taste, mindfulness is lost
as attention latches on a pleasant feature.
Experiencing it with a mind full of desire,
you keep clinging to it.
Many feelings grow
arising from tastes.
The mind is damaged
by covetousness and cruelty.
Heaping up suffering like this,
you’re said to be far from extinguishment.
When you sense a touch, mindfulness is lost
as attention latches on a pleasant feature.
Experiencing it with a mind full of desire,
you keep clinging to it.
Many feelings grow
arising from touches.
The mind is damaged
by covetousness and cruelty.
Heaping up suffering like this,
you’re said to be far from extinguishment.
When you know a thought, mindfulness is lost
as attention latches on a pleasant feature.
Experiencing it with a mind full of desire,
you keep clinging to it.
Many feelings grow
arising from thoughts.
The mind is damaged
by covetousness and cruelty.
Heaping up suffering like this,
you’re said to be far from extinguishment.
When you see a sight with mindfulness,
there’s no desire for sights.
Experiencing it with a mind free of desire,
you don’t keep clinging to it.
Even as you see a sight
and get familiar with how it feels,
you wear away, you don’t heap up:
that’s how to live mindfully.
Eroding suffering like this,
you’re said to be in the presence of extinguishment.
When you hear a sound with mindfulness,
there’s no desire for sounds.
Experiencing it with a mind free of desire,
you don’t keep clinging to it.
Even as you hear a sound
and get familiar with how it feels,
you wear away, you don’t heap up:
that’s how to live mindfully.
Eroding suffering like this,
you’re said to be in the presence of extinguishment.
When you smell an odor with mindfulness,
there’s no desire for odors.
Experiencing it with a mind free of desire,
you don’t keep clinging to it.
Even as you smell an odor
and get familiar with how it feels,
you wear away, you don’t heap up:
that’s how to live mindfully.
Eroding suffering like this,
you’re said to be in the presence of extinguishment.
Enjoying a taste with mindfulness,
there’s no desire for tastes.
Experiencing it with a mind free of desire,
you don’t keep clinging to it.
Even as you savor a taste
and get familiar with how it feels,
you wear away, you don’t heap up:
that’s how to live mindfully.
Eroding suffering like this,
you’re said to be in the presence of extinguishment.
When you sense a touch with mindfulness,
there’s no desire for touches.
Experiencing it with a mind free of desire,
you don’t keep clinging to it.
Even as you sense a touch
and get familiar with how it feels,
you wear away, you don’t heap up:
that’s how to live mindfully.
Eroding suffering like this,
you’re said to be in the presence of extinguishment.
When you know a thought with mindfulness,
there’s no desire for thoughts.
Experiencing it with a mind free of desire,
you don’t keep clinging to it.
Even as you know a thought
and get familiar with how it feels,
you wear away, you don’t heap up:
that’s how to live mindfully.
Eroding suffering like this,
you’re said to be in the presence of extinguishment.’
That’s how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.”
“Good, good, Māluṅkyaputta!
It’s good that you understand the detailed meaning of what I’ve said in brief like this.
(The Buddha repeats the verses in full.)




















This is how to understand the detailed meaning of what I said in brief.”
And then Venerable Māluṅkyaputta approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. He got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.
Then Māluṅkyaputta, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme end of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.
He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is no return to any state of existence.”
And Venerable Māluṅkyaputta became one of the perfected.