mn.71 Majjhima Nikāya (Middle Discourses)

Discourse to Vacchagotta on the Threefold Knowledge

Thus have I heard: at one time the Lord was staying near Vesālī in the Great Grove in the hall of the Gabled House Now at that time the wanderer Vacchagotta was living in Ekapuṇḍarīka, the wanderers' park. Then the Lord, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, entered Vesālī for almsfood. But it occurred to the Lord: “It is still too early to walk for almsfood in Vesālī. Suppose I were to approach Ekapuṇḍarīka, the wanderers' park and Vacchagotta the wanderer?” Then the Lord approached Ekapuṇḍarīka, the wanderers' park and Vacchagotta the wanderer. The wanderer Vacchagotta saw the Lord coming in the distance and seeing him, he spoke thus to the Lord: “Revered sir, let the Lord come; revered sir, there is a welcome for the Lord; revered sir, it is long since the Lord made the opportunity to come here; revered sir, let the Lord sit down, this is the appointed seat.” The Lord sat down on the appointed seat, and Vacchagotta the wanderer, having taken a low seat, sat down at a respectful distance.

As he was sitting down at a respectful distance, the wanderer Vacchagotta spoke thus to the Lord: “Revered sir, I have heard: ‘The recluse Gotama is all knowing, all seeing; he claims all-embracing knowledge-and-vision, saying: “Whether I am walking, or standing still, or asleep, or awake, knowledge-and-vision is permanently and continuously before me.”’ Revered sir, those who speak thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is all knowing, all seeing; he claims all-embracing knowledge-and-vision, saying: “Whether I am walking, or standing still, or asleep, or awake, knowledge-and-vision is permanently and continuously before me.”’ Revered sir, I hope that these are speaking of the Lord in accordance with what has been said and are not misrepresenting the Lord with what is not fact, but are explaining in accordance with Dhamma and that no one of his fellow Dhamma-men, of this way of speaking, gives grounds for reproach?”

“Vaccha, those who speak thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is all knowing, all seeing; he claims all-embracing knowledge-and-vision, saying: “Whether I am walking, or standing still, or asleep, or awake, knowledge-and-vision is permanently and continuously before me.”’, these are not speaking of me in accordance with what has been said, but they are misrepresenting me with what is untrue, not fact.” “Expounding in what way, revered sir, would we be speaking in accordance with what has been said and would not be misrepresenting the Lord with what is not fact, but would be explaining in accordance with Dhamma so that no fellow Dhamma-man, of the same way of speaking, could give grounds for reproach?” “Vaccha, expounding: ‘The recluse Gotama is a threefold-knowledge man,’ you would be one who speaks in accordance with what has been said by me, you would not be misrepresenting me with what is not fact, you would be explaining in accordance with Dhamma, and no fellow Dhamma-man of this way of speaking could give grounds for reproach.

[1] For I, Vaccha, whenever I please recollect a variety of former habitations, that is to say: one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, and many an eon of integration and many an eon of disintegration and many an eon of integration-disintegration: ‘Such a one was I by name, having such and such a clan, such and such a colour, so I was nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life end. Passing from this, I came to be in another state where I was such a one by name, having such and such a clan, such and such a colour, so I was nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life end. Passing from this, I arose here.’ Thus I recollect divers former habitations in all their modes and detail.

[2] And I, Vaccha, whenever I please, with the purified deva-vision surpassing that of men, see beings as they pass hence or come to be; I comprehend that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly, well-going, ill-going, according to the consequences of deeds, and think: ‘Indeed these worthy beings who were possessed of wrong conduct in body, speech and thought, scoffers at the ariyans, holding a wrong view, incurring deeds consequent on a wrong view, these, at the breaking up of the body after dying, have arisen in a sorrowful state, a bad bourn, the abyss, Niraya Hell. But these worthy beings who were possessed of good conduct in body, speech and thought, who did not scoff at the ariyans, holding a right view, incurring deeds consequent on a right view, these at the breaking up of the body after dying, have arisen in a good bourn, a heaven world.’ Thus with the purified deva-vision surpassing that of men, I see beings as they pass hence, as they arise; I comprehends that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly, well-going, ill-going according to the consequences of deeds.

[3] And I, Vaccha, by the destruction of the cankers, having realised here and now by my own super-knowledge, the freedom of mind and the freedom through wisdom that are cankerless, entering thereon, abide therein.

Vaccha, expounding that the recluse Gotama is a threefold-knowledge man, you would be one who speaks in accordance with what has been said by me, you would not be misrepresenting me with what is not fact, you would be explaining in accordance with Dhamma, and no fellow Dhamma-man of this way of speaking, could give grounds for reproach.”

When this had been said, Vacchagotta the wanderer spoke thus to the Lord: “Good Gotama, is there any householder who, not getting rid of the householder's fetter(s), at the breaking up of the body is an end-maker of ill?” “There is not any householder, Vaccha, who, not getting rid of the householder's fetter(s), at the breaking up of the body is an end-maker of ill.” “But is there, good Gotama, any householder who, not getting rid of the householder's fetter(s), at the breaking up of the body attains heaven?” “Not just one hundred, Vaccha, nor two hundred, nor three, four, or five hundred, but far more are those householders who, not getting-rid of the householder's fetter(s), at the breaking up of the body, attain heaven.”

“Now, good Gotama, is there any Naked Ascetic who at the breaking up of the body is an end-maker of ill?” “There is not, Vaccha, any Naked Ascetic who at the breaking up of the body is an end-maker of ill.” “But is there then, good Gotama, any Naked Ascetic who at the breaking up of the body attained heaven?” “Although I, Vaccha, recollect ninety-one eons, I do not know of any Naked Ascetic who attained heaven, except one; and he professed kamma, he professed operative kamma.” “This being so, good Gotama, that fold of the sects is empty even in regard to attaining heaven.” “This being so, Vaccha, that fold of the sects is empty even in regard to attaining heaven.”

Thus spoke the Lord. Delighted, the wanderer Vacchagotta rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Discourse to Vacchagotta on the Threefold Knowledge: The First

- Translator: I.B. Horner

- Editor: Brother Joe Smith

To Vacchagotta on the Three Knowledges

So I have heard.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.
Now at that time the wanderer Vacchagotta was residing in the Single Lotus Monastery of the wanderers.
Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Vesālī for alms.
Then it occurred to him,
“It’s too early to wander for alms in Vesālī.
Why don’t I visit the wanderer Vacchagotta at the Single Lotus Monastery?”
So that’s what he did.
Vacchagotta saw the Buddha coming off in the distance,
and said to him,
“Come, Blessed One!
Welcome, Blessed One!
It’s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here.
Please, sir, sit down, this seat is ready.”
The Buddha sat on the seat spread out,
while Vacchagotta took a low seat and sat to one side.
Then Vacchagotta said to the Buddha:
“Sir, I have heard this:
‘The ascetic Gotama claims to be all-knowing and all-seeing, to know and see everything without exception, thus:
“Knowledge and vision are constantly and continually present to me, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking.”’
I trust that those who say this repeat what the Buddha has said, and do not misrepresent him with an untruth? Is their explanation in line with the teaching? Are there any legitimate grounds for rebuke and criticism?”
“Vaccha, those who say this do not repeat what I have said. They misrepresent me with what is false and untrue.”
“So how should we answer so as to repeat what the Buddha has said, and not misrepresent him with an untruth? How should we explain in line with his teaching, with no legitimate grounds for rebuke and criticism?”
“‘The ascetic Gotama has the three knowledges.’ Answering like this you would repeat what I have said, and not misrepresent me with an untruth. You would explain in line with my teaching, and there would be no legitimate grounds for rebuke and criticism.
For, Vaccha, whenever I want, I recollect my many kinds of past lives.
That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. I remember: ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so I recollect my many kinds of past lives, with features and details.
And whenever I want, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, I see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. I understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds.
And I have realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. I live having realized it with my own insight due to the ending of defilements.
‘The ascetic Gotama has the three knowledges.’ Answering like this you would repeat what I have said, and not misrepresent me with an untruth. You would explain in line with my teaching, and there would be no legitimate grounds for rebuke and criticism.”
When he said this, the wanderer Vacchagotta said to the Buddha,
“Master Gotama, are there any laypeople who, without giving up the fetter of lay life, make an end of suffering when the body breaks up?”
“No, Vaccha.”
“But are there any laypeople who, without giving up the fetter of lay life, go to heaven when the body breaks up?”
“There’s not just one hundred laypeople, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that who, without giving up the fetter of lay life, go to heaven when the body breaks up.”
“Master Gotama, are there any Ājīvaka ascetics who make an end of suffering when the body breaks up?”
“No, Vaccha.”
“But are there any Ājīvaka ascetics who go to heaven when the body breaks up?”
“Vaccha, when I recollect the past ninety-one eons, I can’t find any Ājīvaka ascetics who have gone to heaven, except one;
and he taught the efficacy of deeds and action.”
“In that case, Master Gotama, the sectarian tenets are empty even of the chance to go to heaven.”
“Yes, Vaccha, the sectarian tenets are empty even of the chance to go to heaven.”
That is what the Buddha said.
Satisfied, the wanderer Vacchagotta was happy with what the Buddha said.