sn.22.3 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Haliddakani (1)

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Venerable Mahakaccana was dwelling among the people of Avanti on Mount Papata at Kuraraghara. Then the householder Haliddakani approached the Venerable Mahakaccana, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Venerable sir, this was said by the Blessed One in ‘The Questions of Magandiya’ of the Aṭṭhakavagga:

‘Having left home to roam without abode,
In the village the sage is intimate with none;
Rid of sensual pleasures, without expectations,
He would not engage people in dispute.’

How, venerable sir, should the meaning of this, stated by the Blessed One in brief, be understood in detail?”

“The form element, householder, is the home of consciousness; one whose consciousness is shackled by lust for the form element is called one who roams about in a home. The feeling element is the home of consciousness … The perception element is the home of consciousness … The volitional formations element is the home of consciousness; one whose consciousness is shackled by lust for the volitional formations element is called one who roams about in a home. It is in such a way that one roams about in a home.

“And how, householder, does one roam about homeless? The desire, lust, delight, and craving, the engagement and clinging, the mental standpoints, adherences, and underlying tendencies regarding the form element: these have been abandoned by the Tathagata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that they are no more subject to future arising. Therefore the Tathagata is called one who roams about homeless. The desire, lust, delight, and craving, the engagement and clinging, the mental standpoints, adherences, and underlying tendencies regarding the feeling element … the perception element … the volitional formations element … the consciousness element: these have been abandoned by the Tathagata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that they are no more subject to future arising. Therefore the Tathagata is called one who roams about homeless. It is in such a way that one roams about homeless.

“And how, householder, does one roam about in an abode? By diffusion and confinement in the abode consisting in the sign of forms, one is called one who roams about in an abode. By diffusion and confinement in the abode consisting in the sign of sounds … the sign of odours … the sign of tastes … the sign of tactile objects … the sign of mental phenomena, one is called one who roams about in an abode.

“And how, householder, does one roam about without abode? Diffusion and confinement in the abode consisting in the sign of forms: these have been abandoned by the Tathagata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that they are no more subject to future arising. Therefore the Tathagata is called one who roams about without abode. Diffusion and confinement in the abode consisting in the sign of sounds … the sign of odours … the sign of tastes … the sign of tactile objects … the sign of mental phenomena: these have been abandoned by the Tathagata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that they are no more subject to future arising. Therefore the Tathagata is called one who roams about without abode. It is in such a way that one roams about without abode.

“And how, householder, is one intimate in the village? Here, householder, someone lives in association with laypeople: he rejoices with them and sorrows with them, he is happy when they are happy and sad when they are sad, and he involves himself in their affairs and duties. It is in such a way that one is intimate in the village.

“And how, householder, is one intimate with none in the village? Here, householder, a bhikkhu does not live in association with laypeople. He does not rejoice with them or sorrow with them, he is not happy when they are happy and sad when they are sad, and he does not involve himself in their affairs and duties. It is in such a way that one is intimate with none in the village.

“And how, householder, is one not rid of sensual pleasures? Here, householder, someone is not devoid of lust, desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving in regard to sensual pleasures. It is in such a way that one is not rid of sensual pleasures.

“And how, householder, is one rid of sensual pleasures? Here, householder, someone is devoid of lust, desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving in regard to sensual pleasures. It is in such a way that one is rid of sensual pleasures.

“And how, householder, does one entertain expectations? Here, householder, someone thinks: ‘May I have such form in the future! May I have such feeling in the future! May I have such perception in the future! May I have such volitional formations in the future! May I have such consciousness in the future!’ It is in such a way that one entertains expectations.

“And how, householder, is one without expectations? Here, householder, someone does not think: ‘May I have such form in the future!… May I have such consciousness in the future!’ It is in such a way that one is without expectations.

“And how, householder, does one engage people in dispute? Here, householder, someone engages in such talk as this: ‘You don’t understand this Dhamma and Discipline. I understand this Dhamma and Discipline. What, you understand this Dhamma and Discipline! You’re practising wrongly, I’m practising rightly. What should have been said before you said after; what should have been said after you said before. I’m consistent, you’re inconsistent. What you took so long to think out has been overturned. Your thesis has been refuted. Go off to rescue your thesis, for you’re defeated, or disentangle yourself if you can.’ It is in such a way that one engages people in dispute.

“And how, householder, does one not engage people in dispute? Here, householder, someone does not engage in such talk as this: ‘You don’t understand this Dhamma and Discipline…. ‘ It is in such a way that one does not engage people in dispute.

“Thus, householder, when it was said by the Blessed One in ‘The Questions of Magandiya’ of the Aṭṭhakavagga:

‘Having left home to roam without abode,
In the village the sage is intimate with none;
Rid of sensual pleasures, without expectations,
He would not engage people in dispute’—

It is in such a way that the meaning of this, stated in brief by the Blessed One, should be understood in detail.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

With Hāliddikāni

So I have heard.
At one time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying in the land of the Avantis near Kuraraghara on Steep Mountain.
Then the householder Hāliddikāni went up to Venerable Mahākaccāna, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,
“Sir, this was said by the Buddha in the Chapter of the Eights, in ‘The Questions of Māgandiya’:
‘After leaving shelter to migrate unsettled,
a sage doesn’t get close to anyone in town.
Rid of sensual pleasures, expecting nothing,
they wouldn’t get in arguments with people.’
How should we see the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement?”
“Householder, the form element is a shelter for consciousness.
One whose consciousness is shackled to greed for the form element is called a migrant going from shelter to shelter.
The feeling element is a shelter for consciousness.
One whose consciousness is attached to greed for the feeling element is called a migrant going from shelter to shelter.
The perception element is a shelter for consciousness.
One whose consciousness is attached to greed for the perception element is called a migrant going from shelter to shelter.
The choices element is a shelter for consciousness.
One whose consciousness is attached to greed for the choices element is called a migrant going from shelter to shelter.
That’s how one is a migrant going from shelter to shelter.
And how is one a migrant with no shelter?
The Realized One has given up any desire, greed, relishing, and craving for the form element; any attraction, grasping, mental fixation, insistence, and underlying tendencies. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.
That’s why the Realized One is called a migrant with no shelter.
The Realized One has given up any desire, greed, relishing, and craving for the feeling element …
the perception element …
the choices element …
the consciousness element; any attraction, grasping, mental fixation, insistence, and underlying tendencies. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.
That’s why the Realized One is called a migrant with no shelter.
That’s how one is a migrant with no shelter.
And how is one a migrant going from settlement to settlement?
Being attached to migrating from settlement to settlement in pursuit of sights, one is called a migrant going from settlement to settlement.
Being attached to migrating from settlement to settlement in pursuit of sounds …
smells …
tastes …
touches …
thoughts, one is called a migrant going from settlement to settlement.
That’s how one is a migrant going from settlement to settlement.
And how is one an unsettled migrant?
The Realized One has given up attachment to migrating from settlement to settlement in pursuit of sights. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.
That’s why the Realized One is called an unsettled migrant.
The Realized One has given up attachment to migrating from settlement to settlement in pursuit of sounds …
smells …
tastes …
touches …
thoughts. He has cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.
That’s why the Realized One is called an unsettled migrant.
That’s how one is an unsettled migrant.
And how does one get close to people in town?
It’s when someone mixes closely with laypeople, sharing their joys and sorrows—happy when they’re happy and sad when they’re sad—and getting involved in their business.
That’s how one gets close to people in town.
And how does one not get close to people in town?
It’s when a mendicant doesn’t mix closely with laypeople, not sharing their joys and sorrows—not happy when they’re happy or sad when they’re sad—and not getting involved in their business.
That’s how one doesn’t get close to people in town.
And how is one not rid of sensual pleasures?
It’s when someone isn’t rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures.
That’s how one is not rid of sensual pleasures.
And how is one rid of sensual pleasures?
It’s when someone is rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures.
That’s how one is rid of sensual pleasures.
And how does one have expectations?
It’s when someone thinks:
‘In the future, may I be of such form, such feeling, such perception, such choices, and such consciousness!’
That’s how one has expectations.
And how does one expect nothing?
It’s when someone doesn’t think:
‘In the future, may I be of such form, such feeling, such perception, such choices, and such consciousness!’
That’s how one expects nothing.
And how does one argue with people?
It’s when someone takes part in this sort of discussion:
‘You don’t understand this teaching and training. I understand this teaching and training. What, you understand this teaching and training? You’re practicing wrong. I’m practicing right. You said last what you should have said first. You said first what you should have said last. I stay on topic, you don’t. What you’ve thought so much about has been disproved. Your doctrine is refuted. Go on, save your doctrine! You’re trapped; get yourself out of this—if you can!’
That’s how one argues with people.
And how does one not argue with people?
It’s when a mendicant doesn’t take part in this sort of discussion:
‘You don’t understand this teaching and training … get yourself out of this—if you can!’
That’s how one doesn’t argue with people.
So, householder, that’s how to understand the detailed meaning of what the Buddha said in brief in the Chapter of the Eights, in ‘The Questions of Māgandiya’:
‘After leaving shelter to migrate unsettled,
a sage doesn’t get close to anyone in town.
Rid of sensual pleasures, expecting nothing,
they wouldn’t get in arguments with people.’”