Timbarukasutta With Timbaruka

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho timbaruko paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Then the wanderer Timbaruka went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho timbaruko paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sayaṅkataṁ sukhadukkhanti? “Well, worthy Gotama, are pleasure and pain made by oneself?”

Mā hevaṁ, timbarukāti bhagavā avoca. “Not so, Timbaruka,” said the Buddha.

Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, paraṅkataṁ sukhadukkhanti? “Then are pleasure and pain made by another?”

Mā hevaṁ, timbarukāti bhagavā avoca. “Not so, Timbaruka,” said the Buddha.

Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca sukhadukkhanti? “Well, are pleasure and pain made by both oneself and another?”

Mā hevaṁ, timbarukāti bhagavā avoca. “Not so, Timbaruka,” said the Buddha.

Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ sukhadukkhanti? “Then do pleasure and pain arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?”

Mā hevaṁ, timbarukāti bhagavā avoca. “Not so, Timbaruka,” said the Buddha.

Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, natthi sukhadukkhanti? “Well, is there no such thing as pleasure and pain?”

Na kho, timbaruka, natthi sukhadukkhaṁ; “It’s not that there’s no such thing as pleasure and pain. atthi kho, timbaruka, sukhadukkhanti. Pleasure and pain are real.”

Tena hi bhavaṁ gotamo sukhadukkhaṁ na jānāti, na passatīti? “Then does the worthy Gotama not know or see suffering?”

Na khvāhaṁ, timbaruka, sukhadukkhaṁ na jānāmi, na passāmi. “It’s not that I don’t know or see pleasure and pain. Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, timbaruka, sukhadukkhaṁ; I do know pleasure and pain, passāmi khvāhaṁ, timbaruka, sukhadukkhan”ti. I do see pleasure and pain.”

“‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sayaṅkataṁ sukhadukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, timbarukā’ti vadesi. “Worthy Gotama, when asked these questions, you say ‘not so’. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, paraṅkataṁ sukhadukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, timbarukā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca sukhadukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, timbarukā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ sukhadukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, timbarukā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, natthi sukhadukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na kho, timbaruka, natthi sukhadukkhaṁ; Yet you say that there is such a thing as pleasure and pain. atthi kho, timbaruka, sukhadukkhan’ti vadesi. ‘Tena hi bhavaṁ gotamo sukhadukkhaṁ na jānāti, na passatī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, timbaruka, sukhadukkhaṁ na jānāmi, na passāmi. Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, timbaruka, sukhadukkhaṁ; And you say that you do know pleasure and pain, passāmi khvāhaṁ, timbaruka, sukhadukkhan’ti vadesi. and you do see pleasure and pain. Ācikkhatu ca me bhavaṁ gotamo sukhadukkhaṁ. Sir, explain pleasure and pain to me! Desetu ca me bhavaṁ gotamo sukhadukkhan”ti. Teach me about pleasure and pain!”

“‘Sā vedanā, so vedayatī’ti kho, timbaruka, ādito sato ‘sayaṅkataṁ sukhadukkhan’ti evampāhaṁ na vadāmi. “Suppose that the feeling and the one who feels it are one and the same. Then for one who has existed since the beginning, pleasure and pain is made by oneself. I don’t say this. ‘Aññā vedanā, añño vedayatī’ti kho, timbaruka, vedanābhitunnassa sato ‘paraṅkataṁ sukhadukkhan’ti evampāhaṁ na vadāmi. Suppose that the feeling is one thing and the one who feels it is another. Then for one stricken by feeling, pleasure and pain is made by another. I don’t say this. Ete te, timbaruka, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti: Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way: ‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā; ‘Ignorance is a requirement for choices.

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe… Choices are a requirement for consciousness. … evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices cease. saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe… When choices cease, consciousness ceases. … evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’”ti. That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.’”

Evaṁ vutte, timbaruko paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: When he said this, the wanderer Timbaruka said to the Buddha, “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! … esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.