Acelakassapasutta With Kassapa, the Naked Ascetic

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard. ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms. Addasā kho acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. The naked ascetic Kassapa saw the Buddha coming off in the distance. Disvāna yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. He went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side and said to the Buddha,

“puccheyyāma mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ kañcideva desaṁ, sace no bhavaṁ gotamo okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti. “I’d like to ask the worthy Gotama about a certain point, if you’d take the time to answer.”

“Akālo kho tāva, kassapa, pañhassa; “Kassapa, it’s the wrong time for questions. antaragharaṁ paviṭṭhamhā”ti. We’ve entered an inhabited area.”

Dutiyampi kho acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: A second time, “puccheyyāma mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ kañcideva desaṁ, sace no bhavaṁ gotamo okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti. “Akālo kho tāva, kassapa, pañhassa; antaragharaṁ paviṭṭhamhā”ti. Tatiyampi kho acelo kassapo …pe… and a third time, Kassapa spoke to the Buddha and the Buddha replied. antaragharaṁ paviṭṭhamhāti. Evaṁ vutte, acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: When this was said, Kassapa said to the Buddha,

“na kho pana mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ bahudeva pucchitukāmā”ti. “I don’t want to ask much.”

“Puccha, kassapa, yadākaṅkhasī”ti. “Ask what you wish, Kassapa.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘sayaṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti? “Well, worthy Gotama, is suffering made by oneself?”

‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca. “Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha.

‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, paraṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti? “Then is suffering made by another?”

‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca. “Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha.

‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca dukkhan’ti? “Well, is suffering made by both oneself and another?”

‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca. “Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha.

‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ dukkhan’ti? “Then does suffering arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?”

‘Mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti bhagavā avoca. “Not so, Kassapa,” said the Buddha.

‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, natthi dukkhan’ti? “Well, is there no such thing as suffering?”

‘Na kho, kassapa, natthi dukkhaṁ. “It’s not that there’s no such thing as suffering. Atthi kho, kassapa, dukkhan’ti. Suffering is real.”

‘Tena hi bhavaṁ gotamo dukkhaṁ na jānāti, na passatī’ti. “Then does the worthy Gotama not know or see suffering?”

‘Na khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ na jānāmi, na passāmi. “It’s not that I don’t know or see suffering. Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ; I do know suffering, passāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhan’”ti. I do see suffering.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, ‘sayaṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi. “Worthy Gotama, when asked these questions, you say ‘not so’. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, paraṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘mā hevaṁ, kassapā’ti vadesi. ‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, natthi dukkhan’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na kho, kassapa, natthi dukkhaṁ, atthi kho, kassapa, dukkhan’ti vadesi. Yet you say that there is such a thing as suffering. ‘Tena hi bhavaṁ gotamo dukkhaṁ na jānāti na passatī’ti iti puṭṭho samāno ‘na khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ na jānāmi na passāmi. Jānāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhaṁ; And you say that you do know suffering, passāmi khvāhaṁ, kassapa, dukkhan’ti vadesi. and you do see suffering. Ācikkhatu ca me, bhante, bhagavā dukkhaṁ. Sir, let the Blessed One explain suffering to me! Desetu ca me, bhante, bhagavā dukkhan”ti. Let the Blessed One teach me about suffering!”

“‘So karoti so paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, kassapa, ādito sato ‘sayaṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti vadaṁ sassataṁ etaṁ pareti. “Suppose that he who does the deed and he who experiences the result are one and the same. Then for one who has existed since the beginning, suffering is made by oneself. In speaking like this, one implies this is eternal. ‘Añño karoti añño paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, kassapa, vedanābhitunnassa sato ‘paraṅkataṁ dukkhan’ti iti vadaṁ ucchedaṁ etaṁ pareti. Suppose that he who does the deed is one, and he who experiences the result is another. Then for one stricken by feeling, suffering is made by another. In speaking like this, one implies this is annihilated. Ete te, kassapa, 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, acelo kassapo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: When this was said, Kassapa said to the Buddha, “abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante. “Excellent, sir! Excellent! Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya …pe… ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhagavatā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, the Buddha has made the teaching clear in many ways. Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti. Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”

“Yo kho, kassapa, aññatitthiyapubbo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ākaṅkhati pabbajjaṁ, ākaṅkhati upasampadaṁ, so cattāro māse parivasati. Catunnaṁ māsānaṁ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājenti upasampādenti bhikkhubhāvāya. “Kassapa, if someone formerly ordained in another sect wishes to take the going forth, the ordination in this teaching and training, they must spend four months on probation. When four months have passed, if the mendicants are satisfied, they’ll give the going forth, the ordination into monkhood. Api ca mayā puggalavemattatā viditā”ti. However, I have recognized individual differences.”

“Sace, bhante, aññatitthiyapubbo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye ākaṅkhati pabbajjaṁ, ākaṅkhati upasampadaṁ, cattāro māse parivasati. Catunnaṁ māsānaṁ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājenti upasampādenti bhikkhubhāvāya. Ahaṁ cattāri vassāni parivasissāmi, catunnaṁ vassānaṁ accayena āraddhacittā bhikkhū pabbājentu upasampādentu bhikkhubhāvāyā”ti. “Sir, if four months probation are required in such a case, I’ll spend four years on probation. When four years have passed, if the mendicants are satisfied, let them give me the going forth, the ordination into monkhood.”

Alattha kho acelo kassapo bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ. And the naked ascetic Kassapa received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence. Acirūpasampanno ca panāyasmā kassapo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi. Not long after his ordination, Venerable Kassapa, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination 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.

“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi. He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” Aññataro ca panāyasmā kassapo arahataṁ ahosīti. And Venerable Kassapa became one of the perfected.

Sattamaṁ.