Translating Classical Buddhism to Modern English

The Related Discourses

1. The Aggregates

(四九) 阿難 161 (49). Ānanda
如是我聞: 一時,佛住舍衛國、祇樹、給孤獨園。 1. Thus have I heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī.
爾時,世尊告尊者阿難曰: 「若信心長者、長者子來問汝言: 『於何等法知其生、滅?』 汝當云何答乎?」 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed Venerable Ānanda, “Suppose a faithful prominent man or a prominent man’s son were to come and ask you, ‘How shall I know the arising and ceasing of things?’ How would you answer him?”
阿難白佛: 「世尊,若有長者、長者子來問我者,我當答言: 『知色是生、滅法。 知受⋯想⋯行⋯識是生、滅法。』 世尊,若長者、長者子如是問者,我當如是答。」 3. Ānanda said to the Buddha, “Bhagavān, if some prominent man or a prominent man’s son were to come and ask me that, I would answer, ‘Know that form is something that arises and ceases. Know that feeling … conception … volition … awareness is something that arises and ceases.’ Bhagavān, if a prominent man or a prominent man’s son were to question me thus, I would answer him in this way.”
佛告阿難: 「善哉,善哉!應如是答。 所以者何? 色是生、滅法。 受⋯想⋯行⋯識是生、滅法。 知色是生、滅法者,名為知色。 知受⋯想⋯行⋯識是生、滅法者,名為知識。」 4. The Buddha told Ānanda, “Good, good! You should answer him in this way. Why is that? Form is something that arises and ceases. Feeling … conception … volition … awareness is something that arises and ceases. Knowing that form is something that arises and ceases is called knowing form. Knowing that feeling … conception … volition … awareness is something that arises and ceases is called knowing awareness.”
佛說此經已,諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜,奉行。 5. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.

Notes

  1. This is sūtra no. 49 in the Taisho edition and no. 161 in Yinshun (T99.2.12a27-b9). It’s parallel with SN 22.37 and very similar to SN 22.38. [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 13 September 2024