The Related Discourses
3. Causation
| (二八八) 三蘆 | 6 (288). Three Reeds |
|---|---|
| 如是我聞： 一時，佛住王舍城、迦蘭陀竹園。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at the Karandaka Bamboo Park of Rājagṛha. |
| 爾時，尊者舍利弗、尊者摩訶拘絺羅在耆闍崛山。 爾時，尊者舍利弗晡時從禪覺，詣尊者摩訶拘絺羅。 共相問訊、慶慰已，於一面坐。 語尊者摩訶拘絺羅： 「欲有所問。 寧有閑暇見答與不？」 | 2. It was then that Venerable Śāriputra and Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila were staying on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. At the time, Venerable Śāriputra roused from meditation in the afternoon and went to visit Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila. After they had exchanged greetings and pleasantries, he sat to one side. He said to Mahākauṣṭhila, “I have a question to ask. Would you have some free time to answer it?” |
| 尊者摩訶拘絺羅語尊者舍利弗言： 「仁者，且問。 知者當答。」 | Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila said to Venerable Śāriputra, “Then ask it, sir. I will answer it with what I know.” |
| 尊者舍利弗問尊者摩訶拘絺羅： 「云何，尊者摩訶拘絺羅？ 有老不？」 | 3. Venerable Śāriputra asked Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila, “How is it, Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila? Is there old age?” |
| 答言： 「有。」 | He replied, “There is.” |
| 尊者舍利弗復問： 「有死不？」。 | 4. Venerable Śāriputra again asked, “Is there death?” |
| 答言： 「有。」 | He replied, “There is.” |
| 復問： 「云何？老死自作耶？ 為他作耶？ 為自他作耶？ 為非自非他，無因作耶？」 | 5. Again, Śāriputra asked, “How is it? Are old age and death made by oneself? Are they made by another? Are they made by oneself and another? Or are they made neither by oneself nor by another, being made without a cause?” |
| 答言： 「尊者舍利弗，老死非自作、非他作、非自他作、亦非非自他作，無因作。 然，彼生緣故有老死。」 | He replied, “Venerable Śāriputra, old age and death are not made by oneself, not made by another, not made by oneself and another, nor are they made by neither oneself nor another, being made without a cause. Still, old age and death exist because of the condition of birth.” |
| 「如是生、有、取、愛、受、觸、六入處。 名色為自作？ 為他作？ 為自他作？ 為非自他，無因作？」 | 6. “So it was with birth, existence, grasping, craving, feeling, contact and the six senses. Are name and form made by oneself? Are they made by another? Are they made by oneself and another? Or are they made neither by oneself nor by another, being made without a cause?” |
| 答言： 「尊者舍利弗，名色非自作、非他作、非自他作、非非自他作，無因作。 然，彼名色緣識生。」 | He replied, “Venerable Śāriputra, name and form are not made by oneself, not made by another, not made by oneself and another, nor are they made by neither oneself nor another, being made without a cause. Still, name and form do arise conditioned by awareness.” |
| 復問： 「彼識為自作？ 為他作？ 為自他作？ 為非自非他，無因作？」 | 7. Again, Śāriputra asked, “Is that awareness made by oneself? Is it made by another? Is it made by oneself and another? Is it made by neither oneself nor another, being made without a cause?” |
| 答言： 「尊者舍利弗，彼識非自作、非他作、非自他作、非非自他作，無因作。 然，彼識緣名色生。」 | He replied, “Venerable Śāriputra, that awareness is not made by oneself, not made by another, not made by oneself and another, nor is it made by neither oneself nor another, being made without a cause. Still, awareness does arise conditioned by name and form.” |
| 尊者舍利弗復問： 「尊者摩訶拘絺羅，先言： 『名色非自作、非他作、非自他作、非非自他作，無因作。 然，彼名色緣識生。』 而今復言： 『名色緣識。』 此義云何？」 | 8. Venerable Śāriputra again asked, “Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila, before you said, ‘Name and form are not made by oneself, not made by another, not made by oneself and another, nor are they made by neither oneself nor another, being made without a cause. Still, name and form do arise conditioned by awareness.’ But now you say, ‘Name and form conditions awareness.’ What do you mean by this?” |
| 尊者摩訶拘絺羅答言： 「今當說譬，如智者因譬得解。 譬如三蘆立於空地。 展轉相依而得竪立。 若去其一，二亦不立。 若去其二，一亦不立。 展轉相依而得竪立。 識緣名色亦復如是。 展轉相依而得生長。」 | 9. Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila replied, “Now, I will explain it with an analogy, for intelligent people can understand something with analogies. Take the example of three reeds standing on open ground. They support each other in turn in order to stand upright. If one of them is removed, the other two won’t stand up. If two of them are removed, then the last one won’t stand up, either. They support each other in turn in order to stand upright. Awareness conditions name and form is the same way. They support each other in turn to arise and grow.” |
| 尊者舍利弗言： 「善哉，善哉，尊者摩訶拘絺羅！ 世尊聲聞中智慧、明達、善調、無畏、見甘露法、以甘露法具足身作證者。 謂尊者摩訶拘絺羅乃有如是甚深義辯。 種種難問皆悉能答。 如無價寶珠世所頂戴。 我今頂戴尊者摩訶拘絺羅亦復如是。 我今於汝所，快得善利。 諸餘梵行數詣其所，亦得善利，以彼尊者善說法故。 我今以此尊者摩訶拘絺羅所說法故，當以三十種讚歎稱揚隨喜。」 | 10. Venerable Śāriputra, “Good, Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila, good! Among the Bhagavān’s disciples, there’s one who is wise, insightful, well trained, fearless, who sees the teaching of immortality, and who themselves realize the teaching of immortality. It’s Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila who has such profound eloquence about the goal. He can answer all sorts of difficult questions. He’s like a priceless jewel that worldly people carry on the crowns of their heads. Now, I carry Mahākauṣṭhila on the crown of my head in the same way. Being here with you, I’ve been delighted to get a good benefit. All the other religious practitioners who visit here often will also get a good benefit because this Venerable is good at teaching the Dharma. Now, I would praise, recommend, and approve of Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila in thirty ways because of his Dharma teaching.” |
| 尊者摩訶拘絺羅說： 「老死厭患、離欲、滅盡，是名法師。 說生⋯有⋯取⋯愛⋯受⋯觸⋯六入處⋯名色⋯識，厭患、離欲、滅盡，是名法師。 若比丘於老死厭患、離欲、滅盡向，是名法師⋯乃至⋯識厭患、離欲、滅盡向，是名法師。 若比丘於老死厭患、離欲、滅盡，不起諸漏，心善解脫，是名法師⋯乃至⋯識厭患、離欲、滅盡，不起諸漏，心善解脫，是名法師。」 | 11. Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila said, “[Someone who teaches] disillusionment with, lack of desire for, and complete cessation of old age and death is called a Dharma teacher. Teaching disillusionment with, lack of desire for, and complete cessation of birth … existence … grasping … craving … feeling … contact … the six senses … name and form … awareness is called being a Dharma teacher. If a monk is disillusioned with, lacks desire for, and heads for complete cessation of old age and death, he is called a Dharma teacher … disillusioned with, lacks desire for, and headed for complete cessation of awareness, he is called a Dharma teacher. If a monk is disillusioned with, lacks desire for, and completely ceases old age and death, doesn’t produce contaminants, and his mind is well liberated, he is called a Dharma teacher … disillusioned with, lacks desire for, completely ceases awareness, doesn’t produce contaminants, and his mind is well liberated, he is called a Dharma teacher. |
| 尊者摩訶拘絺羅語尊者舍利弗言： 「善哉，善哉！於世尊聲聞中，智慧、明達、善調、無畏、見甘露法、以甘露法具足身作證者。 謂尊者舍利弗，能作如是種種甚深正智之問。 猶如世間無價寶珠，人皆頂戴。 汝今如是。 普為一切諸梵行者之所頂戴、恭敬、奉事。 我於今日快得善利，得與尊者共論妙義。」 | 12. Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila said to Venerable Śāriputra, “Good, good! Among the Bhagavān’s disciples, there’s one who is wise, insightful, well trained, fearless, who sees the teaching of immortality, and who themselves realized the teaching of immortality. It’s Venerable Śāriputra who’s able to ask all sorts of profound questions about correct knowledge. He’s like a worldly priceless jewel that people carry on the crowns of their heads. Now, you are like this. All the religious practitioners everywhere carry him on their crowns, giving him respect and serving him. Today, I’ve been delighted to get a good benefit and have a discussion about the wondrous goal with this Venerable.” |
| 時，二正士更相隨喜，各還所住。 | 13. Those two upright men were delighted by each other, and then each returned to his place. |
Notes
- This is sūtra no. 288 in the Taisho edition and no. 469 in Yinshun (T99.2.81a9-c3). It’s parallel with SN 12.67 and a Sanskrit fragment (SuttaCentral SF155).
There are a number of minor differences between this version and SN 12.67. In the P., it’s Mahākoṭṭhita who approaches Sāriputta and asks him a question about the origin of old age and death. The location of the conversation also differs: Here, they were at Gṛdhrakūṭa, while in the P. version they were staying at Isipatana. When the analogy of the reeds is explained, it’s three reeds supporting each other here, and two reeds in SN 12.67. The Sanskrit version agrees with this version on many of these minor details (except for the number of reeds), indicating that it likely belonged to a Sarvāstivāda canon, prehaps the same one as the present text. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 12 May 2024
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