The Related Discourses

35. Views

43-45 (155). No Personal Ability

1. Thus I have heard:[1] One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī.

2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “Because of what’s existence, what’s cause, being bound by what, adherence to what, and viewing what as self do sentient beings make such views and such statements as this? ‘There’s no power, no effort, and no power and effort. There are no men who are skillful, no men who are diligent, and no men who are skillful and diligent. There’s nothing self-made, nothing made by others, and nothing made by self and others. All people, all sentient beings, and all spirits lack skill, lack power, lack force, lack effort, and lack capability. Their certain lot is continuity, change, and the painful and pleasant experiences of the six destinies.’”[2]

3. The monks said to the Buddha, “The Bhagavān is the Dharma root, the Dharma eye, and the Dharma refuge …”

It’s explained in detail the same as the remainder of SĀ 35.7, and the next two sūtras are like SĀ 35.8-9 above but with this introduction.

Notes

1. Parallels for this sūtra include SN 24.7, DN 2, and DĀ 27. [back]
2. This matches a portion of the wrong view attributed to Kakuda Katyāyana in DĀ 27 and Makkhali Gosāla in DN 2. [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 1 November 2023