Samaññaphala Sutta
Encyclopedia
The Samaññaphala Sutta is the second discourse (Pali
, sutta; Skt.
, sutra
) of all 34 Digha Nikaya
discourses. The title means, "The Fruit of Contemplative Life Discourse."
In terms of narrative, this discourse tells the story of King Ajatasattu
, son and successor of King Bimbisara
of Magadha
, who posed the following question to many leading Indian spiritual teachers
: What is the benefit of living a contemplative life
? After being dissatisfied with the answers provided by these other teachers, the king posed this question to the Buddha whose answer motivated the king to become a lay follower
of the Buddha.
In terms of Indian philosophy
and spiritual doctrines, this discourse:
Thanissaro (1997) refers to this discourse as "one of the masterpieces of the Pali canon
."
night, King Ajatasattu, monarch of Magadha Kingdom
, who is in the mood to hear a Dhamma discourse, asked his ministers if there is any worthy teacher "who might enlighten and bring peace to our mind." The ministers in turn suggest that the monarch visit a variety of teachers, all of whom the King rejects by being silent. But when the King's physician, Jivaka, who is being silent all the time, is asked if he can suggest for a teacher to visit, the physician quickly replies that the Buddha is currently staying in the physician's Mango Groves.
The King immediately agrees to go there. After preparing the elephants and his followers, the King rides for the Mango Groves.
Yet, upon arriving on the Groves, the King is suddenly overcome with worry and doubt. The hairs on his body even stands up as he feels the agonizing fear. He asks his physician nervously and suspectingly, "Are you not deceiving me, Jivaka? Do you not betray me and hand my life to the enemies? How come it happens that there is not a single sound heard at all, not even coughs or sneezes in the huge group of 1,250 Sangha
monks?"
To answer his majesty's paranoia, the physician calmly reassures the monarch, "Do not worry, your Majesty. I am not lying, or deceiving, or betraying you to your enemies. Proceed on, your Majesty! There, in the Hall, where the lights are lit."
The King proceeds and when he enters the Hall, he has difficulty in spotting where the Buddha is. To his king's aid, Jivaka answers that the Buddha is sitting on the back of a pillar, surrounded by his disciples.
The King then approach the Buddha and gave his salute. Then, while standing, he sees how the Monks sit in silence, calm like a still, waveless lake. He exclaims: "Can my beloved son, Udayi Bhadda, possess such calmness and composure as the Monks show me now?"
The Buddha asks him, "If so, Your Majesty, how do you direct your mind towards compassion and love?"
"Bhante
, I love my son very dearly, and I wish for him to possess the calmness as like the monks have now." The Monarch then prostrates himself towards the Buddha, clasps his palms in salute for the monks, then proceed to sit on the Buddha's side.
The monarch then asks, "If my teacher doesn't mind, may I ask you a question?"
"Ask what you want to ask, King."
The Buddha then asks back, "Your Majesty, have you ever asked this question to any other teachers, brahmins, or ascetics?"
The King replied by repeating what each of six revered ascetic
teachers allegedly told him. (These responses are summarized in the table to the right.) The king found each of these answers to be dissatisfying: "Just as if a person, when asked about a mango, were to answer with a breadfruit; or, when asked about a breadfruit, were to answer with a mango."
Upon hearing the Buddha's explanation, King Ajatasattu declared himself a lay follower
of the Buddha.
The Buddha subsequently declares: "... Had [King Ajatasattu] not killed his father [King Bimbisara
] — that righteous man, that righteous king — the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye would have arisen to him as he sat in this very seat."
Páli
- External links :* *...
, sutta; Skt.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
) of all 34 Digha Nikaya
Digha Nikaya
The Digha Nikaya is a Buddhist scripture, the first of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism...
discourses. The title means, "The Fruit of Contemplative Life Discourse."
In terms of narrative, this discourse tells the story of King Ajatasattu
Ajatashatru
Ajatasatru was a king of the Magadha empire in north India. He was the son of King Bimbisara, the Great Monarch of Magadha. He was contemporary to Mahavira and Buddha. He took over the kingdom of Magadha from his father forcefully by imprisoning him...
, son and successor of King Bimbisara
Bimbisara
Bimbisara was a King, and later, Emperor of the Magadha empire from 543 BC to his death and belonged to the Hariyanka dynasty.-Career:There are many accounts of Bimbisara in the Jain texts and the Buddhist Jatakas, since he was a contemporary of Mahavira and Gautama Buddha. He was the king of...
of Magadha
Magadha
Magadha formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganga; its first capital was Rajagriha then Pataliputra...
, who posed the following question to many leading Indian spiritual teachers
Shramana
A shramana is a wandering monk in certain ascetic traditions of ancient India including Jainism, Buddhism, and Ājīvikism. Famous śramaṇas include Mahavira and Gautama Buddha....
: What is the benefit of living a contemplative life
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
? After being dissatisfied with the answers provided by these other teachers, the king posed this question to the Buddha whose answer motivated the king to become a lay follower
Upasaka
Upāsaka or Upāsikā are from the Sanskrit and Pāli words for "attendant". This is the title of followers of Buddhism who are not monks, nuns, or novice monastics in a Buddhist order, and who undertake certain vows...
of the Buddha.
In terms of Indian philosophy
Indian philosophy
India has a rich and diverse philosophical tradition dating back to ancient times. According to Radhakrishnan, the earlier Upanisads constitute "...the earliest philosophical compositions of the world."...
and spiritual doctrines, this discourse:
- provides the Buddha's own description of the lifestyle, mental, psychic and spiritual benefits ("fruit") of the Buddhist contemplative life;
- provides one of the most detailed accounts in the Sutta PitakaSutta PitakaThe Sutta Pitaka is the second of the three divisions of the Tipitaka or Pali Canon, the Pali collection of Buddhist writings, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism...
of the Buddhist communitySanghaSangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
's code of ethical behaviorVinayaThe Vinaya is the regulatory framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha, based in the canonical texts called Vinaya Pitaka. The teachings of the Buddha, or Buddhadharma can be divided into two broad categories: 'Dharma' or doctrine, and 'Vinaya', or discipline...
; - describes from the Buddhist standpoint the essence of the teachings of several leading spiritual guides in the Buddha's time (see the table below for more details); and,
- through the narrative of King Ajatasattu's confessed transgression and his subsequent psychic unrest, paranoia and karmic impediments, the narrative illustrates Buddhist notions of meritMerit (Buddhism)Merit is a concept in Buddhism. It is that which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts or thoughts and that carries over to later in life or to a person's next life. Such merit contributes to a person's growth towards liberation. Merit can be gained in a number of ways...
and kammaKarma in BuddhismKarma means "action" or "doing"; whatever one does, says, or thinks is a karma. In Buddhism, the term karma is used specifically for those actions which spring from the intention of an unenlightened being.These bring about a fruit or result Karma (Sanskrit, also karman, Pāli: Kamma) means...
in juxtaposition to those associated with other contemporaneous teachers (who, for instance, are depicted as advocating views of amorality, fatalism, materialism, eternalism and agnosticism).
Thanissaro (1997) refers to this discourse as "one of the masterpieces of the Pali canon
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
."
The king's unrest
Upon a bright uposathaUposatha
The Uposatha is Buddhist day of observance, in existence from the Buddha's time , and still being kept today in Buddhist countries. The Buddha taught that the Uposatha day is for "the cleansing of the defiled mind," resulting in inner calm and joy...
night, King Ajatasattu, monarch of Magadha Kingdom
Magadha Kingdom
Magadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
, who is in the mood to hear a Dhamma discourse, asked his ministers if there is any worthy teacher "who might enlighten and bring peace to our mind." The ministers in turn suggest that the monarch visit a variety of teachers, all of whom the King rejects by being silent. But when the King's physician, Jivaka, who is being silent all the time, is asked if he can suggest for a teacher to visit, the physician quickly replies that the Buddha is currently staying in the physician's Mango Groves.
The King immediately agrees to go there. After preparing the elephants and his followers, the King rides for the Mango Groves.
Yet, upon arriving on the Groves, the King is suddenly overcome with worry and doubt. The hairs on his body even stands up as he feels the agonizing fear. He asks his physician nervously and suspectingly, "Are you not deceiving me, Jivaka? Do you not betray me and hand my life to the enemies? How come it happens that there is not a single sound heard at all, not even coughs or sneezes in the huge group of 1,250 Sangha
Sangha
Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
monks?"
To answer his majesty's paranoia, the physician calmly reassures the monarch, "Do not worry, your Majesty. I am not lying, or deceiving, or betraying you to your enemies. Proceed on, your Majesty! There, in the Hall, where the lights are lit."
The King proceeds and when he enters the Hall, he has difficulty in spotting where the Buddha is. To his king's aid, Jivaka answers that the Buddha is sitting on the back of a pillar, surrounded by his disciples.
The King then approach the Buddha and gave his salute. Then, while standing, he sees how the Monks sit in silence, calm like a still, waveless lake. He exclaims: "Can my beloved son, Udayi Bhadda, possess such calmness and composure as the Monks show me now?"
The Buddha asks him, "If so, Your Majesty, how do you direct your mind towards compassion and love?"
"Bhante
Bhante
Bhante is the polite particle used to refer to Buddhist monks in the Theravada tradition. Bhante literally means "Venerable Sir."...
, I love my son very dearly, and I wish for him to possess the calmness as like the monks have now." The Monarch then prostrates himself towards the Buddha, clasps his palms in salute for the monks, then proceed to sit on the Buddha's side.
The monarch then asks, "If my teacher doesn't mind, may I ask you a question?"
"Ask what you want to ask, King."
The king's questioning of six ascetics
The King asks, "Bhante (Teacher), there is a number of skills and talents, such as: Elephant-drivers, chariot-drivers, horse riders, archers, palanquin bearers, army commander's adjutants, royal officers, soldiers, warriors with elephant's courage, heroes, fighters, troops in deer-skin uniform, slaves, cooks and chefs, barbers, bathers, bakers, florists, launderers, weavers, crafters, potters, mathematicians, accountants, and many other skills. In their current life, they enjoy the real fruits of their skills. They support their life, their family, parents, and friends with their skills in happiness and welfare. They donate high-valued gifts and offerings to the Brahmins and the ascetics, giving them rewards of joyful next life in heaven, and other joys. Can Bhante instruct me what is the real benefit of a contemplative life in this current life?"The Buddha then asks back, "Your Majesty, have you ever asked this question to any other teachers, brahmins, or ascetics?"
The King replied by repeating what each of six revered ascetic
Shramana
A shramana is a wandering monk in certain ascetic traditions of ancient India including Jainism, Buddhism, and Ājīvikism. Famous śramaṇas include Mahavira and Gautama Buddha....
teachers allegedly told him. (These responses are summarized in the table to the right.) The king found each of these answers to be dissatisfying: "Just as if a person, when asked about a mango, were to answer with a breadfruit; or, when asked about a breadfruit, were to answer with a mango."
The Buddhist fruit of the contemplative life
The Buddha then elaborated on his perspective regarding the benefits of the contemplative life, moving from the material to the spiritual:- Solitude's delight: For instance, for slaves and farmers, freedom from servitude resulting in being "content with the simplest food and shelter, delighting in solitude" as well as the veneration of others.
- VirtueSilaŚīla or sīla in Buddhism and its non-sectarian offshoots, is a code of conduct that embraces self-restraint with a value on non-harming. It has been variously described as virtue, good conduct, morality, moral discipline and precept. It is an action that is an intentional effort...
's pleasure: "[T]he monk ... consummate in virtue sees no danger anywhere from his restraint through virtue. Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, he is inwardly sensitive to the pleasure of being blameless." - Simplicity's contentment: "Wherever he goes, he takes only his barest necessities along. This is how a monk is content."
- Mental calm: With mindfulness and alertness (see sampajannaSampajaññaSampajañña means "clear comprehension," "clear knowing," "constant thorough understanding of impermanence," "fully alert" or "full awareness," as well as "attention, consideration, discrimination, comprehension, circumspection."Sampajañña is a Pali term used in Theravada suttas; the equivalent...
), a monk cleanses his mind of covetousness, ill will and anger, sloth and drowsiness, restlessness and anxiety, and doubt (see the Five HindrancesFive hindrancesIn Buddhism, the five hindrances are negative mental states that impede success with meditation and lead away from enlightenment...
). - Jhanic bliss: He attains the four jhanic states which are associated with the permeating of his body with rapture, pleasure, equanimity, and a pure, bright awareness.
- InsightVipassanaVipassanā or vipaśyanā in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi . Vipassana is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Gautama Buddha...
knowledge: "[W]ith his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability — the monk directs and inclines it to knowledge and vision. He discerns: 'This body of mine is endowed with formRupaIn Hinduism and Buddhism, rūpa generally refers to material objects, particularly in regards to their appearance.-Definition:According to the Monier-Williams Dictionary , rūpa is defined as:...
, composed of the four primary elementsMahabhutaMahābhūta is Sanskrit and Pāli for "great element." In Buddhism, the "four great elements" are earth, water, fire and air...
, born from mother and father, nourished with rice and porridge, subject to inconstancy, rubbing, pressing, dissolution, and dispersion. And this consciousness of mine is supported here and bound up here.'" - Supernatural powersAbhijnaAbhijñā has been translated generally as "knowing," "direct knowing" and "direct knowledge" or, at times more technically, as "higher knowledge" and "supernormal knowledge." In Buddhism, such knowing and knowledge is obtained through virtuous living and meditation...
: "Having been one he becomes many; having been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space. He dives in and out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land. Sitting cross-legged he flies through the air like a winged bird. With his hand he touches and strokes even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful.... He hears — by means of the divine ear-element, purified and surpassing the human — both kinds of sounds: divine and human, whether near or far." - Mind reading: He can discern in others states of consciousness such as those with or without passion, lust, delusion, concentration, etc. (see the Satipatthana SuttaSatipatthana SuttaThe Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta are two of the most important and widely studied discourses in the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism...
regarding mindfulness of the mind). - Three knowledges: He can recollectAnussatiAnussati means "recollection," "contemplation," "remembrance," "meditation" and "mindfulness." In Buddhism, anussati refers to either:...
past lives, see the rebirthRebirth (Buddhism)Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the evolving consciousness or stream of consciousness upon death , becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new aggregation...
of other beings, and knows the ending of sufferingDukkhaDukkha is a Pali term roughly corresponding to a number of terms in English including suffering, pain, discontent, unsatisfactoriness, unhappiness, sorrow, affliction, social alienation, anxiety,...
and the fermentations of sensuality, becoming and ignorance. - Release from samsaraSamsarathumb|right|200px|Traditional Tibetan painting or [[Thanka]] showing the [[wheel of life]] and realms of saṃsāraSaṅsāra or Saṃsāra , , literally meaning "continuous flow", is the cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth or reincarnation within Hinduism, Buddhism, Bön, Jainism, Sikhism, and other...
: "His heart, thus knowing, thus seeing, is released from the fermentation of sensuality, the fermentation of becoming, the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there is the knowledge, 'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.'"
Upon hearing the Buddha's explanation, King Ajatasattu declared himself a lay follower
Upasaka
Upāsaka or Upāsikā are from the Sanskrit and Pāli words for "attendant". This is the title of followers of Buddhism who are not monks, nuns, or novice monastics in a Buddhist order, and who undertake certain vows...
of the Buddha.
The king's patricide and its karmic consequences
The king then confessed that he himself killed his own father so as to become king. The Buddha replied:- "Yes, great king, a transgression overcame you in that you were so foolish, so muddle-headed, and so unskilled as to kill your father — a righteous man, a righteous king — for the sake of sovereign rulership. But because you see your transgression as such and make amends in accordance with the Dhamma, we accept your confession. For it is a cause of growth in the Dhamma & DisciplineVinayaThe Vinaya is the regulatory framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha, based in the canonical texts called Vinaya Pitaka. The teachings of the Buddha, or Buddhadharma can be divided into two broad categories: 'Dharma' or doctrine, and 'Vinaya', or discipline...
of the noble ones when, seeing a transgression as such, one makes amends in accordance with the Dhamma and exercises restraint in the future."
The Buddha subsequently declares: "... Had [King Ajatasattu] not killed his father [King Bimbisara
Bimbisara
Bimbisara was a King, and later, Emperor of the Magadha empire from 543 BC to his death and belonged to the Hariyanka dynasty.-Career:There are many accounts of Bimbisara in the Jain texts and the Buddhist Jatakas, since he was a contemporary of Mahavira and Gautama Buddha. He was the king of...
] — that righteous man, that righteous king — the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye would have arisen to him as he sat in this very seat."