Could This Be the Path to Awakening?¶

MN 36, the Mahāsaccaka Sutta — set 3, Learning to Look at Your Own Mind

Reading time: about 36 min · 6,330 words

Before you read¶

Saccaka is a well-known debater who comes to the Buddha looking for a weak spot. He is from a Jain family; the Jains were a rival group of renunciants who were known for harsh physical austerities. His claim is simple: some practitioners train the body and neglect the mind, and the Buddha's followers train the mind and neglect the body.

The Buddha does not pick a side. He gives one test for both. When something pleasant happens, does it take over your heart? When something painful happens, does that take over your heart? Someone who is developed in body and in mind is not taken over by either.

Then Saccaka asks, in effect, whether the Buddha has simply never felt anything strong enough. The answer is the longest account in these texts of what the Buddha went through before his awakening: two teachers who could take him only so far, self-torment that brought him close to death, and the moment he remembered a calm satisfaction he had known long before and asked, "Could that be the path to awakening?"

Listen for the line that comes back after every stage of the story. The pain was extreme, and it did not take over his heart. Later the satisfaction of deep unification of mind was extreme too, and it did not take over his heart either.

Translation¶

The Setting¶

So I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

That morning the Buddha had dressed and, taking his bowl and robe, was about to go into Vesālī for alms.

Then Saccaka, a son of the Jains, was going for a walk, wandering about to stretch his legs, and he came toward the hall with the peaked roof in the Great Wood. Venerable Ānanda saw him coming in the distance and said to the Buddha:

"Bhante, here comes Saccaka, the son of the Jains. He is a debater and a clever speaker, and many people think highly of him. He wants to discredit the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. It would be good if the Buddha sat down for a while, out of compassion."

The Buddha sat down on the seat that had been prepared.

Saccaka went up to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him. When the polite and friendly talk was over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

Saccaka's Claim¶

"Master Gotama, there are some recluses and brahmins who live committed to development of body, but not to development of mind. They are struck by painful bodily feeling. It has happened before that someone struck by painful bodily feeling had their thighs seize up, or their heart burst, or hot blood gush from their mouth, or they went mad, their mind unhinged. For them, Master Gotama, the mind follows the body and is ruled by the body. Why is that? Because the mind is undeveloped.

"And there are some recluses and brahmins who live committed to development of mind, but not to development of body. They are struck by painful mental feeling. It has happened before that someone struck by painful mental feeling had their thighs seize up, or their heart burst, or hot blood gush from their mouth, or they went mad, their mind unhinged. For them, Master Gotama, the body follows the mind and is ruled by the mind. Why is that? Because the body is undeveloped.

"And it seems to me, Master Gotama, that Master Gotama's disciples surely live committed to development of mind, but not to development of body."

"But, Aggivessana, what have you heard development of body is?"

"Take Nanda Vaccha, Kisa Saṅkicca, and Makkhali Gosāla, Master Gotama. They go naked and reject conventions. They lick their hands. They don't come when asked, and they don't wait when asked. They don't accept food brought to them, food prepared for them, or invitations to a meal. They don't accept food from the mouth of a pot or from the mouth of a bowl. They don't accept it across a threshold, across a stick, or across a pestle. They don't accept it from two people eating together, from a pregnant woman, from a woman breastfeeding, or from a woman who has gone off with a man. They don't accept food collected in a famine, or food where a dog is waiting, or where flies are swarming. They take no fish or meat, and they drink no liquor, wine, or fermented grain drink.

"They go to one house and take one mouthful, or to two houses and take two mouthfuls, and so on up to seven houses and seven mouthfuls. They live on one small dish a day, or two, and so on up to seven. They eat once a day, or once every two days, and so on up to once every seven days. In this way they live committed to eating at set intervals, even as long as once a fortnight."

"But, Aggivessana, do they keep themselves going on only that much?"

"No, Master Gotama. Sometimes they eat plenty of rich snacks, eat plenty of rich meals, taste plenty of rich delicacies, and drink plenty of rich drinks. With these they give the body back its strength, build it up, and fatten it."

"Aggivessana, what they gave up earlier, they gather up again later. That is how this body grows and wastes away.

"And what have you heard development of mind is, Aggivessana?"

When the Buddha asked Saccaka about development of mind, he could not answer.

Undeveloped and Developed in Body and Mind¶

Then the Buddha said to Saccaka:

"Aggivessana, the development of body you described first is not the development of body that is in line with the teaching in the training of the noble one. You do not even understand development of body, Aggivessana. How could you understand development of mind?

"But I will tell you how someone is undeveloped in body and undeveloped in mind, and how someone is developed in body and developed in mind. Listen carefully, attend well, and I will speak."

"Yes, sir," Saccaka replied.

The Buddha said this:

"And how is someone undeveloped in body and undeveloped in mind, Aggivessana?

"Take an unlearned ordinary person in whom pleasant feeling arises. When pleasant feeling touches them, they are infatuated with pleasure and give themselves over to that infatuation. That pleasant feeling ends. When it ends, painful feeling arises. When painful feeling touches them, they grieve, they wear themselves out, they wail, they beat their chest and cry, and they lose their bearings.

"Aggivessana, for them, pleasant feeling that has arisen takes over the heart because the body is undeveloped, and painful feeling that has arisen takes over the heart because the mind is undeveloped. Whenever anyone has it both ways like this, with pleasant feeling taking over the heart because the body is undeveloped and painful feeling taking over the heart because the mind is undeveloped, that is how someone is undeveloped in body and undeveloped in mind.

"And how is someone developed in body and developed in mind, Aggivessana?

"Take a learned noble disciple in whom pleasant feeling arises. When pleasant feeling touches them, they are not infatuated with pleasure and do not give themselves over to that infatuation. That pleasant feeling ends. When it ends, painful feeling arises. When painful feeling touches them, they do not grieve, they do not wear themselves out, they do not wail, they do not beat their chest and cry, and they do not lose their bearings.

"Aggivessana, for them, pleasant feeling that has arisen does not take over the heart because the body is developed, and painful feeling that has arisen does not take over the heart because the mind is developed. Whenever anyone has it both ways like this, with pleasant feeling not taking over the heart because the body is developed and painful feeling not taking over the heart because the mind is developed, that is how someone is developed in body and developed in mind."

Saccaka's Challenge¶

"I have confidence in Master Gotama, because Master Gotama is developed in body and developed in mind."

"Certainly, Aggivessana, you said that to needle me and to provoke me. Still, I will answer you.

"Ever since I shaved off my hair and beard, put on ochre robes, and went forth from home into homelessness, it has been impossible for pleasant feeling that arose to take over my heart, or for painful feeling that arose to take over my heart."

"Surely, then, Master Gotama never has pleasant feeling of the kind that could take over the heart once it arose. Surely Master Gotama never has painful feeling of the kind that could take over the heart once it arose."

"How could I not have, Aggivessana?

Going Forth¶

"Aggivessana, before my awakening, when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening, I thought: 'Life at home is crowded and dusty. Going forth is wide open. It is not easy for someone living at home to lead the spiritual life utterly full and utterly pure, as if polished like a shell. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on ochre robes, and go forth from home into homelessness?'

"Some time later, while I was still young, with jet-black hair, blessed with youth, in the prime of life, I shaved off my hair and beard, put on ochre robes, and went forth from home into homelessness, though my mother and father did not want it and were weeping, their faces wet with tears.

Āḷāra Kālāma¶

"Once I had gone forth, I was searching for what is wholesome, seeking the unsurpassed state of peace. I went to Āḷāra Kālāma and said to him: 'Reverend Kālāma, I want to live the spiritual life in this teaching and training.'

"Aggivessana, when I said this, Āḷāra Kālāma said to me: 'Stay, venerable. This teaching is such that a sensible person can soon realize their own teacher's doctrine for themselves with direct knowledge, and enter and remain in it.'

"I quickly learned that teaching. As far as lip-service and repeating what I had been told, I spoke the language of knowledge and the language of the elders, and I claimed, 'I know, I see.' So did others.

"Then I thought: 'Āḷāra Kālāma does not declare that he has realized this teaching for himself with direct knowledge, and entered and remains in it, on faith alone. Surely Āḷāra Kālāma lives knowing and seeing this teaching.'

"So I went to Āḷāra Kālāma and said: 'Reverend Kālāma, how far do you declare that you have realized this teaching for yourself with direct knowledge, and entered and remain in it?'

"When I said this, Āḷāra Kālāma declared the sphere of nothingness.

"Then I thought: 'It is not only Āḷāra Kālāma who has confidence. I have confidence too. It is not only Āḷāra Kālāma who has energy. I have energy too. It is not only Āḷāra Kālāma who has remembering. I have remembering too. It is not only Āḷāra Kālāma who has unification of mind. I have unification of mind too. It is not only Āḷāra Kālāma who has discernment. I have discernment too. What if I were to exert myself to realize the teaching that Āḷāra Kālāma declares he has realized for himself with direct knowledge, and entered and remains in?'

"I quickly realized that teaching for myself with direct knowledge, and I entered and remained in it. Then I went to Āḷāra Kālāma and said: 'Reverend Kālāma, is this as far as you declare that you have realized this teaching for yourself with direct knowledge, and entered it?'

"'This is as far as I declare it, reverend.'

"'I too, reverend, have realized this teaching this far for myself with direct knowledge, and I have entered and remain in it.'

"'We are fortunate, reverend, very fortunate, to see such a venerable as a fellow practitioner. So the teaching I declare I have realized for myself with direct knowledge and entered is the teaching you have realized for yourself with direct knowledge and have entered and remain in. And the teaching you have realized for yourself with direct knowledge and have entered and remain in is the teaching I declare I have realized and entered. So the teaching I know is the teaching you know, and the teaching you know is the teaching I know. As I am, so are you, and as you are, so am I. Come now, reverend, let us lead this community together.'

"So Āḷāra Kālāma, my teacher, placed me, his student, on an equal footing with himself, and honored me with high honor.

"Then I thought: 'This teaching does not lead to disenchantment, fading, cessation, calming, higher knowing, awakening, or nibbāna, but only as far as rebirth in the sphere of nothingness.'

"Not satisfied with that teaching, I became disenchanted with it and left.

Uddaka Rāmaputta¶

"Still searching for what is wholesome, seeking the unsurpassed state of peace, I went to Uddaka, son of Rāma, and said to him: 'Reverend, I want to live the spiritual life in this teaching and training.'

"When I said this, Uddaka, son of Rāma, said to me: 'Stay, venerable. This teaching is such that a sensible person can soon realize their own teacher's doctrine for themselves with direct knowledge, and enter and remain in it.'

"I quickly learned that teaching. As far as lip-service and repeating what I had been told, I spoke the language of knowledge and the language of the elders, and I claimed, 'I know, I see.' So did others.

"Then I thought: 'Rāma did not declare that he had realized this teaching for himself with direct knowledge, and entered and remained in it, on faith alone. Surely Rāma lived knowing and seeing this teaching.'

"So I went to Uddaka, son of Rāma, and said: 'Reverend, how far did Rāma declare that he had realized this teaching for himself with direct knowledge, and entered and remained in it?'

"When I said this, Uddaka, son of Rāma, declared the sphere of neither-recognition-nor-non-recognition.

"Then I thought: 'It was not only Rāma who had confidence. I have confidence too. It was not only Rāma who had energy. I have energy too. It was not only Rāma who had remembering. I have remembering too. It was not only Rāma who had unification of mind. I have unification of mind too. It was not only Rāma who had discernment. I have discernment too. What if I were to exert myself to realize the teaching that Rāma declared he had realized for himself with direct knowledge, and entered and remained in?'

"I quickly realized that teaching for myself with direct knowledge, and I entered and remained in it. Then I went to Uddaka, son of Rāma, and said: 'Reverend, is this as far as Rāma declared that he had realized this teaching for himself with direct knowledge, and entered it?'

"'This is as far as Rāma declared it, reverend.'

"'I too, reverend, have realized this teaching this far for myself with direct knowledge, and I have entered and remain in it.'

"'We are fortunate, reverend, very fortunate, to see such a venerable as a fellow practitioner. So the teaching Rāma declared he had realized for himself with direct knowledge and entered is the teaching you have realized for yourself with direct knowledge and have entered and remain in. And the teaching you have realized for yourself with direct knowledge and have entered and remain in is the teaching Rāma declared he had realized and entered. So the teaching Rāma directly knew is the teaching you know, and the teaching you know is the teaching Rāma directly knew. As Rāma was, so are you, and as you are, so was Rāma. Come now, reverend, you lead this community.'

"So Uddaka, son of Rāma, my fellow practitioner, placed me in the position of teacher, and honored me with high honor.

"Then I thought: 'This teaching does not lead to disenchantment, fading, cessation, calming, higher knowing, awakening, or nibbāna, but only as far as rebirth in the sphere of neither-recognition-nor-non-recognition.'

"Not satisfied with that teaching, I became disenchanted with it and left.

Uruvelā¶

"Still searching for what is wholesome, seeking the unsurpassed state of peace, I traveled stage by stage through the Magadhan country until I came to Senānigama near Uruvelā. There I saw a delightful piece of land, a lovely grove, a flowing river with clear water and pleasant, smooth banks, and a village nearby for alms.

"Then I thought: 'What a delightful piece of land this is, with its lovely grove, its flowing river with clear water and pleasant, smooth banks, and a village nearby for alms. This is good enough for the exertion of a young man of good family who wants to exert himself.'

"So I sat down right there, thinking: 'This is good enough for exertion.'

The Fire-Stick Similes¶

"Then, Aggivessana, three similes occurred to me, spontaneous, never heard before.

"Suppose there were a green, sappy piece of wood lying in water. Then a man came along with an upper fire-stick, thinking: 'I will light a fire and make heat.' What do you think, Aggivessana? Could that man light a fire and make heat by rubbing an upper fire-stick against that green, sappy wood lying in water?"

"No, Master Gotama."

"Why not?"

"Because that wood is green and sappy, Master Gotama, and on top of that it is lying in water. That man would get nothing but weariness and frustration."

"In the same way, Aggivessana, there are recluses and brahmins who do not live withdrawn from sensual pleasures in body and mind. Their sensual desire, sensual affection, sensual infatuation, sensual thirst, and sensual fever for sensual pleasures has not been well abandoned and well stilled within them. Even if those good recluses and brahmins feel painful, sharp, harsh, bitter feelings that are self-inflicted, they are incapable of knowledge and vision, of unsurpassed awakening. And even if they do not feel painful, sharp, harsh, bitter feelings that are self-inflicted, they are incapable of knowledge and vision, of unsurpassed awakening. This was the first simile that occurred to me, spontaneous, never heard before.

"Then a second simile occurred to me, spontaneous, never heard before. Suppose there were a green, sappy piece of wood lying on dry land far from water. Then a man came along with an upper fire-stick, thinking: 'I will light a fire and make heat.' What do you think, Aggivessana? Could that man light a fire and make heat by rubbing an upper fire-stick against that green, sappy wood lying on dry land far from water?"

"No, Master Gotama."

"Why not?"

"Because that wood is green and sappy, Master Gotama, even though it is lying on dry land far from water. That man would get nothing but weariness and frustration."

"In the same way, Aggivessana, there are recluses and brahmins who live withdrawn from sensual pleasures in body and mind. But their sensual desire, sensual affection, sensual infatuation, sensual thirst, and sensual fever for sensual pleasures has not been well abandoned and well stilled within them. Even if those good recluses and brahmins feel painful, sharp, harsh, bitter feelings that are self-inflicted, they are incapable of knowledge and vision, of unsurpassed awakening. And even if they do not feel painful, sharp, harsh, bitter feelings that are self-inflicted, they are incapable of knowledge and vision, of unsurpassed awakening. This was the second simile that occurred to me, spontaneous, never heard before.

"Then a third simile occurred to me, spontaneous, never heard before. Suppose there were a dry, sapless piece of wood lying on dry land far from water. Then a man came along with an upper fire-stick, thinking: 'I will light a fire and make heat.' What do you think, Aggivessana? Could that man light a fire and make heat by rubbing an upper fire-stick against that dry, sapless wood lying on dry land far from water?"

"Yes, Master Gotama."

"Why is that?"

"Because that wood is dry and sapless, Master Gotama, and on top of that it is lying on dry land far from water."

"In the same way, Aggivessana, there are recluses and brahmins who live withdrawn from sensual pleasures in body and mind, and their sensual desire, sensual affection, sensual infatuation, sensual thirst, and sensual fever for sensual pleasures has been well abandoned and well stilled within them. Even if those good recluses and brahmins feel painful, sharp, harsh, bitter feelings that are self-inflicted, they are capable of knowledge and vision, of unsurpassed awakening. And even if they do not feel painful, sharp, harsh, bitter feelings that are self-inflicted, they are capable of knowledge and vision, of unsurpassed awakening. This was the third simile that occurred to me, spontaneous, never heard before.

"These were the three similes that occurred to me, spontaneous, never heard before.

Crushing the Mind with the Mind¶

"Then I thought: 'What if I were to clench my teeth, press my tongue against the roof of my mouth, and subdue, squeeze, and torment my mind with my mind?'

"So I clenched my teeth, pressed my tongue against the roof of my mouth, and subdued, squeezed, and tormented my mind with my mind. As I did, sweat poured from my armpits. It was like a strong man grabbing a weaker man by the head or by the shoulders and subduing, squeezing, and tormenting him. In the same way, as I clenched my teeth, pressed my tongue against the roof of my mouth, and subdued, squeezed, and tormented my mind with my mind, sweat poured from my armpits.