Cūḷa-Tanhā-Saṅkhaya Sutta
(The Short Discourse on the Destruction of Craving — sutta [433])
[433] — Setting
Thus have I heard: — At one time the Blessed One was staying at the mansion of Mikkāra’s mother in Buppharāma (Bupparāma — the Eastern Grove) near the town of Sāvatthī. On that occasion Sakka (Sakka — king of the gods) came to pay homage to the Blessed One, saluted, and stood to one side. Then he asked:
“O Venerable Sir, briefly — by a single practice, what is the criterion by which a bhikkhu is said to be inclined toward the Dhamma (i.e., advanced in practice) and to be destroyed in craving (tanha-saṅkhaya — destruction/ending of craving), to have attained supramundane fruition (phala) beyond the round, to be clear of defilements as a condition, to be a brahmachārī beyond the round, to have reached the utter end beyond the round — one greater than gods and humans?”
[434] — The Blessed One’s concise instruction
The Blessed One said: “Lord of gods, a bhikkhu in this Dhamma-Vinaya, having heard that ‘all phenomena (dhammas) are not to be clung to’ — if he has heard that, he comes to know all dhammas with supreme wisdom. Having known all dhammas with supreme wisdom, he attends to and clearly discerns (ñāṇa) all dhammas. When he attends to and clearly discerns all dhammas, whatever feeling (vedanā — affective tone; pleasant, painful, or neutral) he experiences — pleasant, painful, or neither — he contemplates it as impermanent, sees its disenchantment, sees its cessation, and sees letting-go regarding those feelings. On seeing thus, he clings to nothing in the world. When one clings to nothing, one does not recoil in fear or alarm (na ujubhisī; — not startled). When one is not startled or alarmed, one personally puts an end to the defilements (kilesa) so that they are stilled, and one knows clearly: ‘Birth is ended, the holy life has been lived, the task is done, there is no more for this one to do.’ Thus, O lord of gods — in brief, by this single practical method — a bhikkhu is called one who has his craving destroyed (tanha-saṅkhaya), has realized fruition beyond the round, is clear of defilements as a condition, is a brahmachārī beyond the round, has reached the utter end beyond the round, and is superior to gods and men.”
Thereupon Sakka rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words, paid homage, circumambulated the Blessed One, and departed.
[435] — Sakka visits Moggallāna; Moggallāna’s curiosity
Sakka then went to see Maha Moggallāna (Moggallāna — the Blessed One’s chief disciple famed for supernormal powers). At that time Moggallāna, sitting not far from the Blessed One, wondered to himself: “Has Sakka understood the Blessed One’s words and therefore rejoiced — or did he not understand and merely rejoice? I should find out whether Sakka rejoiced with understanding or with mere delight.” Having resolved this, Moggallāna vanished and appeared at Mikkāra’s mother’s mansion in Bupparāma — manifest among the devas of the Tāvatiṁsa heaven like one stretching forth a bent arm or drawing in a stretched arm.
At that time Sakka, intoxicated with pleasure and enjoying himself with five hundred celestial musicians in a garden of lotus blossoms, saw Moggallāna approaching from afar. He halted the five-hundred musicians, went forth, and said, “Welcome; you have come well. Long have you been expected. Please sit — this seat is prepared.” Sakka himself took a lower seat to one side.
[436] — Moggallāna asks to hear what Sakka heard
Moggallāna asked Sakka, who was seated to one side: “Lord Sakka, how did the Blessed One briefly describe the practice by which a bhikkhu is said to be inclined toward the Dhamma and to have the destruction of craving? Pray, give me leave to share in that teaching; I would like to hear it.”
Sakka replied: “Venerable Moggallāna, I have much to do — many responsibilities, both personal and those of the hosts of Tāvatiṁsa. Some of the Blessed One’s words I hear and quickly forget; some I hear well and retain in my mind. I will tell you what I have retained. There was once a battle between the gods and the asuras; the gods prevailed and the asuras were defeated. After the victory there was the building of the Vejayantī palace (Vejayanta-prasāda — the hundred-storeyed palace of Sakka). Vejayantī had a hundred storeys; in each storey were seven hundred pavilions (kuṭi), in each pavilion seven hundred apsarās, each of those apsarās having seven hundred attendants. Venerable Moggallāna, would you like to behold the delightful place of Vejayantī?”
Moggallāna accepted with courteous assent.
[437] — Visit to Vejayantī; Moggallāna’s demonstration
Sakka and Vessavaṇa (Vessavaṇa/Vessavana — king of the yakṣas, here often rendered Vessavana/Vessavaṇa) invited Moggallāna to go before them to Vejayantī. The maidens who attended Sakka saw Moggallāna coming from afar and, in modesty and shame, withdrew to their private rooms as if a daughter-in-law had entered where her father-in-law was. Sakka and Vessavaṇa then had Moggallāna walk through the Vejayantī palace, saying, “Behold, Venerable Moggallāna, this delightful place of Vejayantī.”
Moggallāna replied that the place was indeed splendid, like the pleasure houses that a person with past merit might have; even humans would call it beautiful when seeing it, like the delights of Tāvatiṁsa.
Then Moggallāna thought: “Sakka is very heedless. I should humble him so that he will reflect.” By his supernatural power he stamped on the palace with his foot — causing Vejayantī to tremble and quake. Thereupon Sakka, Vessavaṇa, and the devas of Tāvatiṁsa were astonished and thought: “These ascetics are wondrous; this monk has great psychic power — he can shake the celestial realm with the stamp of his foot!”
[438] — Sakka repeats the teaching to Moggallāna
Seeing that Sakka was struck with a kind of awe, Moggallāna said: “Lord Sakka, how did the Blessed One give that brief instruction on the destruction of craving? Pray let me hear it.”
Sakka replied: “Venerable Moggallāna, I will tell you. I went to the Blessed One, paid homage, and stood to one side. I asked: ‘Venerable Sir, briefly — by a single practical method — how is a bhikkhu described as inclined toward the Dhamma and as having the destruction of craving, attainment of fruition beyond the round, being clear of defilements as a condition, being a brahmachārī beyond the round, having reached the utter end beyond the round, and being superior to gods and men?’ The Blessed One said: ‘Moggallāna, a bhikkhu in this Dhamma-Vinaya who has heard that all dhammas are not to be clung to — if he has heard that, he knows all dhammas with great wisdom. Having known them with great wisdom he attends to them and discerns them. When he discerns them, whatever feeling (vedanā) he experiences, whether pleasant, painful, or neutral, he contemplates it as impermanent, sees disenchantment, sees cessation, and sees letting-go in those feelings. On seeing thus he clings to nothing. When he clings to nothing he is not startled or alarmed; when he is not startled, he puts an end to the defilements for himself and knows clearly: “Birth is ended, the holy life has been lived, the task is done; there is no more for this one to do.” Thus, in brief, by this single practical instruction a bhikkhu is said to be freed by the destruction of craving, to have attained fruition beyond the round, to be clear of defilements as a condition, to be a brahmachārī beyond the round, to have reached the utter end beyond the round, and to be superior to gods and men.’ That is how the Blessed One taught me, Venerable Moggallāna.”
Moggallāna rejoiced in Sakka’s words and returned among the devas of Tāvatiṁsa, reappearing at Mikkāra’s mother’s mansion in Bupparāma like a man flexing or unflexing his powerful arm.
Shortly thereafter the attendant maidens of Sakka, seeing that Moggallāna had gone away, asked Sakka: “Sire, is that ascetic the Blessed One, the teacher of your faith?” Sakka replied: “No; that ascetic is not the Blessed One — he is Maha Moggallāna, our great celibate (sabbrahmacārī) in prowess and power.” The maidens replied: “Sire, you have good fortune indeed to have such a mighty ascetic in your service; though the Blessed One must also be mighty and wondrous.”
[439] — Moggallāna visits the Blessed One and asks directly
Then Moggallāna went to the Blessed One, paid homage, sat to one side, and asked: “Venerable Sir, does the Blessed One know whether he once gave such a brief instruction on the destruction of craving to any exalted deity (a being of high rank)?”
The Blessed One said: “Moggallāna, I recollect: I did briefly explain the destruction of craving to Sakka. He came to me, paid homage, stood to one side, and asked: ‘Venerable Sir, briefly — by what single practical method is a bhikkhu said to be inclined toward the Dhamma and to have the destruction of craving…?’ I replied as I told you: ‘A bhikkhu who has heard that all dhammas are not to be clung to, who with great wisdom knows them, attends to them, discerns their impermanence in feeling, sees disenchantment and cessation and letting-go, clings to nothing, is not startled, puts an end to defilements for himself, and knows for himself: “Birth is ended; the holy life has been lived; the task is done; there is no more for this one to do.”’ I remember having said this brief instruction on the destruction of craving to Sakka.”
When the Blessed One had finished this teaching, Maha Moggallāna rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words.
Thus ends the Cūḷa-Tanhā-Saṅkhaya Sutta (sutta 7 in this chapter).
Short Pāli glossary (intensive, key terms used above)
- tanha (tanha) — craving; thirst for sense-contact, becoming, etc. (a root of continued becoming).
- tanhā-saṅkhaya (tanha-saṅkhaya) — destruction/ending of craving (the putting-out of the fuel of continued becoming).
- nibbāna (nibbāna) — the unbinding or final cessation (here described as “birth ended, the holy life lived…”) — the realized end.
- vedanā (vedanā) — feeling/affective tone (pleasant, painful, neutral).
- dhamma (dhamma) — phenomenon / teaching; here: “all dhammas not to be clung to.”
- kilesa (kilesa) — defilements (greed, hate, delusion — mental corruptions).
- ariyasāvaka (ariyasāvaka) — noble disciple; one who practices and realizes accordingly.
- Sakka (Sakka) — king of the gods (Tāvatiṁsa).
- Maha Moggallāna (Moggallāna) — the Blessed One’s chief disciple, expert in psychic powers.
- Vejayantī (Vejayanta) — the splendid hundred-storied palace of Sakka.
- brahmachārī (brahmachari) — celibate, here used as an honorific for one who has transcended sensual entanglements.