4: Meghiyavaggo
The Chapter (including the Discourse) about Meghiya

4-1: Meghiyasuttaṁ (31)
The Discourse about Meghiya

Evaṁ me sutaṁ:
Thus I heard:

ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Cālikāyaṁ viharati, Cālike pabbate.
at one time the Fortunate One was dwelling near Cālikā, on the Cālikā mountain.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā Meghiyo Bhagavato upaṭṭhāko hoti.
Then at that time venerable Meghiya was the Fortunate One’s attendant.

Atha kho āyasmā Meghiyo yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkami,
Then venerable Meghiya went to the Fortunate One,

upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
and after going and worshipping the Fortunate One, he stood on one side.

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho āyasmā Meghiyo Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
While stood on one side venerable Meghiya said this to the Fortunate One:

“Icchāmahaṁ bhante Jantugāmaṁ piṇḍāya pavisitun”-ti.
“Reverend Sir, I want to enter Jantugāma for alms.”

“Yassa dāni tvaṁ Meghiya kālaṁ maññasī” ti.
“Now is the time for whatever you are thinking, Meghiya.”

Atha kho āyasmā Meghiyo
Then venerable Meghiya

pubbanhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā, pattacīvaram-ādāya,
having dressed in the morning time, after picking up his bowl and robe,

Jantugāmaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Jantugāme piṇḍāya caritvā,
entered Jantugāma for alms. Having walked for alms in Jantugāma,

pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto,
while returning from the alms-round after the meal,

yena Kimikālāya nadiyā tīraṁ tenupasaṅkami,
he went to the bank of the river Kimikālā (Black-Worm River),

upasaṅkamitvā Kimikālāya nadiyā tīre,
and after going to the bank of the river Kimikālā,

jaṅghāvihāraṁ anucaṅkamamāno anuvicaramāno,
while wandering around and strolling around on a walk,

addasā kho ambavanaṁ pāsādikaṁ ramaṇīyaṁ.
he saw a pleasing and delightful mango grove.

Disvānassa etad-ahosi: “Pāsādikaṁ vatidaṁ ambavanaṁ ramaṇīyaṁ.
Having seen (it), this occured to him: “This is surely a pleasing and delightful mango grove.

Alaṁ vatidaṁ kulaputtassa padhānatthikassa padhānāya. Padhānāya, an infinitive-like dative; used again 2 lines below.
For a son of a good family who needs to strive this is surely enough for striving.

Sace maṁ Bhagavā anujāneyya
If the Fortunate One would allow me

āgaccheyyāhaṁ imaṁ ambavanaṁ padhānāyā” ti.
I could come to this mango grove for striving.”

Atha kho āyasmā Meghiyo yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkami,
Then venerable Meghiya went to the Fortunate One,

upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
and after going and worshipping the Fortunate One, he sat down on one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā Meghiyo Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
While sat on one side venerable Meghiya said this to the Fortunate One:

“Idhāhaṁ bhante pubbanhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā, pattacīvaram-ādāya,
“Here, reverend Sir, having dressed in the morning time, after picking up my bowl and robe,

Jantugāmaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ. Jantugāme piṇḍāya caritvā,
I entered Jantugāma for alms. Having walked for alms in Jantugāma,

pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto,
while returning from the alms-round after the meal,

yena Kimikālāya nadiyā tīraṁ tenupasaṅkami,
I went to the bank of the river Kimikālā,

upasaṅkamitvā Kimikālāya nadiyā tīre,
and after going to the bank of the river Kimikālā,

jaṅghāvihāraṁ anucaṅkamamāno anuvicaramāno,
while wandering around and strolling around on a walk,

addasaṁ ambavanaṁ pāsādikaṁ ramaṇīyaṁ.
I saw a pleasing and delightful mango grove.

Disvāna, me etad-ahosi: ‘Pāsādikaṁ vatidaṁ ambavanaṁ ramaṇīyaṁ.
Having seen (it), this occured to me: ‘This is surely a pleasing and delightful mango grove.

Alaṁ vatidaṁ kulaputtassa padhānatthikassa padhānāya.
For a son of a good family who needs to strive this is surely enough for striving.

Sace maṁ Bhagavā anujāneyya,
If the Fortunate One would allow me,

āgaccheyyāhaṁ imaṁ ambavanaṁ padhānāyāti.’
I could come to this mango grove for striving.’

Sace maṁ bhante Bhagavā anujānāti,
If the Fortunate One would allow me, reverend Sir,

gaccheyyāhaṁ taṁ ambavanaṁ padhānāyā” ti.
I could go to that mango grove for striving.”

Evaṁ vutte, Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Meghiyaṁ etad-avoca:
When that was said, the Fortunate One said this to venerable Meghiya:

“Āgamehi tāva Meghiya ekakamhā yāva añño koci bhikkhu āgacchatī” ti.
“You should wait for as long as I am alone, Meghiya, until some other monk arrives.”

Dutiyam-pi kho āyasmā Meghiyo Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
For a second time venerable Meghiya said this to the Fortunate One:

“Bhagavato bhante natthi kiñci uttarikaraṇīyaṁ,
“There is nothing further for the Fortunate One to do, reverend Sir,

natthi katassa vā paticayo.
there is nothing to add to what has been done.

Mayhaṁ kho pana bhante atthi uttarikaraṇīyaṁ, atthi katassa paticayo.
But for me, reverend Sir, there is (something) further to do, there is (something) to add to what has been done.

Sace maṁ bhante Bhagavā anujānāti,
If the Fortunate One would allow me, reverend Sir,

gaccheyyāhaṁ taṁ ambavanaṁ padhānāyā” ti.
I could go to that mango grove for striving.”

Dutiyam-pi kho Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Meghiyaṁ etad-avoca:
For a second time the Fortunate One said this to venerable Meghiya:

“Āgamehi tāva Meghiya ekakamhā yāva añño koci bhikkhu āgacchatī” ti.
“You should wait for as long as I am alone, Meghiya, until some other monk arrives.”

Tatiyam-pi kho āyasmā Meghiyo Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
For a third time venerable Meghiya said this to the Fortunate One:

“Bhagavato bhante natthi kiñci uttarikaraṇīyaṁ,
“There is nothing further for the Fortunate One to do, reverend Sir,

natthi katassa vā paticayo.
there is nothing to add to what has been done.

Mayhaṁ kho pana bhante atthi uttarikaraṇīyaṁ, atthi katassa paticayo.
But for me, reverend Sir, there is (something) further to do, there is (something) to add to what has been done.

Sace maṁ bhante Bhagavā anujānāti,
If the Fortunate One would allow me, reverend Sir,

gaccheyyāhaṁ taṁ ambavanaṁ padhānāyā” ti.
I could go to that mango grove for striving.”

“Padhānanti kho Meghiya vadamānaṁ kinti vadeyyāma? Note the use of the plural here, an honorific form.
“When you are talking about striving, Meghiya, what can we say?

Yassa dāni tvaṁ Meghiya kālaṁ maññasī” ti.
Now is the time for whatever you are thinking, Meghiya.”

Atha kho āyasmā Meghiyo uṭṭhāyāsanā,
Then venerable Meghiya, after rising from his seat,

Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā,
worshipping and circumambulating the Fortunate One,

yena taṁ ambavanaṁ tenupasaṅkami,
went to that mango grove,

upasaṅkamitvā ambavanaṁ ajjhogahetvā,
and after going and entering that mango grove,

aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.
he sat down to dwell for the day at the root of a certain tree.

Atha kho āyasmato Meghiyassa, tasmiṁ ambavane viharantassa,
Then to venerable Meghiya, as he was dwelling in that mango grove,

yebhuyyena tayo pāpakā akusalā vitakkā samudācaranti,
for the most part only three bad, unwholesome thoughts occured,

seyyathīdaṁ: kāmavitakko, byāpādavitakko, vihiṁsāvitakko ti.
that is to say: the thought of sensual pleasure, the thought of ill-will, the thought of harming.

Atha kho āyasmato Meghiyassa etad-ahosi:
Then it occured to venerable Meghiya:

“Acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho,
“Surely it is wonderful, surely it is marvellous,

saddhāya ca vatamhi agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito,
that I who, out of faith, have gone forth from the home to homelessness,

atha ca panimehi tīhi pāpakehi akusalehi vitakkehi anvāsattā,
should then be ensnared by these three bad, unwholesome thoughts,

seyyathīdaṁ: kāmavitakkena, byāpādavitakkena, vīhiṁsāvitakkenā” ti.
that is to say: by the thought of sensual pleasure, by the thought of ill-will, by the thought of harming.

Atha kho āyasmā Meghiyo sāyanhasamayaṁ patisallānā vuṭṭhito,
Then venerable Meghiya, having risen from seclusion in the evening time,

yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkami,
went to the Fortunate One,

upasaṅkamitvā, Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
and after going and worshipping the Fortunate One, he sat down on one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā Meghiyo Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
While sat on one side venerable Meghiya said this to the Fortunate One:

“Idha mayhaṁ bhante, tasmiṁ ambavane viharantassa,
“Here, reverend Sir, as I was dwelling in that mango grove,

yebhuyyena tayo pāpakā akusalā vitakkā samudācaranti,
for the most part only three bad, unwholesome thoughts occured,

seyyathīdaṁ: kāmavitakko, byāpādavitakko, vihiṁsāvitakko ti. This is what we may call the list use of the nominative, which is akin to the label use (for the latter see Syntax § 22, but Wijesekera fails to distinguish the list usage). These constructions often occur with seyyathīdaṁ or yadidaṁ. Another such list occurs in the 3^rd of the instructions given to Meghiya below (appicchakathā, santuṭṭhikathā, pavivekakathā...etc,).

Seyyathīdaṁ may also take other cases according to the syntactical requirements, so just below the same list appears in the instrumental case (seyyathīdaṁ : kāmavitakkena, byāpādavitakkena, vihiṁsāvitakkena); and in Suppabuddhasuttaṁ (43) below it is followed by the accusative case (seyyathīdaṁ: dānakathaṁ, sīlakathaṁ, saggakathaṁ...pakāsesi).
that is to say: the thought of sensual pleasure, the thought of ill-will, the thought of harming.

Tassa mayhaṁ bhante etad-ahosi:
Then, reverend Sir, it occured to me:

‘Acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho,
‘Surely it is wonderful, surely it is marvellous,

saddhāya ca vatamhi agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito,
that I who, out of faith, have gone forth from the home to homelessness,

atha ca panimehi tīhi pāpakehi akusalehi vitakkehi anvāsattā,
should then be ensnared by these three bad, unwholesome thoughts,

seyyathīdaṁ: kāmavitakkena, byāpādavitakkena, vihiṁsāvitakkenā' ” ti.
that is to say: by the thought of sensual pleasure, by the thought of ill-will, by the thought of harming.’ ”

“Aparipakkāya Meghiya cetovimuttiyā,
“For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya,

pañca dhammā paripākāya saṁvattanti. Katame pañca?
there are five things that lead to maturity. What five?

Aparipakkāya Meghiya cetovimuttiyā,
For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya,

ime pañca dhammā paripākāya saṁvattanti.
these five things leads to maturity.

Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ Meghiya bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ,
It can be expected, Meghiya, that for a monk who has a good friend,

kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa yaṁ sīlavā bhavissati,
a good companion, a good comrade, that he will be virtuous,

Pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharissati,
that he will live restrained with the Pātimokkha restraint,

ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī,
and will be endowed with (suitable) conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest fault,

samādāya sikkhissati sikkhāpadesu.
and will train in the training rules he has undertaken.

Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ Meghiya bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ,
It can be expected, Meghiya, that for a monk who has a good friend,

kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa yāyaṁ kathā abhisallekhikā,
a good companion, a good comrade, that he will have talk that is very austere,

cetovivaraṇasappāyā ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya,
that is suitable for opening up the mind, and that leads to absolute disenchantment, dispassion, cessation,

upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati,
peace, deep knowledge, complete Awakening and Emancipation,

seyyathīdaṁ: appicchakathā, santuṭṭhikathā, pavivekakathā,
such as: talk on wanting little, talk on being satisfied, talk on complete seclusion,

asaṁsaggakathā, viriyārambhakathā, sīlakathā, samādhikathā,
talk on disassociation, talk on stirring up energy, talk on virtue, talk on concentration,

paññākathā, vimuttikathā, vimuttiñāṇadassanakathā.
talk on wisdom, talk on freedom, talk on knowing and seeing freedom.

Evarūpāya kathāya nikāmalābhī bhavissati akicchalābhī akasiralābhī.
Such talk as this he gains as he desires, he gains without difficulty, gains without trouble.

Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ Meghiya bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ,
It can be expected, Meghiya, that for a monk who has a good friend,

kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa yaṁ āraddhaviriyo bhavissati
a good companion, a good comrade, that he will be a monk with energy aroused

akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya,
for the giving up of unwholesome things,

kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya,
for the taking up of wholesome things,

thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu.
steadfast, of firm endeavour, one who has not thrown off the burden in regard to wholesome things.

Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ Meghiya bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ,
It can be expected, Meghiya, that for a monk who has a good friend,

kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa yaṁ paññavā bhavissati,
a good companion, a good comrade, that he will be wise,

udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato,
endowed with wisdom that leads to (seeing) rise and disappearance,

ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā.
with noble penetration, that leads to the complete destruction of suffering.

Tena ca pana Meghiya bhikkhunā imesu pañcasu dhammesu patiṭṭhāya,
Then, Meghiya, with a monk who is established in these five things,

cattāro dhammā uttaribhāvetabbā:
four further things ought to be developed:

[1] Asubhā bhāvetabbā rāgassa pahānāya,
The (meditation on the) unattractive should be developed for the giving up of passion,

[2] mettā bhāvetabbā byāpādassa pahānāya,
friendliness (meditation) should be developed for the giving up of ill-will,

[3] ānāpānassati bhāvetabbā vitakkupacchedāya,
mindfulness of breathing should be developed for the cutting off of thoughts,

[4] aniccasaññā bhāvetabbā asmimānasamugghātāya.
the perception of impermanence should be developed for the complete uprooting of the conceit ‘I am’.

Aniccasaññino Meghiya anattasaññā saṇṭhāti,
To one who has the perception of impermanence, Meghiya, the perception of non-self is established,

anattasaññi asmimānasamugghātaṁ pāpuṇāti,
one who perceives non-self reaches the complete uprooting of the conceit ‘I am’,

diṭṭhe va dhamme Nibbānan”-ti.
in this very life (reaches) Emancipation.”

Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Fortunate One, having understood the significance of it,

tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

last updated: November 2008