Magandiyasutta

Magandiyasutta - translated by Sister Medhini

“Disvāna taṇhaṁ aratiṁ ragañca, On seeing Craving, Passion and Lust, Nāhosi chando api methunasmiṁ; Even then there was no sexual desire. *Referring to the incident in SN 4.25. Kimevidaṁ muttakarīsapuṇṇaṁ, What of this faeces and urine-filled thing? Pādāpi naṁ samphusituṁ na icche”. I would not even touch it with my foot!”

“Etādisañce ratanaṁ na icchasi, “If you do not want such a jewel— Nāriṁ narindehi bahūhi patthitaṁ; A woman sought-after by many kings— Diṭṭhigataṁ sīlavataṁ nu jīvitaṁ, Then what virtue-observance, life, view, Bhavūpapattiñca vadesi kīdisaṁ”. And rebirth do you proclaim?”

“Idaṁ vadāmīti na tassa hoti, “It does not occur to me ‘I proclaim this’— (māgaṇḍiyāti bhagavā) Dhammesu niccheyya samuggahītaṁ; Something taken up having judged between ideas. Passañca diṭṭhīsu anuggahāya, Maintaining perspective amidst views, not taking up, *[‘Not holding to fixed views’ is a view … that is fixed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB7N-9slAW8). As explained at the end of DN 1, ultimately the adherence to any view whatsoever is made possible only due to the presence of pressure (_phassa_), and it is only with such a perspective that “not taking up” is truly possible, not as a matter of choice. What this means is that in order to not take up views—whose arising in some form is ultimately inescapable—one must actually gain the Right View and become a noble disciple *first*, [i.e., understand _phassa_](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn9#mn9:45.2). Ajjhattasantiṁ pacinaṁ adassaṁ”. I saw, and recognised, internal peace.”

“Vinicchayā yāni pakappitāni, “When judgements have been made, *This is not optional. Judgements are already included within _phassa_ even if one tries to pretend like they aren’t. (iti māgaṇḍiyo) Te ve munī brūsi anuggahāya; Sage, you speak of ‘not taking them up’— Ajjhattasantīti yametamatthaṁ, Then what does it mean, ‘internal peace’? Kathaṁ nu dhīrehi paveditaṁ taṁ”. How is it described by the wise?”

“Na diṭṭhiyā na sutiyā na ñāṇena, “Purity is not told by view or knowledge (māgaṇḍiyāti bhagavā) Sīlabbatenāpi na suddhimāha; Or in terms of learning, or virtue-observance, Adiṭṭhiyā assutiyā añāṇā, Yet not without view, learning, knowledge, Asīlatā abbatā nopi tena; Nor again without virtue and observances. Ete ca nissajja anuggahāya, Without taking up in letting these go, *Having developed oneself in virtue, observances, and acquisition of right information, one must eventually learn to abandon passion for those activities internally *without* abandoning them externally and taking up the old ways of sensuality and unrestrained behavior again. [When to Stop Practising](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m6N3NawAog) Santo anissāya bhavaṁ na jappe”. One who is calmed without support would not hope for any state of being.” *Calming oneself “with a support” is wrong meditation [in the Buddha’s own words](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=an11.9#an11.9:2.3-an11.9:2.17).

“No ce kira diṭṭhiyā na sutiyā na ñāṇena, “If purity is not told by view or knowledge (iti māgaṇḍiyo) Sīlabbatenāpi na suddhimāha; Or in terms of learning, or virtue-observance Adiṭṭhiyā assutiyā añāṇā, Yet still not without learning, knowledge, view Asīlatā abbatā nopi tena; Nor again without virtue and observances, Maññāmahaṁ momuhameva dhammaṁ, Then I think it all of a muddle, such teaching: Diṭṭhiyā eke paccenti suddhiṁ”. Some refer to purity through view.”

“Diṭṭhañca nissāya anupucchamāno, “Questioning on the basis of views, (māgaṇḍiyāti bhagavā) Samuggahītesu pamohamāgā; You’ve fallen into confusion within what you already assumed. Ito ca nāddakkhi aṇumpi saññaṁ, You did not glimpse the faintest notion of this, Tasmā tuvaṁ momuhato dahāsi. And so you take it as all of a muddle.

Samo visesī uda vā nihīno, One thinking in terms of equal, or better, Yo maññati so vivadetha tena; Or worse, might argue on such grounds. Tīsu vidhāsu avikampamāno, But when one is unshaken in these three ways, Samo visesīti na tassa hoti. For him there is no ‘equal or better’. *[SN 1.20](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=sn1.20#sn1.20:23.1-sn1.20:23.5)

Saccanti so brāhmaṇo kiṁ vadeyya, Why should a brahman assert ‘This is True!’? Musāti vā so vivadetha kena; Who should he refute, saying ‘This is False!’? Yasmiṁ samaṁ visamaṁ vāpi natthi, Where ‘equal’ or ‘unequal’ do not apply, Sa kena vādaṁ paṭisaṁyujeyya. In whose argument should he participate?

Okaṁ pahāya aniketasārī, The household forsaken, a homeless wanderer, Gāme akubbaṁ muni santhavāni; In the village the sage does not forge intimacies. Kāmehi ritto apurakkharāno, Empty of sense desires, without insistence, *The meaning of this line is elucidated in SN 22.3. Kathaṁ na viggayha janena kayirā. He would not quarrel with anyone.

Yehi vivitto vicareyya loke, Living apart from all that’s worldly, Na tāni uggayha vadeyya nāgo; Without taking it up, the Great would speak. Jalambujaṁ kaṇḍakavārijaṁ yathā, Just as the spiked lotus, water-born, Jalena paṅkena canūpalittaṁ; In the mud and in water remains unsoiled, Evaṁ munī santivādo agiddho, So the sage, affirming peace, free of greed, Kāme ca loke ca anūpalitto. Remains unsoiled amidst sense pleasures and the world.

Na vedagū diṭṭhiyāyako na mutiyā, The master of wisdom neither by thought nor by view Sa mānameti na hi tammayo so; Can be measured—he is not determined by that. Na kammunā nopi sutena neyyo, Not led by what is done or what is learned, Anūpanīto sa nivesanesu. He is not brought to land in any domain.

Saññāvirattassa na santi ganthā, One dispassionate towards perceptions has no ties; Paññāvimuttassa na santi mohā; One freed through understanding has no confusion. Saññañca diṭṭhiñca ye aggahesuṁ, But those who’ve taken up perceptions and views, Te ghaṭṭayantā vicaranti loke”ti. Colliding, they go round the world.”

Māgaṇḍiyasuttaṁ navamaṁ.

Origin URL: https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=snp4.9