TMCGSS-65 (Pabbajja) Acelaka Kassapa Sutta | True nature of action & the middle way. Piya Tan 240809

Discourse on Kassapa the Naked Ascetic (on his Renunciation) S 12.17, SD 18.5
True nature of action and the middle way
Tr by Piya Tan ©2007
www.themindingc...
Thus have I heard. ...
Standing thus at one side, Acelaka Kassapa said this to the Blessed One:
“We would like to ask the good Gotama about a certain matter, if the good Gotama would grant us the favour of answering the question.”
“This, Kassapa, is not the proper time for a question. We have entered amongst houses [in an inhabited area].”
For the 2nd time, ...
For the 3rd time, ...
When this was said, Acelaka Kassapa said this to the Blessed One:
“We have no wish of asking the good Gotama anything much at all.”
“Ask, Kassapa, what you wish.”
“How is it, master Gotama, is suffering self-created?”
“Do not speak thus, Kassapa,” said the Blessed One.
“How is it then, master Gotama, is suffering created by others?”
“Do not speak thus, Kassapa.”
“How is it then, master Gotama, is suffering self-created and other-created?”
“Do not speak thus, Kassapa,” said the Blessed One. [20]
“How is it then, master Gotama, does suffering arise by chance, neither self-created nor other-created?”
“Do not speak thus, Kassapa,” said the Blessed One.
“How is it then, master Gotama, is there no suffering?”
“Kassapa, it is not that there is no suffering. Kassapa, there is suffering.”
“Then, does the good Gotama not know, not see, suffering?”
“Kassapa, it is not that I do not know and do not see suffering. Kassapa, I do know and see suffering.”
“When asked, ‘How is it, master Gotama, is suffering self-created?’ you say: ‘Do not speak thus, Kassapa.’
When asked, ‘How is it then, master Gotama, is suffering other-created?’ you say: ‘Do not speak thus, Kassapa.’
When asked, ‘How is it then, master Gotama, is suffering self-created and other-created?’ you say: ‘Do not speak thus, Kassapa.’
When asked, ‘How is it then, master Gotama, does suffering arise by chance, neither self-created nor other-created?’ you say: ‘Do not speak thus, Kassapa.’
When asked, ‘How is it then, master Gotama, is there no suffering?’ you say: ‘Kassapa, it is not that there is no suffering. Kassapa, there is suffering.’
When asked, ‘Then, does the good Gotama not know, not see, suffering?’ you say: ‘Kassapa, it is not that I do not know and do not see suffering. Kassapa, I do know and see suffering.’
Bhante, may the Blessed One explain suffering to me. May the Blessed One teach me regarding suffering.”
“Kassapa, to say ‘The one who acts is the one who experiences (the fruit)’ is to assert that be-cause it exists from the start [on account of its pre-existence], that ‘Suffering is self-created.’ Who asserts thus, speaks of eternalism.
But, Kassapa, to say ‘The one who acts is different from the one who experiences (the fruit)’ is to assert that, on account of being stricken by feeling, that ‘Suffering is other-created.” Who asserts thus, speaks of annihilationism.
Kassapa, without turning to either of these extremes, the Tathagata teaches the Dharma by the middle, thus:
With ignorance as condition, there are volitional formations;
with volitional formations as condition, there is consciousness;
with consciousness as condition, there is name-and-form;
with name-and-form as condition, there is the sixfold sense-base;
with the sixfold sense-base as condition, there is contact;
with contact as condition, there is feeling;
with feeling as condition, there is craving;
with craving as condition, there is clinging;
with clinging as condition, there is existence;
with existence as condition, there is birth;
with birth as condition there arise decay-and-death,
sorrow, lamentation, physical pain, mental pain and despair.
-Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.
But with the utter fading away and ending of ignorance, volitional formations end; with the ending of volitional formations, consciousness ends; with the ending of consciousness, name-and-form ends; with the ending of name-and-form, the six sense-bases end; with the ending of the six sense-bases, contact ends; with the ending of contact, feeling ends; with the ending of feeling, craving ends; with the ending of craving, clinging ends;
with the ending of clinging, existence ends; with the ending of existence, birth ends; with the ending of birth, there end decay-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, physical pain, mental pain and despair.
-Such is the ending of this whole mass of suffering. ...
www.themindingc...
Global Sutta Study: t.me/suttasangha
[e-mail]
Early Buddhism: dharmafarer.org
Support us: www.theminding...
Thank you & sadhu!
/ piyatan
/ themindingcentre
/ dharmafarer
/ mindingcentre