SUTTA-NIPATA 4.9

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Adapted From the Translation by V. Fausboll(1881)

A dialogue between Magandiya and Buddha. The former offers Buddha his daughter for a wife, but Buddha refuses her. Magandiya says that purity cornes from philosophy, Buddha from 'inward peace.' The Muni(saint) is a confessor of peace, he does not dispute, he is free from marks.

1. Buddha: 'Even seeing Tanha, Arati, and Raga (the daughters of Mara,the deathlord), there was not the least wish (in me) for sexual intercourse. What is this (your daughter's body but a thing) full of water and excrement? I do not even want to touch it with my foot.' (841)

2. Magandiya: 'If you do not want such a pearl, a woman desired by many kings, what view, virtue, and (holy) works, (mode of) life, rebirth do you teach?' (842)

3. '"This I say," so (I do now declare), after investigation there is nothing amongst the doctrines which such a one (as I would) embrace, O Magandiya,'-- so said Bhagava(Lord Buddha) ,--'and seeing (misery) in the (philosophical) views, without adopting (any of them), searching (for truth) I saw "inward peace."' (843)

4. 'All the (philosophical) resolutions that have been formed,'--so said Magandiya,--'those indeed you explain without adopting (any of them); the notion "inward peace" which (you mention), how is this explained by the wise?' (844)

5. 'Not by (any philosophical) opinion, not by tradition, not by knowledge, O Magandiya,'--so said Bhagava(Lord Buddha) ,--'not by virtue and (holy) works can any one say that purity exists; nor by absence of (philosophical) opinion, by absence of tradition, by absence of knowledge, by absence of virtue and (holy) works either; having abandoned these without adopting (anything else), let him, calm and independent, not desire existence. (845)

6. 'If one cannot say by (any philosophical) opinion, or by tradition, or by knowledge,'--so said Magandiya,--'or by virtue and (holy) works that purity exists, nor by absence of (philosophical) opinion, by absence of tradition, by absence of knowledge, by absence of virtue and (holy) works, then I consider the doctrine foolish, for by (philosophical) opinions some return to purity.' (846)

7. 'And asking on account of (your philosophical) opinion, O Magandiya,'--so said Bhagava(Lord Buddha) ,--'you have gone to infatuation in what you have embraced, and of this (inward peace) you have not the least idea, therefore you hold it foolish. (847)

8. 'He who thinks himself equal (to others), or distinguished, or low, he for that very reason disputes; but he who is unmoved under those three conditions, for him (the notions) "equal" and "distinguished" do not exist. (848)

9. 'The Brahmana for whom (the notions) "equal" and "unequal" do not exist, would he say, "This is true?" Or with whom should he dispute, saying, "This is false?" With whom should he enter into dispute? (849)

10. 'Having left his house, wandering about houseless, not making acquaintances in the village, free from lust, not desiring (any future existence), let the Muni(saint) not get into quarrelsome talk with people. (850)

11. 'Let not an eminent man (naga) dispute after having embraced those (views) separated from which he (formerly) wandered in the world; as the thorny lotus elambuga is undefiled by water and mud, so the Muni(saint), the confessor of peace, free from greed, does not cling to sensual pleasures and the world. (851)

12. 'An accomplished man does not by (a philosophical) view, or by thinking become arrogant, for he is not of that sort; not by (holy) works, nor by tradition is he to be led, he is not led into any of the resting-places (of the mind). (852)

13. 'For him who is free from marks there are no ties, to him who is delivered by panna(direct experiential understanding) there are no follies; (but those) who grasped after marks and (philosophical) views, they wander about in the world annoying (people).' (853)

Magandiyasutta is ended.

Note : Numbering of verses corresponds to pali tipitaka at www.tipitaka.org