Saṁyutta Nikāya:
IV. Saḷāyatana Vagga:
41: Citta Saṁyuttaṁ

41: Kindred Sayings about Citta

Sutta 8

Nigaṇṭha Sutta

Nigaṇṭha

 

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Now at that time the Nigaṇṭha,¹ Nāṭa's Son, had come to Macchikasaṇḍa together with a great company of the Nigaṇṭhas.

Now Citta, the house-father, heard it said:

'The Nigaṇṭha, Nāta's Son, has come to Macchikasaṇḍa together with a great company of the Nigaṇṭhas.'

So Citta, the house-father, with a number of followers, went to visit the Nigaṇṭha, Nāṭa's Son,
and on coming to him greeted him in friendly wise,
and after the exchange of greetings and courtesies
sat down at one side.

As he thus sat,
the Nigaṇṭha, Nāta's Son, said to Citta, the house-father:

'Hast thou faith, house-father,
in the teaching of Gotama, the recluse,
that there is a mental balance
without thought directed and sustained,
that there is a ceasing
of thought directed and sustained?'

'Herein, sir, I do not walk with faith in the teaching² of Gotama, the recluse,
that there is a mental balance
without thought directed and sustained,
that there is a ceasing
of thought directed and sustained.'

At these words, the Nigaṇṭha, Nāta's Son,
looking round³ on his own company, said:

'I would have you look, sirs,
how straight is this house-father Citta,
how guileless⁴ is this house-father Citta,
how ingenuous is this house-father Citta!

Why, he who should think there can be any ceasing of thought directed and sustained,
might think the mind could be caught in a net,
or that Gangā's stream
could be held back with his own fist!'

'Now what think you sir?
Which is the more excellent,
knowledge or faith?'

Why, house-father,
knowledge is more excellent than faith.'⁵

'Now I, sir, if I so desire,
aloof from lusts,
aloof from states that are evil,
can enter upon the first trance,
which is joined with thought directed and sustained,
born of solitude,
zestful and easeful,
and can abide therein.

I, sir, if I so desire,
by the calming down of thought directed and sustained
... can enter on the second trance and abide therein.

I, sir, if I so desire,
by abandoning ease
... can enter on the fourth trance and abide therein.

Thus knowing, sir,
thus seeing,
believing what other recluse or brahmin,
should I hold
that there is a mental balance
without thought directed and sustained,
or that there is a ceasing of thought directed and sustained?'

At these words,
the Nigaṇṭha, Nāta's Son,
looking around on his company, said:

'I would have you look, sirs,
how crooked is this house-father,
how crafty,
how counterfeiting is this house-father Citta!'

'Now, indeed, sir, we understand your saying:
"I would have ye look, sirs,
how straight is this house-father Citta,
how guileless,
how honest is this house-father Citta."

And now indeed we understand your saying:

"I would have ye look, sirs,
how crooked is this house-father Citta,
how crafty,
how dishonest is this house-father Citta."

If, sir, your first assertion was true,
your last was false.
And if your last was true,
your first was false.

Now here, sir,
these ten reasonable questions⁶ arise.

If you know the way to [208] reply to them,
you should give me a counter-blow
along with your company.

One question,
one explanation,
one answer.⁷
Two questions,
two explanations,
two answers.
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten questions,
ten explanations,
ten answers.

Then Citta, the house-father,
getting no reply to these ten reasonable questions,
rose up from his seat and went away.

 

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¹ He was Vardhamāna, the head of the Jain community. Cf. D. i, 57. The word means 'free from bonds.'

² I.e., 'not with faith only.' Comy. says that to assert faith in a teaching is the method of those who have not declared aññā, realization. [MO: This is speaking about the second jhāna, something attainable by ordinary laymen. Citta was a Non-returner, and I don't believe non-returners were said to have aññā,]

³ Reading apaloketvā, as below, with Sinh. MSS. and MSS. of Comy. Text has ulloketvā.

⁴ Reading asaṭha for text's asaṭṭha.

⁵ The three 'jewels' of the Jains — unlike the three later so called of the Buddhists — were morals, faith, and knowledge.

⁶ Saha-dhammikā = sa-kāraṇā. Comy. says these are the Kumāra-pañha or 'novice's catechism' of ten questions. Cf. KhP.2: D.i. 94.

⁷ Text veyyākaraṇaṅ. MSS. of Comy. byākaraṇaṅ.