Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa

Introduction to 3.8.9 - Pahānasuttaṃ 

Forsaking rāga, paṭighā and avijjā   

“Anto jaṭā¹ bahijaṭā, jaṭāya jaṭitā pajā;

taṃ taṃ gotama pucchāmi, ko imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭan”ti

 

“Sīle patiṭṭhāya naro sapañño, cittaṃ paññañca bhāvayaṃ;

ātāpī nipako bhikkhu, so imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭaṃ.

Yesaṃ rāgo ca doso ca, avijjā ca virājitā²;

khīṇāsavā arahanto, tesaṃ vijaṭitā jaṭāti.”³

 

 

A tangle within, a tangle without, people are entangled in a tangle.

Gotama, I ask you this - who can untangle this tangle?

 

A man established in sīla, wise, developing wisdom and mind,

Such a Bhikkhu ardent and prudent - he can untangle this tangle.

Those whose passion, aversion, and ignorance are removed,

Those arahants, their impurities destroyed - for them the tangle gets untangled.⁴

 

     ‘Pahāna’ can be translated as ‘giving up, forsaking, abandoning, leaving behind and getting rid of’. This term, the ability of ‘pahāna’, the effort to forsake, to abandon or to get rid of –‘pajahati/pajāhati’– is a quality to be cultivated by every follower of the path. Based on proper understanding of this, firm resolve should be fostered in the effort to forsake what should be left behind –‘pahātabba’ intended to achieve subsequent knowledge and realisation that ‘what had to be forsaken’ is left behind –‘pahīnan’!

     Already when the Buddha delivered his very first sutta, the Dhammacakkappavattanasuttaṃ  to the group of five –pañcavaggiye bhikkhū– he explained that for his own realization it was obligatory to completely ‘forsake, abandon, leave behind’ in order to realize full enlightenment⁵:

 

     Even so rather short, the Pahānasutta encompasses the whole essence of the Noble Eightfold Path by unfolding the essential interrelation and reciprocal connection between the three kinds of sensations with the foundations of all impurities –lobho, doso, moho. It is the objective observation of arising, staying and passing away of any sensation that enables the meditator to gradually let go, abandon and leave behind his imprisonment and entanglement to lobho, doso, moho.⁷

     The Buddha called these the ‘three inner stains, inner rivals, inner foes, inner murderers and inner opponents’:

     In the Pahānasutta the Buddha very clearly designates the task for every meditator when he requests them to abandon these dormant tendencies –anusayo pahātabbo:

 

     Under this perspective the quality of ‘pahāna’ signifies its ability as adversary and opponent to combat the all encircling craving –taṇha– that manifests itself in all sorts of impurities rooted in lobho, doso, moho and thus encumbers one seeing beyond further and impedes discerning Dhamma:

‘‘Anatthajanano lobho, lobho cittappakopano¹²;

Bhayamantarato jātaṃ, taṃ jano nāvabujjhati¹³.

Luddho¹⁴ atthaṃ na jānāti, luddho dhammaṃ na passati;

Andhatamaṃ¹⁵ tadā hoti, yaṃ lobho sahate naraṃ.”

“Greed produces misfortune, greed agitates the mind,

the danger born within is not understood by such a person.

The greedy does not understand his welfare,

the greedy does not see dhamma.

Utterly blind at such a time, is a person overcome by greed.”

 

‘‘Anatthajanano doso, doso cittappakopano;

Bhayamantarato jātaṃ, taṃ jano nāvabujjhati.

Duṭṭho¹⁶ atthaṃ na jānāti, duṭṭho dhammaṃ na passati;

Andhatamaṃ tadā hoti, yaṃ doso sahate naraṃ.”

“Aversion produces misfortune, aversion agitates the mind,

the danger born within is not understood by such a person.

Full of aversion such a person does not understand his welfare,

full of aversion he does not see the dhamma.

Utterly blind at such a time is a person overcome by aversion.”

 

‘‘Anatthajanano moho, moho cittappakopano;

Bhayamantarato jātaṃ, taṃ jano nāvabujjhati.

Mūḷho¹⁷ atthaṃ na jānāti, mūḷho dhammaṃ na passati;

Andhatamaṃ tadā hoti, yaṃ moho sahate naraṃ.”

“Delusion produces misfortune, delusion agitates the mind,

the danger born within is not understood by such a person.

The deluded one does not understand his welfare,

Full of delusion, such a person does not see dhamma.

Utterly blind at such a time is a person overcome by delusion.”

 

So when the Pahānasutta further highlights that, the above request of the Buddha 

fulfilled – ‘yesaṃ rāgo ca doso ca, avijjā ca virājitā’ –such a person can be truly called: 

“… one who has cut off craving–acchecchi taṇhaṃ”:

 

Yo ca lobhaṃ pahantvāna, lobhaneyye na lubbhati;¹⁸

Lobho pahīyate tamhā, udabindūva pokkharā.

That one who has left greed behind, who does not roll in thoughts of craving,

To him greed slips away like water drops from lotus flower.

Yo ca dosaṃ pahantvāna, dosaneyye na dussati;¹⁹

Doso pahīyate tamhā, tālapakkaṃva bandhanā.

One who has left aversion behind and does not roll in thoughts of anger,

From him aversion drops away as a palm fruit loses its bondage.

Yo ca mohaṃ pahantvāna, mohaneyye na muyhati;²⁰

Mohaṃ vihanti so sabbaṃ, ādiccovudayaṃ²¹ tama’’nti.

That one who has left delusion behind and does not get bewildered by deluded thoughts.

Makes an end to all delusion as sunrise puts an end to darkness.”