Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa

3.8.16 Mahāparinibbānasuttaṃ, Veḷuvagāmavassūpagamanaṃ (attadīpā, viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā) - Be an Island within Yourselves

Mahāparinibbānasuttaṃ, Veḷuvagāmavassūpagamanaṃ
attadīpā viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā
Be an Island within Yourselves
‘‘Kiṃ panānanda, bhikkhusaṅgho mayi paccāsīsati? “What, Ānanda does the Bhikkhusaṅgha expect from me?
Desito, ānanda, mayā dhammo anantaraṃ abāhiraṃ karitvā. Natthānanda, tathāgatassa dhammesu ācariyamuṭṭhi. I have, Ānanda, laid out the Dhamma from all angles without making any distinction. There is nothing, Ānanda that a Tathāgata would hold back in the teacher`s fist, in regard to Dhamma.
Yassa nūna, ānanda, evamassa – ‘ahaṃ bhikkhusaṅghaṃ pariharissāmī’ti vā ‘mamuddesiko bhikkhusaṅgho’ti vā, so nūna, ānanda, bhikkhusaṅghaṃ ārabbha kiñcideva udāhareyya. If, Ānanda someone would consider thus: “It is I who shall lead the Bhikkhusaṅgha” or “the Bhikkhusaṅgha shall depend upon me” he would indeed, Ānanda, begin to lay out instructions regarding the Bhikkhusaṅgha.
Tathāgatassa kho, ānanda, na evaṃ hoti – ‘ahaṃ bhikkhusaṅghaṃ pariharissāmī’ti vā ‘mamuddesiko bhikkhusaṅgho’ti vā. Sakiṃ, ānanda, tathāgato bhikkhusaṅghaṃ ārabbha kiñcideva udāharissati. But the Tathāgata has no such consideration: “It is I who shall lead the Bhikkhusaṅgha” or “the Bhikkhusaṅgha shall depend upon me”. So why, Ānanda, should the Tathāgata begin to lay out instruction regarding the Bhikkhusaṅgha?”
Ahaṃ kho panānanda, etarahi jiṇṇo vuddho mahallako addhagato vayoanuppatto. Āsītiko me vayo vattati. Seyyathāpi, ānanda, jajjarasakaṭaṃ veṭhamissakena1, yāpeti, evameva kho, ānanda, veṭhamissakena maññe tathāgatassa kāyo yāpeti. Ānanda now I am old, worn out, timeworn, having reached with my old age the term of the life’s path, I am eighty years old. Just like an used old cart is held together with wrappings to keep going in the same way the body of the Tathāgata is kept going by being enwrapped.
Yasmiṃ, ānanda, samaye tathāgato sabbanimittānaṃ amanasikārā ekaccānaṃ vedanānaṃ nirodhā animittaṃ cetosamādhiṃ upasampajja viharati, phāsutaro, ānanda, tasmiṃ samaye tathāgatassa kāyo hoti. It is that during such time the Tathāgata withdraws his attention fully from all outwards signs and by the ceasing of all kind of sensations and entering into sign-less concentration his body obtains comfort during such period.
Tasmātihānanda, attadīpā viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā. Therefore, Ānanda, make yourselves an island within, take refuge within yourselves without any other refuge. Let Dhamma be your island, make Dhamma your refuge without any other refuge.
Kathañcānanda, bhikkhu attadīpo viharati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo, dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo? And how, Ānanda, does a Bhikkhu dwell, making himself an island, taking refuge within himself without any other refuge, making Dhamma his island, making Dhamma his refuge without any other refuge.
Idhānanda, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati atāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ, vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ citte cittānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ, dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ. Here, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, observing body in body, having removed craving and aversion towards the world of mind and matter; he dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence observing sensations in sensations, having removed craving and aversion towards the world of mind and matter he dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence observing mind in mind, having removed craving and aversion towards the world of mind and matter he dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence observing mental contents in mental contents, having removed craving and aversion towards the world of mind and matter
Evaṃ kho, ānanda, bhikkhu attadīpo viharati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo, dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo. This, Bhikkhus, is how a Bhikkhu dwells, making himself an island, taking refuge within without any other refuge, making Dhamma his island, making Dhamma his refuge without any other refuge.
Ye hi keci, ānanda, etarahi vā mama vā accayena attadīpā viharissanti attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, tamatagge me te, ānanda, bhikkhū bhavissanti ye keci sikkhākāmā’’ti. Therefore, Ānanda, those keen of learning, who in my time or afterwards will dwell thus having made an island within themselves, taking refuge within themselves without any other refuge, will dwell having made Dhamma their island, making Dhamma their refuge without any other refuge, will be beyond the realm of darkness.

1.veghamissakena, vedhamissakena, vekhamissakena


Last modified: Friday, 16 December 2022, 4:16 PM