Majjhima Nikāya
III. Upari Paṇṇāsa
5. Saḷāyatana Vagga

The Middle Length Sayings
III. The Final Fifty Discourses
5. The Division of the Sixfold Sense(-field)

Sutta 145

Puṇṇ’Ovāda Suttaɱ

Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner, O.B.E., M.A.
Associate of Newham College, Cambridge
First Published in 1954

Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved

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[319]

[1][chlm][upal] Thus have I heard:

At one time^[1] the Lord was once staying near Sāvatthī,
in the Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika’s, monastery.

Then the venerable Puṇṇa,^[2]
emerging from solitary meditation towards evening,
approached the Lord;
having approached and greeted the Lord,
he sat down at a respectful distance.

As he was sitting down at a respectful distance,
the venerable Puṇṇa spoke thus to the Lord:

“It would be good, revered sir,
if the Lord would exhort me
with an exhortation in brief
so that I,
having heard dhamma from the Lord,
might abide alone,
aloof,
diligent,
ardent,
self-resolute.”

“Well then, Puṇṇa, listen,
attend carefully
and I will speak.”

“Yes, revered sir,”
the venerable Puṇṇa answered the Lord in assent.

The Lord spoke thus:

“There are, Puṇṇa,
material shapes cognisable by the eye,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk delights in these,^[3]
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he delights in them,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
delight uprises in him.

I say, [320] Puṇṇa,
that from the uprising of delight
is the uprising of anguish.

■

“There are, Puṇṇa,
sounds cognisable by the ear,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk delights in these,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he delights in them,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
delight uprises in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the uprising of delight
is the uprising of anguish.

■

“There are, Puṇṇa,
smells cognisable by the nose,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk delights in these,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he delights in them,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
delight uprises in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the uprising of delight
is the uprising of anguish.

■

“There are, Puṇṇa,
tastes cognisable by the tongue,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk delights in these,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he delights in them,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
delight uprises in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the uprising of delight
is the uprising of anguish.

■

“There are, Puṇṇa,
touches cognisable by the body,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk delights in these,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he delights in them,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
delight uprises in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the uprising of delight
is the uprising of anguish.

■

“There are, Puṇṇa,
mental states cognisable by the mind,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk delights in these,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he delights in them,
welcomes them
and persists in cleaving to them,
delight uprises in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the uprising of delight
is the uprising of anguish.

“There are, Puṇṇa,
material shapes cognisable by the eye,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk does not delight in these,
does not welcome them
or persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he does not delight in them,
welcomes them
or persists in cleaving to them,
delight is stopped in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the stopping of delight
is the stopping of anguish.

■

“There are, Puṇṇa,
sounds cognisable by the ear,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk does not delight in these,
does not welcome them
or persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he does not delight in them,
welcomes them
or persists in cleaving to them,
delight is stopped in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the stopping of delight
is the stopping of anguish.

■

“There are, Puṇṇa,
smells cognisable by the nose,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk does not delight in these,
does not welcome them
or persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he does not delight in them,
welcomes them
or persists in cleaving to them,
delight is stopped in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the stopping of delight
is the stopping of anguish.

■

“There are, Puṇṇa,
tastes cognisable by the tongue,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk does not delight in these,
does not welcome them
or persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he does not delight in them,
welcomes them
or persists in cleaving to them,
delight is stopped in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the stopping of delight
is the stopping of anguish.

■

“There are, Puṇṇa,
touches cognisable by the body,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk does not delight in these,
does not welcome them
or persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he does not delight in them,
welcomes them
or persists in cleaving to them,
delight is stopped in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the stopping of delight
is the stopping of anguish.

■

“There are, Puṇṇa,
mental states cognisable by the mind,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

If a monk does not delight in these,
does not welcome them
or persists in cleaving to them,
then, because he does not delight in them,
welcomes them
or persists in cleaving to them,
delight is stopped in him.

I say, Puṇṇa,
that from the stopping of delight
is the stopping of anguish.

And in what district will you stay, Puṇṇa,
now that you have been exhorted by me
with this exhortation in brief?”

“There is a district called Sunāparanta.^[4]

I will stay there, revered sir,
now that I have been exhorted by the Lord
with this exhortation in brief.”

“Puṇṇa, the people of Sunāparanta are fierce,
the people of Sunāparanta are rough.

If the people of Sunāparanta
revile^[5] and abuse you, Puṇṇa,
how will it be for you there, Puṇṇa?”

“If the people of Sunāparanta
revile and abuse me, revered sir,
it will be thus for me there:

I will say,

‘Goodly indeed are these people of Sunāparanta,
indeed very goodly are these people of Sunāparanta
in that they do not strike me a blow with their hands.’

It will be thus for me here, Lord,
it will be thus for me here, Well-farer.”

■

“But if the people of Sunāparnata
do strike you a blow with their hands, Puṇṇa,
how will it be for you there, Puṇṇa?”

“If the people of Sunāparanta
strike me a blow with their hands, revered sir,
it will be thus for me there:

I will say,

‘Goodly indeed are these people of Sunāparanta,
indeed very goodly are these people [321] of Sunāparanta
in that they do not strike me a blow with clods of earth.’

It will be thus for me here, Lord,
it will be thus for me here, Well-farer.”

■

“But if the people of Sunāparanta
do strike you a blow with clods of earth, Puṇṇa,
how will it be for you there, Puṇṇa?”

“If the people of Sunāparanta
strike me a blow with clods of earth, revered sir,
it will be thus for me there:

I will say,

‘Goodly indeed are these people of Sunāparanta,
indeed very goodly are these people of Sunāparanta
in that they do not strike me a blow with a stick.’^[6]

It will be thus for me here, Lord,
it will be thus for me here, Well-farer.”

■

“But if the people of Sunāparanta
do strike you a blow with a stick, Puṇṇa,
how will it be for you there, Puṇṇa?”

“If the people of Sunāparanta
strike me a blow with a stick, revered sir,
it will be thus for me there:

I will say,

‘Goodly indeed are these people of Sunāparanta,
indeed very goodly are these people of Sunāparanta
in that they do not strike me a blow with a knife.’

It will be thus for me here, Lord,
it will be thus for me here, Well-farer.”

■

“But if the people of Sunāparanta
do strike you a blow with a knife, Puṇṇa,
how will it be for you there, Puṇṇa?”

“If the people of Sunāparanta
strike me a blow with a knife, revered sir,
it will be thus for me there:

I will say,

‘Goodly indeed are these people of Sunāparanta,
indeed very goodly are these people of Sunāparanta
in that they do not deprive me of life
with a sharp knife.’

It will be thus for me here, Lord,
it will be thus for me here, Well-farer.”

■

“But if the people of Sunāparanta
do deprive you of life
with a sharp knife, Puṇṇa,
how will it be for you there, Puṇṇa?”

“If the people of Sunāparanta
deprive me of life
with a sharp knife, revered sir,
it will be thus for me there:

I will say,

‘There are disciples of the Lord
who, disgusted by the body
and the life-principle
and ashamed of them,
look about for a knife
(with which to kill themselves).^[7]
I have come upon this very knife
without having looked about for it.’

It will be thus for me here, Lord,
it will be thus for me here, Well-farer.”

“It is good, Puṇṇa,
it is good.

You will be able to live in the district
among the people of Sunāparanta
possessed as you are
of this taming and calm.^[8]

You, Punna, now do that
for which you deem the time is right.”

Then the venerable Puṇṇa,
having rejoiced in what the Lord had said
and having given thanks for it,
rose from his seat
and greeted the Lord
keeping his right side towards him,
packed away his lodging
and, taking his bowl and robe,
set out on tour for the Sunāparanta district.

Walking on tour,
he gradually arrived at the Sunāparanta district.

While he was there
the venerable Punṇa stayed in the district among the people of Sunāparanta.

And [322] during the same rainy season
the venerable Puṇṇa established as many as five hundred lay-devotees,
as many as five hundred female lay-devotees,
and he realized the three knowledges.

Then after a time
the venerable Puṇṇa attained final nibbāna.^[9]

A number of monks approached the Lord;
having approached and greeted the Lord,
they sat down at a respectful distance.

As they were sitting down at a respectful distance,
these monks spoke thus to the Lord:

“Revered sir, that young man of family^[10] named Puṇṇa
who was exhorted by the Lord with an exhortation in brief,
has died.

What is his bourn,
what his future state?”

“Clever, monks, was Puṇṇa
the young man of family;
he followed after dhamma
according to the various parts of dhamma;
and he did not annoy me
with questionings about dhamma.

Puṇṇa the young man of family
has gained final nibbāna, monks.”

Thus spoke the Lord.

Delighted, these monks rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Discourse on an Exhortation to Puṇṇa:
The Third

^[1] As at S. iv. 60 ff., Divy. 37-39.

^[2] Verses at Thag. 70. See ThagA. i. 167-169 and MA. v. 85-92.

^[3] That is, in both the eye and material shapes.

^[4] MA. v. 85 says he was a dweller in Sunāparanta, and there were four places there where he stayed. Two, however, were not suitable: the monastery in Samuddagiri was surrounded by magnetic rocks so it was impossible to pace up and down; and at Mātulagiri a huge flock of birds made a noise day and night.

^[5] Or, “curse.” See B.D. ii. 171, n. 3, also p. 269; also B.D. iii. 344 (Vin. iv. 309) where “revile” and “abuse” are defined much as they are at MA. v. 85.

^[6] MA. v. 85 says a four-handed stick or a club of twigs.

^[7] satthahāraka, or an assassin. But see Pārājika III (Vin. iii. 73) to which MA. v. 85 refers.

^[8] damupasama. MA. v. 86 says that in this Sta. dama is khanti, forbearance or patience, and upasmma has the same meaning.

^[9] MA. v. 92 says he attained final nibbāna in the element of nibbāna that has no substrate for rebirth remaining. The people reverenced his body for a week and then, having collected sweet scented sticks, they cremated it, took away the remains and built a cetiya.

^[10] I do not know why Puṇṇa is here referred to as kulaputta. It is perhaps to show he died young.