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- Samyutta Nikaya XII.70
- Susima Sutta
- About Susima
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
Translator's note: This discourse is sometimes cited as proof that a meditator
can attain Awakening (final gnosis) without having practiced the jhanas, but a close
reading shows that it does not support this assertion at all. The new arahants mentioned
here do not deny that they have attained any of the four "form" jhanas that make
up the definition of right concentration. Instead, they simply deny that they have
acquired any psychic powers or that they remain in physical contact with the higher levels
of concentration, "the formless states beyond forms." In this, their definition
of "release through discernment" is no different from that given in AN IX.44 (compare this with the definitions for
"bodily witness" and "released in both ways" given in AN IX.43 and AN
IX.45). Taken in the context of the Buddha's many other teachings on right
concentration, there's every reason to believe that the new arahants mentioned in this
discourse had reached at least the first jhana before attaining Awakening.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Rajagaha
in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels' sanctuary. Now at that time the Blessed One was
worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, given homage -- a recipient of robes, almsfood,
lodgings, & medical requisites for the sick. The community of monks was also
worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, given homage -- a recipient of robes, almsfood,
lodgings, & medical requisites for the sick. But the wanderers of other sects were not
worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, or given homage, nor were they recipients of
robes, almsfood, lodgings, or medical requisites for the sick.
Now at that time Susima the wanderer was living in Rajagaha with a
large following of wanderers. And so Susima's following of wanderers said to him,
"Come now, friend Susima. Go live the holy life under Gotama the contemplative. When
you have completely mastered the Dhamma, tell it to us; when we have completely mastered
it, we will teach it to householders and then we, too, will be worshipped, revered,
honored, venerated, given homage; we too will become recipients of robes, almsfood,
lodgings, & medical requisites for the sick."
Responding, "As you say, friends," to his own following, Susima the wanderer
went to Ven. Ananda and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an
exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting
there, he said to Ven. Ananda, "Friend Ananda, I want to live the holy life in this
Dhamma & Discipline."
Then Ven. Ananda took Susima the wanderer to the Blessed One and,
on arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, sat to one side. As he was sitting there
he said to the Blessed One, "Lord, this wanderer, Susima, has said, 'Friend Ananda, I
want to live the holy life in this Dhamma & Discipline.'"
"Then in that case, Ananda, give him the Going Forth."
So Susima the wanderer gained the Going Forth in the presence of the Blessed One, he
gained the Acceptance (into the community of monks).
Now at that time a large number of monks had declared final gnosis in the Blessed One's
presence: "We discern that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done.
There is nothing further for the sake of this world.'"
Ven. Susima heard that "A large number of monks, it seems, have declared final
gnosis in the Blessed One's presence: 'We discern that "Birth is ended, the holy life
fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this
world."'" Then Ven. Susima went to those monks and, on arrival, exchanged
courteous greetings with them. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies,
he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to them, "Is it true, as they
say, that you have declared final gnosis in the Blessed One's presence: 'We discern that
"Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for
the sake of this world"'?"
"Yes, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you wield manifold supranormal
powers? Having been one you become many; having been many you become one? You appear? You
vanish? You go unimpeded through walls, ramparts, & mountains as if through space? You
dive in & out of the earth as if it were water? You walk on water without sinking as
if it were dry land? Sitting crosslegged you fly through the air like a winged bird? With
your hand you touch and stroke even the sun & moon, so mighty & powerful? You
exercise influence with your body even as far as the Brahma worlds?"
"No, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you hear -- by means of the divine
ear-element, purified & surpassing the human -- both kinds of sounds: divine &
human, whether near or far?"
"No, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you know the awareness of other
beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with your own awareness? Do you discern a
mind with passion as a mind with passion, and a mind without passion as a mind without
passion; a mind with aversion as a mind with aversion, and a mind without aversion as a
mind without aversion; a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind without
delusion as a mind without delusion; a restricted mind as a restricted mind, and a
scattered mind as a scattered mind; an enlarged mind as an enlarged mind, and an
unenlarged mind as an unenlarged mind;an excelled mind [one that is not on the most
excellent level] as an excelled mind, and an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled mind; a
concentrated mind as a concentrated mind, and an unconcentrated mind as an unconcentrated
mind; a released mind as a released mind, and an unreleased mind as an unreleased
mind?"
"No, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you recollect your manifold past
lives (lit: previous homes), i.e., one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten,
twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand births, many
aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons of cosmic expansion, many aeons of cosmic
contraction & expansion, [recollecting], 'There I had such a name, belonged to such a
clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain,
such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had
such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my
experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state,
I re-arose here'?"
"No, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you see -- by means of the divine
eye, purified & surpassing the human -- beings passing away and re-appearing, and do
you discern how they are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate &
unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: 'These beings -- who were endowed with bad
conduct of body, speech, & mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and
undertook actions under the influence of wrong views -- with the break-up of the body,
after death, have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower
realms, in hell. But these beings -- who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech,
& mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions
under the influence of right views -- with the break-up of the body, after death, have
re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world'?"
"No, friend."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, do you dwell touching with your body
the peaceful emancipations, the formless states beyond form [the formless jhanas]?"
"No, friend."
"So just now, friends, didn't you make that declaration without having attained
any of these Dhammas?"
"We're released through discernment, friend Susima."
"I don't understand the detailed meaning of your brief statement. It would be good
if you would speak in such a way that I would understand its detailed meaning."
"Whether or not you understand, friend Susima, we are still released through
discernment."
So Ven. Susima got up from his seat and went to the Blessed One. On arrival, having
bowed down to the Blessed One, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he told the
Blessed One the entire conversation he had had with those monks.
[The Blessed One said:] "First, Susima, there is the knowledge of the regularity
of the Dhamma [dependent co-arising], after which there is the knowledge of
Unbinding."
"I don't understand the detailed meaning of the Blessed One's brief statement. It
would be good if the Blessed One would speak in such a way that I would understand its
detailed meaning."
"Whether or not you understand, Susima, it is still the case that first there is
the knowledge of the regularity of the Dhamma, after which there is the knowledge of
Unbinding.
"What do you think, Susima: Is form [any physical phenomenon] constant or
inconstant?" -- "Inconstant, lord." -- "And is that which is
inconstant easeful or stressful?" -- "Stressful, lord." -- "And is it
fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: 'This is mine. This
is my self. This is what I am'?"
"No, lord."
"...Is feeling constant or inconstant?" -- "Inconstant, lord."...
"...Is perception constant or inconstant?" -- "Inconstant,
lord."...
"...Are fabrications constant or inconstant?" -- "Inconstant,
lord."...
"What do you think, Susima: Is consciousness constant or inconstant?" --
"Inconstant, lord." -- "And is that which is inconstant easeful or
stressful?" -- "Stressful, lord." -- "And is it fitting to regard what
is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: 'This is mine. This is my self. This is
what I am'?"
"No, lord."
"Thus, Susima, any form whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or
external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: every form is to be seen as
it actually is with right discernment as: 'This is not mine. This is not my self. This is
not what I am.'
"Any feeling whatsoever...
"Any perception whatsoever...
"Any fabrications whatsoever...
"Any consciousness whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or
external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: every consciousness is to be
seen as it actually is with right discernment as: 'This is not mine. This is not my self.
This is not what I am.'
"Seeing thus, the instructed noble disciple grows disenchanted with form,
disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with fabrications,
disenchanted with consciousness. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through
dispassion, he is fully released. With full release, there is the knowledge, 'Fully
released.' He discerns that 'Birth is depleted, the holy life fulfilled, the task done.
There is nothing further for this world.'"
"Susima, do you see that from birth as a requisite condition there is aging &
death?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from becoming as a requisite condition there is birth?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition there is
becoming?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from craving as a requisite condition there is
clinging/sustenance?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from feeling as a requisite condition there is craving?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from contact as a requisite condition there is feeling?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the six sense media as a requisite condition there is
contact?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from name-&-form as a requisite condition there are the six
sense media?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from consciousness as a requisite condition there is
name-&-form?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from fabrications as a requisite condition there is
consciousness?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from ignorance as a requisite condition there are
fabrications?"
"Yes, lord."
"Now, Susima, do you see that from the cessation of birth there is the cessation
of aging & death?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of becoming there is the cessation of
birth?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of clinging/sustenance there is the cessation
of becoming?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of craving there is the cessation of
clinging/sustenance?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of feeling there is the cessation of
craving?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of contact there is the cessation of
feeling?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of the six sense media there is the cessation
of contact?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of name-&-form there is the cessation of
the six sense media?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of consciousness there is the cessation of
name-&-form?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of fabrications there is the cessation of
consciousness?"
"Yes, lord."
"Do you see that from the cessation of ignorance there is the cessation of
fabrications?"
"Yes, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you wield manifold
supranormal powers? Having been one you become many; having been many you become one? You
appear? You vanish? You go unimpeded through walls, ramparts, & mountains as if
through space? You dive in & out of the earth as if it were water? You walk on water
without sinking as if it were dry land? Sitting crosslegged you fly through the air like a
winged bird? With your hand you touch and stroke even the sun & moon, so mighty &
powerful? You exercise influence with your body even as far as the Brahma worlds?"
"No, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you hear -- by means of the
divine ear-element, purified & surpassing the human -- both kinds of sounds: divine
& human, whether near or far?"
"No, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you know the awareness of
other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with your own awareness? Do you
discern a mind with passion as a mind with passion, and a mind without passion as a mind
without passion; a mind with aversion as a mind with aversion, and a mind without aversion
as a mind without aversion; a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind
without delusion as a mind without delusion; a restricted mind as a restricted mind, and a
scattered mind as a scattered mind; an enlarged mind as an enlarged mind, and an
unenlarged mind as an unenlarged mind;an excelled mind [one that is not on the most
excellent level] as an excelled mind, and an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled mind; a
concentrated mind as a concentrated mind, and an unconcentrated mind as an unconcentrated
mind; a released mind as a released mind, and an unreleased mind as an unreleased
mind?"
"No, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you recollect your manifold
past lives, i.e., one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty,
forty, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand births, many aeons of cosmic
contraction, many aeons of cosmic expansion, many aeons of cosmic contraction &
expansion, [recollecting], 'There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an
appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of
my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name,
belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of
pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose
here'?"
"No, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you see -- by means of the
divine eye, purified & surpassing the human -- beings passing away and re-appearing,
and do you discern how they are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate
& unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: 'These beings -- who were endowed with
bad conduct of body, speech, & mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and
undertook actions under the influence of wrong views -- with the break-up of the body,
after death, have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower
realms, in hell. But these beings -- who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech,
& mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions
under the influence of right views -- with the break-up of the body, after death, have
re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world'?"
"No, lord."
"Then, having known thus, having seen thus, Susima, do you dwell touching with
your body the peaceful emancipations, the formless states beyond form?"
"No, lord."
"So just now, Susima, didn't you make that declaration without having attained any
of these Dhammas?"
Then, throwing himself down with his head at the Blessed One's feet, Ven. Susima said
to the Blessed One, "A transgression has overcome me, lord, in that I was so foolish,
so muddle-headed, & so unskilled as to go forth as a thief of the Dhamma in this
well-taught Dhamma & Discipline! May the Blessed One please accept this confession of
my transgression as such, so that I may restrain myself in the future."
"Yes, Susima, a transgression overcame you in that you were so foolish, so
muddle-headed, & so unskilled as to go forth as a thief of the Dhamma in this
well-taught Dhamma & Discipline. Suppose, Susima, that a robber, an evil-doer, having
been caught, were shown to a king: 'This, your majesty, is a robber, an evil-doer. Decree
what punishment you want for him.' And so the king would say, 'Go and -- having bound him
with a stout rope with his arms pinned tightly against his back, having shaved him bald --
march him to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to crossroads; evict
him out the south gate of the city and there, to the south of the city, cut off his head.'
Then the king's men, having bound the man with a stout rope with his arms pinned tightly
against his back, would march him from street to street, crossroads to crossroads, evict
him out the south gate of the city and there, to the south of the city, cut off his head.
What do you think, Susima? Wouldn't that man, for that reason, experience pain &
distress?"
"Yes, lord."
"However much the pain & distress that man would experience for that reason,
Susima, the Going Forth of a thief of the Dhamma in this well-taught Dhamma &
Discipline is still more painful in its result, more bitter in its result, in that it
leads even to the lower realms. But because you see your transgression as such and make
amends in accordance with the Dhamma, we accept your confession. For, Susima, it is a
cause of growth in the Dhamma & discipline of the noble ones when, seeing a
transgression as such, one makes amends in accordance with the Dhamma and exercises
restraint in the future."
See also: AN IX.43; AN IX.44; AN IX.45.