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KANKHEYYA SUTTA.

INTRODUCTION
JUST as the Tevigga Sutta is an argumentum ad hominem to the man wise in the Vedas, and seeking through that knowledge for union with the Deity, urging him to adopt rather the Buddhist method of a life of righteousness here on earth; so the present Sutta is a similar argument addressed to the seeker after the various things specified in its different sections !f he should desire any of these things then let him live the life of uprightness as set out in the opening section, and cultivate the intelligent earnestness and spiritual insight descri"ed in the refrain The two com"ined amount, as would naturally "e e#pected, to the $irv%na of a perfect life in &rahatship''the supreme goal not only of every good Buddhist, "ut of every good Buddhist argument &s applied in the earlier sections it is only a re'statement of a familiar doctrine; as applied in the later sections it has the additional interest of showing us the answer of early Buddhism to the mystics, as the Tevigga shows us its answer to the theologians &nd in the answer we find the details of some curious "eliefs which e#isted in !ndia when Buddhism arose, and which in after times, and especially in the northern church, had so disastrous an effect upon it (ith regard to the reality of these mystical powers our Sutta gives an uncertain sound; leaving, however, an impression rather in its favour The argument is e)ually good either way, "ut the author of the Sutta is so engrossed with &rahatship that he does not stay to say
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whether he regards the "elief in the powers referred to as a delusion or not ! have no dou"t that he really "elieved in their theoretical possi"ility, which is elsewhere also in the -%li -itakas accepted or implied; though the practical effect of the "elief has greatly varied among Buddhists in different times and countries !n the southern church, which adhered more closely to the simple doctrines of early Buddhism, these "eliefs have "een relegated to the region of legend and fairy tale; in the northern church there have "een found, from time to time, "elievers who attached to them a practical importance There is a useful analogy "etween the e#pressions used in . Samuel ##viii, and those in the latter part of our Suttas; and "etween the general position of witchcraft in the history of /hristianity, and of these "eliefs in the history of Buddhism; "ut it would take too long to carry out the comparison and contrast in detail here, and with due regard to the necessary limitations under which the comparison should "e made The analogy only reaches to their history, and to their relative importance in the religious systems with which they were connected; the two sets of "elief themselves are fundamentally different, the !ndian "eliefs "eing much more nearly allied to modern spiritualism and mesmerism (e have a curious instance of the way in which such legends grow in a parallel passage of the earlier and later lives of 0otama as accepted "y orthodo# Buddhists !n the 1ah%

Vagga2.3 it is said that during the first watch of the night following on 0otama4s victory over the 5vil 6ne, he fi#ed his mind upon the /hain of /ausation, during the second watch he did the same, and during the third watch he did the same''the only difference in the narrative "eing the verses with which in each of the three watches the meditation closed !n the life of 0otama prefi#ed to the G%takas2*3 the simplicity of this account is improved away "y saying that
2. !, ., *'7 * G%taka !, 89, translated in 4Buddhist Birth Stories,4 p .+* 3
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in the first watch he ac)uired the knowledge of -ast Births ;-u""e'niv%sa'n%n%, descri"ed in our < .8=, in the second the knowledge of -resent Births ;Di""a'kakkhu, descri"ed in our < .:=, and only in the third the knowledge of the /hain of /ausation ;-atikka' samupp%da= !t is curious that in the corresponding passage of the northern Buddhist Sanskrit poem, the >alita Vistara2.3, we find precisely the same tradition, which must therefore have "een current in "oth northern and southern churches "efore the fifth century of our era ! think it is )uite possi"le that at that time it had "ecome part of the Buddhist theory that every &rahat possessed this supernatural insight; and as 0otama was supposed "y the authors of these two later works to have ac)uired &rahatship "y his victory over the 5vil 6ne, it naturally seemed to them proper to say that he then also ac)uired these particular powers !t is clear that even in the time when the -itakas were put into their present form it was considered that the Buddha had ac)uired them2*3, and that they could "e ac)uired "y less e#alted persons2?3 !n the later literature several instances are given of particular persons who possessed one or other of them in a greater or less degree; "ut it is instructive to notice that these are always persons who lived long "efore the time of the writer who records the instances The early Buddhist doctrine as to witchcraft, astrology, omens, auguries, sacrifices, prophecies, and the like, will "e found in the 1ah% S@la ;a"ove, pp .:7'*++=, and in the Third Aetter ;"elow, p ***=
2. /alcutta edition, pp BB+'BB, * See, for instance, the Tevigga'vakkhagotta Sutta ? S%maa -hala Sutta, pp .BB'.9B 3
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IF HE SHOULD DESIRE--.

KANKHEYYA-SUTTA . Thus have ! heard The Blessed 6ne was once staying at S%vatthi in &n%tha -indika4s park There the Blessed 6ne addressed the Brethren, and said, 4Bhikkhus 4 4Cea, >ordD4 said the Brethren, in assent, to the Blessed 6ne Then spake the Blessed 6neE * 4/ontinue, Brethren, in the practice of Fight /onduct2.3, adhering to the Fules of the 6rder2*3; continue enclosed "y the restraint of the Fules of the 6rder, devoted to uprightness in life2?3; train yourselves according to the -recepts2B3, taking them upon you in the sense of the danger in the least offence ? 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to "ecome "eloved, popular, respected among his fellow'disciples, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within293, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation273, let him look through things283, let him "e much aloneD4
2. S@la * -%timokkh% ? Gk%ragokar% /omp Tevigga Sutta !, B: B Sikkh%padesu The Buddhist Decalogue ;given in 4Buddhism,4 p .7+= 9 &gghattam keto samatham 7 Gh%na 8 Vipassan%E it is always used, in contrast to samatha Hfootnote p *..I ;note 9=, of insight into o"Jective phenomena These three )ualities are constantly referred to as parts of &rahatship The Fev David da Silva makes vipassan% identical with the sevenfold perception ;sa%, mentioned as conditions of the welfare of a community in the Book of the 0reat Decease, /hap !, < .+= 3
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B 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to receive the re)uisites''clothing, food, lodging, and medicine, and other necessaries for the sick''let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 9 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, that to those people among whom he receives the re)uisites''clothing, food, lodging, and medicine, and other necessaries for the sick'' that charity of theirs should redound to great fruit and great advantage, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within,

let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 7 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, that those relatives of his, of one "lood with him, dead and gone, who think of him with "elieving heart should find therein great fruit and great advantage2.3, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 8 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, that he
2. 5ven after death those who remem"er the Buddha, the Truth, or the 6rder with "elieving heart can reap spiritual advantage /ompare the Dhammapada commentary, p :8 3
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should "e victorious over discontent and lust2.3, that discontent should never overpower him, that he should master and su"due any discontent that had sprung up within him, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 , 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, that he should "e victorious over ;spiritual= danger and dismay, that neither danger nor dismay should ever overcome him, that he should master and su"due every danger and dismay, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 : 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to realise the hopes of those spiritual men who live in the "liss which comes, even in this present world, from the four Gh%nas, should he desire not to fall into the pains and difficulties ;which they avoid=, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much alone2*3D4 .+ 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to reach with his "ody and remain in those stages of deliverance which are incorporeal, and pass "eyond
2. &ratiratisaho &rati is the disinclination to fulfil the duties of a Sama na, discontent with the restrictions of the 6rder * The "liss here referred to, and descri"ed in detail "elow, 1ah%'Sudassana Sutta, /hap !!!, is the 4ecstasy of contemplation4 referred to in the refrain 3
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phenomena2.3, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 .. 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, "y the complete destruction of the three Bonds to "ecome converted, to "e no longer lia"le to "e re"orn in a state of suffering, and to "e assured of final salvation2*3, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 .* 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, "y the complete destruction of the three Bonds, and "y the reduction to a minimum of lust, hatred, and delusion, to "ecome a Sakad%g%min, and ;thus= on his first return to this world to make an end of sorrow, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 .? 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, "y the complete destruction of the five Bonds which "ind people to this earth, to "ecome an inheritor of the highest heavens2?3, there to pass entirely away, thence
2. These are the eight Vimokkh%, a list of which occurs in the 0reat Decease, /hap !!!, << ??'B* * 6n this and the two following sections compare 1ah%parini""%na Sutta !!, 8, and on the Bonds or Aetters "elow, p *** ? 6pap%tika This is another of those words which, from their connoting Buddhist ideas unknown in 5urope, are really untranslata"le !t means a "eing who springs into e#istence without the intervention of parents, and therefore, as it were, Hfootnote p *.BI uncaused, and seeming to appear "y chance &ll the higher devas ;angels or gods= are opap%tika, there "eing no se# or "irth in the highest heavens; and it is with especial allusion to this that the word is here used There is of course from the Buddhist point of view ;which admits of nothing without a cause= a very sufficient cause for the sudden appearance of an opap%tika in heaven, viK the karma of a "eing who has past away somewhere else; "ut the Buddhist theory necessitated the choice of an e#pression which would give no countenance to the ;heretical= idea of a soul flying away after the death of its "ody from one world to another !n the e#pression 4which "ind people to this world,4 "y world is meant the FLpa'loka, or world of form, which include all those parts of the universe whose inha"itants have an outward form and are su"Ject to lusts 3
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never to return, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 .B 2.3 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to e#ercise one "y one each of the different !ddhis, "eing one to "ecome multiform, "eing multiform to "ecome one; to "ecome visi"le, or to "ecome invisi"le; to go without "eing stopped to the further side of a wall,

or a fence, or a mountain, as if through air; to penetrate up and down through solid ground, as if through water; to walk on the water without dividing it, as if on solid ground; to travel cross'legged through the sky, like the "irds on wing; to touch and feel with the hand even the sun and the moon, mighty and powerful though they "e; and to reach in the "ody even up to the heaven of Brahm%; let him then fulfil all righteousness,
2. (ith this paragraph compare 1ah%parini""%na Sutta !!!, .B, and S%maa -hala Sutta, p .B9 3
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let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 .9 2.3 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to hear with clear and heavenly ear, surpassing that of men, sounds "oth human and celestial, whether far or near, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 .7 2*3 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to comprehend "y his own heart the hearts of other "eings and of other men; to discern the passionate mind to "e passionate, and the calm mind calm; the angry mind to "e angry, and the peacea"le peacea"le; the deluded mind to "e deluded, and the wise mind wise; the concentrated thoughts to "e concentrated, and the scattered to "e scattered; the lofty mind to "e lofty, and the narrow mind narrow; the su"lime thoughts to "e su"lime, and the mean to "e mean; the steadfast mind to "e steadfast, and the wavering to "e wavering; the free mind to "e free, and the enslaved mind to "e enslaved; let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 .8 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to "e a"le to call to mind his various temporary states in days gone "y; such as one "irth, two "irths,
2. (ith this paragraph compare S%maa -hala Sutta, p .B7 * /ompare 1 - S !, .7, and S%maa -hala Sutta, p .B8 3
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three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred or a thousand, or a hundred thousand "irths2.3; his "irths in many an Mon of destruction, in many an Mon of renovation, in many an Mon of "oth destruction and renovation2*3; ;so as to "e a"le to say=, N!n that place such was my name, such my family, such my caste2?3, such my su"sistence, such my e#perience of comfort or of pain, and such the limit of my life; and when ! passed from thence, ! took form again in that other place where my name was so and so, such my family, such my caste, such my su"sistence, such my e#perience of comfort or of Joy, and such my term of life; and when ! fell from thence, ! took form in such and such a place2B3;N''should he desire thus to call to mind his temporary states in

days gone "y in all their modes and all their details let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 ., 293 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, to see with pure and heavenly vision, surpassing that of
2. The >alita Vistara ;p BB*= characteristically carries this enumeration further up into innumera"le ko tis and niyutas of "irths * This is "ased on the Buddhist theory of the periodical destruction and renovation of the universe, each of which takes countless years to "e accomplished ? Vanna, colour B The te#t of this clause recurs nearly word for word in the Brahma' g%la Sutta, pp .8'*.E and in the >alita Vistara, /hap OO!!, p BB*; and e#actly in the S%maa -hala Sutta, p .B, 9 This paragraph recurs in the S%maa -hala Sutta, p .9+, and in nearly the same words in the >alita Vistara, /hap OO!! 3
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men, "eings as they pass from one state of e#istence and take form in others; "eings "ase or no"le, good'looking or ill'favoured, happy or misera"le, according to the karma they inherit'';if he should desire to "e a"le to say=, NThese "eings, reverend sirs, "y their "ad conduct in action, "y their "ad conduct in word, "y their "ad conduct in thought, "y their speaking evil of the $o"le 6nes2.3, "y their adhesion to false doctrine, or "y their ac)uiring the karma of false doctrine2*3, have "een re"orn, on the dissolution of the "ody after death, in some unhappy state of suffering or woe2?3 N NThese "eings, reverend sirs, "y their good conduct in action, "y their good conduct in word, "y their good conduct in thought, "y their not speaking evil of the $o"le 6nes, "y their adhesion to right doctrine, "y their ac)uiring the karma of right doctrine, have "een re"orn, on the dissolution of the "ody after death, into some happy state in heaven;N''should he desire thus to see with pure and heavenly vision, surpassing that of men, "eings as they thus pass from one state of e#istence and take form in others; "eings "ase or no"le, good'looking or ill'favoured, happy or misera"le, according to the karma they inherit; let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs
2. This is a collective term, meaning Buddhas, -akkeka Buddhas, &rahats, &n%g%mins, Sakad%g%mins, and Sot%pannas; that is, those who are walking in the $o"le 5ightfold -ath * The -%li is mikkha' ;and "elow samm%'= ditthi'kamma'sam%d%na; the >alita Vistara, whose other e#pressions are identical with the -%li, has, very strangely, mithy%' ;and "elow samyag'= di tthi'karma' dharma'sam%d%na ? See note on 1 - S , /hap !, < *? 3
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from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 .: 2.3 4!f a Bhikkhu should desire, Brethren, "y the destruction of the great evils ;Gsavas2*3=, "y himself, and even in this very world, to know and realise and attain to &rahatship, to emancipation of heart, and emancipation of mind, let him then fulfil all righteousness, let him "e devoted to that )uietude of heart which springs from within, let him not drive "ack the ecstasy of contemplation, let him look through things, let him "e much aloneD4 *+ 4/ontinue therefore, Brethren, in the practice of Fight /onduct, adhering to the Fules of the 6rder; continue enclosed "y the restraint of the Fules of the 6rder, devoted to uprightness in life; train yourselves according to the -recepts, taking them upon you in the sense of the danger in the least offence Aor to this end alone has all, that has "een said, "een saidD4 *. Thus spake the Blessed 6ne &nd those Brethren, delighted in heart, e#alted the word of the Blessed 6ne '''''''''''''''''''''''' 5nd of the Gkankheyya Sutta
2. /ompare S%maa -hala Sutta, p .9.; 1ah%parini""%na Sutta !!, 8; and >alita Vistara, /hap OO!!, p BB* * Sensuality, individuality, delusion, and ignorance 3
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