Nibbānapañhāsutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 38.1

Linked Discourses 38.1

1. Jambukhādakavagga

1. With Jambukhādaka

Nibbānapañhāsutta

A Question About Extinguishment

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto magadhesu viharati nālakagāmake.

At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying in the land of the Magadhans near the little village of Nālaka.

Atha kho jambukhādako paribbājako yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then the wanderer Jambukhādaka went up to Venerable Sāriputta and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho jambukhādako paribbājako āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta:

“‘Nibbānaṁ, nibbānan’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati.

“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘extinguishment’.

Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, nibbānan”ti?

What is extinguishment?”

“Yo kho, āvuso, rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo—

“Reverend, the ending of greed, hate, and delusion

idaṁ vuccati nibbānan”ti.

is called extinguishment.”

“Atthi panāvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti?

“But, reverend, is there a path and a practice for realizing this extinguishment?”

“Atthi kho, āvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.

“There is, reverend.”

“Katamo panāvuso, maggo katamā paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti?

“Well, what is it?”

“Ayameva kho, āvuso, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, seyyathidaṁ—

“It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:

sammādiṭṭhi sammāsaṅkappo sammāvācā sammākammanto sammāājīvo sammāvāyāmo sammāsati sammāsamādhi.

right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.

This is the path, the practice, for realizing this extinguishment.”

“Bhaddako, āvuso, maggo bhaddikā paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya.

“Reverend, this is a fine path, a fine practice, for realizing this extinguishment.

Alañca panāvuso sāriputta, appamādāyā”ti.

Just this much is enough for diligence.”

Paṭhamaṁ.