Suddhaṭṭhakasutta

Sutta Nipāta 4.4

Anthology of Discourses 4.4

Suddhaṭṭhakasutta

Eight on the Pure

Passāmi suddhaṁ paramaṁ arogaṁ,

“I see someone pure, perfectly healthy;

Diṭṭhena saṁsuddhi narassa hoti;

it is vision that grants a person purity.”

Evābhijānaṁ paramanti ñatvā,

Recalling this notion of the ultimate,

Suddhānupassīti pacceti ñāṇaṁ.

they believe in the notion
that there is one who observes purity.

Diṭṭhena ce suddhi narassa hoti,

If a person were granted purity through what is seen,

Ñāṇena vā so pajahāti dukkhaṁ;

or if by a notion they could give up suffering,

Aññena so sujjhati sopadhīko,

then one with attachments is purified by another:

Diṭṭhī hi naṁ pāva tathā vadānaṁ.

their view betrays them as one who asserts thus.

Na brāhmaṇo aññato suddhimāha,

The brahmin speaks not of purity from another

Diṭṭhe sute sīlavate mute vā;

in terms of what has been seen, heard, or thought;
or by precepts or vows.

Puññe ca pāpe ca anūpalitto,

They are unsullied in the midst of good and evil,

Attañjaho nayidha pakubbamāno.

letting go what was picked up,
without creating anything new here.

Purimaṁ pahāya aparaṁ sitāse,

Having let go the last they lay hold of the next;

Ejānugā te na taranti saṅgaṁ;

following impulse, they don’t pass the chain.

Te uggahāyanti nirassajanti,

They grab on and let loose like a monkey

Kapīva sākhaṁ pamuñcaṁ gahāyaṁ.

grabbing and releasing a branch.

Sayaṁ samādāya vatāni jantu,

Having undertaken their own vows, a personage

Uccāvacaṁ gacchati saññasatto;

visits various teachers,
being attached to perception.

Vidvā ca vedehi samecca dhammaṁ,

One who knows, having comprehended the truth
through the knowledges,

Na uccāvacaṁ gacchati bhūripañño.

does not visit various teachers, being of vast wisdom.

Sa sabbadhammesu visenibhūto,

They are remote from all things

Yaṁ kiñci diṭṭhaṁ va sutaṁ mutaṁ vā;

seen, heard, or thought.

Tameva dassiṁ vivaṭaṁ carantaṁ,

Seeing them living openly,

Kenīdha lokasmi vikappayeyya.

how could anyone in this world judge them?

Na kappayanti na purekkharonti,

They don’t make things up or promote them,

Accantasuddhīti na te vadanti;

or speak of the uttermost purity.

Ādānaganthaṁ gathitaṁ visajja,

After untying the tight knot of grasping

Āsaṁ na kubbanti kuhiñci loke.

they long for nothing in the world.

Sīmātigo brāhmaṇo tassa natthi,

The brahmin has stepped over the perimeter;

Ñatvā va disvā va samuggahītaṁ;

knowing and seeing, they adopt nothing.

Na rāgarāgī na virāgaratto,

Neither in love with passion
nor besotted by dispassion,

Tassīdha natthi paramuggahītanti.

there is nothing here they adopt as the ultimate.

Suddhaṭṭhakasuttaṁ catutthaṁ.