7.
The Shorter Discourse on the Complete Elimination of Craving
390. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in the Eastern Park, in Migāramātā's mansion. Then Sakka, the lord of the gods, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, Sakka, the lord of the gods, said this to the Blessed One - "In what respect, venerable sir, is a monk in brief liberated by the elimination of craving, of absolute goal, of absolute security from bondage, of absolute holy life, of absolute final end, foremost among gods and humans?"
"Here, lord of the gods, a monk has heard: 'All phenomena are not fit for adherence.' And when, lord of the gods, a monk has heard thus: 'All phenomena are not fit for adherence.' He directly knows all phenomena; having directly known all phenomena, he fully understands all phenomena; having fully understood all phenomena, whatever feeling he feels - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, he dwells observing impermanence in those feelings, dwells observing dispassion, dwells observing cessation, dwells observing relinquishment. Dwelling observing impermanence in those feelings, dwelling observing dispassion, dwelling observing cessation, dwelling observing relinquishment, he does not cling to anything in the world. Not clinging, he is not agitated; not being agitated, he personally attains final nibbāna - He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.' To this extent, lord of the gods, a monk is in brief liberated by the elimination of craving, of absolute goal, of absolute security from bondage, of absolute holy life, of absolute final end, foremost among gods and humans."
Then Sakka, the lord of the gods, having delighted in and given thanks for what the Blessed One had said, paid respect to the Blessed One, circumambulated him keeping him on his right, and disappeared right there.
391. Now at that time the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was seated not far from the Blessed One. Then this occurred to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: "Did that demon, having thoroughly understood what the Blessed One said, give thanks, or not? What if I were to find out about that demon - whether that demon, having thoroughly understood what the Blessed One said, gave thanks, or not?" Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna - just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, even so - having vanished from the Eastern Park, from Migāramātā's mansion, appeared among the Tāvatiṃsa gods. Now at that time Sakka, the lord of the gods, in the Ekapuṇḍarīka park, endowed and furnished with five hundred divine musical instruments, was indulging himself. Sakka, the lord of the gods, saw the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna coming from afar. Having seen him, having dismissed those five hundred divine musical instruments, he approached the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna; having approached, he said this to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: "Come, dear Moggallāna, welcome, dear Moggallāna! It has been a long time, dear Moggallāna, since you made this occasion, that is to say, for coming here. Sit down, dear Moggallāna, this seat is laid down." The Venerable Mahāmoggallāna sat down on the prepared seat. Sakka, the lord of the gods, too, having taken a certain low seat, sat down to one side. To Sakka, the lord of the gods, seated to one side, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this: "In what way, Kosiya, did the Blessed One speak in brief about liberation through the elimination of craving? It would be good if we too could be sharers in hearing this talk."
392. "We, dear Moggallāna, have much to do, have many duties - not only with our own duties, but also with the duties of the gods of the Thirty-three. But, dear Moggallāna, even what is well heard, rightly grasped, well attended to, well considered, quickly disappears from us. Once upon a time, dear Moggallāna, there was a battle between the gods and the titans that was fully engaged. In that battle, dear Moggallāna, the gods won, the titans were defeated. So I, dear Moggallāna, having completely conquered that battle, the victor of the battle, having turned back from there, built a mansion named Vejayanta. The Vejayanta mansion, dear Moggallāna, has one hundred turrets. In each turret there are seven hundred pinnacle chambers. In each pinnacle chamber there are seven nymphs. Each nymph has seven attendants. Would you wish, dear Moggallāna, to see the loveliness of the Vejayanta mansion?" The Venerable Mahāmoggallāna consented by silence.
393. Then Sakka, the lord of the gods, and the great king Vessavaṇa, having put the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna in front, approached the Vejayanta mansion. The attendants of Sakka, the lord of the gods, saw the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna coming from afar; having seen him, feeling moral fear and shame, they entered their own chambers. Just as a daughter-in-law, having seen her father-in-law, feels moral fear and shame, just so the attendants of Sakka, the lord of the gods, having seen the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, feeling moral fear and shame, entered their own chambers. Then Sakka, the lord of the gods, and the great king Vessavaṇa had the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna walk about and explore the Vejayanta mansion - "See this too, dear Moggallāna, the loveliness of the Vejayanta mansion; see this too, dear Moggallāna, the loveliness of the Vejayanta mansion." "This shines beautifully for the Venerable Kosiya, as is natural for one who has made merit in the past. Even humans, having seen something lovely, say thus - 'It shines beautifully indeed, friend, like that of the Thirty-three gods.' This shines beautifully for the Venerable Kosiya, as is natural for one who has made merit in the past." Then this occurred to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: "This demon dwells too excessively heedless. What if I were to stir this demon to a sense of urgency." Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna performed such a feat of supernormal power that he shook, made tremble, and made quake the Vejayanta mansion with his big toe. Then Sakka, the lord of the gods, and the great king Vessavaṇa, and the Thirty-three gods were filled with wonder and amazement - "Wonderful indeed, friend, marvellous indeed, friend, is the great supernormal power and great majesty of the ascetic, that he should shake, make tremble, and make quake the divine mansion with his big toe!" Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, having understood that Sakka, the lord of the gods, was stirred with his hair standing on end, said this to Sakka, the lord of the gods - "In what way, Kosiya, did the Blessed One speak in brief about liberation through the elimination of craving? It would be good if we too could be sharers in hearing this talk."
394. "Here I, dear Moggallāna, approached the Blessed One; having approached, I paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, dear Moggallāna, I said this to the Blessed One - 'In what respect, venerable sir, is a monk in brief liberated by the elimination of craving, of absolute goal, of absolute security from bondage, of absolute holy life, of absolute final end, foremost among gods and humans?'"
"When this was said, dear Moggallāna, the Blessed One said this to me - 'Here, lord of the gods, a monk has heard: "All phenomena are not fit for adherence." Thus indeed, lord of the gods, a monk has heard: "All phenomena are not fit for adherence." He directly knows all phenomena; having directly known all phenomena, he fully understands all phenomena; having fully understood all phenomena, whatever feeling he feels - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant. He dwells observing impermanence in those feelings, dwells observing dispassion, dwells observing cessation, dwells observing relinquishment. Dwelling observing impermanence in those feelings, dwelling observing dispassion, dwelling observing cessation, dwelling observing relinquishment, he does not cling to anything in the world; not clinging, he is not agitated; not being agitated, he personally attains final nibbāna - He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.' To this extent, lord of the gods, a monk is in brief liberated by the elimination of craving, of absolute goal, of absolute security from bondage, of absolute holy life, of absolute final end, foremost among gods and humans.' Thus indeed, dear Moggallāna, the Blessed One spoke to me in brief about liberation through the elimination of craving."
Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, having delighted in and given thanks for the words of Sakka, the lord of the gods - just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, even so - having vanished from the Tāvatiṃsa gods, appeared in the Eastern Park, in Migāramātā's mansion. Then the attendants of Sakka, the lord of the gods, soon after the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna had departed, said this to Sakka, the lord of the gods - "Is this, sir, that Blessed One, your Teacher?" "He is not, sir, that Blessed One, my Teacher. This Venerable Mahāmoggallāna is my fellow in the holy life." "It is a gain for you, sir, whose fellow in the holy life is of such great supernormal power, of such great majesty! Ah, surely that Blessed One must be your Teacher!"
395. Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this to the Blessed One - "Does the Blessed One recall, venerable sir, that liberation through the elimination of craving was spoken in brief to a certain well-known influential demon?" "I do recall, Moggallāna. Here Sakka, the lord of the gods, approached me; having approached, he paid respect to me and stood to one side. Standing to one side, Moggallāna, Sakka, the lord of the gods, said this to me - 'In what respect, venerable sir, is a monk in brief liberated by the elimination of craving, of absolute goal, of absolute security from bondage, of absolute holy life, of absolute final end, foremost among gods and humans?'
When this was said, I, Moggallāna, said this to Sakka, the lord of the gods: 'Here, lord of the gods, a monk has heard: "All phenomena are not fit for adherence." Thus indeed, lord of the gods, a monk has heard: "All phenomena are not fit for adherence." He directly knows all phenomena; having directly known all phenomena, he fully understands all phenomena; having fully understood all phenomena, whatever feeling he feels - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant. He dwells observing impermanence in those feelings, dwells observing dispassion, dwells observing cessation, dwells observing relinquishment. Dwelling observing impermanence in those feelings, dwelling observing dispassion, dwelling observing cessation, dwelling observing relinquishment, he does not cling to anything in the world; not clinging, he is not agitated; not being agitated, he personally attains final nibbāna - He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.' To this extent, lord of the gods, a monk is in brief liberated by the elimination of craving, of absolute goal, of absolute security from bondage, of absolute holy life, of absolute final end, foremost among gods and humans.' Thus indeed, Moggallāna, I recall that liberation through the elimination of craving was spoken in brief to Sakka, the lord of the gods."
This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on the Shorter Extinction of Craving is concluded as seventh.