Dutiyasandiṭṭhikasutta

Atha kho aññataro brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “‘sandiṭṭhiko dhammo, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo’ti, bho gotama, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bho gotama, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti?

Then a certain brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha: “Worthy Gotama, they speak of ‘a teaching apparent in the present life’. In what way is the teaching apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves?”

“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgo’ti pajānāsi, asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgaṁ ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgo’ti pajānāsī”ti? “Evaṁ, bho”. “Yaṁ kho tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgo’ti pajānāsi, asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgaṁ ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgo’ti pajānāsi— evampi kho, brāhmaṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti …pe….

“Well then, brahmin, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, brahmin? When there’s greed in you, do you understand ‘I have greed in me’? And when there’s no greed in you, do you understand ‘I have no greed in me’?” “Yes, sir.” “Since you know this, this is how the teaching is apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ dosaṁ …pe… santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ mohaṁ …pe… santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ kāyasandosaṁ …pe… santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ vacīsandosaṁ …pe… santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ manosandosaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ manosandoso’ti pajānāsi, asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ manosandosaṁ ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ manosandoso’ti pajānāsī”ti? “Evaṁ, bho”. “Yaṁ kho tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ manosandosaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ manosandoso’ti pajānāsi, asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ manosandosaṁ ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ manosandoso’ti pajānāsi— evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti.

What do you think, brahmin? When there’s hate … delusion … corruption that leads to physical deeds … corruption that leads to speech … When there’s corruption that leads to mental deeds in you, do you understand ‘I have corruption that leads to mental deeds in me’? And when there’s no corruption that leads to mental deeds in you, do you understand ‘I have no corruption that leads to mental deeds in me’?” “Yes, sir.” “Since you know this, this is how the teaching is apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.”

“Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti. Chaṭṭhaṁ.

“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! … From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”