Tissasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā tisso bhagavato pitucchāputto sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamāroceti: “api me, āvuso, madhurakajāto viya kāyo; disāpi me na pakkhāyanti; dhammāpi maṁ na paṭibhanti; thinamiddhañca me cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati; anabhirato ca brahmacariyaṁ carāmi; hoti ca me dhammesu vicikicchā”ti.

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time Venerable Tissa—the Buddha’s cousin on his father’s side—informed several mendicants: “Reverends, my body feels like it’s drugged. I’m disorientated, the teachings don’t spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness fill my mind. I lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, and have doubts about the teachings.”

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “āyasmā, bhante, tisso bhagavato pitucchāputto sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamāroceti: ‘api me, āvuso, madhurakajāto viya kāyo; disāpi me na pakkhāyanti; dhammāpi maṁ na paṭibhanti; thinamiddhañca me cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati; anabhirato ca brahmacariyaṁ carāmi; hoti ca me dhammesu vicikicchā’”ti.

Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: “ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena tissaṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā yenāyasmā tisso tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ tissaṁ etadavoca: “satthā taṁ, āvuso tissa, āmantetī”ti. “Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā tisso tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ tissaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, tissa, sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamārocesi: ‘api me, āvuso, madhurakajāto viya kāyo …pe… hoti ca me dhammesu vicikicchā’”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, tissa, rūpe avigatarāgassa avigatacchandassa avigatapemassa avigatapipāsassa avigatapariḷāhassa avigatataṇhassa, tassa rūpassa vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”.

So the Buddha addressed one of the monks, “Please, monk, in my name tell the mendicant Tissa that the Teacher summons him.” “Yes, sir,” that monk replied. He went to Tissa and said to him, “Reverend Tissa, the Teacher summons you.” “Yes, reverend,” Tissa replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: “Is it really true, Tissa, that you informed several mendicants that your body feels like it’s drugged … and you have doubts about the teachings?” “Yes, sir.” “What do you think, Tissa? If you’re not rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for form, when that form decays and perishes, will it give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress?” “Yes, sir.”

“Sādhu sādhu, tissa. Evañhetaṁ, tissa, hoti. Yathā taṁ rūpe avigatarāgassa … vedanāya … saññāya … saṅkhāresu avigatarāgassa …pe… tesaṁ saṅkhārānaṁ vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”.

“Good, good, Tissa! That’s how it is, Tissa, when you’re not rid of greed for form. If you’re not rid of greed for feeling … perception … choices …

“Sādhu sādhu, tissa. Evañhetaṁ, tissa, hoti. Yathā taṁ saṅkhāresu anigatarāgassa, viññāṇe avigatarāgassa avigatacchandassa avigatapemassa avigatapipāsassa avigatapariḷāhassa avigatataṇhassa, tassa viññāṇassa vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”.

consciousness, when that consciousness decays and perishes, will it give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress?” “Yes, sir.”

“Sādhu sādhu, tissa. Evañhetaṁ, tissa, hoti. Yathā taṁ viññāṇe avigatarāgassa. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, tissa, rūpe vigatarāgassa vigatacchandassa vigatapemassa vigatapipāsassa vigatapariḷāhassa vigatataṇhassa, tassa rūpassa vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti? “No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Good, good, Tissa! That’s how it is, Tissa, when you’re not rid of greed for consciousness. What do you think, Tissa? If you are rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for form, when that form decays and perishes, will it give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress?” “No, sir.”

“Sādhu sādhu, tissa. Evañhetaṁ, tissa, hoti. Yathā taṁ rūpe vigatarāgassa … vedanāya … saññāya … saṅkhāresu vigatarāgassa … viññāṇe vigatarāgassa vigatacchandassa vigatapemassa vigatapipāsassa vigatapariḷāhassa vigatataṇhassa tassa viññāṇassa vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti? “No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Good, good, Tissa! That’s how it is, Tissa, when you are rid of greed for form … feeling … perception … choices …

“Sādhu sādhu, tissa. Evañhetaṁ, tissa, hoti. Yathā taṁ viññāṇe vigatarāgassa. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, tissa, rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti? “Aniccaṁ, bhante”. “Vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti? “Aniccaṁ, bhante”. “Tasmātiha …pe… evaṁ passaṁ …pe… nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāti.

consciousness. What do you think, Tissa? Is form permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, sir.” “Is feeling … perception … choices … consciousness permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, sir.” “So you should truly see … Seeing this … They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’

Seyyathāpi, tissa, dve purisā— eko puriso amaggakusalo, eko puriso maggakusalo. Tamenaṁ so amaggakusalo puriso amuṁ maggakusalaṁ purisaṁ maggaṁ puccheyya. So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘ehi, bho purisa, ayaṁ maggo. Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha. Tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi dvedhāpathaṁ, tattha vāmaṁ muñcitvā dakkhiṇaṁ gaṇhāhi. Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha. Tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi tibbaṁ vanasaṇḍaṁ. Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha. Tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi mahantaṁ ninnaṁ pallalaṁ. Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha. Tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi sobbhaṁ papātaṁ. Tena muhuttaṁ gaccha. Tena muhuttaṁ gantvā dakkhissasi samaṁ bhūmibhāgaṁ ramaṇīyan’ti.

Suppose, Tissa, there were two individuals. One was not skilled in the path, the other was. The one not skilled in the path would question the one skilled in the path, who would reply: ‘Come, my man, this is the path. Go down it an hour, and you’ll see a fork in the road. Ignore the left, and take the right-hand path. Go an hour more, and you’ll see a dense forest grove. Go an hour more, and you’ll see an expanse of low-lying marshes. Go an hour more, and you’ll see a large, steep cliff. Go an hour more, and you’ll see level, cleared parkland.’

Upamā kho myāyaṁ, tissa, katā atthassa viññāpanāya. Ayaṁ cevettha attho: ‘puriso amaggakusalo’ti kho, tissa, puthujjanassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘Puriso maggakusalo’ti kho, tissa, tathāgatassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassa. ‘Dvedhāpatho’ti kho, tissa, vicikicchāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘Vāmo maggo’ti kho, tissa, aṭṭhaṅgikassetaṁ micchāmaggassa adhivacanaṁ, seyyathidaṁ— micchādiṭṭhiyā …pe… micchāsamādhissa. ‘Dakkhiṇo maggo’ti kho, tissa, ariyassetaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa adhivacanaṁ, seyyathidaṁ— sammādiṭṭhiyā …pe… sammāsamādhissa. ‘Tibbo vanasaṇḍo’ti kho, tissa, avijjāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘Mahantaṁ ninnaṁ pallalan’ti kho, tissa, kāmānametaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘Sobbho papāto’ti kho, tissa, kodhūpāyāsassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘Samo bhūmibhāgo ramaṇīyo’ti kho, tissa, nibbānassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Abhirama, tissa, abhirama, tissa. Ahamovādena ahamanuggahena ahamanusāsaniyā”ti.

I’ve made up this simile to make a point. And this is what it means. ‘A person who is not skilled in the path’ is a term for an ordinary unlearned person. ‘A person who is skilled in the path’ is a term for the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. ‘A fork in the road’ is a term for doubt. ‘The left-hand path’ is a term for the wrong eightfold path, that is, wrong view … wrong immersion. ‘The right-hand path’ is a term for the noble eightfold path, that is, right view … right immersion. ‘A dense forest grove’ is a term for ignorance. ‘An expanse of low-lying marshes’ is a term for sensual pleasures. ‘A large, steep cliff’ is a term for anger and distress. ‘Level, cleared parkland’ is a term for extinguishment. Rejoice, Tissa, rejoice! I am here with advice, with support, with instruction.”

Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano āyasmā tisso bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti. Dutiyaṁ.

That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Tissa approved what the Buddha said.