Saṃyukta Āgama (302)

Original text: 阿支罗迦叶白佛言。云何。瞿昙。苦自作耶。佛告迦叶。苦自作者。此是无记。迦叶复问。云何。瞿昙。苦他作耶。佛告迦叶。苦他作者。此亦无记。迦叶复问。苦自他作耶。佛告迦叶。苦自他作。此亦无记。迦叶复问。云何。瞿昙。苦非自非他无因作耶。佛告迦叶。苦非自非他。此亦无记。

Explanation: Acela Kassapa said to the Buddha: "How is it, Gotama? Is suffering self-made?" The Buddha told Kassapa: "That suffering is self-made — this is an indeterminate question (avyākṛta), and it shall not be answered." Kassapa asked again: "How is it, Gotama? Is suffering made by another?" The Buddha replied: "That suffering is made by another — this is also indeterminate." Kassapa asked again: "Is suffering made by both self and other?" The Buddha replied: "That suffering is made by both self and other — this is also indeterminate." Kassapa asked again: "How is it, Gotama? Is suffering made neither by self nor by other, arising without cause?" The Buddha told Kassapa: "That suffering is made neither by self nor by other — this is still indeterminate."

Original text: 迦叶复问。云何无因作者。瞿昙。所问苦自作耶。答言无记。他作耶。自他作耶。非自非他无因作耶。答言无记。今无此苦耶。佛告迦叶。非无此苦。然有此苦。迦叶白佛言。善哉。瞿昙。说有此苦。为我说法。令我知苦见苦。

佛告迦叶。若受即自受者。我应说苦自作。若他受他即受者。是则他作。若受自受他受。复与苦者。如是者自他作。我亦不说。若不因自他。无因而生苦者。我亦不说。离此诸边。说其中道。如来说法。此有故彼有。此起故彼起。谓缘无明行。乃至纯大苦聚集。无明灭则行灭。乃至纯大苦聚灭。

Explanation: Kassapa asked again: "What does it mean to be made without cause? Gotama, when I previously asked whether suffering is self-made, you answered that it was indeterminate; when I asked whether it is made by another, made by both self and other, or made neither by self nor by other without cause, you answered that it was indeterminate. So does suffering not exist now?" The Buddha told Kassapa: "It is not that this suffering does not exist; rather, this suffering does exist." Kassapa said to the Buddha: "Excellent, Gotama! You say that this suffering exists. Please expound the Dharma for me, so that I may know suffering and see the truth of suffering."

The Buddha told Kassapa: "If feeling were felt by oneself, I should say that suffering is self-made. If in being felt by another, that other were the feeler, then it would be made by another. If feeling, self-feeling, and other-feeling, together with suffering, were thus combined, then it would be made by both self and other — I do not say that either. If suffering could arise without cause, not depending on self or other, I would not say that either. Departing from all these extremes, I teach the middle way. When the Tathāgata expounds the Dharma, it is: 'When this exists, that exists; when this arises, that arises' — that is, conditioned by ignorance there are volitional formations, and so on, up to the complete gathering of the great mass of suffering. When ignorance ceases, volitional formations cease, and so on, up to the cessation of the great mass of suffering."

Original text: 佛说此经已。阿支罗迦叶远尘离垢。得法眼净。时阿支罗迦叶见法得法。知法入法。度诸狐疑。不由他知。不因他度。于正法律。心得无畏。合掌白佛言。世尊。我今已度。我从今日。归依佛。归依法。归依僧。尽寿作优婆塞。证知我。阿支罗迦叶闻佛所说。欢喜随喜。作礼而去。

Explanation: After the Buddha finished expounding this sūtra, Acela Kassapa's mind departed far from the defilements and stains of the worldly afflictions of the five aggregates, and he attained the purity of the Dharma eye. At that moment, Acela Kassapa saw the Dharma, attained the Dharma, understood the Dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, and entered into the Dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, exhausting all doubts about the Dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination. He did not know the Dharma through other conditions, nor was he liberated by means of other conditions; regarding the true Dharma and the discipline, his mind had become fearless. Then, with palms joined together, he said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, I have now been liberated. From this day forth, I take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, and take refuge in the Saṅgha. For as long as my life lasts, I shall be an upāsaka. Please bear witness to this." Having heard what the Buddha said, Acela Kassapa rejoiced and delighted in it, made obeisance, and departed.