Majjhima Nikāya 131 Bhaddekarattasutta Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Bhaddekaratta Sutta - The One Who Has Had an Auspicious Day

Thus have I heard: At one time, the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.

There the Blessed One addressed the disciples:

Disciples.

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

Bhagavā etadavoca: “bhaddekarattassa vo, bhikkhave, uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desessāmi.

The Blessed One said this: Disciples, I will teach you the summary and analysis of the One Who Has Had a Single Excellent Night.

Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

Yes, venerable sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

Bhagavā etadavoca: “Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya, nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ; Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ, appattañca anāgataṁ.

The Blessed One said this:

Do not pursue the past, Do not long for the future. What is past is left behind, The future is as yet unreached.

Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ, Tattha tattha vipassati; Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ, Taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.

Whatever quality is present, You clearly see right there, right there. Not taken in, unshaken, That's how you develop the mind.

Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ, ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve; Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena, mahāsenena maccunā.

Ardently do what should be done today, Who knows, death may come tomorrow. There is no bargaining with Mortality and his great army.

Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ, ahorattamatanditaṁ; Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti, santo ācikkhate muni.

Whoever lives thus ardently, Relentlessly both day and night, Has truly had an excellent night, So the peaceful sage has declared.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, atītaṁ anvāgameti?

And how does one pursue the past?

‘Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, ‘evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti— evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atītaṁ anvāgameti.

He gets carried away with the thought: I was of such form in the past, he gets carried away with the thought: I was of such feeling in the past, he gets carried away with the thought: I was of such perception in the past, he gets carried away with the thought: I was of such formations in the past, he gets carried away with the thought: I was of such consciousness in the past. That is how one pursues the past.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, atītaṁ nānvāgameti?

And how does one not pursue the past?

‘Evaṁrūpo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁvedano ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsañño ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁsaṅkhāro ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, ‘evaṁviññāṇo ahosiṁ atītamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti— evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atītaṁ nānvāgameti.

He does not get carried away with the thought: I was of such form in the past, he does not get carried away with the thought: I was of such feeling in the past, he does not get carried away with the thought: I was of such perception in the past, he does not get carried away with the thought: I was of such formations in the past, he does not get carried away with the thought: I was of such consciousness in the past. That is how one does not pursue the past.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati?

And how does one long for the future?

‘Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …pe… evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ … evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānanti tattha nandiṁ samanvāneti— evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ paṭikaṅkhati.

He gets carried away with the thought: May I be of such form in the future, he gets carried away with the thought: May I be of such feeling in the future, he gets carried away with the thought: May I be of such perception in the future, he gets carried away with the thought: May I be of such formations in the future, he gets carried away with the thought: May I be of such consciousness in the future.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati?

That is how one longs for the future.

And how does one not long for the future?

‘Evaṁrūpo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti, evaṁvedano siyaṁ …

May I be like this in the future, he does not delight in that. May I have such feelings in the future, he does not delight in that.

evaṁsañño siyaṁ … evaṁsaṅkhāro siyaṁ …

May I have such perceptions in the future, he does not delight in that.

‘evaṁviññāṇo siyaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti tattha nandiṁ na samanvāneti— evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, anāgataṁ nappaṭikaṅkhati.

May I have such mental formations in the future, he does not delight in that. May I have such consciousness in the future, he does not delight in that: Thus one does not expect the future.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati?

And how does one get carried away by present phenomena?

Idha, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ; vedanaṁ …pe… saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ— evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu saṁhīrati.

Here an unlearned ordinary person, who has not seen the noble ones, who is unskilled in the noble teachings, who is undisciplined in the noble teachings, who has not seen the good persons, who is unskilled in the teachings of the good persons, who is undisciplined in the teachings of the good persons, regards form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form; regards feeling as self, or self as possessing feeling, or feeling as in self, or self as in feeling; regards perception as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as in self, or self as in perception; regards mental formations as self, or self as possessing mental formations, or mental formations as in self, or self as in mental formations; regards consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness: Thus one gets carried away by present phenomena.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati?

And how does one not get carried away by present phenomena?

Idha, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, na rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā rūpaṁ, na rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ; na vedanaṁ … na saññaṁ … na saṅkhāre … na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ, na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ— evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, paccuppannesu dhammesu na saṁhīrati.

Here a learned noble disciple, who has seen the noble ones, who is skilled in the noble teachings, who is well disciplined in the noble teachings, who has seen the good persons, who is skilled in the teachings of the good persons, who is well disciplined in the teachings of the good persons, does not regard form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form; does not regard feeling as self, or self as possessing feeling, or feeling as in self, or self as in feeling; does not regard perception as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as in self, or self as in perception; does not regard mental formations as self, or self as possessing mental formations, or mental formations as in self, or self as in mental formations; does not regard consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness: Thus one does not get carried away by present phenomena.

Atītaṁ nānvāgameyya, nappaṭikaṅkhe anāgataṁ; Yadatītaṁ pahīnaṁ taṁ, appattañca anāgataṁ.

One should not pursue the past, nor expect the future. What is past is left behind. The future is as yet unreached.

Paccuppannañca yo dhammaṁ, tattha tattha vipassati; Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ, taṁ vidvā manubrūhaye.

Whatever quality is present you clearly see right there, right there. Not taken in, unshaken, thats how you develop the mind.

Ajjeva kiccamātappaṁ, ko jaññā maraṇaṁ suve; Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena, mahāsenena maccunā.

Ardently doing what should be done today, for: who knows? tomorrow death. There is no bargaining

with Mortality & his mighty horde.

Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ, ahorattamatanditaṁ; Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti, santo ācikkhate munīti.

Whoever lives thus ardently, relentlessly both day & night, has truly had an auspicious day: so says the peaceful sage.

‘Bhaddekarattassa vo, bhikkhave, uddesañca vibhaṅgañca desessāmī’ti— iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti.

Disciples, I will teach you the summary and analysis of the One Who Has Had an Auspicious Day: Thus was it said, and in reference to this was it said.

Idamavoca bhagavā.

This is what the Blessed One said.

Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.

Satisfied, the disciples delighted in the Blessed Ones words.

Bhaddekarattasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.

The Discourse on the One Who Has Had an Auspicious Day is finished.