Vaṅgīsa and His Mentor Nigrodhakappa

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato vaṅgīsassa upajjhāyo nigrodhakappo nāma thero aggāḷave cetiye aciraparinibbuto hoti.

Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi—

parinibbuto nu kho me upajjhāyo udāhu no parinibbutoti?

Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā vaṅgīso bhagavantaṁ etadavoca—

idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi—

parinibbuto nu kho me upajjhāyo, udāhu no parinibbutoti.

Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ cīvaraṁ katvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Pucchāmi satthāramanomapaññaṁ,

Diṭṭheva dhamme yo vicikicchānaṁ chettā;

Aggāḷave kālamakāsi bhikkhu,

Ñāto yasassī abhinibbutatto.

Nigrodhakappo iti tassa nāmaṁ,

Tayā kataṁ bhagavā brāhmaṇassa;

So taṁ namassaṁ acari mutyapekkho,

Āraddhaviriyo daḷhadhammadassī.

Taṁ sāvakaṁ sakya mayampi sabbe,

Aññātumicchāma samantacakkhu;

Samavaṭṭhitā no savanāya sotā,

Tuvaṁ no satthā tvamanuttarosi.

Chindeva no vicikicchaṁ brūhi metaṁ,

Parinibbutaṁ vedaya bhūripañña;

Majjheva no bhāsa samantacakkhu,

Sakkova devāna sahassanetto.

Ye keci ganthā idha mohamaggā,

Aññāṇapakkhā vicikicchaṭhānā;

Tathāgataṁ patvā na te bhavanti,

Cakkhuñhi etaṁ paramaṁ narānaṁ.

No ce hi jātu puriso kilese,

Vāto yathā abbhaghanaṁ vihāne;

Tamovassa nivuto sabbaloko,

Na jotimantopi narā tapeyyuṁ.

Dhīrā ca pajjotakarā bhavanti,

Taṁ taṁ ahaṁ vīra tatheva maññe;

Vipassinaṁ jānamupāgamumhā,

Parisāsu no āvikarohi kappaṁ.

Khippaṁ giraṁ eraya vaggu vagguṁ,

Haṁsova paggayha saṇikaṁ nikūja;

Bindussarena suvikappitena,

Sabbeva te ujjugatā suṇoma.

Pahīnajātimaraṇaṁ asesaṁ,

Niggayha dhonaṁ vadessāmi dhammaṁ;

Na kāmakāro hi puthujjanānaṁ,

Saṅkheyyakāro ca tathāgatānaṁ.

Sampannaveyyākaraṇaṁ tavedaṁ,

Samujjupaññassa samuggahītaṁ;

Ayamañjalī pacchimo suppaṇāmito,

Mā mohayī jānamanomapañña.

Parovaraṁ ariyadhammaṁ viditvā,

Mā mohayī jānamanomavīra;

Vāriṁ yathā ghammani ghammatatto,

Vācābhikaṅkhāmi sutaṁ pavassa.

Yadatthikaṁ brahmacariyaṁ acarī,

Kappāyano kaccissa taṁ amoghaṁ;

Nibbāyi so ādu saupādiseso,

Yathā vimutto ahu taṁ suṇoma”.

“Acchecchi taṇhaṁ idha nāmarūpe,

(iti bhagavā)

Kaṇhassa sotaṁ dīgharattānusayitaṁ;

Atāri jātiṁ maraṇaṁ asesaṁ”,

Iccabravī bhagavā pañcaseṭṭho.

“Esa sutvā pasīdāmi,

Vaco te isisattama;

Amoghaṁ kira me puṭṭhaṁ,

Na maṁ vañcesi brāhmaṇo.

Yathāvādī tathākārī,

Ahu buddhassa sāvako;

Acchidā maccuno jālaṁ,

Tataṁ māyāvino daḷhaṁ.

Addasā bhagavā ādiṁ,

Upādānassa kappiyo;

Accagā vata kappāyano,

Maccudheyyaṁ suduttaran”ti.

Nigrodhakappasuttaṁ dvādasamaṁ.

SC 1Thus have I heard:

SC 2At one time the Lord dwelt at Āḷāvī, at the Aggāḷava Shrine. Not long before, the venerable Vaṅgīsa’s preceptor, by name the elder Nigrodhakappa, had become completely Cool at the Aggāḷava Shrine. Then in Vaṅgīsa’s mind, being at one and in solitude, arose this thought: “Has my preceptor become completely Cool or has he not?”

SC 3Later in the day Vaṅgīsa left his solitude and went to the Lord and having drawn near him, paid his respects and sat to one side. While sitting there Vaṅgīsa said this to the Lord: “While I was sitting in meditation this thought arose in my mind: ‘Has my preceptor become completely Cool or has he not?’”

SC 4Vaṅgīsa then arose from his seat, placed his upper robe over one shoulder and, lotussing his hands respectfully, addressed the Lord with these verses.

SC 5SC Verse 346Vaṅgīsa
We ask now the Teacher of wisdom supreme—
who’s cut off all doubts in this very life,
that Aggāḷava bhikkhu who died recently,
famous, well-known, was he truly Cool-become?

SC 6SC Verse 347His name Nigrodhakappa was,
to that brahmin given by the Radiant One,
he went around revering you, and, strenuous
seeking Liberation, O Seer of the Secure.

SC 7SC Verse 348O Sakya, All-Seeing, we all wish to know
concerning this hearkener, Kappa by name,
all of our ears are ready to hear—
the Teacher you are, the One unsurpassed.

SC 8SC Verse 349Sever our doubt and tell me of this:
that he knew complete Cool, O Wisdom Profound:
tell this in our midst, O All-Seeing One,
as thousand-eyed Sakka by devas ringed.

SC 9SC Verse 350Whatever here deluded paths bring on the bondages,
on ignorance’s side, the bases for all doubts,
on reaching the Tathāgata they cease to be,
for certainly his Eye is supreme among men.

SC 10SC Verse 351If never, no one, could defilements disperse,
as forceful wind a piled-up mass of clouds,
enshrouded would be, for sure, the whole world,
and even the illustrious would have no chance to shine.

SC 11SC Verse 352But the Wise in this world are the makers of light
and you, a Wise One, are such I conceive,
we have come upon Him who Knows and who Sees—
to those here assembled, Kappa clearly reveal.

SC 12SC Verse 353Swiftly send forth fair speech, O Fairest One,
as swan (its neck) stretches sounding softly forth;
with your melodious voice so well-modulated
to it we listen, all of us, attentively.

SC 13SC Verse 354Remainderless, you’ve let go of birth and death—
I’ll urge the One who’s Cleansed to Dharma teach;
ordinary persons cannot act out their desires,
but with discrimination Tathāgatas act.

SC 14SC Verse 355(Your) expositions (of Dharma) so thoroughly based
on straightforward wisdom then thoroughly grasped;
(and he) last lotussed his hands with greatest respect:
so do not delude us, You of wisdom supreme.

SC 15SC Verse 356Having known the Dharma noble, the basics and refined,
You the Energetic One who Knows, do not delude.
I long for your words as for water one does
in summer season by heat overcome.
Rain down on our ears!

SC 16SC Verse 357That purpose for which Kappāyana led
the life of purity—surely it wasn’t in vain;
did he become Cool or did residues remain—
tell of his Freedom, that we long to hear.

SC 17SC Verse 358Buddha
Craving he cut for mind and body both—
craving’s stream that long had lain within him;
completely he has crossed beyond all birth and death—
So the Blessed One spoke, the Fore before the Five.

SC 18SC Verse 359Vaṅgīsa
Hearing your word, O Seventh of Seers,
I’m both pleased and truly satisfied.
Truly my question’s not in vain—
that brahmin did elude me not!

SC 19SC Verse 360As he spoke, he acted so,
one of the Buddha’s hearkeners
who rent the deceiver Māra’s net,
spread wide and very strong.

SC 20SC Verse 361Lord, Kappa the capable
saw graspings’, clingings’ source;
Kappāyana has gone beyond
death’s realm so hard to cross.