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Tidipa

Sīvakasutta (The Discourse to Sīvaka)

· 19 min read

13S4/2.3.1: the renunciant Moḷiyasīvaka asks whether all that is felt is caused by past deeds, and the Bhagavā names eight causes of feeling, known by oneself and agreed by the world, which that view overshoots.

Original text: 13S4/2.3.1 Sīvakasutta 1196–1201 in the World Tipitaka Edition

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

The renunciant Moḷiyasīvaka asks the Bhagavā about the view that whatever a person feels is caused by what was done before. The Bhagavā answers that feelings arise from eight causes, bile, phlegm, wind, their combination, change of weather, careless conduct, what is self-inflicted and the effect of actions, as one can know for oneself and as the world agrees, so that those who hold that view overshoot both. Sīvaka takes refuge as a lay disciple, and a verse lists the eight.

Diagram

Section titled “Diagram”
flowchart TB
    V["the view: all that is felt is caused by past deeds"] --> B["the Bhagavā: eight causes of feeling"]
    B --> C1["bile"]
    B --> C2["phlegm"]
    B --> C3["wind"]
    B --> C4["their combination"]
    B --> C5["change of weather"]
    B --> C6["careless conduct"]
    B --> C7["self-inflicted"]
    B --> C8["effect of actions"]
    B --> K["known by oneself, agreed by the world"]
    K --> W["the view overshoots both: false"]
    W --> R["Sīvaka takes refuge; the verse of the eight"]

Text

Section titled “Text”

(269.)

1196. At one time the Bhagavā was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. Then Moḷiyasīvaka the renunciant approached the Bhagavā. Having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the Bhagavā. When they had concluded their courteous and amiable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Moḷiyasīvaka the renunciant said this to the Bhagavā: “There are, Bho Gotama, some religious practitioners of such a doctrine, of such a view: ‘Whatever this individual experiences, whether pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done before.’ In this case, what does Bho Gotama say?”

1197. “Here, Sīvaka, some feelings arise originating from bile too. This, Sīvaka, is to be known by oneself too: how some feelings arise here originating from bile too. And this, Sīvaka, is regarded as true by the world too: how some feelings arise here originating from bile too. In that regard, Sīvaka, there are those religious practitioners of such a doctrine, of such a view: ‘Whatever this individual experiences, whether pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done before.’ They overshoot what is known by oneself, and they overshoot what is regarded as true in the world. Therefore I say of those religious practitioners: ‘[It is] false.’

1198. Originating from phlegm too, Sīvaka, … and so on … originating from wind too, Sīvaka, … and so on … from a combination of the humours too, Sīvaka, … and so on … produced by change of weather too, Sīvaka, … and so on … produced by careless conduct too, Sīvaka, … and so on … self-inflicted too, Sīvaka, … and so on … caused by the effect of actions too, Sīvaka, some feelings arise here. This, Sīvaka, is to be known by oneself too. How some feelings arise here caused by the effect of actions too; this, Sīvaka, is regarded as true by the world too. How some feelings arise here caused by the effect of actions too; in that regard, Sīvaka, there are those religious practitioners of such a doctrine, of such a view: ‘Whatever this individual experiences, whether pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done before.’ They overshoot what is known by oneself, and they overshoot what is regarded as true in the world. Therefore I say: ‘[It is] false of those religious practitioners.’”

1199. When this was said, Moḷiyasīvaka the renunciant said this to the Bhagavā: “Excellent, Bho Gotama! Excellent, Bho Gotama! … and so on … May Bho Gotama remember me as an upāsaka (lay disciple) who has gone for refuge for life, from today onwards.”

1200. “Bile, phlegm and wind,
Combinations and weather conditions;
Careless conduct, the self-inflicted,
With the effect of actions as the eighth.”

1201. The first [discourse of the chapter].

Commentary

Section titled “Commentary”
  • The text refutes pubbekatahetu, the view that all feeling is caused by past deeds, one of the three sectarian tenets the Titthāyatanasutta (15A3/2.2.1) names; buddhavacana treats action and its results at https://buddhavacana.github.io/articles/kamma/ and determinism at https://buddhavacana.github.io/articles/determinism/.
  • Renderings: paribbājaka “renunciant”, samaṇabrāhmaṇā “religious practitioners”, vedayita “feeling”, atidhāvati “overshoot”, micchā “false”; opakkamika “self-inflicted”, the DPD’s first meaning (buddhavacana’s Meditation article has “due to exertion”, others “assault”).
  • sannipātika “from a combination of the humours”, utupariṇāmaja “produced by change of weather”, visamaparihāraja “produced by careless conduct”: the DPD’s meanings shortened.
  • The …pe… run of 1198 repeats the bile argument for each cause; the eight stand in the Pāḷi’s order with “… and so on …” between them, and the verse (1200) counts them, the effect of actions “as the eighth”.
  • The refuge formula (1199) takes the Khandhaka’s wording with “Bho Gotama” for bhavaṃ gotamo.

Parallels

Section titled “Parallels”

The Chinese parallel is the 977th sūtra of the 雜阿含經 (Saṃyuktāgama; fascicle 35, CBETA T02, no. 99, pp. 252c–253a), read here in CBETA’s text. The two agree in frame and sequence: at Rājagaha in the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove (王舍城迦蘭陀竹園, p. 252c) the renunciant Sīvaka (尸婆外道出家) comes to the Buddha, exchanges greetings, sits to one side and reports the view of some religious practitioners (沙門婆羅門) that whatever a person experiences is all caused by what was done before (若人有所知覺，彼一切本所作因), and asks what Gotama says; the Buddha answers that feelings arise from the humours, their combination, injury and the weather, that this is known by oneself and is the world’s truth (世間真實，非為虛妄, p. 253a), and that those who say all is caused by past deeds abandon the world’s truth and follow their own view, speaking falsely (捨世間真實事而隨自見，作虛妄說, p. 253a). The differences, checked in CBETA’s text:

  • The name and the view. The Pāḷi calls him Moḷiyasīvaka; the Chinese Sīvaka only (尸婆). The Pāḷi states the view in one sentence (1196.5); the Chinese adds its programme: by austerities the deeds of the past are exhausted, no new deeds are made, the causes are cut, and in future there are no more defilements, so that with the deeds ended suffering ends and its limit is reached (修諸苦行，令過去業盡，更不造新業，斷於因緣 … 苦盡者究竟苦邊, p. 252c).
  • The Buddha’s verdict. The Pāḷi says “I say of those religious practitioners: false” (1197.6, 1198.8); the Chinese opens the answer with it: their statement is vague talk, unexamined and unweighed, foolish, unskilful and undiscerning (洛漠說耳，不審不數，愚癡不善不辯, p. 252c).
  • The causes. The Pāḷi has eight, bile, phlegm, wind, their combination, change of weather, careless conduct, the self-inflicted and the effect of actions (1197–1198, 1200); the Chinese has seven, wind (風), phlegm (痰), saliva (唌唾), their combination (等分), self-harm (自害), harm by others (他害) and the seasons (節氣), with no cause from the result of deeds (p. 252c). The Chinese divides what the Pāḷi’s opakkamika covers into self-harm, illustrated by austerities, pulling out hair and beard, standing with arms raised, squatting, lying on ashes or thorns, bathing three times a day, standing on one foot following the sun (p. 252c), and harm by others, by hand, stone, knife or stick (p. 252c); and it illustrates the seasons, great cold in winter, great heat in spring, both in summer (p. 253a). The Pāḷi illustrates nothing.
  • Knowing for oneself. The Pāḷi’s sāmampi kho etaṃ veditabbaṃ (1197.2, 1198.2) is in the Chinese “you too have this affliction yourself … you know it as it really is” (汝亦自有此患 … 如是如實覺知, p. 253a).
  • An addition in the Chinese. After the refutation the Buddha teaches five causes and conditions of mental grief (五因五緣生心法憂苦), the hindrances of sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse and doubt (貪欲纏 … 疑纏), and five by which it does not arise, a Dhamma visible here, not a matter of time, to be seen for oneself (現法得離熾然，不待時節，通達現見，緣自覺知), and the eightfold path (八正道——正見乃至正定, p. 253a). The Pāḷi has none of this.
  • The close. In the Pāḷi Sīvaka declares himself a lay disciple gone for refuge for life (1199), and a verse lists the eight causes (1200); in the Chinese, as the Dhamma is spoken, Sīvaka gains the Dhamma Eye (遠塵離垢，得法眼淨), asks for the going forth and the higher ordination (出家、受具足), and attains the liberated state (心善解脫，得阿羅漢, p. 253a); there is no verse.

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