PTS cs 12 ‘Venerable Nāgasena, it has been said by the Blessed One:
“The Tathāgata, O brethren, the Arahat, the Buddha supreme, is the discoverer of a way that was unknown.”
‘But on the other hand he said:
“Now I perceived, O brethren, the ancient way, the ancient path, along which the previous Buddhas walked.”
‘If, Nāgasena, the Tathāgata be the discoverer of a way not previously found out, then it must be wrong that it was an ancient way that he perceived, an ancient path along which previous Buddhas walked. But if the way he perceived were an ancient way, then the statement that it was unknown must be wrong. This too is a double-edged problem, now put to you, which you have to solve.’
PTS cs 13 ‘Both the quotations you make, O king, are accurate. And both the statements so made are correct. When the previous Tathāgatas, O king, had disappeared, then, there being no teacher left, their way too disappeared. And it was that way—though then broken up, crumbled away, gone to ruin, closed in, no longer passable, quite lost to view—PTS vp Pali 218 that the Tathāgata, having gained a PTS vp En 14 thorough knowledge of it, saw by the eye of his wisdom, (and knew it) as the way that previous Buddhas trod. And therefore is it that he said:
“Now I perceived, O brethren, the ancient way, the ancient path along which previous Buddhas walked.”
‘And it was a way which—there being, through the disappearance of previous Tathāgatas, no teacher left—was a way then broken up, crumbled away, gone to ruin, closed in, and lost to view, that the Tathāgata made now passable again. And therefore is it that he said:
“The Tathāgata, O brethren, the Arahat, the Buddha supreme, is the discoverer of a way that was unknown.”
PTS cs 14 ‘Suppose, O king, that on the disappearance of a sovran overlord, the mystic Gem of Sovranty lay concealed in a cleft on the mountain peak, and that on another sovran overlord arriving at his supreme dignity, it should appear to him. Would you then say, O king, that the Gem was produced by him ?’
‘Certainly not, Sir! the Gem would be in its original condition. But it has received, as it were, a new birth through him.’
‘Just so, O king, is it that the Blessed One, gaining a thorough knowledge of it by the eye of’ PTS vp En 15 his wisdom, brought back to life and made passable again the most excellent eightfold way in its original condition as when it was walked along by the previous Tathāgatas—though that way, when there was no teacher more, had become broken up, had crumbled away, had gone to ruin, was closed in, and lost to view. And therefore is it that he said:
“The Tathāgata, O brethren, the Arahat, the Buddha supreme, is the discoverer of a way that was unknown.”
PTS cs 15 ‘It is, O king, as when a mother brings forth from her womb the child that is already there, and the saying is that the mother has given birth to the child. Just so, O king, did the Tathāgata, having gained a thorough knowledge of it by the eye of his wisdom, bring into life, and make passable again, a way that was already there, though then broken up, crumbled away, gone to ruin, closed in, and lost to view.
‘It is as when some man or other finds a thing that has been lost, and the people use the phrase: “He has brought it back to life.” PTS vp Pali 219 And it is as when a man clears away the jungle, and sets free a piece of land, and the people use the phrase: “That is his land.” But that land is not made by him. It is because he has brought the land into use that he is called the owner of the land. Just so, O king, did the Tathāgata, having gained a thorough knowledge of it by the eye of his wisdom, bring back to life, and make passable again, a way that was already there, though then broken up, crumbled PTS vp En 16 away, gone to ruin, closed in, no longer passable, and lost to view. And therefore is it that he said:
“The Tathāgata, O brethren, the Arahat, the Buddha supreme, is the discoverer of a way that was unknown.”’
‘Very good, Nāgasena! That is so, and I accept it as you say.’
Here ends the dilemma as to the way of Nirvāṇa.
“Bhante nāgasena, bhāsitampetaṁ bhagavatā—*taṁ → so taṁ (bj, maku, pts-vp-pli1, mr)‘tathāgato bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti. Puna ca bhaṇitaṁ—‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti. Yadi, bhante nāgasena, tathāgato anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā, tena hi ‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti yaṁ vacanaṁ, taṁ micchā. Yadi tathāgatena bhaṇitaṁ—‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti, tena hi ‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti tampi vacanaṁ micchā. Ayampi ubhato koṭiko pañho tavānuppatto, so tayā nibbāhitabbo”ti.
“Bhante nāgasena, bhāsitampetaṁ bhagavatā—*taṁ → so taṁ (bj, maku, pts-vp-pli1, mr)
‘tathāgato bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti.
Yadi, bhante nāgasena, tathāgato anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā, tena hi ‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti yaṁ vacanaṁ, taṁ micchā.
Yadi tathāgatena bhaṇitaṁ—
‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti, tena hi ‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti tampi vacanaṁ micchā.
Ayampi ubhato koṭiko pañho tavānuppatto, so tayā nibbāhitabbo”ti.
“Bhante nāgasena, bhāsitampetaṁ bhagavatā—*taṁ → so taṁ (bj, maku, pts-vp-pli1, mr)‘tathāgato bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti. Puna ca bhaṇitaṁ—‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti. Yadi, bhante nāgasena, tathāgato anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā, tena hi ‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti yaṁ vacanaṁ, taṁ micchā. Yadi tathāgatena bhaṇitaṁ—‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti, tena hi ‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti tampi vacanaṁ micchā. Ayampi ubhato koṭiko pañho tavānuppatto, so tayā nibbāhitabbo”ti.
“Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti. Bhaṇitañca—‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti, taṁ dvayampi sabhāvavacanameva, pubbakānaṁ, mahārāja, tathāgatānaṁ antaradhānena asati anusāsake maggo antaradhāyi, taṁ tathāgato maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññācakkhunā sampassamāno addasa pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātaṁ, taṅkāraṇā āha—*sampassamāno → sammasamāno (bj, pts-vp-pli1)‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti.
“Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā—
‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti, taṁ dvayampi sabhāvavacanameva, pubbakānaṁ, mahārāja, tathāgatānaṁ antaradhānena asati anusāsake maggo antaradhāyi, taṁ tathāgato maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññācakkhunā sampassamāno addasa pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātaṁ, taṅkāraṇā āha—*sampassamāno → sammasamāno (bj, pts-vp-pli1)
‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti.
“Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti. Bhaṇitañca—‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti, taṁ dvayampi sabhāvavacanameva, pubbakānaṁ, mahārāja, tathāgatānaṁ antaradhānena asati anusāsake maggo antaradhāyi, taṁ tathāgato maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññācakkhunā sampassamāno addasa pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātaṁ, taṅkāraṇā āha—*sampassamāno → sammasamāno (bj, pts-vp-pli1)‘addasaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, purāṇaṁ maggaṁ purāṇaṁ añjasaṁ pubbakehi sammāsambuddhehi anuyātan’ti.
Pubbakānaṁ, mahārāja, tathāgatānaṁ antaradhānena asati anusāsake luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ maggaṁ yaṁ dāni tathāgato sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Pubbakānaṁ, mahārāja, tathāgatānaṁ antaradhānena asati anusāsake luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ maggaṁ yaṁ dāni tathāgato sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—
‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Pubbakānaṁ, mahārāja, tathāgatānaṁ antaradhānena asati anusāsake luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ maggaṁ yaṁ dāni tathāgato sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Idha, mahārāja, rañño cakkavattissa antaradhānena maṇiratanaṁ girisikhantare nilīyati, aparassa cakkavattissa sammāpaṭipattiyā upagacchati, api nu kho taṁ, mahārāja, maṇiratanaṁ tassa pakatan”ti? “Na hi, bhante, pākatikaṁyeva taṁ maṇiratanaṁ, tena pana nibbattitan”ti.*nibbattitan”ti → nibbattanti (bj, maku, pts-vp-pli1)“Evameva kho, mahārāja, pākatikaṁ pubbakehi tathāgatehi anuciṇṇaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ sivaṁ maggaṁ asati anusāsake luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ bhagavā paññācakkhunā sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Idha, mahārāja, rañño cakkavattissa antaradhānena maṇiratanaṁ girisikhantare nilīyati, aparassa cakkavattissa sammāpaṭipattiyā upagacchati, api nu kho taṁ, mahārāja, maṇiratanaṁ tassa pakatan”ti?
“Na hi, bhante, pākatikaṁyeva taṁ maṇiratanaṁ, tena pana nibbattitan”ti.*nibbattitan”ti → nibbattanti (bj, maku, pts-vp-pli1)
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, pākatikaṁ pubbakehi tathāgatehi anuciṇṇaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ sivaṁ maggaṁ asati anusāsake luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ bhagavā paññācakkhunā sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—
‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Idha, mahārāja, rañño cakkavattissa antaradhānena maṇiratanaṁ girisikhantare nilīyati, aparassa cakkavattissa sammāpaṭipattiyā upagacchati, api nu kho taṁ, mahārāja, maṇiratanaṁ tassa pakatan”ti? “Na hi, bhante, pākatikaṁyeva taṁ maṇiratanaṁ, tena pana nibbattitan”ti.*nibbattitan”ti → nibbattanti (bj, maku, pts-vp-pli1)“Evameva kho, mahārāja, pākatikaṁ pubbakehi tathāgatehi anuciṇṇaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ sivaṁ maggaṁ asati anusāsake luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ bhagavā paññācakkhunā sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, santaṁyeva puttaṁ yoniyā janayitvā mātā ‘janikā’ti vuccati; evameva kho, mahārāja, tathāgato santaṁyeva maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññācakkhunā sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, santaṁyeva puttaṁ yoniyā janayitvā mātā ‘janikā’ti vuccati;
evameva kho, mahārāja, tathāgato santaṁyeva maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññācakkhunā sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—
‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, santaṁyeva puttaṁ yoniyā janayitvā mātā ‘janikā’ti vuccati; evameva kho, mahārāja, tathāgato santaṁyeva maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññācakkhunā sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, koci puriso yaṁ kiñci naṭṭhaṁ passati, ‘tena taṁ bhaṇḍaṁ nibbattitan’ti jano voharati; evameva kho, mahārāja, tathāgato santaṁyeva maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññācakkhunā sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, koci puriso yaṁ kiñci naṭṭhaṁ passati, ‘tena taṁ bhaṇḍaṁ nibbattitan’ti jano voharati;
evameva kho, mahārāja, tathāgato santaṁyeva maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññācakkhunā sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—
‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, koci puriso yaṁ kiñci naṭṭhaṁ passati, ‘tena taṁ bhaṇḍaṁ nibbattitan’ti jano voharati; evameva kho, mahārāja, tathāgato santaṁyeva maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññācakkhunā sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’ti.
Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, koci puriso vanaṁ sodhetvā bhūmiṁ nīharati, ‘tassa sā bhūmī’ti jano voharati, na cesā bhūmi tena pavattitā, taṁ bhūmiṁ kāraṇaṁ katvā bhūmisāmiko nāma hoti; evameva kho, mahārāja, tathāgato santaṁyeva maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññāya sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’”ti. “Sādhu, bhante nāgasena, evametaṁ tathā sampaṭicchāmī”ti.
Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, koci puriso vanaṁ sodhetvā bhūmiṁ nīharati, ‘tassa sā bhūmī’ti jano voharati, na cesā bhūmi tena pavattitā, taṁ bhūmiṁ kāraṇaṁ katvā bhūmisāmiko nāma hoti;
evameva kho, mahārāja, tathāgato santaṁyeva maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññāya sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—
‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’”ti.
“Sādhu, bhante nāgasena, evametaṁ tathā sampaṭicchāmī”ti.
Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, koci puriso vanaṁ sodhetvā bhūmiṁ nīharati, ‘tassa sā bhūmī’ti jano voharati, na cesā bhūmi tena pavattitā, taṁ bhūmiṁ kāraṇaṁ katvā bhūmisāmiko nāma hoti; evameva kho, mahārāja, tathāgato santaṁyeva maggaṁ luggaṁ paluggaṁ gūḷhaṁ pihitaṁ paṭicchannaṁ asañcaraṇaṁ paññāya sampassamāno uppādesi, sañcaraṇaṁ akāsi, taṅkāraṇā āha—‘tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā’”ti. “Sādhu, bhante nāgasena, evametaṁ tathā sampaṭicchāmī”ti.
Magguppādanapañho catuttho.*Magguppādanapañho → anuppannamagguppādakapañho (bj); anuppannassa maggassa uppādapañho (maku)
Magguppādanapañho catuttho.*Magguppādanapañho → anuppannamagguppādakapañho (bj); anuppannassa maggassa uppādapañho (maku)
Magguppādanapañho catuttho.*Magguppādanapañho → anuppannamagguppādakapañho (bj); anuppannassa maggassa uppādapañho (maku)