MĀ56 meghyasūtram

[Translated originally from the Sanskrit Sarvāstivāda Madhyamāgama to Classical Chinese by a team led by Sarvāstivāda scholar Gautama Saṃghadeva of Kāśmīra in 398CE.
Translated from the Chinese Taisho Tripiṭaka back to Sanskrit by Ramakrishnan Suryanarayanan in 2024-26.]

madhyamāgame'bhyāsasaṃyuktavarge meghyasūtraṃ pañcadaśam.

evaṃ mayā śrutam. ekasminsamaye bhagavānmāgadheṣu viharati sma jantugrāme mahāmravanaguhāyām.

tasminsamaye āyuṣmānmeghyo bhagavata upasthāyako'bhūt. athāyuṣmānmeghyastasyā rātreratyayātpūrvāhṇe nivāsya pātracīvaramādāya jantugrāmaṃ piṇḍāya prāviśat. jantugrāme piṇḍāya caritvā yena kimbilānadītīraṃ tenopajagāma. upetyāpaśyattatra bhūmibhāgaṃ samaṃ bhadrāmravanaṃ nāma ramyaṃ, kimbilānadyā jalamatīva praṇītaṃ ramyaṃ śucipravāhaṃ mandaṃ sravad nātīvaśītaṃ nātīvoṣṇam. dṛṣṭvā ca punarāttamanā abhūt. tasyaivamabhūt—samo vatāyaṃ bhūmibhāgo bhadrāmravanaṃ nāma ramyaṃ, kimbilānadyā jalamatīva praṇītaṃ ramyaṃ śucipravāhaṃ mandaṃ sravad nātīvaśītaṃ nātīvoṣṇam. yadi kaścitkulaputraḥ prahāṇārthī syāt tasya prahāṇāyālaṃ vatāyaṃ pradeśaḥ. ahamapi prahāṇārthī, yannvāhamasminprāntapradeśe prahāṇāya yujyeyamiti.

athāyuṣmānmeghyaḥ kṛtabhaktakṛtyaḥ paścādbhaktapiṇḍapātapratikrāntaḥ pātracīvaraṃ pratiśāmya pādau prakṣālya niṣīdanaṃ skandhe kṛtvā yena bhagavāṃstenopajagāma. upetya bhagavataḥ pādau śirasā vanditvaikānte nyaṣīdat. ekāntaniṣaṇṇa āyuṣmānmeghyo bhagavantametadavocat—

iha bhagavannahaṃ pūrvāhṇe nivāsya pātracīvaramādāya jantugrāmaṃ piṇḍāya prāvikṣam. jantugrāme piṇḍāya caritvā yena kimbilānadītīraṃ tenopajagāmam. upetyāpaśyaṃ tatra bhūmibhāgaṃ samaṃ bhadrāmravanaṃ nāma ramyaṃ, kimbilānadyā jalamatīva praṇītaṃ ramyaṃ śucipravāhaṃ mandaṃ sravad nātīvaśītaṃ nātīvoṣṇam. dṛṣṭvā ca punarāttamanā abhūvam. tasya mama bhagavannevamabhūt—samo vatāyaṃ bhūmibhāgo bhadrāmravanaṃ nāma ramyaṃ, kimbilānadyā jalamatīva praṇītaṃ ramyaṃ śucipravāhaṃ mandaṃ sravad nātīvaśītaṃ nātīvoṣṇam. yadi kaścitkulaputraḥ prahāṇārthī syāt tasya prahāṇāyālaṃ vatāyaṃ pradeśaḥ. ahamapi prahāṇārthī, yannvāhamasminprāntapradeśe prahāṇāya yujyeyamiti. so'haṃ bhagavanniccheyaṃ tasminnāmravane prāntapradeśe prahāṇamanuyoktumiti.

evamukte bhagavānmeghyametadavocat—jānāsi tvaṃ meghya, ekākī cāhamasmyadvitīyo, nāsti me'nya upasthāyakaḥ. āgamaya tāvanmeghya yāvadanyo bhikṣurāgacchati mamopasthānāya. paścādgamiṣyasi tasminnāmravane prāntapradeśe prahāṇāyeti.

dvitīyamapi tṛtīyamapyāyuṣmānmeghyo bhagavantametadavocat—iccheyamahaṃ bhagavaṃstasminnāmravane prāntapradeśe prahāṇamanuyoktumiti.

tṛtīyamapi bhagavānmeghyametadavocat—jānāsi tvaṃ meghya, ekākī cāhamasmyadvitīyo, nāsti me'nya upasthāyakaḥ. āgamaya tāvanmeghya yāvadanyo bhikṣurāgacchati mamopasthānāya. paścādgamiṣyasi tasminnāmravane prāntapradeśe prahāṇāyeti.

meghyaḥ punaravocat—bhagavato nāsti kartavyaṃ nāsti karaṇīyaṃ nāsti kṛtasyāvalokanam. mama tu bhagavannasti kartavyamasti karaṇīyamasti kṛtasyāvalokanam. so'haṃ bhagavaṃstasminnāmravane prāntapradeśe prahāṇamanuyoktumiccheyamiti.

bhagavānavocat—prahāṇakāmasya te meghya kimahaṃ punarvakṣyāmi. yasyedānīṃ tvaṃ meghya kālaṃ manyasa iti.

athāyuṣmānmeghyo bhagavato bhāṣitaṃ sūpagṛhya sūpadhārya supariśīlya cotthāyāsanādbhagavataḥ pādau śirasā vanditvā bhagavantaṃ triḥpradakṣiṇīkṛtya prakrāntaḥ. yena tadāmravanaṃ tenopajagāma. upetya tadāmravanaṃ prāviśat. āmravanaṃ praviśyānyatamasya vṛkṣasya mūle niṣīdanaṃ prajñāpya niṣasāda paryaṅkamābhujyarjuṃ kāyaṃ praṇidhāya pratimukhaṃ smṛtimupasthāpya.

tasya tatrāmravane prāntapradeśe viharatastrayaḥ pāpakā akuśalā vitarkā udapadyanta, tadyathā kāmavitarko vyāpādavitarko vihiṃsāvitarkaśca. sa ebhirvitarkairvihanyamāno bhagavantamevānusmarati sma.

atha meghyaḥ sāyāhnasamaye pratisaṃlayanādvyutthāya yena bhagavāṃstenopajagāma. upetya bhagavataḥ pādau śirasā vanditvaikānte nyaṣīdat. ekāntaniṣaṇṇa āyuṣmānmeghyo bhagavantametadavocat—

iha me bhagavaṃstasminnāmravane prāntapradeśe viharatastrayaḥ pāpakā akuśalā vitarkā udapadyanta, tadyathā kāmavitarko vyāpādavitarko vihiṃsāvitarkaśca. so'hamebhirvitarkairvihanyamāno bhagavantamevānusmaramiti.

bhagavānavocat—aparipakvāyā meghya cetovimukteḥ paripākāya pañcābhyāsadharmāḥ saṃvartante. katame pañca?

iha meghya bhikṣuḥ kalyāṇamitro bhavati kalyāṇasahāyaḥ kalyāṇasampṛktaḥ. aparipakvāyā meghya cetovimukteḥ paripākāyāyaṃ prathamo'bhyāsadharmaḥ saṃvartate.

punaraparaṃ meghya bhikṣuḥ śīlavānbhavati prātimokṣasaṃvarasaṃvṛto viharatyācāragocarasampanno'ṇumātreṣvavadyeṣu bhayadarśī samādāya śikṣate śikṣāpadeṣu. aparipakvāyā meghya cetovimukteḥ paripākāyāyaṃ dvitīyo'bhyāsadharmaḥ saṃvartate.

punaraparaṃ meghya yāyaṃ kathā āryā arthopasaṃhitā cittakarmaṇyakarī cetovinīvaraṇī, tadyathā śīlakathā samādhikathā prajñākathā vimuktikathā vimuktijñānadarśanakathā sallekhakathā asaṃsargakathā alpecchatākathā santuṣṭikathā prahāṇakathā virāgakathā nirodhakathā pratisaṃlayanakathā pratītyasamutpādakathā ca, evaṃrūpāyāḥ śrāmaṇyakathāyā nikāmalābhī bhavatyakṛcchralābhyakaṣṭalābhī. aparipakvāyā meghya cetovimukteḥ paripākāyāyaṃ tṛtīyo'bhyāsadharmaḥ saṃvartate.

punaraparaṃ meghya bhikṣurārabdhavīryo viharatyakuśalānāṃ dharmāṇāṃ prahāṇāya kuśalānāṃ dharmāṇāmupasaṃpadāyai sthāmavāndṛḍhaparākramo'nikṣiptadhuraḥ kuśaleṣu dharmeṣu. aparipakvāyā meghya cetovimukteḥ paripākāyāyaṃ caturtho'bhyāsadharmaḥ saṃvartate.

punaraparaṃ meghya bhikṣuḥ prajñāvānbhavatyudayāstagāminyā prajñayā samanvāgata āryayā nairvedhikayā prabhedagāminyā samyagduḥkhakṣayagāminyā. aparipakvāyā meghya cetovimukteḥ paripākāyāyaṃ pañcamo'bhyāsadharmaḥ saṃvartate.

tānimānpañcābhyāsadharmānsamādāyānye catvāro dharmā bhāvayitavyāḥ. katame catvāraḥ? aśubhā bhāvayitavyā kāmarāgaprahāṇāya. maitrī bhāvayitavyā vyāpādaprahāṇāya. ānāpānasmṛtirbhāvayitavyā vitarkopacchedāya. anityasaṃjñā bhāvayitavyā'smimānasamudghātāya.

meghya kalyāṇamitrasya bhikṣoḥ kalyāṇasahāyasya kalyāṇasampṛktasyaitatpratikāṅkṣyaṃ yadutāsau śīlavānbhaviṣyati prātimokṣasaṃvarasaṃvṛto vihariṣyatyācāragocarasampanno'ṇumātreṣvavadyeṣu bhayadarśī samādāya śikṣiṣyate śikṣāpadeṣu.

meghya kalyāṇamitrasya bhikṣoḥ kalyāṇasahāyasya kalyāṇasampṛktasyaitatpratikāṅkṣyaṃ yadutāsau yāyaṃ kathā āryā arthopasaṃhitā cittakarmaṇyakarī cetovinīvaraṇī, tadyathā śīlakathā samādhikathā prajñākathā vimuktikathā vimuktijñānadarśanakathā sallekhakathā asaṃsargakathā alpecchatākathā santuṣṭikathā prahāṇakathā virāgakathā nirodhakathā pratisaṃlayanakathā pratītyasamutpādakathā ca, evaṃrūpāyāḥ śrāmaṇyakathāyā nikāmalābhī bhaviṣyatyakṛcchralābhyakaṣṭalābhī.

meghya kalyāṇamitrasya bhikṣoḥ kalyāṇasahāyasya kalyāṇasampṛktasyaitatpratikāṅkṣyaṃ yadutāsāvārabdhavīryo vihariṣyatyakuśalānāṃ dharmāṇāṃ prahāṇāya kuśalānāṃ dharmāṇāmupasaṃpadāyai sthāmavāndṛḍhaparākramo'nikṣiptadhuraḥ kuśaleṣu dharmeṣu.

meghya kalyāṇamitrasya bhikṣoḥ kalyāṇasahāyasya kalyāṇasampṛktasyaitatpratikāṅkṣyaṃ yadutāsau prajñāvānbhaviṣyatyudayāstagāminyā prajñayā samanvāgata āryayā nairvedhikayā prabhedagāminyā samyagduḥkhakṣayagāminyā.

meghya kalyāṇamitrasya bhikṣoḥ kalyāṇasahāyasya kalyāṇasampṛktasyaitatpratikāṅkṣyaṃ yadutāsāvaśubhāṃ bhāvayiṣyati kāmarāgaprahāṇāya, maitrīṃ bhāvayiṣyati vyāpādaprahāṇāya, ānāpānasmṛtiṃ bhāvayiṣyati vitarkopacchedāya, anityasaṃjñāṃ bhāvayiṣjatyasmimānasamudghātāya.

meghya anityasaṃjñino bhikṣoranātmasaṃjñā pratitiṣṭhati. meghya anātmasaṃjñī bhikṣuḥ sarvāsmimānasamudghātaṃ prāpnoti, evaṃ dṛṣṭa eva dharme śāntiṃ nirodhaṃ kṣayamasaṃskṛtaṃ nirvāṇamadhigacchati.

idamavocadbhagavān. āttamanā āyuṣmānmeghyaste ca bhikṣavo bhagavato bhāṣitamabhyanandan.

meghyasūtraṃ pañcadaśamaṃ samāptam.