Majjhima Nikāya
Sutta 18
18. Madhupiṇḍika Sutta:
The Honey Ball
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Sakyans near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Park. Then in the early morning, having adjusted his under robe and carrying his bowl & outer robe, he went into Kapilavatthu for alms. Having gone for alms in Kapilavatthu, after the meal, returning from his alms round, he went to the Great Forest for the day’s abiding. Plunging into the Great Forest, he sat down at the root of a young clump of bamboo for the day’s abiding. Daṇḍapāni [“Stick-in-hand”] the Sakyan, out roaming & rambling for exercise, also went to the Great Forest. Plunging into the Great Forest, he went to the Blessed One under the young clump of bamboo. On arrival, he exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he stood to one side. As he was standing there, he said to the Blessed One, “What is the contemplative’s doctrine? What does he proclaim?”
“The sort of doctrine, friend, where one does not keep quarrelling with anyone in the cosmos with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & Brahmans, its royalty & common folk; the sort (of doctrine) where perceptions no longer obsess the Brahman who remains dissociated from sensuality, free from perplexity, his uncertainty cut away, devoid of craving for becoming & non-. Such is my doctrine; such is what I proclaim.”
When this was said, Daṇḍapāni the Sakyan - shaking his head, wagging his tongue, raising his eyebrows so that his forehead was wrinkled in three furrows - left, leaning on his stick.
Then the Blessed One, emerging from his seclusion in the late afternoon, went to the Banyan Park and, on arrival, sat down on a seat made ready. Having sat down, he [told the monks what had happened]. When this was said, a certain monk said to the Blessed One, “Lord, what sort of doctrine is it where one does not keep quarrelling with anyone in the cosmos with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & Brahmans, its royalty & common folk; where perceptions no longer obsess the Brahman who remains dissociated from sensuality, free from perplexity, his uncertainty cut away, devoid of craving for becoming & non-becoming?”
“If, monk, with regard to the cause whereby the perceptions & categories of objectification assail a person, there is nothing there to relish, welcome, or remain fastened to, then that is the end of the obsessions of passion, the obsessions of resistance, the obsessions of views, the obsessions of uncertainty, the obsessions of conceit, the obsessions of passion for becoming, & the obsessions of ignorance. That is the end of taking up rods & bladed weapons, of arguments, quarrels, disputes, accusations, divisive speech, & false speech. That is where these evil, unskilful things cease without remainder.” That is what the Blessed One said. Having said it, he - the One Well-Gone - got up from his seat and went into his dwelling.
Then, not long after the Blessed One had left, this thought occurred to the monks: “This brief statement the Blessed One made, after which he went into his dwelling without analysing the detailed meaning - i.e., ‘If, with regard to the cause whereby the perceptions & categories of objectification assail a person, there is nothing to relish... that is where these evil, unskilful things cease without remainder’: Now who might analyse the unanalysed detailed meaning of this brief statement?” Then the thought occurred to them, “Ven. Maha Kaccana is praised by the Teacher and esteemed by his observant companions in the holy life. He is capable of analysing the unanalysed detailed meaning of this brief statement. Suppose we were to go to him and, on arrival, cross-question him about this matter.”
So the monks went to Ven. Maha Kaccana and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, they sat to one side. As they were sitting there, they [told him what had happened, and added,] “Analyse the meaning, Ven. Maha Kaccana!”
(He replied:) “Friends, it’s as if a man needing heartwood, looking for heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood - passing over the root & trunk of a standing tree possessing heartwood - were to imagine that heartwood should be sought among its branches & leaves. So it is with you, who - having bypassed the Blessed One when you were face to face with him, the Teacher - imagine that I should be asked about this matter. For knowing, the Blessed One knows; seeing, he sees. He is the Eye, he is Knowledge, he is Dhamma, he is Brahma. He is the speaker, the proclaimer, the elucidator of meaning, the giver of the deathless, the lord of the Dhamma, the Tathagata. That was the time when you should have cross-questioned him about this matter. However he answered, that was how you should have remembered it.”
“Yes, friend Kaccana: Knowing, the Blessed One knows; seeing, he sees. He is the Eye, he is Knowledge, he is Dhamma, he is Brahma. He is the speaker, the proclaimer, the elucidator of meaning, the giver of the deathless, the lord of the Dhamma, the Tathagata. That was the time when we should have cross-questioned him about this matter. However he answered, that was how we should have remembered it. But you are praised by the Teacher and esteemed by your observant companions in the holy life. You are capable of analysing the unanalysed detailed meaning of this brief statement. Analyse the meaning, Ven. Maha Kaccana, without making it difficult!”
“In that case, my friends, listen & pay close attention. I will speak.”
“As you say, friend,” the monks responded to him.
Ven. Maha Kaccana said this: “Friends, concerning the brief statement the Blessed One made, after which he went into his dwelling without analysing the detailed meaning - i.e., ‘If, with regard to the cause whereby the perceptions & categories of objectification assail a person, there is nothing there to relish, welcome, or remain fastened to, then that is the end of the obsessions of passion, the obsessions of resistance, the obsessions of views, the obsessions of uncertainty, the obsessions of conceit, the obsessions of passion for becoming, & the obsessions of ignorance. That is the end of taking up rods & bladed weapons, of arguments, quarrels, disputes, accusations, divisive speech, & false speech. That is where these evil, unskilful things cease without remainder’ - I understand the detailed meaning to be this:
“Dependent on eye & forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition, there is feeling. What one feels, one perceives [labels in the mind]. What one perceives, one thinks about. What one thinks about, one complicates. Based on what a person complicates, the perceptions & categories of objectification assail him/her with regard to past, present, & future forms cognizable via the eye.
“Dependent on ear & sounds, ear-consciousness arises.. “Dependent on nose & aromas, nose-consciousness arises..
“Dependent on tongue & flavours, tongue-consciousness arises..
“Dependent on body & tactile sensations, body-consciousness arises..
“Dependent on intellect & ideas, intellect-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition, there is feeling. What one feels, one perceives. What one perceives, one thinks about. What one thinks about, one complicates. Based on what a person complicates, the perceptions & categories of objectification assail him/her with regard to past, present, & future ideas cognizable via the intellect.
“Now, when there is the eye, when there are forms, when there is eye- consciousness, it is possible that one will delineate a delineation of contact.1 When there is a delineation of contact, it is possible that one will delineate a delineation of feeling. When there is a delineation of feeling, it is possible that one will delineate a delineation of perception. When there is a delineation of perception, it is possible that one will delineate a delineation of thinking. When there is a delineation of thinking, it is possible that one will delineate a delineation of being assailed by the perceptions & categories of objectification.
“When there is the ear..
“When there is the nose..
“When there is the tongue..
“When there is the body..
“When there is the intellect, when there are ideas, when there is intellect- consciousness, it is possible that one will delineate a delineation of contact. When there is a delineation of contact, it is possible that one will delineate a delineation of feeling. When there is a delineation of feeling, it is possible that one will delineate a delineation of perception. When there is a delineation of perception, it is possible that one will delineate a delineation of thinking. When there is a delineation of thinking, it is possible that one will delineate a delineation of being assailed by the perceptions & categories of objectification.
“Now, when there is no eye, when there are no forms, when there is no eye- consciousness, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of contact. When there is no delineation of contact, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of feeling. When there is no delineation of feeling, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of perception. When there is no delineation of perception, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of thinking. When there is no delineation of thinking, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of being assailed by the perceptions & categories of objectification.
“When there is no ear..
“When there is no nose..
“When there is no tongue..
“When there is no body..
“When there is no intellect, when there are no ideas, when there is no intellect- consciousness, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of contact. When there is no delineation of contact, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of feeling. When there is no delineation of feeling, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of perception. When there is no delineation of perception, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of thinking. When there is no delineation of thinking, it is impossible that one will delineate a delineation of being assailed by the perceptions & categories of objectification.
“So, concerning the brief statement the Blessed One made, after which he entered his dwelling without analyzing the detailed meaning - i.e., ‘If, with regard to the cause whereby the perceptions & categories of objectification assail a person, there is nothing there to relish, welcome, or remain fastened to, then that is the end of the obsessions of passion, the obsessions of resistance, the obsessions of views, the obsessions of uncertainty, the obsessions of conceit, the obsessions of passion for becoming, & the obsessions of ignorance. That is the end of taking up rods & bladed weapons, of arguments, quarrels, disputes, accusations, divisive speech, & false speech. That is where these evil, unskilful things cease without remainder’ - this is how I understand the detailed meaning. Now, friends, if you wish, having gone to the Blessed One, cross-question him about this matter. However he answers is how you should remember it.”
Then the monks, delighting in & approving of Ven. Maha Kaccana’s words, got up from their seats and went to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to him, they sat to one side. As they were sitting there, they [told him what had happened after he had gone into his dwelling, and ended by saying,] “Then Ven. Maha Kaccāna analysed the meaning using these words, these statements, these phrases.”
“Maha Kaccāna is wise, monks. He is a person of great discernment. If you had asked me about this matter, I too would have answered in the same way he did. That is its meaning, and that is how you should remember it.”
When this was said, Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One, “Lord, it’s as if a man - overcome with hunger, weakness, & thirst - were to come across a ball of honey. Wherever he might taste it, he would experience a sweet, delectable flavour. In the same way, wherever a monk of capable awareness might investigate the meaning of this Dhamma discourse with his discernment, he would experience gratification, he would experience confidence. What is the name of this Dhamma discourse?”
“Then, Ananda, you can remember this Dhamma discourse as the ‘Ball of Honey Discourse.’”
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, Ven. Ananda delighted in the Blessed One’s words.