Chanda Sutra

Thus have I heard:

At that time there were a number of elder bhikshus who were staying together in the Deer Park, Isipatana, near the town of Varanasi, not long after the Buddha had died. Now the bhikshu Chanda, when it was early morning, put on his sanghati robe, took his bowl and went into the town of Varanasi to make the alms’ round.

When he had made the alms’ round and eaten his midday meal, he put away his robe and bowl, washed his feet, and taking his key with him went from one clump of trees to another, from one hut to another, from one walking meditation path to another. Wherever he went he said to the elders:

Venerable elders, please instruct me, teach me the Dharma, so that I can understand the Dharma, see the Dharma, so that I can truly know the Dharma and contemplate the Dharma in the right way. At that the elder monks said to Chanda:

Form is impermanent and feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness are also impermanent. All formations are impermanent, all objects of mind are without a separate self and nirvana is peace, security and the silencing of concepts.

Chanda said to the elders:

I know that form is impermanent and feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness are also impermanent. I know that all formations are impermanent, all objects of mind are without a separate self and nirvana is peace, security and the silencing of concepts. However, I do not feel happy when I hear that all formations are empty, ungraspable and only when sensual desire is ended can nirvana be experienced.

If that is so, is there a self (a subject), that is able really to know the truth, and really to see the truth so that the person can say: “I have seen the truth,”? Chanda repeated his question twice. Then he asked himself:

Who among these elders here can instruct me so that I can understand and see the Dharma?

Then he thought:

The venerable Ananda is presently staying in the Ghosita Park in the region of Kosambi. He was close to the Buddha and was the Buddha’s attendant. The Buddha praised him and all practitioners of the holy life have heard of him Surely he will be able to teach me the Dharma so that I can see and understand it. He rested that night. The next morning, he put on his robe and carrying his bowl went into Varanasi on the alms’ round. 

After he had completed the alms’ round and had the midday meal he folded his bed. Having folded his bed, he put on his robe, took his bowl and set out for Kosambi. After many stages of the journey he arrived in Kosambi. Then he put down his bowl and his robe, washed his feet and went to the place where Ananda was staying. After exchanging courtesies with the venerable monk, Chanda sat down to one side.

Then he asked Ananda:

Venerable monk, at that time many elders were dwelling in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Varanasi. In the morning, I put on my robe and carried my bowl and went onto the town on the alms’round. After completing the alms’ round and eating the midday meal, I put away my robe and bowl, washed my feet, took the key and went from one clump of trees to another, from one hut to another, from one walking meditation path to another. Whenever I met an elder I would ask him to teach me and transmit to me the Dharma so that I could know and see the Dharma.

Then the venerable elders would teach me the Dharma and instructed me: “Form is impermanent and feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness are also impermanent. All formations are impermanent, all objects of mind are without a separate self and nirvana is peace, security and the silencing of concepts.”

Then I said to the elders:

“I know that form is impermanent and feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness are also impermanent. I know that all formations are impermanent, all objects of mind are without a separate self and nirvana is peace, security and the silencing of concepts. However, I do not feel happy when I hear that all formations are empty, ungraspable and only when sensual desire is ended can nirvana be experienced.

“If that is so, is there a self (a subject), that is able really to know the truth, and really to see the truth so that the person can say: “I have seen the truth,”?

Then I asked myself:

Who among these elders can instruct me so that I can understand and see the Dharma?

Then I thought:

“The venerable Ananda is presently staying in the Ghosita Park in the region of Kosambi. He was close to the Buddha and was the Buddha’s attendant. The Buddha praised him and all practitioners of the holy life have heard of him. Surely he will be able to teach me the Dharma so that I can see and understand it.

“Excellent, Venerable Ananda. Please, venerable monk, teach me the Dharma now so that I can know and see it.

Then Ananda said to Chanda:

Good, Chanda! I am glad. I am happy for you that you are able to stand before a practitioner of the holy life and not hide (what is in your heart) with the desire of putting an end to the obstacles of doubt in your mind.

Chanda, ignorant worldly people are not able to understand that form is impermanent and feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness are also impermanent. They do not know that all formations are impermanent, all objects of mind are without a separate self and nirvana is peace, security and the absence of concepts. Now that you have the capacity to receive the deep and wonderful teachings, listen carefully and I shall instruct you.

Then Chanda thought:

“I am happy. I have this altogether wonderful state of mind, because I know that now I am able to receive the deep and wonderful Dharma.

Then Ananda said to Chanda:

I myself heard the Buddha give the following teaching to the Venerable Mahakatyayana: People in the world are normally caught in one of two extremes: the view of being and the view of nonbeing.

Since worldly people are caught in these two objects of perception, their minds are bound. If someone does not accept, does not grasp, does not stand firm in these ideas, does not compare and measure a separate self that he is then caught in, then he will see that when the causes are sufficient for suffering to arise, suffering arises, and when the causes are no longer sufficient, suffering ceases (and in that there is no need for a self, and the ideas of being and non-being cannot be applied).

Katyayana, when someone is able to see that, he has no more doubts, he is no longer subject to the afflictions. This insight is not transmitted to him by someone else, but is his own insight. This is what the Tathagata means by right view.

Katyayana, why is this so? When someone looks correctly at the coming to be of the world, she does not give rise to the idea of non-being and when she correctly observes the destruction of the world, she does not give rise to the idea of being. Katyayana, the Tathagata has abandoned these two extremes and teaches the Dharma dwelling in the middle way. This means: “This is because that is and this arises because that arises. Conditioned by ignorance are formations…… (and so on until) conditioned by birth are old age, death, sorrow, misfortune and the afflictions. That is the origin of all this suffering. It also means that this is not because that is not and this ceases because that ceases. With the ending of ignorance formations cease……..( until) with the ending of birth, old age, death, sorrow, misfortune and the afflictions cease. That is the end of all this suffering.

While Ananda was giving this teaching Chanda arrived at the state of freedom from the dust of the world. He abandoned all impurities and received the spotless eye of the Dharma. Now he saw and realized the Dharma, knew the Dharma, gave rise to the Dharma and overcame all doubt. His insight was not given to him by someone else. He reached the state of fearlessness in the Dharma of the great beings. Respectfully he joined his palms and said to Ananda: 

So it is, Ananda, you are a true practitioner of the holy life, a spiritual friend, a Dharma teacher who has the capacity to instruct, teach the precepts and the Dharma well.

Now that I have heard this teaching from the venerable Ananda I have seen that all objects of mind are empty, are silent and at peace, cannot be grasped conceptually and only when craving ends and all desire is left behind can there be the absolute peace that is nirvana. My mind is peaceful and happy, dwells peacefully in liberation. There is no going back, there is no more perception of a separate self. There is only perception of the right Dharma.

Then Ananda said to Chanda:

Now you have realized the enormous and wholesome benefit, you have the holy eye of insight into the very deep teaching of the Buddha.

Both great beings rejoiced for the other, stood up together and each returned to his place of abode.

~Samyuktagama 262