Dighanikaya 22.373_10

22.373_10

Pubbepi ca imasmiṃ pade mahātherānaṃ sākacchā ahosiyeva. Tipiṭakacūḷanāgatthero pubbabhāgasatipaṭṭhānamaggoti āha. Ācariyo panassa tipiṭakacūḷasumatthero missakamaggoti āha. Pubbabhāgo bhanteti? Missako, āvusoti. Ācariye pana punappunaṃ bhaṇante appaṭibāhitvā tuṇhī ahosi. Pañhaṃ avinicchinitvāva uṭṭhahiṃsu. Athācariyatthero nahānakoṭṭhakaṃ gacchanto ‘‘mayā missakamaggo kathito, cūḷanāgo pubbabhāgamaggoti ādāya voharati, ko nu kho ettha nicchayo’’ti suttantaṃ ādito paṭṭhāya parivattento ‘‘yo hi koci, bhikkhave, ime cattāro satipaṭṭhāne evaṃ bhāveyya satta vassānī’’ti imasmiṃ ṭhāne sallakkhesi. Lokuttaramaggo uppajjitvā satta vassāni tiṭṭhamāno nāma natthi, mayā vutto missakamaggo na labbhati. Cūḷanāgena diṭṭho pubbabhāgamaggova labbhatīti ñatvā aṭṭhamiyaṃ dhammasavane saṅghuṭṭhe agamāsi.

And in the past, too, there was indeed a discussion among the great theras regarding this term. The thera Tipiṭaka Cūḷanāga said: 'It is the preliminary path of mindfulness meditation.' His teacher, however, the thera Tipiṭaka Cūḷasuma, said: 'It is the mixed path.' 'Is it the preliminary one, venerable sir?' 'It is the mixed one, friend.' But when the teacher kept speaking again and again, [Cūḷanāga] did not contradict him and remained silent. They arose without having resolved the question. Then the senior elder teacher, going to the bathhouse, reflected: 'I said it is the mixed path; Cūḷanāga employs the term taking it as the preliminary path. What indeed is the conclusion here?' Rehearsing the sutta from the beginning, at this passage—'For whoever, monks, should thus develop these four foundations of mindfulness for seven years'—he noticed: 'There is no such thing as a supramundane path having arisen and persisting for seven years. The mixed path spoken of by me is not admissible. Only the preliminary path seen by Cūḷanāga is admissible.' Having realized this, when the preaching of the Dhamma was proclaimed on the eighth day, he went.