Ariyapariyesanasuttaṁ: The Discourse about the Noble Search
Edited and Translated by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu
Introduction
The discourse is set in the hermitage of the brāhmaṇa Rammaka, who is otherwise unknown, as there appears to be no further information about him in the commentaries, and although they gather at the hermitage, Rammaka himself doesn’t appear in the discourse, and nor do any of his disciples (if he had any).
The monks tell Ven. Ānanda that it is a long time since they heard a discourse from the Buddha face to face, an interesting biographical detail in itself, as it shows that the Buddha was not always teaching, but must have taken time off on occasion, and maybe it indicates that the Buddha was in his later years at this time.
The chief interest in the discourse is in the Buddha’s discussion of his motivation when going forth, and his autobiographical recollections of his life as a Bodhisatta and his search for, and eventual attainment of, Awakening, and his decision to give his liberating teaching.
Although in later times a fairly detailed biography was developed, in the early texts there is a lack of reliable material about the Buddha’s life, probably because the life as such was not considered as important as the teaching. Occasionally, though, in his encounters with others, the Buddha did refer to his own practice before his Awakening, and his life shortly thereafter.
There are four places where this occurs in the Middle Length Discourses (Majjhimanikāya), and when they are taken together they build up quite a good picture of the Buddha’s reasons for the renunciation, his going-forth, and the various people he met, the practices he undertook and his decision to teach.
In the discourse the Buddha talks about the two searches or quests, the one for what is subject – like he himself is – to birth, old-age, sickness, death, grief and defilements, which is characterised as an ignoble search; and the other a quest for what is not subject to these faults, which is the noble search for Nibbāna.
In this search the Buddha sought out various people, meeting with a great meditation Master, Āḷāra Kālāma, and later with Uddaka Rāmaputta. After studying with Āḷāra and Uddaka to the highest levels they had attained, the Bodhisatta was still dissatisfied, as the practice didn’t lead out of saṁsāra, but only to its highest levels. He therefore abandoned them and after travelling to Uruvelā he eventually attained Awakening.
The Buddha, as he then was, after an intercession by the Brahma Sahampati, decided to teach. He first thought of Āḷāra and Uddaka, but then he understood that they had recently deceased, so he sought out his earlier companions, the group-of-five monks and they too soon attained Awakening.
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