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AN 10.95PTS AN 5.1933 min read

With Uttiya

Uttiyasutta

The wanderer Uttiya asks the Buddha a series of ten metaphysical questions as to whether the cosmos is finite, etc. The Buddha responds by saying that he only teaches the end of suffering. Uttiya goes on to ask whether all beings will be liberated. The Buddha is silent, and Ānanda answers on his behalf.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.95Numbered Discourses 10.95
  • 0.210. Upālivagga10. With Upāli

0.3UttiyasuttaWith Uttiya

1.1PTS 5.193Atha kho uttiyo paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.Then the wanderer Uttiya went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

1.2Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho uttiyo paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha,1.3“kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan”ti?“Worthy Gotama, is this right: ‘The cosmos is eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile’?”

1.4“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, uttiya, mayā:“This has not been declared by me, Uttiya.”1.5‘sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’”ti.

2.1“Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan”ti?“Then is this right: ‘The cosmos is not eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile’?”

2.2“Etampi kho, uttiya, abyākataṁ mayā:“This has not been declared by me, Uttiya.”2.3‘asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’”ti.

3.1“Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, antavā loko …pe…“Then is this right: ‘The cosmos is finite …’ …3.2anantavā loko …‘The cosmos is infinite …’ …3.3taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ …‘The soul and the body are one and the same …’ …3.4aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ …‘The soul is one thing, the body another …’ …3.5hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā …‘A realized one still exists after death …’ …3.6na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā …‘A realized one no longer exists after death …’ …3.7hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā …‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death …’ …3.8neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan”ti?‘A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death. This is the only truth, anything else is futile’?”

3.9“Etampi kho, uttiya, abyākataṁ mayā:“This has not been declared by me, Uttiya.”3.10‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’”ti.

4.1“‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno ‘abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, uttiya, mayā—“When asked about all these points, worthy Gotama says that they have not been declared by him.4.2sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi.

5.1‘Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno:5.2‘etampi kho, uttiya, abyākataṁ mayā asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi.

6.1PTS 5.194‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, antavā loko …pe…6.2anantavā loko …6.3taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ …6.4aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ …6.5hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā …6.6na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā …6.7hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā …6.8neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno:6.9‘etampi kho, uttiya, abyākataṁ mayā—6.10neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi.6.11Atha kiñcarahi bhotā gotamena byākatan”ti?So what then has been declared by Worthy Gotama?”

7.1“Abhiññāya kho ahaṁ, uttiya, sāvakānaṁ dhammaṁ desemi sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.“Uttiya, I teach my disciples from my own insight in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to end the cycle of suffering, and to realize extinguishment.”

8.1“Yaṁ panetaṁ bhavaṁ gotamo abhiññāya sāvakānaṁ dhammaṁ desesi sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, sabbo vā tena loko nīyati upaḍḍho vā tibhāgo vā”ti?“But when the worthy Gotama teaches in this way, is the whole world saved, or half, or a third?”8.2Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā tuṇhī ahosi.But when he said this, the Buddha kept silent.

9.1Atha kho āyasmato ānandassa etadahosi:Then Venerable Ānanda thought,9.2“mā hevaṁ kho uttiyo paribbājako pāpakaṁ diṭṭhigataṁ paṭilabhi:“The wanderer Uttiya must not get the harmful misconception:9.3‘sabbasāmukkaṁsikaṁ vata me samaṇo gotamo pañhaṁ puṭṭho saṁsādeti, no vissajjeti, na nūna visahatī’ti.‘When the ascetic Gotama was asked this all-important question he falters without answering. He just can’t do it!’9.4Tadassa uttiyassa paribbājakassa dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāyā”ti.That would be for his lasting harm and suffering.”

10.1PTS 5.195Atha kho āyasmā ānando uttiyaṁ paribbājakaṁ etadavoca:Then Ānanda said to the wanderer Uttiya,10.2“tenahāvuso uttiya, upamaṁ te karissāmi.“Well then, Reverend Uttiya, I shall give you a simile.10.3Upamāya m’idhekacce viññū purisā bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānanti.For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said.10.4Seyyathāpi, āvuso uttiya, rañño paccantimaṁ nagaraṁ daḷhuddhāpaṁ daḷhapākāratoraṇaṁ ekadvāraṁ.Suppose there was a king’s frontier citadel with fortified embankments, ramparts, and arches, and a single gate.10.5Tatrassa dovāriko paṇḍito byatto medhāvī aññātānaṁ nivāretā ñātānaṁ pavesetā.And it has a gatekeeper who is astute, competent, and intelligent. He keeps strangers out and lets known people in.10.6So tassa nagarassa samantā anupariyāyapathaṁ anukkamati. Anupariyāyapathaṁ anukkamamāno na passeyya pākārasandhiṁ vā pākāravivaraṁ vā, antamaso biḷāranikkhamanamattampi.As he walks around the patrol path, he doesn’t see a hole or cleft in the wall, not even one big enough for a cat to slip out.10.7No ca khvassa evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘ettakā pāṇā imaṁ nagaraṁ pavisanti vā nikkhamanti vā’ti.He doesn’t know how many creatures enter or leave the citadel.10.8Atha khvassa evamettha hoti: ‘ye kho keci oḷārikā pāṇā imaṁ nagaraṁ pavisanti vā nikkhamanti vā, sabbe te iminā dvārena pavisanti vā nikkhamanti vā’ti.But he does know that whatever sizable creatures enter or leave the citadel, all of them do so via this gate.

11.1Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso uttiya, na tathāgatassa evaṁ ussukkaṁ hoti: ‘sabbo vā tena loko nīyati, upaḍḍho vā, tibhāgo vā’ti.In the same way, it’s not the Realized One’s concern whether the whole world is saved by this, or half, or a third.11.2Atha kho evamettha tathāgatassa hoti: ‘ye kho keci lokamhā nīyiṁsu vā nīyanti vā nīyissanti vā, sabbe te pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe, catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacittā, satta bojjhaṅge yathābhūtaṁ bhāvetvā.But the Realized One knows that whoever is saved from the world—whether in the past, the future, or the present—all have given up the five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom. They have firmly established their mind in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation. And they have truly developed the seven awakening factors.11.3Evamete lokamhā nīyiṁsu vā nīyanti vā nīyissanti vā’ti.That’s how they’re saved from the world, in the past, future, or present.11.4Yadeva kho tvaṁ, āvuso uttiya, bhagavantaṁ pañhaṁ apucchi tadevetaṁ pañhaṁ bhagavantaṁ aññena pariyāyena apucchi.Uttiya, you were just asking the Buddha the same question as before in a different way.11.5Tasmā te taṁ bhagavā na byākāsī”ti.That’s why he didn’t answer.”

11.6Pañcamaṁ.