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who, when questioned by you concerning the past, replied with one thing and another, diverted the conversation outside, and manifested anger, displeasure, and discontent?" "The Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, venerable sir." "Whoever, Udāyī, recollects his manifold past existences, that is to say, one birth, two births... ...thus recollects his manifold past existences with their aspects and details, he may question me concerning the past, or I may question him concerning the past." I might question him; or he might gladden my mind by answering my question concerning the past; or I might gladden his mind by answering his question concerning the past. Udāyi, whoever with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, might see beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understand beings according to their deeds; he might question me concerning the future, or I might question him concerning the future; or he might gladden my mind by answering my question concerning the future; or I might gladden his mind by answering his question concerning the future. But Udāyi, let the past be, let the future be. I will teach you the Dhamma: When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases. Venerable sir, I cannot even recall what I have experienced in this very existence with its features and details; how then shall I recall the manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births… and so on, the manifold past lives with their features and details, as the Blessed One does? Venerable sir, I do not even see a dust-sprite now; how then shall I see beings with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understand beings according to their deeds, as the Blessed One does? But what the Blessed One says to me, “But Udāyi, let the past be, let the future be. I will teach you the Dhamma: When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases,” that does not appear to me to be of much use. It is of little Indeed, venerable sir, I might please the Blessed One's mind by explaining the question in my own teaching. 272. "How then, Udāyi, is it in your own teaching?" "For us, venerable sir, in our own teaching it is thus: 'This is the supreme color, this is the supreme color.'" "That which, Udāyi, is thus in your own teaching: 'This is the supreme color, this is the supreme color'— which is that supreme color?" "That, venerable sir, from which color no other color is more superior or more excellent— that is the supreme color." "Which then is that supreme color from which color no other color is more superior or more excellent?" "That, venerable sir, from which color no other color is more superior or more excellent— that is the supreme color." "Long indeed, Udāyi, this would extend for you: 'That, venerable sir, from which color no other color is more superior or more excellent'— you say this, but that color you do not describe. Just as, Udāyi, a man might say this: 'I desire, I long for the country's beauty who is in this country.' Then they would say to him: 'Hey man, the country's beauty whom you desire and long for, do you know that country's beauty— whether she is a khattiya, or a brahmin, or a vaishya, or a shudra?' Asked thus, he would say, 'No.' Then they would say to him: 'Hey man, the country's beauty whom you desire and long for, do you know that country's beauty— whether she is of such-and-such a name, of such-and-such a clan, or... whether she is tall, or short, or of medium height, or dark, or dusky, or of golden skin, or... whether she is in such-and-such a village, or town, or city?' Asked thus, he would say, 'No.' Then they would say to him: 'Hey man, that which you do not know, that which you do not see, that you desire and long for?' Asked thus, he would say, 'Yes.'" "What do you think of this, Udāyi? Is it not so that, in that case, that man's speech becomes baseless?" “Indeed, venerable sir, in that case, the speech of that person is without a miracle.” “Just so, Udāyi, you say, ‘Venerable sir, there is no other color more excellent or more refined than this color; it is the supreme color,’ yet you do not describe that color.” “Just as, venerable sir, a beryl gem, pure, of good origin, eight-faceted, well-polished, placed on a yellow woolen cloth, shines, glows, and radiates, so is the self, of such a color, healthy, after death.” 273. “What do you think, Udāyi? Which of these two colors is more beautiful and more refined: that beryl gem, pure, of good origin, eight-faceted, well-polished, placed on a yellow woolen cloth, which shines, glows, and radiates, or that firefly in the deep darkness of night?” “Venerable sir, that firefly in the deep darkness of night is more beautiful and more refined than these two colors.” “What do you think, Udāyi? Which of these two colors is more beautiful and more refined: that firefly in the deep darkness of night, or that oil lamp in the deep darkness of night?” “Venerable sir, that oil lamp in the deep darkness of night is more beautiful and more refined than these two colors.” “What do you think, Udāyi? Which of these two colors is more beautiful and more refined: that oil lamp in the deep darkness of night, or that great mass of fire in the deep darkness of night?” “Venerable sir, that great mass of fire in the deep darkness of night is more beautiful and more refined than these two colors.” “What do you think, Udāyi? Which of these two colors is more beautiful and more refined: that great mass of fire in the deep darkness of night, or that morning star at dawn, when the sky is clear and cloudless?” Of these two lights, which light is more brilliant and more excellent? "Venerable sir, this morning star at dawn, when the sky is clear and cloudless – this, of these two lights, is more brilliant and more excellent." "What do you think, Udāyi? The morning star at dawn, when the sky is clear and cloudless, or the moon at midnight on the full-moon Uposatha day, when the sky is clear and cloudless – of these two lights, which light is more brilliant and more excellent?" "Venerable sir, this moon at midnight on the full-moon Uposatha day, when the sky is clear and cloudless – this, of these two lights, is more brilliant and more excellent." "What do you think, Udāyi? The moon at midnight on the full-moon Uposatha day, when the sky is clear and cloudless, or the sun at midday in the last month of the rainy season, in autumn, when the sky is clear and cloudless – of these two lights, which light is more brilliant and more excellent?" "Venerable sir, this sun at midday in the last month of the rainy season, in autumn, when the sky is clear and cloudless – this, of these two lights, is more brilliant and more excellent." "But Udāyi, there are many, many more devas who do not experience the light of this moon and sun, and I know them. Yet I do not say, 'There is no other light superior or more excellent than this light.' But you, Udāyi, say, 'This light, which is inferior and more repulsive than a glow-worm, is the supreme light.'" ...he did not declare." "How marvelous the Blessed One's discourse! How marvelous the Fortunate One's discourse!" "But why, Udāyi, do you speak thus – 'How marvelous the Blessed One's discourse, how marvelous the Fortunate One's discourse'?" "For us, venerable sir, in our own teaching, it is thus – 'This is the highest praise, this is the highest praise.' We, venerable sir, when questioned, examined, and discussed by the Blessed One concerning our own teaching, are empty, hollow, and mistaken." 274. "But Udāyi, is there a world of unalloyed happiness? Is there a way of practice for the realization of a world of unalloyed happiness?" "For us, venerable sir, in our own teaching, it is thus – 'There is a world of unalloyed happiness, there is a way of practice for the realization of a world of unalloyed happiness'." "But what, Udāyi, is that way of practice for the realization of a world of unalloyed happiness?" "Here, venerable sir, someone, having abandoned the taking of life, abstains from the taking of life; having abandoned taking what is not given, abstains from taking what is not given; having abandoned sexual misconduct, abstains from sexual misconduct; having abandoned false speech, abstains from false speech; or else, undertakes some ascetic practice. This, venerable sir, is that way of practice for the realization of a world of unalloyed happiness." "What do you think, Udāyi? At the time when one, having abandoned the taking of life, abstains from the taking of life, is the self at that time entirely happy, or happy and suffering?" "Happy and suffering, venerable sir." "What do you think, Udāyi? At the time when one, having abandoned taking what is not given, abstains from taking what is not given, is the self at that time entirely happy, or happy and suffering?" "Happy and suffering, venerable sir." "What do you think, Udāyi? At the time when one, having abandoned sexual misconduct, abstains from sexual misconduct, is the self at that time entirely happy, or happy and suffering?" —is it? "Of pleasure and pain, Venerable Sir." "What do you think, Udayi, at the time when one abandons false speech, abstains from false speech, is the self at that time entirely happy or of pleasure and pain?" "Of pleasure and pain, Venerable Sir." "What do you think, Udayi, at the time when one undertakes a certain ascetic practice, is the self at that time entirely happy or of pleasure and pain?" "Of pleasure and pain, Venerable Sir."